Dr James Dobson endorses Rick Santorum for president

The Rick Santorum for President campaign is proud to announced that Rick Santorum has received the endorsement of Dr. James Dobson.

Dr. James Dobson said: "The institution of the family is the key issue facing this great nation. It is the foundation, the bedrock, upon which every dimension of Western Civilization rests. If it is undermined or weakened by cultural and governmental forces, the entire superstructure will collapse in short order. And indeed, today it is in serious jeopardy. The very definition of marriage is threatened, which has implications for the next generation and the stability of society itself.

Of all the Republican candidates who are vying for the presidency, former Sen. Santorum is the one who has spoken passionately in every debate about this concern. He has pleaded with the nation and its leaders to come to the aid of marriages, parents, and their children. What a refreshing message. The Congress voted in 1969 to impose a marriage penalty tax on husbands and wives who were struggling to raise their children. That unfair tax continued for 32 years, until George W. Bush rolled it back. Now, if Democrats and some Republicans have their way, the marriage penalty tax will be re-imposed in 2013. We desperately need a president who will intercede on behalf of those who are caring for the next generation and working to build this nation.

"While there are other GOP candidates who are worthy of our support, Sen. Santorum is the man of the hour. His knowledge of international politics, especially Israel and the turmoil in the Middle East, is highly relevant to the dangerous world in which we live. This is why I am endorsing former Senator Rick Santorum for president of the United States, and urge my countrymen to join us in this campaign."

Rick Santorum said: "I am truly honored to receive Dr. Dobson's endorsement today. Dr. Dobson has been a light for conservative movement, an unwavering leader in the face of forces both within and outside our Party to call a truce on the foundational principles that make our nation the greatest in the history of the world, but he knows that calling a truce is nothing more than surrendering. I commit to never surrender our principles, our foundational values, and the moral enterprise that is America. I am excited to work with Dr. Dobson in the weeks to come as we build upon our momentum generated from our Iowa Caucus win."

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., is founder and chairman emeritus of Focus on the Family, a non-profit, multimedia organization with a global reach. As founder, Dr. Dobson's vision and philosophical perspectives shaped Focus on the Family at its inception and supplied the impetus for its outreach for the first three decades of its existence. Even though a new generation of leadership now bears responsibility for carrying out the ministry's mission, Dr. Dobson's influence remains significant.

To learn more about former Senator Rick Santorum, please visit www.RickSantorum.com.

This should be a game changer for Santorum in South Carolina, Dr Dobson's endorsement is key to family values advocates like me who raised my family listening to "Focus on the Family". I hope that South Carolina voters can hear Dr Dobson's call for a restoration of the American family amid the cacaphony of media chatter. If not, we may be at the point of no return as a society, as we descend further into economic and social chaos. We may be on the downward trajectory which destroys all great civilizations, moral laxity.  Our leaders fed our appetites with bread and circuses, and fiddled like Nero while Rome burned down around us.

"Rebellion"

Santorum condemns Obama's rejection of Keystone pipeline as irresponsible

Rick Santorum said: "Today's decision by the Obama Administration is but another capitulation to the radical environmental fringe - and in turn putting our national security and economy at risk. Our nation needs energy and this pipeline will provide this much needed resource. In rejecting this responsible project that will create thousands of American jobs, we are simply diverting this energy to our international competitors like China. This announcement is utterly irresponsible and one more reason why Barack Obama is not the right man to lead this country. As President, I would approve the Pipeline on day-one."

Stop the Shredding of American Values, Vote Santorum

Easy Answer

Conference on Medical Advances in Prenatal Diagnoses

Council on Poor Prenatal Diagnoses

& Therapeutic Intervention

Founding Partners:

Medical Students for Life, Family Research Council,

Keep Infants with Down Syndrome & Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA

First Annual

Conference on Medical Advances in Prenatal Diagnoses

Saturday, January 21, 8:30 am – 5 pm

Family Research Council, 801 G Street, NW , Washington DC

Register at http://www.frc.org/events or watch webcast @www.frc.org

 Presenters include:

Alberto Costa, MD, Ph.D.

Byron Calhoun, MD

John Bruchalski, MD

David Prentice, Ph.D.

Gerard Nadal, Ph.D.

