Daily Santorum: Culture wars cont.

The Rick Santorum campaign is still doubling down on culture war appeals -- a recent mailer contains praise from Rush Limbaugh and the candidate has been hitting comedian Bill Maher for saying Santorum raises his children in a "Christian Madrassa." He told Fox (via GOP12):

All of a sudden, if you're instilling faith and teaching them about God in your home, you're a Madrassa, according to these folks, as if reason doesn't take place in these homes.

Our children will outreason him -- My 12 year-old will outreason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works, 'cause he [Maher] is completely illogical."

He's also been swinging at the media strawman, which (like going after Maher, Rachel Maddow, et al) is a tried and true exercise for the ex senator.

It's the latest big day in the GOP presidential race, with 50 and 40 delegates at stake in Alabama and Mississippi respectively. Polls close at 7 p.m. central. Alabama's guv voted for Rick, but stopped short of outright endorsing him.

Santorum's election night party is in Layfayette, La., and coincidentally his SuperPAC just did a quarter-million ad buy in the state targeting Obama administration energy policy.

Speaking of ads, we expect the Romney camp (which has an event in Harrisburg today) at some point to use the clip below from Ed Rendell saying Santorum was "a great pork senator" for Pennsylvania. (Via PoliticalWire)

With Team Romney in his home state, the Santorum camp has announced that Brian Nutt, the campaign manager for Tom Corbett's successful 2010 gubernatorial run, will direct its efforts in Pa. (Corbett himself has not endorsed Santorum however.) Full statement from the campaign after the jump:

Verona, PA - The Rick Santorum for President campaign is proud to announce the appointment of Brian Nutt as its Pennsylvania State Director.

Brian Nutt said: "I am honored to join the Santorum campaign. Rick Santorum has been a strong, consistent conservative leader for not just Pennsylvania, but our entire country. I have seen Rick Santorum's leadership first-hand. Senator Santorum stood up when many would back down. He is a fighter, and exactly what our country needs right now. I am excited to join his team and help him win his fifth race in Pennsylvania."

Rick Santorum said: "Brian will be a tremendous addition to our team. He was instrumental in helping Tom Corbett win three statewide races. There are few in Pennsylvania politics with Brian's resume, acumen, and skill. I am looking forward to working with him as we once again work to turn Pennsylvania from Blue to Red."

Brian Nutt has served as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett's chief political advisor for nearly a decade. Nutt helped guide Corbett's successful Attorney General campaigns, as well as his successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign - where Corbett won election by a double digit margin. During Governor Corbett's transition to the Governor's Office, Nutt served as Corbett's Chief of Staff.