Santorum: National Media "Trying to Destroy GOP Candidates"

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Rick Santorum launched a fierce new attack on the national media here for "tearing down" the field of GOP presidential hopefuls.

"Will you be the generation that sat on the sidelines and watched as candidate after candidate comes up and the national media takes their axe out to try to destroy them in every way possible as they've done with every single Republican candidate, and as they will between now and the election?" Santorum asked during a campaign stop in Maricopa County.

He challenged the crowd further, "Will you sit on the sidelines and say boy that's not fair, or will you stand up and fight back for freedom?"

According to an average of the latest polls, Mitt Romney has been ahead in Arizona, but the race is getting tighter with the state's winner-take-all primary now just a week away.

And with 29 delegates up for grabs, Santorum is trying to shore up support by claiming he will be the strongest fighter for the values most important to Arizonans."You can speak loudly on Tuesday that you want someone who's going to stand up and fight the insiders, fight the establishment who has a track record of doing it, a track record of cutting spending and taking on the big problems of entitlements. A track record and conviction to fight against the radical Islamists who threaten our country and our freedom," Santorum said.

"Someone who has a track record of standing up for the basic foundational pillars of our society, faith and family," he added.

"I'm not a manager. I'm not a visionary. I'm a guy from a steel town who grew up understanding what made this country great and for the years that I've been involved in public life, put my heart and my effort on the line to make this country the kind of country that we all want to hand on to our children and grandchildren."