Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said he is considering a run for president in 2012, but is keeping his family in mind.
The former Pennsylvania politician said Thursday at a College Republicans event he might make an announcement sometime next year.
“I’m in no great hurry to engage this. You don’t get up in the morning and just say ‘Gee, I think I’ll run for president,’” he said. “I’ve been talking to my family about it because I’ve been traveling a lot and people have been writing stories about it.”
Santorum said his 19-year-old daughter would be a major priority in his decision to run for the White House.
“How’s a 19 year-old girl, when [her] father is either running for president or from her perspective – God forbid – gets elected president, going to know if some guy likes her?” he said. “It’s a harder life. I say to my kids, the worst thing that can happen is if I win.”
Government intervention
Santorum said this midterm election was similar to past races. He said President Barack Obama was taking the country down the wrong path and echoed the current conservative call to restore America’s values.
“The ’94 election was about Americans recognizing that the country was at risk,” he said.
Today’s risks, according to Santorum, include the large federal deficit, the passage of the health care bill and government encroachment.
He said the government’s role has expanded in the last 40 years, especially under the current administration.
“Barack Obama likes to talk about that we are endowed with certain unalienable rights,” he said. “But he leaves out that sort of important word in that recitation, ‘that we are endowed by our creator.’ ”
Santorum said the recent health care bill eliminates individual citizens’ decisions in favor of government intervention.
“America is exceptional and Americans are concerned that there’s a group of people in Washington who don’t believe that,” Santorum said.
Santorum also said politicians should align their religious beliefs with their platforms.
“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute,” said Santorum. “It has allowed politicians to say ‘I am privately this way, but publicly that way.’ ”
lgiangreco@theeagleonline.com
