Santorum Floats Reduced Federal Role In Education

By Jacob Rosenberg

BOONE, IOWA —- Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum discussed his plans for national education reform today in front of a packed Pizza Ranch in Boone, Iowa.

Santorum, who, as a Senator from Pennsylvania, voted in favor of former President George W. Bush’s ‘No Child Left Behind’ law, told the crowd that he regrets his decision to do so.

“It is a mistake I made…I should have known better,” he said.

When asked how he’d go about fixing the current system, Santorum replied that he’d give more responsibility to families.

The question about education was posed to Santorum by high school senior and Ames resident Meredith Lehmann. She attended today’s event with her mother, Anne, who will be caucusing tomorrow for Santorum.

As a young person, Meredith Lehmann said she worries about the future of education and wanted to ask Santorum what improvements he would make to the nation’s education system. She got her wish, as Santorum pointed to her right away when the Q and A session began.

In his response to the teenager’s question Santorum blasted the Obama administration for expanding the Department of Education’s role.

“The federal government has increased, he said. “It’s top-down.”

While he stopped short of endorsing fellow GOP hopeful Rick Perry’s call to abolish the DoE, Santorum argued that parents should play more of a role in the education process than the government.

And though he did lament his past support for NCLB, Santorum said, “I got a record I’m proud of.”

Santorum, who has garnered increased attention in recent days, told the audience he has made over 30 stops to Pizza Ranches throughout the Hawkeye State. The incredible amount of time he has spent campaigning in Iowa may be one of the reasons he is starting to creep up in the polls.

With Iowa set to hold its caucuses tomorrow, the Santorum camp is hoping that their guy is peaking at just the right time.

Trump Prepared For Third Party Run

Real estate mogul Donald Trump told Fox News Monday that he is prepared to run for President under a third party banner if the wrong Republican candidate gets the party’s nod.

“I do have my ducks in line if I want to do it,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends.

Trump added however that he was still hopeful the GOP will ultimately select an adequate candidate, despite being caught up in a “crazy” race in Iowa.

The New York businessman has publicly flirted with a Presidential bid since early last year.  Although he initially kicked off speculation by casting himself as a possible GOP candidate, he ultimately announced that he will not run under the Republican ticket.

Trump, who garnered headlines as a possible candidate by questioning Barack Obama’s eligibility, currently hosts the NBC program The Apprentice. He has hinted that he could formally announce his plans following the season’s final episode in late May.

Iowa Poll: Romney And Paul In Dead Heat

Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are nearly tied in Iowa, according to a poll released Friday by NBC News-Marist.

Romney holds 23 percent support among likely caucus voters while Ron Paul comes in with 21 percent.

Newt Gingrich, who initially polled well in Iowa, is now floundering in the Hawkeye state. He comes in behind former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who garners 15 percent support, and Texas Governor Rick Perry, who charts with 14 percent.

The poll comes just days before the Iowa caucus, the official kickoff of the 2012 election season.

The survey polled 433 likely Iowa caucus goers between December 27th and 28th. The full results can be viewed here.

Obama Campaign Hits Romney's Son Over Birther Joke

The Obama campaign is attempting to fundraise off a “birther” joke made by Matt Romney, the son of Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

“This is how the Romney campaign thinks it’s going to win the Republican primary: by pandering to the dead-ender fringe of extremists who still question where the President was born,” an email sent to supporters reads.

The comments in question were made during a campaign event in New Hampshire Friday when the GOP candidate’s son defended his father’s reluctance over releasing his tax returns.

“He’s certainly not afraid of anything, not hiding anything,” Romney said in a video released by the Concord Patch. “I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as Obama releases his grades and birth certificate and sort of a long list of things, then maybe he’d do it.”

Matt Romney clarified that the statement was not made by his father and in a Twitter post made later, Romney dismissed the apparent gaffe as “a dumb joke.”

It's Romney Over Paul In Iowa

A new CNN/Time poll released Wednesday shows Mitt Romney clinging to a three-point lead over Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

Both candidates are up five points each from where they were in the same poll conducted earlier this month.

The poll also reveals a mild surprise, with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum finishing in third place at 16 percent. Santorum clocked in at just five percent in the earlier poll.

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