Sen. Santorum Discovers Tea!

Rick Santorum's latest email blast shows that he is trying to style himself as the Tea Party candidate -- apparently oblivious to the fact that Ron Paul is still in the race.

Touting his wins in the Deep South, Santorum begins his email, "Dear Patriot".  Classic Tea Party.  And he goes on to talk about taking our "country and our party back."  That sounds an awful lot like Sen. Rand Paul's tag line when he ran for Senate. ("I have a message, a message from the Tea Party. We've come to take our country back."

The there's the signature:  "For America."

All Santorum needs to do now is to lose the sweater-vest and don an tri-corner hat.

It feels a little disingenuous for a guy who endorsed Arlen Specter. I thought we were trying to take our party and  our country back from the Arlen Specters of D.C., not give it to them.

Santorum Surges (Yawn)

By all accounts, Rick Santorum is a good guy. Everyone who knows him, even if they do not support him, comments on his decency -- an undervalued quality in these news cycles in which we are subjected to details of JFK robbing teenagers of their virginity.

Santorum will do. He is perhaps a little more conservative than Romney. Nonetheless, Santorum is an earmark-seeking statist, who opposed right to work and endorsed Arlen Specter. So forgive my lack of enthusiasm.

Again I wonder, why are our choices so poor in this field of candidates? This is why Republicana are fantasizing about a brokered convention. We want someone to save us from the RINOs.

Ron Paul will be a force at that convention, brokered or not. Therefore, if Marco Rubio takes pass on VP, look to Paul supporters to ask for the VP slot to go to Rand Paul to shore up the nominee's bona fixes on cutting the size of government. That is the critical issue for this election, and one which Santorum or Romney needs help to appeal to the Tea Party.

SantorumShowed Up

Rick Santorum had his best debate of the election last night, maybe because his mom was in the audience.  He seemed less whiny.  And his request that the time be used for substance, as opposed to Mitt and Newt's sniping, was welcome and overdue. I still don't see Santorum winning.  However, he should do well enough in Florida to press on.

Newt has crested, in my view. The more I see of Newt, the better everyone else looks.  It didn't help that Elliott Abrams put the lie to Newt's claim that he helped Ronald Reagan win the Cold War.  On NRO, Abrams details all the snotty things Newt said to and about Reagan, and how Newt in fact undermined Reagan. Had Newt prevailed, it is unlikely that America would have won the Cold War.  It is a devastating critique of Newt and a must-read for anyone who is seriously considering him and anyone who considers Reagan the standard by which we should judge those who seek to carry the Republican mantle.

I fear that Newt would demean the Office of the President.  As one elderly lady observed to me recently, the man has the "morals of an alley cat."  When I see Newt, I think of Bill Clinton, and then I think about how W. had to put new carpet in the Oval Office.  My mind doesn't want to go there, but this is the consequence of Newt's life choices.

Mitt Romney did well the first hour. But it is uncomfortable to watch him go negative against Newt; plainly, this is not in Mitt's character.  That raises the concern:  will he be similarly awkward attacking Obama?

Rick Santorum Endorses Trey

Former Sen. Rick Santorum -- a rising conservative star -- endorsed Trey Grayson, based on Grayson's commitment to protecting the unborn.

Here's the release:

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum announced today that he is endorsing Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Santorum is in Kentucky to speak at the 40^th anniversary dinner for Kentucky Right to Life.

"Trey Grayson is the only 100% pro-life candidate in this race. I’ve looked at the records and past statements of both candidates on the issue of protecting life, and I’m impressed with Grayson’s conviction and sincerity,” said Santorum.

He continued, “And on other issues, too, Trey Grayson has a solidly conservative record. As Secretary of State he has cut his budget by 15%. That’s the kind of fiscal conservatism we need in Washington. Trey has a record, not just rhetoric on fiscal responsibility.”

Grayson commented, “It means a lot to me that Senator Santorum would endorse my campaign. I’m thrilled to have his support. If I’m elected I will be a conservative voice for Kentucky whose views match our state and whose principles don’t change for the sake of political expediency.”

Santorum will appear on the Terry Meiners Show and The Pulse of Lexington with Leland Conway today to discuss Grayson’s candidacy and his endorsement.

Rand Paul has recently claimed to be pro-life, but in contrast to Trey Grayson, he has a long record of advocating pro-choice positions.