WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's campaign team has shifted gears to consider the possibility that his GOP opponent will Rick Santorum instead of Mitt Romney.
Campaign officials confirm Obama's Chicago-based organization has begun combing through the former Pennsylvania senator's background, looking for possible lines of attack. It also emailed Obama's Pennsylvania supporters this past week asking for material that could be used against Santorum.
The move reflects Santorum's sudden surge in nationwide opinion polls and a spate of recent primary-season victories over Romney.
Romney still leads the delegate race. But after capturing caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado and a non-binding primary in Missouri on Feb. 7, Santorum has enjoyed a burst of attention. Several polls have also given him a lead in Michigan, where primary voters cast ballots a week from Tuesday.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)