Santorum Returns to Lowcountry

Call him an underdog and he'll agree.

Call Rick Santorum out of the GOP presidential nominee race, and he'll cite his extensive county-by-county tour of Iowa, and the national polling clouding his popularity in key primary states. 

The Santorum surge is around the corner, according to the candidate.

And why not? As Texas Gov. Rick Perry , and as businessman Herman Cain for mishandling past allegations, the field remains relatively open, . 

Continuing his underdog campaign — which features gatherings in smaller communities, , and then hitting nationally broadcasted debates — Santorum will speak at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at Miler Country Club in Summerville. Then, he'll head to the Upstate for a 4:30 p.m. event at Wade's in Spartanburg and then to . 

Of the candidates coming to South Carolina for the debate, he's the only one hitting the Lowcountry on Saturday. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann visited Mount Pleasant on Thursday.

Santorum has campaigned in South Carolina far more than any other Republican, visiting 100 times since entering the race, according to a McClatchy Newspapers story. 

Santorum recently came under scrutiny for .