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Isaac Clears Out; Santorum, Christie Take Stage At GOP Convention

By Larry Kane

TAMPA Fla. (CBS) -- The Republican National Convention starts for real in Tampa, today, after a delay due to Tropical Storm Isaac.

Pennsylvania delegates will hear from Speaker John Boehner shortly. Convention planners worry about the ghost of Katrina and an appropriate response to problems on the Gulf Coast. By 6 p.m., Mitt Romney will be nominated. Ann Romney speaks, followed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who will deliver the keynote address.

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(KYW's Larry Kane)

And Rick Santorum will also be on stage. He says that social values are as important in this election as the economy.

"From everything, from the size and scale of government, to health care to the make up of the family. All across that spectrum people realize there's a radical change going on in this country".

As the convention starts, all of the buzz is about GOP Senate candidate Tom Smith of Pennsylvania, who is now backing off comments linking rape to unwanted pregnancy.

Smith, who is challenging Democrat Bob Casey for his Senate seat, was asked how he would justify keeping a pregnancy that was the result of rape. He told reporters he went through what he called a similar situation, when his daughter had a baby out of wedlock.

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