Romney intensifies fight for social conservatives

LOVELAND, Colo. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney set aside his focus on the economy in recent days and shifted to abortion, religious freedom and gay marriage, part of an intensified effort to win over social conservatives in GOP caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota on Tuesday.

Romney, who previously supported abortion rights and is now an opponent, has struggled since his 2008 presidential bid to convince some cultural conservatives that he's conservative enough. Rival Rick Santorum, long an outspoken figure on social issues, hopes those voters will help him finish strong on Tuesday.

"Remarkably under this president's administration there is an assault on religion — an assault on the conviction and religious beliefs on members of our society," Romney, a Mormon, told supporters in Loveland during his only campaign event before voters caucus and results are known.

Romney cited the Obama administration's recent decision to require Catholic organizations to provide contraceptive aids in some circumstances. He called the ruling "a real blow ... to our friends in the Catholic faith" and likened so-called morning-after pills to "abortive pills."

"This kind of assault on religion will end if I'm president of the United States," he said.

Later in the day Romney pounced after a federal appeals court ruled that a voter-approved ban on gay marriage in California violated the Constitution.

"Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage," he said in a written statement. "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices."

As Romney stepped up his emphasis on social issues, Santorum and rival Newt Gingrich intensified their criticism of Romney on those same issues.

Gingrich, a Catholic, told voters in Ohio that Obama had declared war on the Catholic Church and that Romney was no better than Obama on the issue.

"There's been a lot of talk about the Obama administration's attack on the Catholic Church," Gingrich said at a chili restaurant in Cincinnati. "Well, the fact is, Gov. Romney insisted that Catholic hospitals give out abortion pills, against their religious beliefs, when he was governor."