MESA, Ariz. -- Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum clashed over which of them is the true conservative steward of taxpayers' money as they grappled for an advantage Wednesday night heading toward crucial votes in Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday.
In a nationally televised debate on CNN, each Republican presidential candidate cast himself as someone who would cut spending and slash a bloated federal government. Each also accused the other of a record of wasteful spending in the past.
Santorum, a U.S. senator from 1995 to 2007, frequently was put on the defensive about his voting record. He took fire for seeking earmarks, or local projects that congressional lawmakers insert into spending bills.
Santorum gave a lengthy, sometimes confusing explanation. He talked about "good earmarks and bad earmarks," and said some projects were much needed in his state. And he noted that when Romney was rescuing the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, he sought earmarks to help finance the event.
Romney fired back: "While I was fighting to save the Olympics, you were fighting to save the Bridge to Nowhere," a reference to a controversial Alaska bridge funded by an earmark Santorum voted for.
Rep. Ron Paul slammed Santorum for calling himself a fiscal conservative. "He's a fake," Paul said, citing Santorum's vote for the No Child Left Behind education act and current vow to repeal it.
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich repeatedly insisted that only he could bring sweeping fundamental change to Washington.
It was the last debate before Tuesday's primaries in Arizona and Michigan and then in 10 states on March 6, Super Tuesday.
Santorum tore into Romney for supporting Wall Street bailouts in 2008, but opposing aid to the auto industry.
"That, to me, is not a consistent, principled position," Santorum said.
"Nice try," Romney fired back. "Now let's look at the facts." He said that he didn't favor bailing out any Wall Street bank, but the issue was avoiding the loss of "all our banks."
As for opposing auto bailouts, he said the better answer was a "managed bankruptcy" that would have saved U.S. firms from costly auto-union costs.
Contraception sparked tense debate. Santorum says that he's "not a believer" in birth control. He defended that view passionately Wednesday, insisting that family and religious values need to be re-emphasized. Too many children are born into single-parent families, a sure path to poverty, he said.
There was general agreement on foreign policy - except for Paul.
Romney, Santorum and Gingrich blasted President Barack Obama as too soft on Iran and Syria. But Paul insisted that the U.S. appears too eager to take military action.
Asked to describe themselves in a single word, Paul said "consistent," Santorum said "courage," Romney said "resolute," and Gingrich said "cheerful."
