Daily Santorum: Hard work pays off

Rick Santorum continues his underdog presidential with big doses of shoeleather and helpful Pennsylvania connections.

RS used his snub from Jim DeMint's Labor Day forum in S.C. yesterday get a few more headlines, and got even better ones via his indefatigable ability to go anywhere at anytime: he was the only candidate to show up at the Chapin Labor Day parade, which George W. Bush, John McCain and other GOP nominees had attended in the past. To the money quote, via WISTV in Columbia, via Lindsey Graham:

"We're four months away from the South Carolina Primary to determine the Republican candidate for president.  Since 1980, every candidate whose won the South Carolina Republican Primary got the nomination for the party.  I can't get over it. I don't understand."

Senator Graham, a veteran at campaigns, said it's important to meet the kids, the firefighters, and the student athletes. He said he comes because he likes parades and he likes people. "I would recommend anybody who wanted to become president come to the Chapin Labor Day Parade."

CBS did a review of Santorum's Labor Day weekend events too, and included this dose of reality from the ex-Senator on his fundraising: that it's "a very very very low budget campaign." The bulk of the money he does have is from his home state of Pennsylvania, and the state came to his aid again over the weekend when the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Assoc. endorsed his jobs plan.

We're told he may have some other Pa endorsements coming soon. UPDATE: The leadership of the state Senate gets behind him, ahead of a Sept. 16 straw poll in Harrisburg.