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Mitt Romney has been dogged by doubts over his record as a staunch conservative
US presidential rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have attacked each other on the final day of campaigning before two crucial Republican primary votes.
Mr Romney called on Mr Santorum, who has made social issues central to his campaign, to focus on the economy.
Over the weekend, Mr Santorum said he would give religion a more prominent role to play in public life.
Latest opinion polls show Mr Romney holding a marginal lead in Michigan, the state where he grew up.
But analysts say a Michigan victory is essential for Mr Romney, who has struggled to establish a strong rapport with Republican voters.
With polling day looming in Michigan - and also in Arizona, where Mr Romney has a more secure lead - the pair of front-runners criss-crossed the state in a last-minute effort to reach out to voters.
The winner of the eventual nomination will go on to face President Barack Obama in the November election.
Focus on economyAfter spending much of last week campaigning on social issues, on Monday Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, focussed on bringing the conversation back to the economy.
He challenged former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum for putting social issues at the centre of his campaign, saying: "If the economy is going to be the issue we focus on, who has the experience to actually get this economy going again?"
Mr Romney told supporters at a campaign event that Mr Santorum was a nice guy but he would not be able to create jobs.
Rick Santorum sees himself as a culture warrior, saying he will not give up the fight on social issues
"I understand why jobs go, why they come, I understand what happens to corporate profit, where it goes if the government takes it," Mr Romney told supporters.
"I think to create jobs it helps to have a guy as president who's had a job, and I have."
Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Mr Santorum told supporters it was a "joke" for Mr Romney to attack him for not being a real conservative.
The former senator also derided "climate science" and Wall Street bailouts - referring to legislative positions the former governor had supported.
He used an editorial in the Wall Street Journal to highlight his own principal economic initiatives.
In it he took aim at his rival, saying Mr Romney was "attempting to distract from his record of tax and fee increases as governor of Massachusetts, poor job creation, and aggressive pursuit of earmarks", and that Mr Romney's plans did not go far enough.
His editorial followed remarks slamming Mr Romney at the weekend, who Mr Santorum described as "uniquely unqualified" to take on the key issues facing America.
He argued passionately for a more prominent role for religion in public affairs, saying: "I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state are absolute."
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"The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country...
"You bet that makes me want to throw up."
Precarious leadIn recent weeks, Mr Santorum has mounted an unexpectedly strong challenge to Mr Romney in Michigan.
An average of polls in Michigan compiled by Real Clear Politics shows the former governor clinging to a narrow lead of 1.5%, although he maintains a more comfortable lead in Arizona.
A loss for Mr Romney in either state could establish Mr Santorum as a new front-runner in the presidential race, correspondents say, and raise questions about Mr Romney's ability to appeal to his party's base.
Mr Santorum sprung an upset in the last round of voting, when he picked up three victories - in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado - in a single night.
Mr Romney currently has 123 delegates, compared to Mr Santorum's 72, with 1,144 needed to secure the nomination.
Fifty-nine delegates are at stake in Tuesday's primary elections, 29 from Arizona and 30 from Michigan.
The two other presidential candidates - former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Texas Congressman Ron Paul - have chosen not to focus their campaigns on Michigan and Arizona.
They are looking ahead to Super Tuesday on 6 March, when 10 states will vote.
29 Feb, 2012
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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-17185486
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