Florida Fundraising

But they came to Florida for a series of campaign fundraisers that netted about $250,000 for Santorum's 2006 re-election campaign.

While he was here, Santorum went to Pinellas Park and appeared on television with the Schindler family, who were desperately seeking legal means to sustain Schiavo's life.

Democrats from Santorum's home state have criticized this as an example of Republicans seeking to profit from the Schiavo case.

But Republicans, including one contributor who attended a fundraiser in Tampa, say there was nothing inappropriate or unethical about the campaign events.

Martinez, Santorum and Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Senate leaders of the successful Republican effort to pass legislation intervening in the Schiavo case, were to have appeared at the town hall meeting.

Planning to be in the state for that event, Santorum arranged fundraisers in Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Palm Beach on March 29 and 30, a campaign spokesman said.

But as Schiavo neared death, Mandy Fletcher, who helped arrange the meeting for Progress for America, an organization that favors President Bush's proposed Social Security overhaul, said the town hall meeting was postponed ``out of respect for the Schiavo and Schindler family.''

"We just didn't think it was appropriate to go into the region and do a big policy event at this time.''

Santorum came to Florida on a Wal-Mart corporate jet, for which his campaign paid the company, said campaign spokesman John Brabender. Martinez didn't use the jet, but he attended the Miami and Orlando events.

"If Santorum truly wants to show respect to the Schiavo family, he should return the political money he raised while hypocritically grandstanding at Terry Schiavo's deathbed,'' said Pennsylvania state Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney.

Nancy Watkins, who attended the Tampa event, said it involved about a dozen people who met Santorum in a private room at a private club downtown...