Daily Santorum: Blue collar pitch

Not a lot happening in Santorum news today for the first time in weeks -- since Iowa, probably.

Nationally, Rasmussen Reports has him solidly in third place at 16%, but that's half of what Gingrich and Romney have.

RS wasn't a fan of the SOTU address:

"Rather than call for decisive action in allowing projects like the Keystone Pipeline or reducing the regulatory burden his Administration has imposed, the President declared war on those who are most successful in our society. Barack Obama should realize he's the President of all Americans, but sadly, he has instead chosen to govern and campaign as the Divider-in-Chief."

Santorum is knocking Mitt Romney for his tax returns -- but not because Romney is rich. From Politico:

“I don’t think it disqualifies anybody,” Santorum told reporters of Romney’s wealth. “The question is how well people can relate to him. That’s a question that the voters will decide.”

But Santorum didn’t disparage Romney simply because he is rich. Instead, he made a more pointed argument that he could better appeal to blue-collar voters based on the fact that he is more like them as the grandson of a coal miner who has won in the swing state of Pennsylvania. Yet Santorum has not released his own tax returns, so voters don’t yet know exactly how much he has earned — though the Washington Post recently reported he earned $1.3 million in 2010 and the first half of 2011 as a consultant for energy and other industry interests.

Santorum may have a point -- Romney's negative numbers among voters making less than $50,000 have jumped 20 points, from 29 to 49%.