Posted on 09/13/2009 2:33:46 PM PDT by NYer
ORLANDO, FL, September 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Speaking to a room full of prominent US Catholic leaders Friday night, Senator Rick Santorum was challenged to run for the Republican Presidential nominaion. Responding to a room already thick with applause, Santorum revealed that he was indeed "thinking about it" but asked for prayers and detailed his thinking on the matter.
His remarks came after his address to the closing dinner of the 12th annual Catholic Leadership Conference - an invite-only gathering of Catholic leaders from academia, law, media, medicine, and politics, as well as leaders of movements within the Church such as pro-life, pro-family and evangelization. Posing the challenge was long-time legal, political, and media activist Keith Fournier.
Santorum is not only a Catholic in name but a faithful one who is noted for his strong pro-life activism and work to bring decency back to America. He revealed that he has seven children, with one in college. The reason why the sixth is not college-bound is the fact that his 16-month-old 'Bella' was born with Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder which is fatal before birth in 90 per cent of cases.
Santorum referred to Bella as "our angel" marveling at how she changed his life, and that of his family for the better. Speaking of children like Bella, he said, "They teach you things you can't even imagine."
Here Santorum turned to abortion describing his reason for fighting against it politically saying, "I think of we treat these people in society and how we destroy them. 86% of Down syndrome children are aborted - killed. And Down syndrome is 5 times better than what Bella has."
Considering how his children may themselves be the targets of nasty politics, as has happened in the recent past, gives Santorum pause. "That weighs on me," he said. "When you stand up for the things I do and say the things I say, they brutalize you and they won't stop at you."
Those are the things, he explained that "as a father I've got to think about."
"On the other side," he added, "as a father, I've got to think about whether they are going to have a country to live in … Are they going to be able to practice their faith in a way that's consistent with what the Church teaches."
The last consideration in favor of his run was on the practical level. He said: "Six months ago I would not have spent ten seconds on your question, but it's not six months ago. I see that, I hate to be calculating, but I see that 2012 is not just throwing somebody out to be eaten, but it's a real opportunity for success."
In closing he said that while he was "thinking about it", it is the first time his ambition which is, as he said, "in his DNA" was checked by a resistance saying, "no, I'm not sure."
Ending the session, Catholic political powerhouse Deal Hudson (President George W. Bush's Catholic advisor for a period of time) cited Plato's famous saying that the best governors are those who do not wish to govern.
We meet again.Your still boring.I never said “How dare you”.
Thank you for your post. Your post supports my memories (posted above) of the entire mess.
Party trumped principle. I can’t overlook that.
I was also informed, unless I’m mistaken, that Santorum has either endorsed or endorsed and contributed money to the far-left RINO Congressman Mark Kirk, who is pro-abort, pro-illegals, and pro just about every odious leftist position you can imagine, in his Senate race in IL. So that’s three leftists Santorum has gone out of his way to help.
“Santorum and GWBush campaigned across PA FOR SPECTER.” And Alito and Roberts were elected to the Supreme court. Raise your hand for pro-life or hold hands with Casey.”John Glover Roberts, Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the United States. He has served since 2005, having been nominated by President George W. Bush after the death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He is usually considered to be a judicial conservative.
Roberts grew up in northern Indiana and was educated in a private boarding school before attending Harvard College and Harvard Law School where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. After being admitted to the bar, he served as a law clerk for William Rehnquist before taking a position in the Attorney General’s office during the Reagan Administration. He went on to serve the Reagan Administration and the George H. W. Bush administration in the Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel, before spending fourteen years in private law practice. During this time, he argued thirty-nine cases before the Supreme Court.
In 2003, he was appointed as a judge of the D.C. Circuit by President George W. Bush, where he served until his nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. When Chief Justice Rehnquist died before Roberts’s confirmation hearings, Bush renominated Roberts to fill the newly vacant center seat.”
What is your point.God.
Years ago I cane up with a phrase:
“Principle above Party. The reverse gets us nowhere.”
Like you said in 119 Rick’s a good man; but he permanantly disqualified himself with me when he backed specter.
The holocaust of abortion is prolonged by Christians who vote for pro-abortion candidates. How much worse is it when a public figure like Santorum does it. As a public figure you also are a teacher to many people.
Point is, Santorum endorses liberals, and highly destructive ones at that. And please don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.
We're done. You're owned. I'll let the Freepers decide if you're a liar.
TS
Rick saved lives by voting for Specter so Roberts and Alito could be choosen.
That’s the nuttiest thing I’ve read today.
I did? Sorry fieldmarshaldj.
Don’t tell me you went Washington.Don’t tas me Man.
Freepers in ...
Tennessee
This is a flat out lie. Sarah didn't lose to Bozo, McCain lost to Bozo, Sarah enabled McCain to garner enough votes so he didn't look like any bigger fool than he did already. Remember? Sarah was VP candidate, McCain was Presidential candidate. More than just a lie, your statement is idiotic.
You didn’t take my name in vain, don’t apologize to me, apologize to Him.
Huh ?
WOW, just....breathtaking. Fatima, I know we are on the same side but that's just not acceptable.
That is weak liberal rationalizing “ends justify the means” moral relativism, at best.
Rick had NO WAY of knowing the future. Yes, Roberts and Alito appear to be good appointments, so far. But it in NO WAY justifies voting for Specter. You should know better.
Also you seem to be dismissing the fact that Toomey was a viable candidate for the general. There was a pro-life alternative. There was NO moral Catholic Christian -- [good or decent conservative] justification for Rick to back spectre. NONE! It was all abandonment of principle. Read the links I gave you!
Rick supported Specter purely for political reasons—of the worst kind. He and spectre were/are opposites. He voted for him ANYWAY, because he let politics overrule his principles. You really need to read those links.
I suspect Rick did not want to but the powers that be were on him and he caved. That is a betrayal that cannot be undone.
Do you not agree that a Catholic voting for an infamously wicked pro-abort is a grave sin and is cooperation with the evil of abortion?
Rick did that and worse because he taught with his public actions. How many people saw what Rick did and were moved further away from the principle of voting pro-life above all else?
I know that you are a good committed pro-lifer so I am saddened that you appear to be rationalizing Rick's actions because you like him.
He may be “good” but he is totally compromised. He's nowhere near good enough.
We shouldn't expect Saints but we must still demand better.
By now I think we all should say no to RINO’s like McCain and say no to completely compromised pols like Rick Santorum.
Sorry I thought your home page said Tennessee.We are in Pa.
.
Of course this doesn't excuse Santorum's support of other RINOs. Unless he does something to atone for his support of MacSpecter (and simply saying "sorry" just won't cut it), I can't see myself supporting him in a future primary.
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