The Conference will bring together professionals from many different specialty areas, including genetic researchers, ob/gyn physicians, developmental pediatricians, hospital nursing staff, medical genetic counselors and medical students.  Other invited participants and guests include peer ministry providers, social service support professionals, advocates for persons with disabilities and public policy specialists. 

The goals of the Conference are:

·       affirm the life and dignity of all persons, especially those diagnosed prenatally with a disability or lethal condition

·       review how information about prenatal diagnoses of disability or lethal condition is currently delivered

·       consider how this information might be delivered more comprehensively

·       consider the impact of a new blood test for Down syndrome in obstetric care

·       explain the work of the Council and its year-long engagement on prenatal diagnosis issues

·       review best practices for postnatal care of infants with disabilities in perinatal hospice and in hospital, home and medical daycare settings

An agenda for the day will be available soon. Our host for the day, the Family Research Council (FRC), has limited space, so this first Conference is by invitation only.  However, FRC will be webcasting all general sessions that day, which can be viewed viawww.frc.org.  For more information, contact Jeanne Monahan at Family Research Council, jfm@frc.org ( 202- 225-4008) or Peg Kolm, at mkolm@adw.org (240-994-0603).  We welcome your interest and expertise in this effort, and hope you can join us on January 21.

Baby Amelia's case it not the only one: Bella Santorum

A tragically true story going viral on the internet is the story of how CHOP refused a kidney transplant to baby Amelia because she is 'retarded', read it in all its horrifying detail  here. 

I put my hand up. “Stop talking for a minute. Did you just say that Amelia shouldn’t have the transplant done because she is mentally retarded. I am confused. Did you really just say that?”

The tears. Oh, the damn tears. Where did they come from? Niagara Falls. All at once. There was no warning. I couldn’t stop them. There were no tissues in conference room so I use my sleeve and my hands and I keep wiping telling myself to stop it.
I point to the paper and he lets me rant a minute. I can’t stop pointing to the paper. “This phrase. This word. This is why she can’t have the transplant done.”
“Yes.”
I begin to shake. My whole body trembles and he begins to tell me how she will never be able to get on the waiting list because she is mentally retarded.

Health Care for Gunner Press Conference

I wish I could say it was an isolated case, but it seems to be standard procedure that our less-than-perfect children are excluded from medical treatment given to normal children. Because of their so-called 'low quality of life'.
But who determines that? Panels of doctors, soon to be replaced by government bureaucrats (which Sarah Palin called "Death Panels") if Obamacare continues without the Supreme Court striking it down. At least Amelia's doctor knew her. These bureaucrats will be in some office building in DC making life-or-death decisions for my child with Down syndrome.
They obviously haven't read the article by Dr Brian Skotko in Medical Genetics where he describes the results of his survey of satisfaction in families with a member with Down syndrome. Respondents say that 99% are happy with their child with Down syndrome, and 99% of the children are happy with life. Even 89%  the siblings report that they are 'better people' for having a special needs sibling.
I know this, my daughter Christina is nine and her two older sisters, her father and I grateful to God for the positive changes she has brought to our home, just by being herself. We can't imagine life without her and, yet we have had to fight sometimes for her right to exist. I co-founded KIDS (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) to call attention to this fight for life of children with Down syndrome. From the moment they are diagnosed in the womb to their last breath, there are medical personnel who argue their live are not worth medical treatment.

It happened to the Santorums. Their daughter Bella has trisomy 18. When she left the hospital after her birth she was on oxygen. Her doctor tried to put her on hospice care at home with NO oxygen. Was she dying? No! She has a condition deemed 'incompatible with life'. Statistically speaking, she shouldn't be alive now. Only ten percent of babies with Edward's syndrome make it to birth, and of those, only ten percent make it to their first birthday. Statistics were stacked up against Bella Santorum. But she has fighters for parents!

Attorney and neo-natal nurse Karen Santorum, aka Mother Bear stood up. . . and Bella got oxygen. Three years later she is the heart of the Santorum home.Watch Rick's testimony about Bella's birth at the Thanksgiving Family  Summit.




Read Rick's other story about Bella, "Two Years Worth Every Tear" in my book "A Special Mother is Born".

