Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press Incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum speaks yesterday in front of Groceria Italiano in Bloomfield. Click photo for larger image.

Incumbent Rick Santorum continued to frame Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate battle in apocalyptic terms yesterday, warning that "the election of Bob Casey and others like him, I believe, does threaten the security of this country."

The "Italian kid from a steel town," as he characterized himself in a recent debate, made that observation as he answered questions in front of the Groceria Italiano in Bloomfield, where he had accepted an award from groups honoring his work against the federal inheritance tax.

Mr. Santorum then headed Downtown to reprise his "Gathering Storm" speech to the Economic Club of Pittsburgh. He repeated the warning that he's issued across the state that the nation, whether we know it or not, is at war with Islamic fascism.

"Mein Kampf means struggle; jihad means struggle,'' the Republican said as he compared the current geopolitical scene to the years of allied inattention before World War II.

He included not only the Democratic Party, but also the administration in his warning that the nation has yet to fully face up to the enduring threat posed by terrorism.

"My opponent says I'm scaring people. I'm just sharing the facts that most people, including my opponent, are not aware of," Mr. Santorum said.

The Republican also acknowledged the poll-sustained perception of the long odds he faces next week.

"We're behind in this race,'' he said. "I know that; but that can change."

His challenger, Mr. Casey, started his campaign day with a breakfast stop near his Scranton home. Later, the Democrat was scheduled to appear with Gov. Ed Rendell and Democratic congressional candidate Chris Carney at a union rally in the Poconos.

Under a cloudy Bloomfield sky, Mr. Santorum stood at a makeshift lectern formed from cases of plum tomatoes as he mixed criticisms of Mr. Casey's economic proposals with the warnings of a life-and-death struggle against Islamic militance that have increasingly dominated his campaign rhetoric.

He charged that Mr. Casey's election promises would lead to billions in new federal spending, and he described the estate tax, which he opposes, as a key issue in the race.

"There's a clear difference between Casey Jr. and myself on this issue," he said.

Leaders of two conservative groups that strongly oppose the levy, the American Family Business Institute and the 60 Plus Association, gave Mr. Santorum symbolic awards for his record of opposition to what they describe as "the death tax.''

Some of the hazards of outdoor campaigning were evident as Mr. Santorum's remarks had to compete, at various points, with the siren of a passing ambulance, the rumble of a cement mixer and a taunting motorist who rolled down her window to shout, "Hey Rick, go back to Virginia.''

Mr. Santorum rebutted his opponent's criticisms of his national security pronouncements.

"I'm not fear-mongering,'' he said. "I'm describing a threat that's out there.''

He argued that the Iraq war should be viewed in the context of that larger threat, rather than as an effort to oust Saddam Hussein, or as a product of the personal designs of President Bush or Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

"That is the big lie told by the mainstream media,'' he said.

He charged that Iran is fueling Shiite militias in Iraq, a fact that neither the Democrats, nor the administration sufficiently grasp.

"The president, the administration and the Democrats -- even worse -- are standing by," he said.