DES MOINES, Iowa - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney paid for automated telephone messages in Iowa accusing rival Rick Perry of contributing to illegal immigration.
It is the former Massachusetts governor's first attack message against Perry. And it's the clearest sign yet of Romney's hope of winning Iowa's leadoff caucuses.
The messages, which began Thursday, also show that Romney sees the Texas governor as the more significant threat to his self-portrayal as the leading candidate on the economy, despite Herman Cain's lead in recent polls.
Despite the economy's dominance as a campaign priority, immigration remains a sticking point with GOP activists.
"Rick Perry is part of the illegal immigration problem," Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu says on the message.
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"A lot of the candidates agree we need a border fence. And almost all of them agree in-state tuition for illegal immigrants is wrong," adds Babeu, who is weighing a campaign for Congress. "However, Rick Perry disagrees. Rick Perry not only opposes a border fence. But he signed the bill to make Texas the first state in the nation to grant in-state tuition discounts to illegal immigrants."
Romney has criticized Perry publicly for weeks on his immigration positions, especially his signing of the bill allowing in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants who came into the country as children and lived in Texas at least three years.
Perry's campaign said Friday that the attacks raise questions about whether a bill Romney signed in Massachusetts allowed illegal immigrants access to health-care benefits.
"The magnetic pull of his free health care for illegal immigrants made Massachusetts an attractive destination," Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan said.
Romney aides have said regulations put into effect after Romney left office in 2007 made it easier for illegal immigrants to receive care.
The Romney calls in Iowa were aimed at assembling an audience for an evening telephone campaign event featuring Babeu and came as Perry was campaigning in the Des Moines area. Phone numbers where no one picked up the call received the minute-long message from Babeu.
On StarNet: Find an interactive at azstarnet.com/multimedia that tracks the race for the GOP nomination.
