Who's Killing Christmas in Iowa: Santorum and Huntsman Blame Romney

Iowa is likely to move its caucuses to Jan. 3 mainly because officials elsewhere want their states to have more influence over who gets the GOP nomination. The earlier a state votes, the more important its outcome becomes.

But presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman say don't blame just the states — blame Mitt Romney.

On Thursday, Santorum and Huntsman were on Fox News blistering former Massachussetts governor Romney for pressuring Nevada Republicans to move up the date of their caucuses.

The Las Vegas Review Journal reported Wednesday that Romney's campaign pushed Nevada Republicans to move their caucus into January in hopes that Romney would maintain some momentum coming out of New Hampshire, a state he expects to win. Nevada and Florida violated GOP rules that forbid voting ahead of Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina. 

With the other states breaking the rules, Iowa's plans are solidfying.

Santorum basically called Romney a cheater and said he should apologize to Iowans.

A Santorum spokesman, speaking for the former Pennsylvania Congressman, told The Des Moines Register this: “What is surprising in this case is that reports show Gov. Romney’s campaign appears to be pushing a state to break the rules for his campaign’s benefit.

"If these reports are true, Gov. Romney should apologize to the people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. (Romney’s campaign) has done a disservice to the political process, the early states and this nation.”

"Based on what's coming out of Nevada, there was some part of the Romney campaign that influenced the Nevada process ... and pushed them to declare earlier," Huntsman told Fox News, appearing after Santorum.

Romney's campaign released a statement in its defense.

"Governor Romney is running a national campaign and is prepared to compete in every state. He believes that Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus and New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary should be preserved, and he looks forward to competing in every other nominating contest - whenever they are scheduled. To be clear, states determine when their contests will be held. Gov. Romney has always supported Nevada's status as an early nominating contest," the statement reads.