DENVER — Rick Santorum had a breakthrough night Tuesday, winning GOP presidential contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado, all of which is expected to breathe life into his struggling campaign and slow Mitt Romney’s march to the Republican presidential nomination.

The Santorum triumphs promise to, at least temporarily, alter the face of the campaign going into the crucial “Super Tuesday” contests, as the caustic tone of the primaries is expected to continue and intensify. Romney and his allies have signaled that they will use their financial advantage to launch stepped-up attacks on Santorum and on former House speaker Newt Gingrich, the other main challenger.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/santorum-poised-for-breakthrough-in-three-states-contests/2012/02/07/gIQAoE3bxQ_story.html

I wouldn't want to question either man's commitment to the Christian faith, but with Senator Santorum - a conservative Roman Catholic and member of Opus Dei - there's a truly manic edge to his religious pronouncements and activities. For example, Santorum doesn't believe in the right to privacy. Christian snoops can kick down the motel door, twitch aside the blankets and haul couples off for all manner of moral abominations.

Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/us/us-election-2012/45531/why-ludicrous-santorum-running-mitt-romney-ragged#ixzz1nCdZ3Gn9

US presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has ended his campaign for the White House, clearing the way for front-runner Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination.

"While this presidential race is over for me and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting," Mr Santorum told a news conference in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, saying he would work to help defeat president Barack Obama in November's election.

"We will never be a country that can go forward as a great and powerful country again unless we remember who we are and what makes us Americans.

"That's what our campaign was about."

Mr Santorum's daughter has been hospitalised with pneumonia in recent days.

The three-year-old has a rare, genetic disorder that can make illnesses like pneumonia life-threatening.

Mr Santorum said he and his family talked about his decision over the Easter weekend.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-11/santorum-ends-us-presidential-campaign/3942428