COTTLEVILLE • Eight days before the Missouri presidential primary, Rick Santorum campaigned Monday in Republican-dominated St. Charles County, promoting his jobs plan and criticizing "gutter politics" of GOP rivals.

"The government's got to get out of the way," the former Pennsylvania senator told a midafternoon crowd of about 350 people at St. Charles Community College.

Santorum repeated his call for repealing taxes on companies that manufacture in the United States as a way to spur job growth.

He also said he'd roll back regulations on business, push for the Keystone XL oil pipeline and replace federal training programs with grants to state and local governments to better meet employers' needs.

Santorum complained about candidates "who think they have to do anything that's necessary" to win and said "we deserve better than the gutter politics that we've been seeing."

That was a reference to the recent barrage of back-and-forth attacks between front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich leading up to today's Florida primary. The St. Charles County visit began a refocus on other states for Santorum, who has trailed Romney and Gingrich in Florida polling.

Santorum told reporters after his speech that the Feb. 7 Missouri primary, which has no role in determining national convention delegates, still gives him an opportunity to show how he matches "head to head" against Romney.

Gingrich, Santorum's main rival for the votes of social conservatives who believe Romney is too moderate, didn't sign up to appear on the Missouri ballot.

"Even though I'm sure we'll be outspent here, we have the grass-roots support and effort of the conservatives here in Missouri, and I think they're going to speak loudly," he said. He also indicated he'd make an effort in the state's GOP delegate selection process that begins in local caucuses March 17.

Meanwhile, Santorum rejected a key national Gingrich supporter's call Monday for him to get out of the race. "This is going to be a long process; I'm not going anywhere," Santorum said.

Among those attending was Tom Pini, 62, a retired teacher from the Harvester area who said he shared Santorum's stands against abortion and for 'smaller government."

Jeff Vemmer, 52, a veterinarian from Union, liked Santorum's emphasis on family values.

"The more I listen to those two, Romney and Gingrich, the less I like them," he said. "They're politicians."

After Santorum left the packed auditorium, he used a bullhorn to talk to 150 or so people who weren't able to get in. "You have an opportunity to reset this race again," Santorum said. "Be a game-changer, Missouri."

Among those inside was former St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth, who said he's supporting Santorum partly because of his anti-abortion stand. The current county executive, Steve Ehlmann, also attended but hasn't endorsed anyone. "It's very significant (Santorum) came in," Ehlmann said.

"He realizes if he's going to make it, he's going to have to appeal to the base of the party, and this is where the base is."