US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN-CAMPAIGN-SANTORUM

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum (C) takes his jacket off as he arrives to speak at a campaign event at the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Boone, Iowa, on January 2, 2012. Republican White House hopefuls blitzed Iowa Monday on the eve of its nominating caucus, with Mitt Romney hoping to turn a slight edge here into a lock on being the party's champion against Barack Obama. Dawn brought a last full day of frenzied campaigning before Iowans cast the first votes of what will be a year-long fight to the November 2012 elections, likely winnowing the field of candidates for the Republican nomination. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad