Flanked by his wife Karen and five of their seven children, Rick Santorum delivered a speech that was unapologetic about his reputation as a social conservative.
“Many people said social issues are not important in this campaign,” Santorum said. “I will not back down on the sancticify of life.”
“To suggest that the Republican party — that we be a party just about tax cuts and spending cuts, and not about strong families and strong faith and strong communities, you don’t understand Iowa and you don’t understand America,” he added later.
Noting that the media centers of New York and Atlanta would not determine the GOP nominee, Santorum spoke about his inability to get media coverage. “This campaign is about scratching and clawing for every bit of recognition,” he remarked, mentioning the moment at Thursday night’s debate when he raised his hand for a chance to speak. He speculated that his success in defeating three incumbent Democrats during his political career had alienated reporters.
But Santorum remains optimistic: he referred to his campaign as the “little engine that could” venture.