That's what motivated me to join Kristin Hawkins in her Health Care for Gunner press conference in September 2009. Parents of special needs children and adults with special needs joined Reps Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) to state our concerns that Obamacare may have to be rationed and that we feared our children would be denied health care. It was covered by the AP and in dozens of news outlets around the nation. But Obamacare passed by the slimmest of margins, and is the law of the land. 
Unless we elect a man like Rick Santorum who has walked in our shoes as parents of special needs children, and promises not only to overturn Obamacare but to be an advocate for vulnerable children like Bella Santorum and Christina Velasquez in the White House.

LaSondra Spears - Letter to Planned Parenthood

Christian Leadership Coalesces Behind Santorum!

NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE LEADERS  COALESCE BEHIND SANTORUM

Today in Texas, national conservative leaders united behind the candidacy ofRepublican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Rick Santorum made the following statement in response to the outpouring support. Rick Santorum said: "This is an endorsement that was coveted by every campaign, and I am deeply honored by their support - it is a great day for our campaign. The process has worked, the voters have gotten a chance to hear from every candidate and explore their records. This endorsement is another indication that it is time to coalesce behind the full spectrum conservative in this race who will fight for their values and won't waiver when times get tough. Now is the time to stop a moderate from becoming our Party's nominee and to unite behind the one candidate who draws the sharpest contrasts with Barack Obama. I am thankful for this outpouring of support and for the momentum that is building behind our candidacy. Together, in the Fall, we can defeat Barack Obama and restore America."

Exhibit at John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington for March for Life weekend

The exhibit is free but you must pre-register here.

Pro-life Advocate Abby Johnson endorses Rick Santorum

The Rick Santorum for President campaign announced that Abby Johnson, former employee of and now national nemesis of Planned Parenthood, has endorsed Rick Santorum for President.

Abby Johnson said: "I am proud to give my personal endorsement to Senator Rick Santorum, a true champion of the unborn. While Senator Santorum has other outstanding qualities that would make him a wonderful President of the United States, his focus on protecting life in its most vulnerable stages speaks magnitudes about his values and morals as a leader. By valuing life in all its stages, Senator Santorum displays the courage that is needed to turn this country around.

When a society devalues life, from the unborn to the elderly and disabled, morals and values are thrown to the wayside to the detriment of all its citizens. As I saw during my time working at Planned Parenthood, when life is devalued, unborn babies and their mothers just become another way to boost the bottom dollar.

Senator Rick Santorum has the courage to lead by morals and absolute truths, which I find refreshing. He is a man of integrity and faith and I am proud to publicly offer my endorsement."

Rick Santorum said: "It is a true honor to receive Abby's endorsement. Abby is a woman of courage and conviction. Her stand against Planned Parenthood is something to be admired, and her stand for life is unquestioned. To receive her endorsement is a terrific boon to our campaign, and reaffirms my strong commitment to standing up for the dignity of each and every life - both the born and the unborn. I look forward to working with Abby to finally defund Planned Parenthood and advance our shared message of faith, family and freedom."

Abby Johnson has always had a fierce determination to help women in need. It was this desire that both led Abby to a career with Planned Parenthood, our nation's largest abortion provider, and caused her to flee the organization and become an outspoken advocate for the pro-life movement.

During her eight years with Planned Parenthood, Abby quickly rose in the organization's ranks and became a clinic director. She was increasingly disturbed by what she witnessed. Abortion was a product Planned Parenthood was selling, not an unfortunate necessity that they fought to decrease. Still, Abby loved the women that entered her clinic and her fellow workers. Despite a growing unrest within her, she stayed on and strove to serve women in crisis.

All of that changed on September 26, 2009 when Abby was asked to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion. She watched in horror as a 13 week baby fought, and ultimately lost, its life at the hand of the abortionist. At that moment, the full realization of what abortion was and what she had dedicated her life to washed over Abby and a dramatic transformation took place.

Planned Parenthood did not take Abby's exodus sitting down. They are fully aware that the workers who leave are their greatest threat. Instantly, they took action to silence Abby with a gag order and took her to court. The lawsuit was quickly seen as the sham it was and thrown out of court.

The media was, and continues to be, intensely interested in Abby's story as well as her continued efforts to advocate for the unborn and help clinic workers escape the abortion industry. She is a frequently requested guest on Fox News and a variety of other shows and the author of the nationally best-selling book, Unplanned, which chronicles both her experiences within Planned Parenthood and her dramatic exit.

