Posted on 04/06/2012 7:56:21 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Some news just snaps all other news into perspective. The Santorum campaign sent out a statement today requesting prayers and privacy for their family, as their youngest daughter, Bella, is in the hospital.
Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: “Rick and his wife Karen have taken their daughter Bella to the hospital. The family requests prayers and privacy as Bella works her way to recovery.”
Rick Santorum had already announced a brief hiatus in campaigning. This is the second time this year that Bella, who suffers from a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18, has had to be hospitalized. In January, she had pneumonia in both of her lungs and spent several days in the ICU.
Bella’s struggle makes me want to just press “Pause.” On a daily basis, we work and play, eat and sleep. It’s usually not until someone is sick that we ponder the precariousness of our lives. It’s worth considering on a regular basis, though. The knowledge that life is short for everyone and thereby especially precious is no excuse to not run for president, build a house, write a book, buy a car, start a company. It should, rather, be an added incentive to embrace life in all its fullness and pursue whatever goals we have with boldness.
But it should also remind us that, if we want to gracefully withstand the daily pressures of life, we have to root ourselves in something transcendent. All political problems and all political solutions are temporal. As T.S. Eliot put, “There is no such thing as a lost cause because there is no such thing as a gained cause. We fight because we know that our defeat and dismay may be the preface to our successors’ victory.”
Rick Santorum’s campaign has illustrated such rootedness. He’s not been discouraged by temporary setbacks because he knows life is about so much more than politics. No doubt Bella reminds him of that daily. Today, she serves as that reminder for me, too.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Santorums this Good Friday. May the weekend bring hopeful developments for little Bella.
KMA.
This is a good opportunity for Santorum to bow out and not look like he was run out by the GOP or Romney.. BEFORE the PA primary!
I chose not to run for office but I work in politics. I've taken jobs that I knew would be difficult on me and my family, but I'm not in this for MYSELF. I've made personal sacrifices because I have always believed I was working for a greater cause. Because I indirectly "know" Rick, I know the same spirit is motivating him. I'd say less than 10% of Republican elected officials and/or staffers are motivated that way these days (as opposed to the Reagan years when easily half of candidates and staffers were driven by Reagan's cause of smaller government.) I thank God that 'one of us' is now in a position to run for the presidency, and I pray every day that he wins.
Why? What's the hurry?
Prayers up for Bella, and for the Santorum family. This has got to be a rough time.
Why is Santorum an a$$hole? YOU have no clue, Pal. Try running even a local campaign, and realize how amazing that Rick’s run on a shoestring budget has been. The man is a dynamo. He loves God, country and family, and it’s shameful how people here attack him as a man. The only pity is that Rick will almost certainly not be the nominee. I can’t wait to vote for him, no matter. Bob
Saddened to hear of this.
Even if he is a jerk.
Santorum is a great man. You are foolish to think he’s a “jerk”. America needs tens of millions of more “jerks” like Rick if we are to survive.
“Santorum needs to bow out of the campaign and tend to his family. While he’s at it he should endorse Mitt and unite the party.”
I agree with you. I believe he is so power driven he can’tee the forest for the trees.
Stay home Rick and do the right thing.
Your 15 minutes of fame is turning into an embarassment.
Prayers for Bella.
Sweet little baby.
I think it is up to Romney to united the party by getting a majority of the delegates.
“Prayers for Bella. God bless and keep her.”
Yes.
If he’s power driven, what about Romney, who’s been running for president since 2006? Fact is, they should give the Kati Couric award to whoever that Iowa precinct chairman who skewed the initial count, and allowed Romney to claim victory in the state. Imagine how the momentum would have changed if Santorum had been seen as the winner. Romney has come a long way on a few dimes, where Romney has had to hustle even though he has had millions to spend.
If he’s power driven, what about Romney, who’s been running for president since 2006? Fact is, they should give the Kati Couric award to whoever that Iowa precinct chairman who skewed the initial count, and allowed Romney to claim victory in the state. Imagine how the momentum would have changed if Santorum had been seen as the winner. Santorum has come a long way on a few dimes, where Romney has had to hustle even though he has had millions to spend.
“Santorum needs to bow out of the campaign and tend to his family. While he’s at it he should endorse Mitt and unite the party.”
I believe Santorum is pro-life. There is no reason for him to endorse Bishop Willard.
We are in the Primary process, and I can understand peoples frustration that Romney is the front runner and WILL be the nominee, but there is going to have to be a time when we all have to not just look at who is sitting behind the desk, but look more intently on who Obama surrounds himself with, the ones at the helm of the ship whose destination is to radically change America. Bill Ayers, George Soros, Cass Sunstein, Van Jones, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and all the rest. Do we really prefer Obama’s radicals, to a cabinet yet to even be picked by the Romney ticket?
Some may say, “what does it matter, Romney can’t win”. I say, by God it does matter. America’s survival may count on closing the door on Obama’s radicals in November. If it’s impossible then we MUST do the impossible. American history is full of impossible obstacles. I’m going to be a part of this one.
Must be a paulbot...
First of all prayers out to Bella. I just can't imagine. Second. I see no evidence Rick is running for simple power. I see a man who sees this as his calling and is worried that 10 years from now this path we're heading down as a party let alone as a country may not be reversible without a revolution and widespread pain. In fact i have more respect for the man because he is taking the time and making the personal sacrifice that most of us would never do. Is he perfect? No and he would be the first to tell you that but he's the best option we have as conservatives right now. Romney will be less of a disaster than BO but not much better than Bush.
“If it’s impossible then we MUST do the impossible.”
Peddling Bishop Willard to anyone with pro-life principles certainly falls into that category. Nice way to jack the thread, by the way.
“I’ve never understood why a guy like this would run for president at a time like this. His kids are YOUNG, he’s got a daughter who needs parental time and attention. There is a time and a season for everything ...ten years from now, maybe.
I don’t get it.”
~ ~ ~
Our nation and the world, the terrible loss of faith, maybe God wants this “man” for right now. Standing up for everything good and moral, wee see by his life.
I remember in the debates, Santorum never hid his beliefs, faith related or secular. He didn’t sound like a politician, you can hear it. he speaks the truth. He can stand against BHO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.