S.C. senator praises Romney in new ad

Mitt Romney, who has been battling with Rudy Giuliani over who is the strongest fiscal conservative, started a new radio ad today in early-voting South Carolina trumpeting his record.

The ad features Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, perhaps Romney's highest-profile supporter in the state, vouching for Romney as the candidate who can go to Washington and "end the earmark favor factory" that produces wasteful projects.

"We need a leader who has the courage and the strength to take on entrenched Washington politicians," DeMint says. "I believe that leader is Mitt Romney."

DeMint goes on to praise Romney as a successful businessman and a governor who used a line-item veto hundreds of times to cut spending.

South Carolina, where Republicans are scheduled to vote Jan. 19, is a key battleground, just after Iowa and New Hampshire, for all the top-tier Republicans.