Political Endorsement: The Case for Rick Santorum

I have been paying very close attention to the Republican Presidential Primary nomination process over the past year.  I have watched virtually all of the presidential debates.  I have researched the history and positions of most of the candidates.  I take my civic duty of voting very seriously.  If you have read any of my previous political themed blog posts, you certainly know that I do NOT support the current President of the United States.  President Obama has led the country in a very bad and wrong direction.  I disagree most passionately and strongly on President Obama’s social agenda, but I also believe that his economic and foreign policies have been detrimental and even dangerous for our country.  That being said, I am hoping the American people elect one of the Republican candidates to become the next President of the United States in 2012.  So who do I endorse and support, and how did I come to that conclusion?

I am endorsing Rick Santorum for President of the United States!

Rick Santorum presidential announcement

Four years ago I supported Mike Huckabee, and I was hopeful that he would run again.  However, when he decided to stay at Fox News and continue his awesome show, Huckabee, I knew that I needed to take a serious look at the other candidates.  Fairly early in the process, I had a strong feeling that Rick Santorum would be my choice.  Why have I chosen to support Rick Santorum, and why do I encourage you to support Rick Santorum?  Let me list my top 10 reasons.

1) Rick Santorum is a man of character.

2) Rick Santorum is trustworthy.

3) Rick Santorum is a champion of pro-life and pro-family issues

      Outside of the candidate’s character and trustworthiness, the most important issues to me when deciding on which candidate to support are his positions on social issues; most notably on issues of life and family.  I believe that these are the most important issues, and I want a candidate that not only votes pro-life and pro-family, but someone who is a champion of these causes.  Rick Santorum does not only say that he is pro-life and pro-family, he actively and passionately works to uphold these most basic Christian values.  He lives these values.  He is constantly talking about these issues when many other candidates would rather talk about the economy.  For social conservatives such as me, no other candidate matches the passion and resolve of Rick Santorum.  He will fight for the rights of the unborn, children with special needs, the elderly, and everyone in between.  Below are a couple of powerful videos.  You will see that these issues are more than just issues that Rick Santorum checks off to get some votes.

Rick Santorum debates partial birth abortion bill in Senate in 1998

Rick Santorum talking about his special needs daughter, Bella

4) Rick Santorum is a proven leader

5) Rick Santorum is authentic. 

       Rick Santorum speaks the truth, whether it is politically correct or not; popular or not.  A rare trait these days, especially in politics!

6) Rick Santorum is concerned about the poor and less fortunate

      Conservatives are often accused of caring only about the rich and ignoring the needs of the poor.  In some cases and with some conservatives, this criticism is a valid.  However, Rick Santorum is concerned about the poor and his policies reflect that.  He is the only republican candidate talking about how to help people who do not have a college education and stressing the breakdown of the family as a significant cause of poverty.  His economic policy to zero out corporate tax on manufactures and his desire to bring good paying manufacturing jobs back home for unskilled workers is unique in this republican primary field.  He will also push for policies that promote the family, and encourage stability of families by promoting traditional marriage.

7)Rick Santorum is knowledgeable about the issues and has realistic solutions to the problems we face.

      Rick Santorum is well known for his depth of knowledge and passion on social issues.  However, he is also a very strong fiscal conservative who also has a great deal of knowledge about national security and the dangers we face from within and outside of our country. 

8) Rick Santorum is a consistent conservative

        Rick Santorum has been and continues to be consistent in his policy positions.  While I believe that a person will make mistakes, can learn from them, and can change their opinion on certain issues, a lack of consistency does bring into question the trustworthiness of the candidate and the motives for their stated positions.  Rick Santorum has not wavered in his conservative beliefs, and that consistency brings forth a sense of assurance and trustworthiness that not all of the other candidates possess.

9) Rick Santorum is a faithful Catholic 

       A politician’s faith may not be the most important deciding factor, but a candidate’s faithfulness to their religion and the way they live their lives says a lot about their character.  Rick Santorum is a faithful Catholic, who not only goes to church on Sundays but it is said he tries to make it to daily mass, who lives out his life as best he can according to the beliefs of the Catholic faith he professes and believes.  It is actually very rare these days to find Catholic politicians who actually believe and promote the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Have you seen some of the things that “catholic” Nancy Pelosi has said and the things she has tried to push?  Rick Santorum will fight for the values of faithful Christians, and that is important.    

10) Rick Santorum can beat Barak Obama

      Rick Santorum is a polar opposite of Barak Obama.  Rick Santorum offers ideas of real, positive change.  He can and will win if the people who share his values unite in support of Rick Santorum.  

