Santorum Picks Up Colorado Endorsement, Targets Gingrich

(Image Credit: ABC)

LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Rick Santorum on Wednesday turned his sights westward, picking up the endorsement of a former Colorado congressman and pledging to remain in the race after his distant third-place showing in Florida.

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo endorsed Santorum here calling him "a non-composite" candidate who stands by his convictions rather than changing policy to please voters.  "I believe this is the best man, non-composite candidate, we can put forward for president of the United States," Tancredo said at Colorado Christian University.

Santorum said he would remain in the race, insisting that voting had only just gotten started, and voters should not believe that Mitt Romney is an inevitable candidate.  "This race is just beginning. Only four states have spoken, there are 46 others," he said.  "Right now Gov. Romney has 89 votes, you need 1140 before this thing is over."

Santorum, however, is mostly targeting conservative competitor Newt Gingrich rather than frontrunner Mitt Romney. He will soon run ads attacking the former speaker.  Santorum said Gingrich's record on cap and trade environmental rules and health care make him unsustainable.

"Well, what I talked about is policy, I didn't attack the speaker for working for a company or, you know, things that he did in his past in his life. I went out and focused on the policy differences between  Speaker Gingrich and me.   I think that's fair game."