News

Thursday October 7, 2010


New Iowa PAC Fuels Speculation of Santorum White House Bid

By Peter J. Smith

DES MOINES, Iowa, October 7, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Rick Santorum is fueling even more speculation that he is laying the groundwork for a possible 2012 US presidential bid in Iowa.

Santorum, a leading pro-life figure and former US Senator from Pennsylvania, announced he is setting up new political action committee in Iowa to support Iowa conservative candidates.

“My federal PAC, America’s Foundation, has already assisted some candidates in the Hawkeye State, but I am eager to do more, and the Iowa Keystone PAC will help us do that,” Santorum said.

Santorum has pledged to donate at least $25,000 to Iowa conservative candidates before the November 2 midterm elections. “There are many strong conservatives running in Iowa and assisting them with financial support may help put them in the victory column come Election Day,” he said. Santorum is making his sixth trip to Iowa between October 13-14, where he will stop to meet with voters and candidates.

Making visits to Iowa and setting up a state PAC are seen as key steps toward building the infrastructure to make a White House run.

Iowa is where the GOP race for the White House begins, and where state caucuses can give the winner a big boost before heading into the New Hampshire primary. GOP hopefuls look to curry favor with the state’s conservative voters who often catapult more obscure candidates, such as Mike Huckabee in 2008, into the limelight.

In addition, Iowa election law also allows state-registered PACs to raise an unlimited amount of money for candidates, unlike federal PACs, which limit individual donations to $5000 total.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a conservative and presumed GOP hopeful, has already established his own PAC in the state. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also fueled speculation about a 2012 run with in her visit to Iowa last month, where she delivered a speech at the Iowa GOP’s Ronald Reagan dinner.

Santorum has indicated since last year that he is mulling a White House run, and has become more vocal about the possibility in the past few months.

In August, Santorum told the Des Moines Register that he was “still seriously going through this process” but was “very encouraged” about the possibilities in Iowa for a 2012 presidential run.

Santorum lost his senate seat to nominally pro-life Sen. Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. Although it was bad year for Republicans overall, Santorum had also strained relations with his conservative base due to his decision to back strongly pro-abortion Sen. Arlen Specter over pro-life challenger Pat Toomey in the 2004 GOP primary.

Santorum later said he made a pragmatic decision, as he felt Toomey would be unlikely to win the election, and had been assured Specter would adequately protect pro-life interests in the two upcoming Supreme Court nominations.

“I got a commitment from Arlen Specter that no matter who George W. Bush would nominate, he would support that nominee,” he said.

Toomey, who lost the 2004 GOP primary by a 1.7 percent margin, has now secured the GOP nomination and is the favorite to win Specter’s seat in November.

See related coverage from LifeSiteNews.com:

Santorum: ‘Separation of Church and State’ Meant to Protect Church from Gov’t, Not Vice Versa

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10091309.html

Santorum: Conservatives Must Battle ‘Toxic Tide’ of Pop Culture more than Politics

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/dec/09120409.html

Santorum: The Triumph of Socialism in U.S. Requires Destruction of Family and Church

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09101909.html

Santorum Admits to Pondering Run for Republican Presidential Nomination – Asks for Prayers

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091202.html

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