MOLINE, Ill. — Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney was fighting for votes in rural Illinois on Sunday, hoping to cut into the conservative support so critical to his most persistent rival, former Sen. Rick Santorum.

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts whom many Republican voters see as too moderate, emphasized his business experience while portraying Santorum as a career politician and Washington insider with a resume similar to the man they both seek to replace, President Obama.

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