While campaigning for the U.S. Senate, Casey picked up several food items -- including shoo-fly pie and cookies -- during a sweltering visit to Lancaster city's Central Market.

His words, though, took aim not at the county's culinary calling cards, but at Santorum's Senate record.

"We're definitely on the wrong road," Casey said. "All you get from Rick Santorum and the president is, 'Stay the course.'"ˆ"

Virginia Davis, Santorum's campaign spokeswoman, said by telephone that Casey's tough talk amounted to very little.

"Bob Casey will attack and offer useless and empty rhetoric without offering any solution," she said. "The voters of Pennsylvania want more than that and deserve much more than that."

Santorum and Casey are engaged in one of the most watched and negative political campaigns in the nation, pitting a two-term Republican noted for his outspokenness on conservative social issues against a moderate Democrat from a well-established Pennsylvania political family.

In terms of money, Santorum has outraised Casey, the state treasurer, by 2 to 1 this year, putting more than $20 million into his war chest.

Casey, however, has consistently led Santorum in voter polls conducted by different research institutions.

Casey on Friday stopped first at Creekside Farm in Mount Joy for a question-and-answer session. He then took his campaign to the city, where he was met by about 40 sign-waving supporters.

Two Santorum volunteers also were there, one dressed as a duck to mock Casey for what they believe is Casey's tendency to "duck" debates and issues.

Casey toured Central Market for an hour before stepping into Carr's Restaurant on Grant Street, where he fielded questions from the media and rallied supporters.

Casey criticized Santorum and President Bush for a "reckless" foreign policy that has eroded support for America worldwide. He specifically mentioned struggles in the Iraq war as well as ongoing nuclear proliferation disputes with Iran and North Korea.

"Our alliances around the world are in jeopardy," Casey said. Republicans are "not doing enough to win the war on terror."

He said Santorum and Bush are too focused on questioning their detractors' patriotism and blaming media coverage of the Iraq war, saying too many stories about the carnage contributes to sliding public support.

"The body count of Americans who have lost their lives in Iraq is pretty damn important," Casey said.

Santorum is a "rubber stamp" for Bush's foreign strategies, he said.

Davis, however, pointed to differences Santorum and Bush have over how to handle the anti-American Iranian theocracy, which supports terrorist groups like Hezbollah and is accused of having nuclear weapon ambitions.

"Either (the Casey campaign) doesn't care to listen or they just don't have a grasp of the issues," Davis said.

Santorum has drafted bills calling for U.S. financial backing of Iranian dissidents, but the Bush administration has opposed the bills.

Casey slammed Santorum on domestic issues Friday, citing, for example, his taking campaign contributions from oil comp- anies while offering them tax breaks.

He also criticized Santorum for approving congressional pay raises while voting against raising the federal minimum wage above $5.15 an hour "13 times."

Davis said Santorum favors a "responsible" minimum wage increase as long as it includes tax breaks to help small businesses absorb added costs, and she provided nine instances since 1996 when Santorum voted in favor of an increase.

"We're definitely on the wrong road. All you get from Rick Santorum and the president is, 'Stay the course.'" ~ Bob Casey, State Treasurer blog comments powered by Disqus