時事新聞:共和黨總統參選提名中桑托勒姆三州得勝

Rick Santorum's campaign for the U.S. Republican Party's presidential nomination received a major boost with victories in Tuesday's nominating contests in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. With most of the returns counted, the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania won the Minnesota caucuses with 45 percent of the vote. U.S. Representative Ron Paul came in second with 27 percent and ex-Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, considered the Republican frontrunner, finished a distant third with 17 percent. In the Missouri primary, with all the votes counted, Santorum won 55 percent of the vote, while Romney came in second with 25 percent and Paul finished third with 12 percent.

桑托勒姆星期二在明尼蘇達、密蘇里和科羅拉多三個州角逐美國總統選舉共和黨提名的努力取得勝利，使他的競選活動獲得極大助力。在大部分的投票結果算出之後，桑托勒姆的得票率爲45%，使得這位來自賓夕法尼亞州的前聯邦參議員贏得了明尼蘇達州的黨團會議。聯邦衆議員保羅以27%的得票率排在第二位；被視爲共和黨初選領先者的前麻薩諸塞州州長羅姆尼大幅落後，只得到17%的選票，排名第三。在密蘇里州的初選中，在計算了所有選票後，桑托勒姆贏得55%的選票，羅姆尼位居第二，得票率爲25%；保羅以12%的得票率排名第三。

In a victory speech in Missouri late Tuesday, Santorum declared "conservatism is alive and well" in Missouri and Minnesota. He also declared himself the true "conservative alternative" to both Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama. He accused Mr. Obama of arrogance by failing to listen to the American people in their opposition to the bailouts for the financial sector and health care reform. Santorum also pulled off an upset victory over Romney in the Colorado caucuses, winning more than 40 percent of the vote, with Romney earning 35 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich winning 13 percent to finish a distant third place. Romney had won Colorado by a large margin in the 2008 Republican nominating contest. Santorum's triple victories dealt a blow to Romney's status as the favorite to win the Republican nomination. Romney congratulated Santorum during a rally in Denver before the Colorado results were announced, but told the crowd he still expected to become the nominee.

桑托勒姆星期二晚間在密蘇里州發表獲勝演講時宣稱，在密蘇里州和明尼蘇達州，“保守主義充滿活力、風頭正勁”。桑托勒姆還宣稱自己是可以取代羅姆尼和民主黨總統奧巴馬的真正“保守派人選”。他指責奧巴馬行事傲慢，不聽從美國民衆對援救金融業和醫療改革的反對。桑托勒姆還在科羅拉多州的黨團會議中力克羅姆尼而意外得勝，贏得超過40%的選票，羅姆尼的得票率爲35%。前衆議院議長金裏奇僅獲得13%的選票，差距明顯，排在第三位。羅姆尼在2008年參加共和黨總統提名戰時，曾在科羅拉多州以顯著優勢取勝。桑托勒姆的3連勝給羅姆尼被看好可能贏得共和黨總統提名的優勢地位帶來沉重打擊。科羅拉多州的結果公佈之前，羅姆尼在丹佛的一場集會中向桑托勒姆表示祝賀，但是他對人們表示，他仍然預計自己將成爲共和黨的總統候選人。