Santorum Campaign Low on Funds, Losing Staffers

We may not have Rick Santorum to kick around for long, at least in the presidential race.

The antigay former U.S. senator's presidential campaign organization is low on funds, Politico reports, and he's polling so low that he probably won't make the prime-time Republican candidates' debate to be hosted by Fox News Thursday.

Campaign manager Terry Allen, Iowa state coordinator Jon Jones, and digital strategist Steve Hilliard have all left the campaign in the past few weeks, according to Politico. They do, however, plan to start a new pro-Santorum super PAC, which can receive unlimited contributions. There is already one super PAC working on his behalf.

Allen said his departure wasn't necessarily related to the campaign's money troubles but that it made more sense to work through a super PAC. The Santorum campaign has raised only about $600,000, one of the lowest figures for any presidential candidate, and has spent roughly 60 percent of that in the campaign's first quarter, Politico reports.

"Every campaign, I don't care who it is, is the ultimate underfunded start-up," Allen told the publication. "No matter if you have all the money, you never have enough money. There's no campaign that ever has enough money, that's just the nature of campaigns. But my decision to leave was because this is the most efficient and effective way to help the senator, and it became very obvious, and you see more campaigns figuring it out."

Allen likely won't be replaced immediately, and chief of staff John Brabender will take on his duties, Politico notes. Another important campaign worker, Karen Fesler, has left Santorum's Iowa team and is now cochair of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign in that state. But the Santorum campaign plans to add three staff members in Iowa, officials told Politico.

Still, the campaign's lack of funds raises questions as to whether Santorum can stay in the race until the Iowa caucus in February, according to Politico. Santorum finished first in the caucus in 2012, slightly ahead of the eventual Republican nominee, Mitt Romney.

As for the debate, Fox will announce the participants today; the prime-time debate will be limited to the 10 candidates with the highest numbers in an average of five national polls. Santorum has an average of 2 percent support in recent polls, CNN reports, so he probably won't make the cut. Candidates not in the prime-time debate will participate in a forum earlier in the day.

Santorum recently told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow he regrets the "flippant comment" he made in 2003 referring to "man on dog" sex in a discussion of gay rights, but he stood by the point he was trying to make. He remains a staunch opponent of marriage equality and LGBT rights in general.