Rivals renew criticism of Romney's money

ROSEMONT, Ill., March 15 (UPI) -- Money, specifically money flowing from Republican U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign, was criticized anew on the stump by Romney's rivals.

The four main GOP candidates -- Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul -- scattered about in the run-up to the Puerto Rico primary Saturday, the Illinois primary on Tuesday and the Louisiana primary March 24, CBS News reported.

After winning in Tuesday's primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, Santorum was in Puerto Rico Wednesday, seeking support.

"No one really gave us a chance to win one, much less two, given the enormous amount of spending that was lodged against us," he told an audience.

Gingrich noted Romney this week was attending fundraisers in New York and Connecticut that were expected to net him about $2 millions.

"I understand he's going back for two more days of fundraising on Wall Street, which is in part at least a sign that Santorum and I have drained most of his current treasury," Gingrich said in Rosemont, Ill. "But he can raise money from billionaires. We raise money from middle-class people."

Romney, who is struggling to win conservatives, defended his wealth and dismissed complaints he doesn't connect with "real" people during an interview with Fox News.

"Guess what? I've made a lot of money. I've been very successful. I'm not going to apologize for that," Romney said. "In this country, we want someone who can help other people become successful. This is a nation which is not going to choose our president based on these little innuendos and personal attacks."

Romney leads the race to get 1,144 delegates to clinch the party nomination during the Republican National Convention in August, with 496 delegates compared to Santorum's 252, ABC News said. Gingrich has won 133 and Paul collected 48.

With slightly more than 40 percent of the delegates awarded, a Romney aide said it would take "an act of God" for the former Massachusetts governor to lose his lead.