Santorum says Obama, Romney are alike

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Hoping to tap into deep distrust of Washington, Republican Rick Santorum suggested Friday that President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney shared a top priority: to take away Americans' money and freedom so they can tell them how to live.

A day before Kansas Republicans weigh in on the party's presidential contest, Santorum looked to shore up support in this Midwestern state that seemed ready to give the former Pennsylvania senator yet another win and further challenge Romney's front-runner status. With sharp rhetoric, Santorum likened Romney to Obama and cast both as unacceptable to conservatives.

"We already have one president who doesn't tell the truth to the American people. We don't need another," Santorum said to cheers. "Governor Romney reinvents himself for whatever the political occasion calls for."

Santorum has hammered Romney for health care reform he signed into law as Massachusetts governor. Santorum's advisers see the issue as Romney's biggest weakness among conservatives. They make up the bulk of the Republican Party's nominating base but have so far split their votes between Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"The worst offender is Governor Romney. He put the template for Obamacare in place in Massachusetts," Santorum said.

Campaigning in Alabama, Romney fired back, characterizing Santorum as coming from the Washington establishment he's worked to distance himself from and reminding him -- and voters -- about a delegate count that puts Romney much closer to the nomination.

"Washington insider Rick Santorum is lashing out at Mitt Romney because he can't accept the fact that it's nearly impossible for him to win the number of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.

Romney has 422 delegates committed to his nomination, while Santorum has 181 out of the 1,144 needed. Newt Gingrich trails with 107 and Ron Paul has 46, according to Associated Press calculations.

Paul called Kansas "a fertile field" as he pitched his libertarian views Friday. The Texas congressman told about 500 people at a downtown Topeka rally that he doesn't have a particular number of delegates in mind but, in his words, "the more the merrier."