Today, Abby travels across the globe sharing her story, educating the public on pro-life issues, advocating for the unborn, and reaching out to abortion clinic staff who still work in the industry. She is the Chief Research Strategist for Live Action Films, works on projects for the various pro-life organizations and lives in Texas with her husband and precious daughter. She is grateful to God for her calling to speak for life and considers herself to be incredibly blessed.

Santorum Op-Ed In This Morning's "The State" Newspaper In Columbia, SC

Mt. Pleasant, SC - In this morning's edition of "The State" newspaper in Columbia, SC, Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum argues that we need a President with bold solutions for America's families. Santorum: Bold solutions for America's families By RICK SANTORUM - Guest Columnist I am excited about America and her future. In this election the American people have an opportunity to restore her greatness and to focus once again on protecting liberty and creating opportunity for all. No longer should it be harder for people to succeed economically than it was for their parents. No longer should upward mobility be better in parts of Europe than in America. We need a renewed focus on creating opportunity, not dividing Americans by class; on creating wealth, not distributing it; and on promoting savings rather than dependency. This is what my father and grandfather came to America for. This is our time to reclaim it. In contrast, Obamanomics has brought one in six Americans to poverty. President Obama's philosophy of "spreading the wealth" in fact spreads poverty and economic decline. I have a bold economic plan that will move our country forward - a plan that will create jobs, renew confidence in the free-market place and reward families for their hard work. My plan will cut spending and ensure future fiscal responsibility through a balanced budget amendment; lower and simplify taxes for families and businesses to promote growth; return federal programs to the states to promote freedom; and promote sustainable health-care and retirement solutions for young people and seniors. First, I will cut spending by $5 trillion over 5 years, repeal ObamaCare and other onerous regulations and cut non-defense spending to 2008 levels. I support legislation to prevent members of Congress from being paid if they don't pass fiscally responsible spending bills on time. We will pass a balanced budget amendment to discipline Congress and limit federal spending to a maximum of 18 percent of gross domestic product. I will eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's federal housing role, reduce non-defense related federal workers by at least 10 percent and eliminate all energy and most agriculture subsidies. We will unleash America's domestic-energy production. Second, I will lower personal income and corporate tax rates and dramatically simplify the tax code for families, workers and businesses. To promote marriage, families and the high calling of parenting, I will triple the child deduction and eliminate all marriage tax penalties. The family is the foundation of our country. We need to have an economic policy that supports families and freedom and encourages marriage. Instead of adding new taxes like President Obama has, I will fight to simplify the tax code by moving from six to two rates and lowering personal income tax rates to 10 percent and 28 percent respectively and eliminating most deductions. This will get us back to Reagan-era pro-growth tax rates. My goal is for the American economy to be growing at least 4 percent to 4.5 percent a year in my first term as president, more than double President Obama's; by one estimate this would help create 10 million jobs in three years. I also support two corporate tax rates: 17.5 percent for most businesses - half the current rate - and zero for manufacturers. This will multiply job opportunities for struggling middle-income families and renew communities that have lost critical manufacturing jobs. Third, I will support social innovation in the states and local communities, modernize our social safety net and be fiscally responsible by block granting to the states Medicaid, housing, job training, food stamps and education programs. We will promote dignity and control costs through time limits for able-bodied people, as we did successfully in welfare reform. Fourth, I will work to implement key reforms to Medicare and Social Security. Those approaching retirement can only be confident if these programs are on sustainable footing. I support Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare reforms, which include private-sector innovation, competition and consumer choice. While I whole-heartedly support cutting taxes, I believe that changes to payroll taxes should be tied to sustainable reforms in Medicare and Social Security. I don't believe that poverty is a permanent condition. How do we effectively address poverty in rural and urban America? We promote jobs, marriage, quality education and access to capital and embrace the supports of civil society. I believe in equality of opportunity. I believe that American entrepreneurs and business owners create jobs and that skilled and committed workers sustain them, not government. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/13/2111262/santorum-bold-solutions-for-americas.html#storylink=cpy

