Bachmann Jabs Santorum in Closing Argument to Iowa Voters - East Idaho News
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Bachmann Jabs Santorum in Closing Argument to Iowa Voters

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GETTY P 122111 SantorumBachmannJPG?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1325582415049AFP/Getty Images(WEST DES MOINES, Iowa) — In a closing argument to Iowa voters, GOP contender Michele Bachmann on Monday stressed her Iowa roots and took a final parting shot at the latest Republican frontrunner, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Dwelling at the bottom of the latest polls, Bachmann was met with enthusiastic crowds as she visited voters on a quaint street in West Des Moines, reminding them of her Iowa roots and her “consistent conservative” values.

Though she has repeatedly attacked Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich, Bachmann has saved her jabs for Santorum, who previously languished on the pack’s bottom rungs.

With Santorum’s recent ascendance and his appeal to the same group of socially conservative voters Bachmann is targeting, the gloves came off.

“If you look at Rick Santorum he’s a wonderful guy, as all the candidates are, but there are points of clarity between us.  I’m a limited government, fiscal conservative.  Rick Santorum voted for the ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ he defends the practice of earmarks, and I’ve taken a no earmarks pledge,” she told reporters.

“He also supported Arlen Specter and endorsed him.  Arlen Specter gave us the 60th vote that gave us Obamacare, and taxpayer-funded abortion.  I never would have supported Arlen Specter, a pro-abortion candidate.  There are differences between us, ” she added.

Bachmann who took at an early lead in the state, winning the Iowa Straw Poll in August, has seen her numbers steadily decline since then.

A series of advisors have quit the campaign, including most recently her Iowa state chair, who defected to endorse Ron Paul last week.

And in a state where candidates with fuller coffers have run television ads for weeks, Bachmann launched her first TV commercial on Monday, running only on cable networks.

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