Santorum's Last Day Was a Mess

Rick Santorum's final day on the campaign trail was spent "in typical disarray," writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post. The first two events he had scheduled for yesterday were canceled so late the night before that his website schedule was never updated, leading supporters to show up at one of the events with Santorum nowhere to be seen. Then a Gettysburg "Rally for Rick"—which turned out to be his announcement that he was leaving the race—was scheduled for 2pm and touted on Facebook, but a convention got him bumped from the ballroom and relegated to a conference room with just 20 seats.

When supporters arrived, they were told the event was for media only. "They advertise it that he’s going to be here so you can see him!" one complained. Just three weeks ago, also in Gettysburg, Santorum gave a defiant speech about continuing his fight. Then he lost two primaries, fell in the polls, ran out of money, and was called on even by former supporters to give up, but was still defiant even in yesterday's speech—given in front of a wrinkled flag there was no time to iron—in which he compared himself to Abraham Lincoln. "Yes, Santorum, like Lincoln, spoke at Gettysburg," Milbank writes. "But it’s a safe bet that the world will little note nor long remember Santorum’s version." Full column here. (More Rick Santorum 2012 stories.)