Fox News’ Rick Santorum Campaigns for Tony

Lincoln Journal Star | By Don Walton on March 31st, 2010

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said Tuesday he believes the Tea Party movement can be constructive in helping restore Republican principles.

“We need a Republican Party that will go back to its traditional values of capitalism, a strong national defense, strong families and faith,” he said during a telephone interview.

“I think it can be a wonderful inspiration for Republicans to get with the program,” he said.

Santorum was in Lincoln to headline a fundraising event for state Sen. Tony Fulton, who is seeking the Republican nomination for state treasurer.

“Tony is one of the great stars on the horizon,” he said.

Santorum, who served two terms in the Senate, is a potential candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

“I’m considering it,” he said. “But there’s still a long way to go.”

Santorum said today’s partisan polarization and the abusive or violent rhetoric sometimes directed at President Barack Obama is no worse than what President George W. Bush endured.

“The condemnation of President Bush was at least as rough as what we are seeing now and even more pervasive,” he said, especially during anti-war protests.

“When you’re doing big things, you’re going to invoke a big response,” Santorum said.

Obama “forced a major change to this country through the Congress” with passage of his health care reform plan, he said.

That legislation “should absolutely be repealed,” Santorum said, and replaced with “a market-based system that is patient-driven with real cost controls.”

Americans who are angry about health care reform should make their voices heard in November, he said.

“The intensity is clearly on the side of people who see this administration as rolling over the Constitution (and creating) a huge mountain of debt,” Santorum said.

Obama also has angered voters with a foreign policy that “puts forth demands for Israel to go to the bargaining table to divide their own capital,” he said.

The administration has condemned Israel’s recent decision to increase Israeli housing construction in primarily Arab East Jerusalem.