MANDEVILLE, Louisiana — Rick Santorum's late arrival at a Tea Party rally outside New Orleans left the event organizers stalling for time and turning to an unexpected source to hold the floor while they waited: the Harris sisters, who sing "Game On," Santorum's newest campaign anthem.
The girls ended up playing an unexpectedly long set, taking the stage for about a half-hour total. Between songs, the sisters, 20 and 18, indulged in some light patter with the audience, including praising Santorum for the number of children he has ("Seven kids!").
One noted cheerfully that "he didn't abort the last one, which is amazing."
Santorum's arrival was pushed back due to bad weather, as the mid-capacity audience shifted and occasionally groaned when announcers told them of a new delay. The event had sparse seating; an announcer explained to the crowd that the local Tea Party events usually have seating, but "we thought we'd have so many people" that they didn't arrange for any this time.
Meanwhile, the Harris sisters played "Game On" twice in a row, as well as some patriotic songs, and conducted an impromptu question-and-answer session with the crowd, asking them what they love about Rick Santorum. On their way out, they told the audience, "God bless America and God bless Rick Santorum. Oh, and Ronald Reagan."
Santorum finally arrived around 1:30 p.m., an hour after than his scheduled start time.