Romney Aides To Speak At Super PAC Events

Mitt Romney's campaign will allow its senior aides to speak at fundraising events for an outside political group raising millions of dollars on its behalf.

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The green light means Romney's staff will be more connected with the "super" political action committee supporting the former Massachusetts governor but must legally remain independent. Romney spoke at a fundraiser for the super PAC early last yr.

A campaign official confirmed the arrangement for The Associated Press on Friday.

The move comes days after President Barack Obama said administration officials would speak at events by a super PAC supporting his re-election. Restore Our Future, the Romney super PAC, spent roughly $15 million on pro-Romney ads through Florida's primary late last month, more than Romney's own campaign had reserved in TV spots.

Santorum says he wants to avoid attacks on rivals

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Rick Santorum says he wants to stick to substantive issues in the campaign for the GOP presidential nomination, rather than resort to the kind of negative advertising that others have used so far this year.

He tells NBC's "Today" show that he plans to keep comparing his record with that of Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, and doesn't want to win the nomination by "personally attacking people."

Santorum has just wrapped up a Southern campaign swing after a three-state sweep on Tuesday.

He's among three Republican candidates addressing the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are also appearing at the event today, but not Ron Paul.

GOP candidates to woo conservatives at big event

Three of the four Republican presidential candidates are addressing a major conservative gathering in Washington, giving them a high-profile stage to reshape their messages at a moment of uncertainty in the contest.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum rocked the Republican world this week by winning caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota, plus a nonbinding primary in Missouri.

His victories have raised new questions about Mitt Romney's ability to inspire conservatives, and about Newt Gingrich's claim to be the top alternative to Romney.

Santorum, Romney and Gingrich will separately address the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday. Rep. Ron Paul, whose libertarian leanings put him at odds with some mainstream conservatives, does not plan to attend.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)