Rick Santorum told those who attended a presidential forum in Texas that “Washington can work again with someone who is a conservative. The former senator and congressman from Pennsylvania touted his ability to work with Democrats to get things accomplished. He said that the White House is no place “for on the job training.”
Santorum told those gathered at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, to Google “partial birth abortion” to see him engaging in one of the most heated debates on the issue. He said he was able “to reach across the aisle.”
Santorum said he was able to get welfare reform enacted, and that he accomplished this with a Democratic president. He said that Bill Clinton vetoed welfare reform legislation on three occasions but that he was able to help battle it through eventually. Santorum said he worked hard to get welfare reform passed and he did not give-up after the first, second, or third veto. President Clinton eventually signed a welfare reform bill that cut the welfare rolls in half and got poverty levels to its lowest percentage ever. He said the legislation put Americans back to work and was a huge success.
The former senator and congressman told the crowd that if they were looking for a principled and conservative leader who has successfully maneuvered through tough battles, he was their candidate.
In touting his success to work with those of the other political party, Santorum distinguished between good compromises and bad compromises. He explained that bad compromises are when someone violates their principles.
He said what is needed now in Washington is someone that will “do hard work,” not just appear before cameras.
Santorum said he has stood-up for life and marriage, and stood-up against Iran by being a part of giving the country sanctions. He said he would stand-up against “radical Islam.”
He also reminded the crowd that he had been the author of the Health Savings Account Act and quipped, “thank you.” He said he did so working with a Democratic congress and president in 1992.
The pastor of the mega-church, Dr. Jack Graham, called Santorum “a man of principle.” He said that conservatives are frequently viewed as uncaring but said they care about the justice and the poor. Sandorum replied that the Bible mentions hundreds of times that Christians are to show compassion but said the Bible does not say that the Government is supposed to take care of the poor.
Santorum distinguished “safety net programs” like social security, unemployment insurance, and other programs. He also distinguished himself from those who stood on the stage of the Democratic debates who essentially stated, “I will raise you one entitlement, and give you two more.”
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter@LanaShadwick2
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