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Meanwhile, the battle among Republicans over who should challenge President Obama in November has moved to Pennsylvania. Its GOP presidential primary is still nearly three weeks away, but Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are already campaigning there. For Santorum, losing his home state could be the death blow to his presidential bid, and there are growing signs such a loss could be in store. NPR's David Welna has been travelling with Santorum through Pennsylvania, and he sent this report.
DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: You might say Rick Santorum's do-or-die campaign here is in full swing. Outside the Blair County Courthouse yesterday in the town of Hollidaysburg, a high school jazz band livens up a crowd of about 150. State Senator John Eichelberger opens this rally for Rick on a pugnacious note.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
WELNA: For Santorum, who permanently moved his family to Virginia after losing his Senate seat six years ago, this is a homecoming.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
WELNA: And he connects with the crowd with what, for them, is a stinging reminder.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)
WELNA: Santorum uses that same tone of wounded resentment, vowing to the crowd he's not about to declare game over.
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WELNA: How long may depend largely on how Santorum fairs here in the April 24th primary. For Gary Zimmerman, a retiree in the crowd who's still undecided, Santorum cannot afford to lose.
GARY ZIMMERMAN: If he loses in Pennsylvania, which is his state, you know, that's kind of a tear-jerker, if you want to call it that. He's got to win Pennsylvania. If he doesn't, and the state's not going to back him, who else is?
WELNA: And even if he wins, some of Santorum's supporters think Pennsylvania should be his last stand. Bob Kramer(ph), a Pittsburg business consultant, has known Santorum for 20 years.
BOB KRAMER: I think Rick has made the statement that he is a force to be reckoned with now and into the future, and I think, in the end, he'll do what's best for the Republican Party.
WELNA: Which, according to Kramer, would be endorsing Mitt Romney. Other long time Santorum associates expressed doubts about him even winning here.
CHARLIE GEROW: I think he could lose Pennsylvania.
WELNA: That's Harrisburg GOP political strategist Charlie Gerow. He's held fundraisers at his house for Santorum in the past, but he's backing Newt Gingrich this year. Gerow says Santorum lost his Senate seat by 18 percentage points in part because he alienated a lot of conservatives.
GEROW: The fact of the matter is that six years ago, he had a lot of trouble with his Republican base, and a lot of those folks that were angry with him over the endorsement of Arlen Specter, for example, are still not happy with him. So he's got some spade-work to do here in Pennsylvania and some bridge-building and fence-mending to do before he can really get his campaign on track here. And time is running out.
WELNA: Last night, at a bowling alley outside Harrisburg, Santorum was back to spinning a heavy ball down a long lane in hopes of a pay-off at the end.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)
WELNA: It was a strike, exactly what Santorum says he's aiming for statewide.
: We're going to win Pennsylvania, and we need to win Pennsylvania.
WELNA: Santorum's seen his lead here over Romney narrow in polls. And one's out today that has Romney in the lead. Santorum is now back in Virginia, taking a break in campaigning or the Easter weekend. He met there today with conservatives, hoping to persuade Gingrich to call it quits. No sign Gingrich is about to do that. David Welna, NPR News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
