As he goes into Florida, Rick Santorum faces some significant logistical and financial disadvantages, compared to his better funded rivals. But his senior strategist, John Brabender, contends that the narrowed field and increased media attention to his rival, Newt Gingrich, holds will confer some hidden dividends for his candidate as well.

We wanted to go see Pat Toomey and Bob Casey at the swearing-in of two federal judges here in Pittsburgh Friday, but got waylaid by breaking congressional news. But there's nice video above of the federal courthouse events from the P-G's Amanda King, with bipartisan comments from the Republican and the Democrat.

The Trib caught Toomey at an event later where he said he wouldn't endorse in the Mike Turzai/Keith Rothfus GOP primary for the new 12th district:

"Mike is a terrific guy (and) a very capable guy," Toomey said yesterday while in Pittsburgh to tour Google's East Liberty office. "I think Keith Rothfus is also a terrific guy and also a very capable guy, so it is likely that I will not be actively involved in the primary."

I also had a story over the weekend on the state of confusion over endorsements in the GOP U.S. Senate race. Gov. Tom Corbett is pushing for Chester County's Steve Welch but local GOP committees backed Tim Burns of Washington over the weekend -- while a growing group (including Tea Party fave Sam Rohrer) is calling for a so-called "open primary" in which the Republican committee does not make an endorsement. Armstrong County's Tom Smith reiterated today that he supports an open primary too.

Rick Santorum has moved on to Florida after his 3rd place finish in S.C. Saturday night, and of course started by going after front runner Newt Gingrich. From Politico's James Hohman:

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.— Rick Santorum kicked off his Florida campaign here Sunday by aiming directly at Newt Gingrich.

“It’s great to be glib, but it’s better to be principled,” the former Pennsylvania senator told a crowd of more than 200 standing in a hot parking lot of a strip mall in this town outside Fort Lauderdale.

Santorum dismissed the idea that the South Carolina primary reshaped the race into a Gingrich-Mitt Romney face-off. Saturday’s results could very quickly be overshadowed by the Jan. 31 Florida primary, in which he’s hoping to reemerge as a factor.

Occupy protestors threw glitter on Santorum at the end of the night Saturday, while yelling "hate monger" and "bigot." (CBS News video above.)

The Penn State grad has also been responding to Joe Paterno's death. From the Palm Beach Post:

“I said many, many times that one of the reasons Joe was hanging on to that position is because if he left, he’d die. Cancer, broke his hips, he had a lot of problems,” said Santorum at a press conference outside the Worldwide Christian Center in Pompano Beach where he gave a sermon on Sunday.

“I knew Joe very well, and it was a very tragic tale, his last few months of his life. It’s tragic that a life so well lived and someone who had made such a great contribution to sports and to our culture would have the end of his life end in such a sad way. My prayers go to the school and his family. I know one of his sons very well; to the entire state of Pennsylvania, who I’m sure, like me, are saddened by these turns of events.”

Santorum's public schedule -- highlighted by a 9 p.m. NBC debate in Tampa -- is after the jump:

Photo: USW president Leo Gerard announces endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown in Pittsburgh on Monday. Source: Critz campaign.

My story from the main site:

The United Steelworkers union announced its support this morning of U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown, in the increasingly competitive race for the new 12th congressional district.

Republican mapmakers combined the seats of Mr. Critz and fellow Democratic incumbent Jason Altmire of McCandless, forcing them to face off in the state's primary April 24th. The endorsement by the union, and its 32,000 active and retired members, should help Mr. Critz introduce himself to voters in Mr. Altmire's backyard in suburbs north of the city.

"Mark has always been there, not just for the Steelworkers union, but for working families," said union president Leo Gerard at the announcment at union headquarters Downtown.

Every local union president in the new district (which includes parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset and Westmoreland counties) endorsed Mr. Critz, and the union has committed to do phone banks, mailers and door-knocking on the candidate's behalf. Steelworker and retiree volunteers will also phone members of other unions to urge support of Mr. Critz, the USW's political director Tim Waters said.

Not a word was said about Mr. Altmire at the event, as union officials said they hoped to keep the primary campaign a positive one. The most heated rhetoric came when talking about fighting for manufacturing and working class jobs.

Mr. Critz was a former aide to late Rep. Jack Murtha, and the candidate said Mr. Murtha taught him that "sometimes you have to throw elbows. You have to stick your neck out. And I haven't been afraid to fight anyone when it comes to the values of working men and women, and our seniors."

Labor support is key for Mr. Critz in his primary battle with Mr. Altmire, who currently represents more of the new district than Mr. Critz, has been in Congress longer, and at last count had more campaign funds. Mr. Critz has lately announced endorsements too from the United Mine Workers and the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania.

On the Republican side, state Minority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, is set to officially join the race for the 12th District sometime this week, facing off against Edgeworth attorney Keith Rothfus, who came within 2 points of beating Mr. Altmire in 2010.