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Catalyst
If he asks Palin to be his running mate, my dreams will be fulfilled.
Santorum considers presidential campaign
Saturday, January 16, 2010
By Daniel Malloy, Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is actively considering a run for president in 2012, according to a letter he sent to supporters.
The Republican, who has a home in Penn Hills but has lived in northern Virginia since he lost his Senate seat in 2006, sent a letter and email this month to supporters of his political action committee, America's Foundation. In the missives, Mr. Santorum accused President Barack Obama of overspending and not paying enough attention to threats against America.
"I hope you'll join me today to lay the groundwork for taking back our country," Mr. Santorum wrote. "I promise you, I will stop at nothing when it comes to defending our freedom and our values. That's the real reason why -- after talking it over with my wife, Karen, and our kids -- I am considering putting my name in for the 2012 presidential race."
Mr. Santorum, 51, has publicly flirted with the idea of a presidential run in recent months, but the letter was his strongest statement on the issue to date. He has visited early primary states Iowa and South Carolina in the past few months.
"I'm convinced that conservatives need a candidate who will not only stand up for our views, but who can articulate a conservative vision for our country's future," he wrote. "And right now, I just don't see anyone stepping up to the plate."
A noted social conservative and foe of homosexuality and abortion, Mr. Santorum could have a strong appeal for Republican religious conservatives in the primary. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin are also seen -- at this early date -- as potential standard bearers for the party's social conservatives.
But those views at times brought Mr. Santorum controversy, and contributed -- along with his strong association with the unpopular president George W. Bush -- to the senator's loss to Democrat Bob Casey in 2006. The 18-point margin of defeat was the worst for a sitting senator since 1980.
Mr. Santorum's message to supporters, which included a request for a donation for his "Launch 2010" strategy to help Republicans take back Congress and later the White House, urged less spending and "traditional values Americans hold dear." He wrote that Mr. Obama, one year into his term, has undermined the nation's fiscal health and national security.
"I have no great burning desire to be president, but I have a burning desire to have a different president of the United States," Mr. Santorum wrote.
"So you can count on me to make certain that whoever is the Republican nominee for president in 2012 is someone who shares our values and will fight for them as president -- and who can ultimately defeat Obama."
Santorum media strategist John Brabender said Mr. Santorum is planning another trip to Iowa in the spring.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10016/1028745-454.stm#ixzz0cnUIEKir
Santorum considers presidential campaign
Saturday, January 16, 2010
By Daniel Malloy, Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is actively considering a run for president in 2012, according to a letter he sent to supporters.
The Republican, who has a home in Penn Hills but has lived in northern Virginia since he lost his Senate seat in 2006, sent a letter and email this month to supporters of his political action committee, America's Foundation. In the missives, Mr. Santorum accused President Barack Obama of overspending and not paying enough attention to threats against America.
"I hope you'll join me today to lay the groundwork for taking back our country," Mr. Santorum wrote. "I promise you, I will stop at nothing when it comes to defending our freedom and our values. That's the real reason why -- after talking it over with my wife, Karen, and our kids -- I am considering putting my name in for the 2012 presidential race."
Mr. Santorum, 51, has publicly flirted with the idea of a presidential run in recent months, but the letter was his strongest statement on the issue to date. He has visited early primary states Iowa and South Carolina in the past few months.
"I'm convinced that conservatives need a candidate who will not only stand up for our views, but who can articulate a conservative vision for our country's future," he wrote. "And right now, I just don't see anyone stepping up to the plate."
A noted social conservative and foe of homosexuality and abortion, Mr. Santorum could have a strong appeal for Republican religious conservatives in the primary. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin are also seen -- at this early date -- as potential standard bearers for the party's social conservatives.
But those views at times brought Mr. Santorum controversy, and contributed -- along with his strong association with the unpopular president George W. Bush -- to the senator's loss to Democrat Bob Casey in 2006. The 18-point margin of defeat was the worst for a sitting senator since 1980.
Mr. Santorum's message to supporters, which included a request for a donation for his "Launch 2010" strategy to help Republicans take back Congress and later the White House, urged less spending and "traditional values Americans hold dear." He wrote that Mr. Obama, one year into his term, has undermined the nation's fiscal health and national security.
"I have no great burning desire to be president, but I have a burning desire to have a different president of the United States," Mr. Santorum wrote.
"So you can count on me to make certain that whoever is the Republican nominee for president in 2012 is someone who shares our values and will fight for them as president -- and who can ultimately defeat Obama."
Santorum media strategist John Brabender said Mr. Santorum is planning another trip to Iowa in the spring.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10016/1028745-454.stm#ixzz0cnUIEKir
