2012 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was in Iowa yesterday to help Secretary of State Matt Schultz raise money for his third district congressional race — and Santorum made it clear he may be back to campaign for himself in the future.
“I’m here. I’m going to be around the country. I’m very concerned about our country. I’m very concerned about particularly a lot of people in the middle of America who are full of fear and don’t think things are getting better and don’t see either party as the answer to the problem,” Santorum said during taping of IPTV’s “Iowa Press” program. “…I’m very open to taking on another run and right now I’m just doing everything that I would be doing if I was going to run.”
Santorum, who won the 2012 Iowa Caucuses, appeared at a private fundraiser in Waukee last night for Schultz, who endorsed Santorum in late 2011. Santorum hinted he may endorse a candidate in the crowded primary for the Iowa GOP’s 2014 U.S. Senate nomination.
“I have a very, very good friend who’s in the race — Sam Clovis who’s a terrific guy, is a good friend and someone who was a great support of mine, you know, Sam’s a #1, top-flight kind of guy,” Santorum says. “Right now I have sort of not gotten engaged in that race. I may.”
But Santorum said he is being selective about his endorsements because, he said, “the more you do, the less effective you are.”
Santorum is releasing a book in April called “Blue Collar Conservatives.” Santorum argues the Republican Party needs to address issues working Americans care about rather than focusing so much on the so-called “job creators.” Santorum made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program which will air Friday night at 7:30 on Iowa Public Television. He also addressed the controversy over the results of the 2012 Iowa Caucuses.
In other endorsement news from Wednesday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin endorsed another Republican in the U.S. Senate race. Palin called Joni Ernst a “Midwest Mama Grizzly” who can go “roaring to Washington on her Harley” and get the country back on track.