The Iowa Caucuses are just a few short weeks away.  Rick Santorum is still fairly low in the polls.  If you base your vote on public opinion polls, you will likely not embrace Rick Santorum.  If however, you are like me and vote for the man or woman that best reflects your values and whom you believe the best qualified to be Commander in Chief, I believe that you will likely come to the same conclusion as I have that Rick Santorum is your candidate.  I am not sure that I believe in these polls anyway.  Who are they asking?  I know I’ve never been asked who I support in one of these polls.  These next few weeks are critical for Rick Santorum.  He has spent far more time and worked far harder than any other candidate in Iowa, and for him to have a realistic chance of winning the nomination he must do well in Iowa.  That is why I am asking you to go to www.RickSantorum.com to learn more about Rick Santorum and his policy positions.  It is common knowledge that he has not raised much money.  Unfortunately, to be successful in politics it requires money to get the message out to as many people as possible.  He is making a big push this week to raise $250,000, and if you can provide financial support that would be a huge boost to his campaign.  However, even if you are not able to support Rick Santorum financially there are several other ways to support him.  For volunteer opportunities, please visit RickVolunteer.com.  I like several candidates in the Republican Presidential Primary field, but I believe in Rick Santorum and trust that he is the best man for the highest office.  I hope you will join me in supporting Rick Santorum.  He is an underdog, but he is also a fighter.  Please don’t give up on Rick Santorum.  He will not give up on you and your values.  Let’s nominate the best candidate this election.  Let’s join together to help Rick Santorum become the next President of the United States!

God bless,

Mike

Remember Bart Stupak?

Below is an email I recently received from CatholicVote.com.  I felt I had to share.  I am hoping and praying that Michigan voters will replace Bart Stupak with a faithful Catholic man who will vote pro-life and not just talk as if he's pro-life and then fold under pressure.  Actions speak far louder than words.
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Dear CatholicVote Friend,
The race to replace retiring Rep. Bart Stupak is really heating up.
You remember Stupak. He claimed he would fight until the end to keep a ban on abortion funding in the health care bill. We stood up for him, and he abandoned us. Worse, he went to the House floor and attacked you for being a “hypocrite.”
But that’s not the end of the story.
Just last week, Bart Stupak endorsed his protégé Gary McDowell and pledged to do everything he can to elect him. And like Stupak, McDowell supports the health care bill as is. This law, remember, contains flimsy protections against taxpayer funding of abortion and no conscience protections to protect the rights of doctors and health care workers.

Here’s an idea – let’s replace Stupak with a principled and courageous Catholic doctor who knows the harm Stupak has done!
A pro-life Catholic physician has decided to take on Stupak’s hand-picked successor. His name is Dr. Dan Benishek, a pro-life Catholic surgeon who understands our health care system inside and out. He has proudly said, “From conception to natural death, all human life is sacred and must be protected.” Dr. Benishek wants to repeal the health care law.
Dr. Benishek is one of our 2010 CatholicVote.org featured endorsements, and right now is polling even with McDowell!
We’re preparing an avalanche of radio ads in this district.
Can we count on your help to put them on the air?
Bart Stupak let us down, but we won’t forget. Votes have consequences.

Help us send a strong message.
Donate here: https://www.catholicvote.org/index.php?/site/donation/&amount=&tp=c4

Brian Burch

President

CatholicVote Civic Action
P.S. Dr. Dan Benishek is the kind of pro-life doctor we need in Congress.
He recently said, “We need to focus on free market reforms, which will increase competition and decrease costs. A good place to start would be to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with a bill allowing health insurance to be tax deductible, portable, and sold across state lines."
Help us fill the airwaves in northern Michigan with new radio ads from CatholicVote.org!

