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.
She hasn’t announced and perhaps she won’t run this time, but for now, I’m counting on it.
It's a straw man argument that you put forth regarding the perfect being the enemy of the good. Santorum sold the solidly pro-life Toomey down the expedient river to support his buddy Specter. For what? If Rick had the integrity to hold W's feet to the fire and support Pro-life Toomey over Pro-Choice Specter we might have had TWO pro-life Senators from Pennesylvania. We would have purged one of the most notorious RINO's ever from the Republican Party. You know the one - the Democrat Senator from Pennsylvania - Arlen Specter.
What cost Santorum his political future wasn't him being good enough. It was his being perfectly willing to go-along to get along.
That's part of what the Tea-Party, and FR, is about not letting the status quo govern us - but rather electing Conservatives who will actually honor their oathes to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Rick Santorum is all about Rick Santorum. I'm glad he's damaged goods.
TS
AS with Sonia Sotomayor, the mere fact that someone has a compelling story is not, in and of itself, a sufficient reason for them to hold high office...in my opinion.
Really? Look, I’ve been to a Sarah Palin rally, I’ve heard her speak and I know for a FACT that she is qualified! She is an excellent speaker and she relates to the AVERAGE American!
And she is NOT a quitter! How can you say that? She resigned because the liberals were filing Mickey Mouse-type lawsuits against her, consuming over 80% of her and her staff’s time, making it impossible for her to get anything done!
She accomplished EVERYTHING that she promised the people of Alaska that she would do! What was she supposed to do, sit out the rest of her term, deadlocked, do nothing and drink cappuccino????
That’s NOT the Sarah I know! Sarah is always ready to get things done and after she had accomplished EVERYTHING she had accomplished as Governor and after being deadlocked, she moved on. It would have been a waste of time for her to be a lame-duck Governor and do nothing. It would waste Alaska’s resources and do nothing else.
Sarah is doing extremely well, where she is now, as she prepares to go for the Presidency!
Oh, I saw the debate with Biden and she did a WONDERFUL job! Biden lied through his teeth throughout the entire debate and Sarah creamed him!
And she knows QUITE A BIT about foreign policy and the issues; the interivews that were broadcasted were EDITED and pieced back together to make her look stupid! You have to look at the entire interivew, in context, and you’ll see that everything she said was absolutely brilliant!
Answer me this: what makes the RINOs (Romney, Huckabee, Santorum, etc.) more qualified?
They can’t draw the crowds that Sarah can! They can’t get people energized like Sarah can! They are not loved by nearly as many people as Sarah is!
Nope, I’m sticking with Sarah Palin! She’s gonna be our nominee in 2012, whether the RINOs like it or not!
He blew national aspirations when he backed Specter. We all see what happens when he chose party over principle.
You’ve got my prayers, Senator Santorum.
We need to go right and stay there. The LAST thing Sarah needs to do is to put an Olympia Snowe on the ticket.
What the hell brought Snowe into the discussion, not me. Palin needs someone to balance the ticket for her. There aren’t enough Palinites to win the election or even come close. You’ll need to capture those that aren’t attending her speeches and rah rahing her every word. The object is to get elected before you can impact the decision making process or implement reform.
“What the hell brought Snowe into the discussion, not me”
I was just using her as an example of a “moderate” who would “balance the ticket.” That’s all.
You cannot put a RINO (McCain) and a conservative (Palin) together. That is toxic. Look how that worked out last November.
I really think that you are underestimating Palin’s support. She has support in ALL 50 states and is gaining it, by the day.
People need to stop listening to what the media thinks about Sarah Palin and actually listen to what she says.
The object is to get elected on PRINCIPLE, NOT APPEASEMENT!
I agree with others on here; Santorum would NOT make a good presidential candidate. His endorsement of Specter back in 2004 has fatally wounded his chances.
He wants a prayer? OK: Please, God, let him know he should stay out of politics...
You cannot put a RINO (McCain) and a conservative (Palin) together. That is toxic.
Toxic, kinda like Bush and Cheney?
Like what?
Palin/Mulally 2012......
Mulally will be a very hot commodity when he turns around Ford. Google him, follow his career. Watch what he is doing to turn around Ford, cutting cost, thinking way out of the box, so needed to drain the swamp in DC. He would carry Michigan, and IMHO possibly Ohio and Indiana. If so the Bamster is toast.....
If the job market does not turn around, nothing else will matter(health care, etc.)...but McCotter is the only one I see with the wit and wisdom to kick Obama in 2012...especially with the easily swayed "American Idol" voting masses.
If the job market does come back(reasonably), there are no scandals, and massive voter/campaign $$$ fraud from groups like ACORN/Soros are not addressed properly...then it's Obama in a walk.
Keeping pressure on Obama policies is the most important firewall right now...it's working...and the Obama loving media are crapping in their collective pants trying to tamp it down.
After that 2010 should be priority, and that requires getting great candidates with smarts and spines that can attract voters...old and young...and supporting them any way we can.
For some of us getting up there in age it may be the last chance to save the Republic from the scoundrels. I don't know about you but I don't feel like leaving this world by handing this country over to the hippies and hippie-wanna-be's...they've done enough damage to this country already....someone needs to tell the young people that...all they know is what "public education", liberal universities, and prime-time television have taught them...not exactly a good representation of America and it's values.
There can be only one...Santorum is a decent feller but he has one leg too many for 2012...by my account anyhow.
So how much urine is acceptable in your coffee?
Yes, I have mentioned Thad here as VP. Got to see him at the 1st Plymouth MI Tea-Party. Almost Lincolnish-nerdish but humble, and spoke with a constitutionalist heart. After 4 years of the oiley slickness of the Bamster and his Borsch Belt Comedian as a VP, Thad would be a welcomed change....
On the wrong forum perhaps?
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