Tent Revivalists dump Perry for Santorum

The group of social conservative leaders meeting in Texas this weekend has thrown their support behind Rick Santorum, giving the GOP hopeful a much-needed boost a week before the pivotal South Carolina primary.

In a conference call this afternoon, Family Research Council chief Tony Perkins said that on the third ballot Santorum won a solid majority of votes from the movement conservatives gathered at a private ranch near Houston.

Of 114 votes cast, Santorum won 85. Newt Gingrich took the remainder.

In a remarkable slap in his home state, Rick Perry didn't even make it past the first ballot, Perkins said. Politico