One evening in Iowa last October, as autumn trudged toward winter, I watched Rick Santorum work a huge crowd of 7 civilians in the back room of a tavern, in a very small town. It was his final stop of the day, well past 9 p.m., but he answered every last question those people had and even asked a few himself. When it was over, he and I …
Rick Santorum
Santorum’s Campaign of Faith in Louisiana
Metairie, Louisiana
On Sunday evening, around the time Mitt Romney was celebrating his landslide victory in Puerto Rico’s primary, Rick Santorum was in a Baptist church on the outskirts of Baton Rouge, testifying about the …
Santorum’s Grim Delegate Math
Rick Santorum’s campaign held an hour-long conference call with reporters on Tuesday with two purposes: 1) to say that it’s not fair that all anyone is talking about is Mitt Romney’s delegate lead, and 2) explain their memo claiming that Mitt Romney’s delegate lead isn’t as big as everyone else says it is.
What Santorum Means By the Odds of an Open Convention ‘Increasing’
That’s the line he used Monday morning in an interview with CBS News. Here’s what he can’t say, but really means:
The already slim chances of Santorum securing the 1,144 delegates required to clinch the nomination are rapidly decreasing. Mitt Romney routed him in Puerto Rico over the weekend and two polls out Monday show him trailing …
On Social Issues, Santorum Can’t Help Himself
When it comes to religion and morality, Rick Santorum is in a tricky position. He is clearly guided by his devout Catholic faith and most passionate about cultural values. And that explains a lot of his appeal among conservative …
The Under-Told Story of How Santorum Became a Crusader for the Religious Right
With his narrow defeat in Ohio on Tuesday night, Santorum missed his chance to send Mitt Romney reeling, and to become the arguable front-runner for the Republican nomination. But Santorum didn’t fare poorly enough to slink off …
Rick Santorum: ‘I Would Consider’ Air Strikes in Syria
I spoke to Rick Santorum by phone for a few minutes on Monday afternoon as he rode across Ohio on the eve of tomorrow’s Super Tuesday extravaganza. The interview mostly covered ground for a piece you can read in the upcoming …
What Santorum Got Wrong About JFK’s Religion Speech
[youtube=http://youtu.be/mBNlS8Zg1WA]
Writing in the new issue of TIME, Jon Meacham challenges Santorum’s account of Kennedy’s views on Church and State:
Santorum suggests that Kennedy offered a secular call to arms, banishing religion from American life in ways that believers like Santorum are still crusading to reverse. Kennedy’s
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How Santorum’s Scolding Is Dooming His Campaign
In the early summer of 2006, then-Senator Rick Santorum was facing a tough reelection challenge, trailing Pennsylvania’s Treasurer Bob Casey by 9 points and struggling to shed his image as a Washington insider. So Santorum …
Arlen Specter: ‘I Never Made Any Deals with Santorum’
One of the most damaging moments for Rick Santorum in Wednesday night’s debate came when Mitt Romney reminded Republicans that, in 2004, Santorum had endorsed Arlen Specter, then his fellow GOP Senator from Pennsylvania, in a high-profile primary fight against a more conservative challenger. Specter was fighting for his political life …
Arizona GOP Debate: Santorum Finds Himself in the Spotlight and On the Defensive
Rick Santorum found himself in unfamiliar territory on Wednesday night: at the center of attention in a Republican primary debate. The CNN forum in Arizona was the first in almost a month, and the only debate held since upsets in …
In the National Spotlight, Santorum Doesn’t Shy Away from Social Issues
Rick Santorum’s victories on Feb. 7 kicked off a month-long trial period, which will be capped by Super Tuesday on March 6, to convince Republican voters that he is not only the best conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, but …
Under the Cowboy Hat: Foster Friess, Santorum’s Controversial Benefactor
For the past several weeks, few people have been enjoying the Republican presidential campaign quite as much as Foster Friess. The 71-year-old mutual fund millionaire from Wyoming, who has emerged as the key backer of Rick …