Santorum spars with Romney on economy

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney lambasted US President Obama on the economy but rival Rick Santorum said the economy is unimportant to his campaign. Obama "attacked the cornerstone of American prosperity -- economic freedom," Romney said at the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught constitutional law. Speaking a day ahead of Tuesday's Illinois primary election, Romney argued to his audience of students it is free markets and free people, not government regulation, that create economic prosperity. "The Obama administration's assault on our economic freedom is the principal reason why the recovery has been so tepid -- and why it couldn't meet their expectations, let alone ours," Romney said, wearing a suit and tie and reading from two TelePrompTer screens. "If we don't change course now, this assault on freedom could damage our economy and the well-being of American families for decades to come," he said. The former Massachusetts governor said the word "freedom" 29 times in his 19-minute address. He did not mention his rivals even indirectly. "This November, we face an important decision," he said. "Our choice will be one not one of just party or personality. This election will be about principle. Our economic freedom will be on the ballot. And I intend to offer the American people a clear choice." Hours later, Santorum, a former US senator from Pennsylvania, told an audience in Moline, Ill., the economic argument was not central to his White House race. "I don't care what the unemployment rate's going to be," he said. "It doesn't matter. My campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. There's something more foundational that's going on here. "You have one nominee who says he wants to run the economy," Santorum said. "What kind of conservative says the president runs the economy? What kind of conservative says, 'I'm the guy that because of my economic experience, that can create jobs'? We conservatives tend to think the government doesn't create jobs." Asked about the remarks later, Santorum told reporters he did care about unemployment. "I'm saying my candidacy doesn't hinge on whether the unemployment rate goes up or down," he said. He said he considered it unlikely he would win in Illinois, but said "amazing things can happen." Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, campaigning in Louisiana ahead of that state's Saturday primary, told a news conference in Shreveport Obama was wrong in his assessment of oil and gas prices. "I think that it is very important to recognize that the president's arguments on gas and energy in fact don't make sense," he said in a city that has largely transitioned to a service economy but still has an strong oil background. "I just wanted to confront the president directly on this," Gingrich said. "He's been making a series of speeches about it -- he has referred again and again to my proposal to get to $2.50 or less a gallon. What he's saying is factually false, I'd be glad to debate him or [Obama re-election Communications Director David] Axelrod anywhere, anytime." The campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas said it was looking past Illinois to a Friday "Give Me Liberty" grassroots fundraising "money bomb." "The truth is, right now our campaign is in the very heat of the battle against the establishment," Paul's national campaign manager, John Tate, wrote in an e-mail Monday. Paul's campaign reported during the weekend to the Federal Election Commission he took in about $3.3 million in February -- almost $1 million less than he amassed in January.