CatholicVote.org Civic Action
P.O. Box 2709
Chicago, IL 60690

Political Endorsements - 2010 U.S. Senate

As citizens of the great nation of the United States, it is our duty and responsibility to vote in elections. This is one way where we can make our voices heard; by electing candidates who represent our values. The primary election this November is very important. It is critical that we elect men and women who will block some of the radical anti-life, anti-family policies of this White House administration and get our country back on the right track. When deciding who to endorse, although I am a registered Republican, I do not look at the political party as a deciding factor. I only endorse those people I believe share my values and are of high moral character. Not all issues are of equal weight. In order to gain an endorsement from me, the candidate must be a strong pro-life and pro-family advocate. These social issues take priority for me when deciding who to vote for, but I also consider other important issues. I believe that the best way to govern is for limited government control where the power rests with the people. The government is there to protect and serve the people. I believe in an economic policy that lowers taxes and reduces spending so that working Americans can keep more of the money they earn and spend their money how they see best. I know how to spend my money better than the government. This is not to say that we should ignore the poor, many of whom want to find work but simply cannot. Not all poor people are lazy just as not all rich people are hard working. I believe that the best way to serve the poor is to give them opportunities to work themselves out of poverty. Also, local charities specialize in meeting the needs of the poor, and do a much better job of it than the government ever would or could. I worry about our national debt which is a national security risk and it is also a growing burden on us and future generations. As for immigration, I believe that it is imperative that we strengthen the security of our boarders and we reform our immigration policies. I am not supportive of an amnesty for illegal aliens, but I believe that we must find a compassionate solution to the problem of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants may not be privileged to all the rights of an American citizen, but they still deserve to be treated humanely and respectfully. I am a registered Republican, but I don’t necessarily agree with all of the policies on the Republican platform. Many Republicans are strongly in favor of the death penalty, which I don’t believe is necessary in most cases. Many Republicans also believe that the best national defense is an aggressive war agenda. Although I fully support our troops and believe they are doing good work in promoting freedom, I don’t believe that war is always the best answer to solve a problem or the only way toward peace. When I vote, I vote for who I think will best represent the Christian values necessary to be a great leader. I hope to vote for people with character who are not afraid to take a strong moral stand on important issues regardless of the political ramifications. Respect for life, family and freedoms are the most important issues to me, and they are the most important qualities I look for in a politician or any person for that matter. Although no politician is perfect, I feel it is my responsibility to endorse and support those candidates that I feel best represent Christian values. It is necessary to elect good people to further promote a culture of life. After some research and time of reflection, below are a few candidates I endorse in the 2010 Senate primary election in November.

U.S Senate

Marco Rubio - Florida

I have heard Marco talk. I have seen his confidence, composure and clear vision for Florida and America. He has faith in the American people. I have read about his inspiring story. He is a strong and faithful Catholic man. He is strongly pro-life and pro-family and has exposed his opponents’ weaknesses in these most critical issues. For Florida voters, the choice for whom to vote for Senator this November is an easy one. Vote for Marco Rubio!

Joe Miller – Alaska

Joe Miller is the pro-life candidate in the state of Alaska. In August, the underdog Miller defeated pro-choice Republican Lisa Murkowski. Now Murkowski isn’t accepting defeat and is pushing a write-in campaign. Joe Miller is a West Point graduate who has experience serving the country and being a leader. Please join me in supporting the true conservative, pro-family/pro-life candidate in Alaska, Joe Miller.

Sharron Angle – Nevada

“Many people will mistakenly assume that the CatholicVote.org PAC is exclusively for Catholic candidates. Not true! Sharon Angle is a Southern Baptist, but her defense of life, marriage, and her understanding of the proper role of government has convinced us that Catholics have a friend in Sharron Angle,” said Brian Burch, President of CatholicVote.org PAC

Carly Fiorina – California

Carly is not my favorite candidate, but she is far better than the alternative in California, extremely liberal senator Barbara Boxer. How could anyone forget this exchange with former PA Senator and pro-life advocate Rick Santorum? Carly will uphold pro-life values and promote fiscal responsibility in a state that has huge debt and is in severe financial crisis. Carly has received endorsements from the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, Sarah Palin, and a number of other respected pro-family/pro-life conservatives.

All of these candidates happen to be Republican, but unfortunately in the current political climate it is rare to find a pro-life democrat. All of the opponents in the races listed above are not pro-life, and have a history of a voting record that is not consistent with the culture of life values we so desperately need. Please consider lending your support to one or all of these candidates, and if you live in their district make sure you go out and vote for the pro-life candidate in November. I will list endorsements for the House of Representatives and Governor of Georgia in my next post. There are several other great candidates that are worthy of endorsements, but I am trying to focus on those races I believe to be a tossup or most important or those candidates that I really believe to be exceptional. Without question, my favorite candidate in this list is Marco Rubio. If you haven’t heard or seen him talk, do yourself a favor and visit his website. I like everything about him, and I believe he will win easily in November. He is an inspiring figure, and his message of American exceptionalism and his positive results oriented ideas are just what this country needs. In this most critical time, keep all our civil, political, and religious leaders in your prayers. God bless America!