On the Trail: Feb. 21

Santorum’s rise makes Romney look less inevitable.

On the Trail - Rick Santorum, the GOP’s latest not-Mitt Romney, is on the rise and giving Mitt Romney a run for his money, while Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul work to stay relevant in the race and President Obama courts his base.—Joyce Jones

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Rick Santorum’s rise is making him a target on the left and the right, but he also must take care that loose lips don’t sink his campaign ship. –Joyce Jones

Barack Obama - With Mitt Romney looking less inevitable and Rick Santorum surging, President Obama’s re-election campaign team isn’t leaving anything to chance. According to an Associated Press report, the campaign has reached out to supporters in Pennsylvania, which Santorum represented in Congress, for “possible lines of attack” that can be used in future ads and speeches.(Photo: REUTERS/Jason Reed/Landov)

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Barack Obama - With Mitt Romney looking less inevitable and Rick Santorum surging, President Obama’s re-election campaign team isn’t leaving anything to chance. According to an Associated Press report, the campaign has reached out to supporters in Pennsylvania, which Santorum represented in Congress, for “possible lines of attack” that can be used in future ads and speeches.(Photo: REUTERS/Jason Reed/Landov)

Mitt Romney - Next week’s Michigan primary was supposed to be a home run for native son Mitt Romney, but recent polls show Rick Santorum leading the Wolverine State.(Photo: Idaho Statesman/ MCT /LANDOV)

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Mitt Romney - Next week’s Michigan primary was supposed to be a home run for native son Mitt Romney, but recent polls show Rick Santorum leading the Wolverine State.(Photo: Idaho Statesman/ MCT /LANDOV)

Newt Gingrich - Newt Gingrich: Newt Gingrich’s struggling campaign is getting a much-needed $10 million infusion from casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a move the former House speaker hopes will level the playing field with rival and far-better financed Mitt Romney. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Gingrich said that he’s also not worried about the surging Rick Santorum and that he’s survived other surges, citing Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and others. (Photo: Courtesy Fox News)

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Newt Gingrich - Newt Gingrich: Newt Gingrich’s struggling campaign is getting a much-needed $10 million infusion from casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a move the former House speaker hopes will level the playing field with rival and far-better financed Mitt Romney. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Gingrich said that he’s also not worried about the surging Rick Santorum and that he’s survived other surges, citing Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and others. (Photo: Courtesy Fox News)

Rick Santorum - Rick Santorum is experiencing the peril that comes with political success — a loosened tongue that invites scrutiny. On Sunday he had to defend a remark in which he said that President Obama has a theology that is different from the Bible, which made some question whether he was suggesting that the president is not a Christian. He also said that an Affordable Care Act mandate to provide prenatal testing would lead to more abortions and is calling for the federal and state government to play a much smaller role in public education.(Photo: Jay LaPrete/Getty Images)

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Rick Santorum - Rick Santorum is experiencing the peril that comes with political success — a loosened tongue that invites scrutiny. On Sunday he had to defend a remark in which he said that President Obama has a theology that is different from the Bible, which made some question whether he was suggesting that the president is not a Christian. He also said that an Affordable Care Act mandate to provide prenatal testing would lead to more abortions and is calling for the federal and state government to play a much smaller role in public education.(Photo: Jay LaPrete/Getty Images)

Ron Paul - In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Texas Rep. Ron Paul said that his campaign is picking up momentum, but acknowledged that he probably won’t win enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. He also slammed Rick Santorum’s “atrocious” voting record during his time in Congress and said that the former Pennsylvania senator is “pretending he’s a conservative.” (Photo: Courtesy CNN)

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Ron Paul - In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Texas Rep. Ron Paul said that his campaign is picking up momentum, but acknowledged that he probably won’t win enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. He also slammed Rick Santorum’s “atrocious” voting record during his time in Congress and said that the former Pennsylvania senator is “pretending he’s a conservative.” (Photo: Courtesy CNN)