Maggie Gallagher rallies support for Rick Santorum

So, now that I've stepped down as NOM's Chairman of the Board, why am I personally supporting Rick Santorum?
I explained in my nationally syndicated column here:
On Tuesday night in Iowa, he stood before the cheering throngs like a Republican Rocky, or better yet, a latter-day Rudy suddenly lifted above his Notre Dame teammates in a fantastic storybook finish.
Rick Santorum was a contender.
Santorum stood before the cameras, the living embodiment of a certain Northeastern Catholic sensibility: tough, hardworking, less than slick, often underestimated, the kind of guy who has to work hard to get respect because life is tough, not fair—the kind of man who gets knocked down but who will always get up again.
As he recalled his immigrant coal-miner grandfather's funeral, Santorum's words sang: "I knelt next to his coffin, and all I could do was look at his hands. They were enormous hands. And all I could think was: 'Those hands dug freedom for me.'"
"What wins in America," Rick Santorum said, "are bold ideas, sharp contrasts, and a plan that includes everyone."
What moved me most are the words Rick Santorum used to "connect the dots"—to explain why support for marriage, for life, and for an economy that provides the dignity of jobs to average Americans are not three separate things. They are bound together by principles—by American principles:
"Whether it's the sanctity of life in the womb, or the dignity of every working person in America to fulfill their potential, you will have a friend in Rick Santorum," he said.
Unlike some values voters, I am not anti-anybody, certainly not Mitt Romney. Romney is in my view a fundamentally decent, extremely capable man, who fought hard for marriage in Massachusetts. If he is the GOP nominee, I can vote for him with a clean conscience.
But, when the guy who has taken more hits than any other for standing up for life and marriage fights his way with nobody's help from nowhere to, well, becoming a major contender for the GOP nomination, I have to cheer. I have to show I stand with him in some special way. Will you help me? Click here now to act.

The left, which thought it had buried Santorum years ago, is going after him with a hatred unmatched. They hate him with that special ire reserved for a man's virtues, not his vices.

They will go after him not just to defeat Rick Santorum, but to smear his good name, to associate it with their own muck, to take a decent and honorable man and try literally to make his name mean mud.
(Any mother who has tried to google "Santorum" and gotten the gross and obscene definition gay activists have tried to make of his honorable family name—a name which literally means 'holiest of holies'—will know exactly what I am talking about).

They will not succeed.

The American people, I promise you, are not going to reject a man they would otherwise support because he believes in traditional Christian views of sex and marriage. Especially when he believes—not just with his words, and not just with his vote, but with every action of his soul and his life—that a man's job is to support his children, born and unborn, to commit a loving and faithful marriage to one woman, and to devote himself to being a good dad.

That's Rick Santorum.

The media and some GOP elites are trying to dismiss Rick Santorum as a mere "culture warrior" with no chance to win. Will you stand with me today against all those powerful elites who say life, marriage, and religious liberty are not "core" issues to voters?

Will you stand up and say: "Yes life, marriage, and religious liberty matter to me. Thank you Rick Santorum for fighting the good fight your whole political career?"
Here are the unconventional things I'm asking you to do: Regardless of which of these good men you ultimately plan to support, can I ask you today to sign this petition, thanking Rick Santorum for standing up so bravely for life, marriage, and religious liberty?
Can I count you as a "values voter" committed to demonstrating to the media and to Republican elites that social issues matter?
I know it will mean a lot to Rick Santorum and to the social conservative movement. And ultimately to the American Republic.
Win or lose we have a chance to demonstrate that consistent, principled support for marriage, for life, and for religious liberty, matter.
Elections come and go. God's enduring truths remain.
By signing this petition you will be saying "yes"

Yes, I want to thank Rick Santorum for his fearless defense of life, marriage and religious liberty.
Yes, I want to fight back against the hard left which attempt to smear not only Santorum but so many decent and good people who stand up for marriage.
Yes, I want to stand tall and tell the Wall Street Journal and all the Washington GOP elites: We values voters are here, we are not going away, and we matter.
Yes, I want the mainstream media to know: Some truths really are fundamental to the American Republic. Among these are life, marriage and religious liberty!
Thank you again for being a consistent, principled voice for fundamental truth.
I'm so proud to fight the good fight in the company of people like you.
Together, we can—and will—make a difference.

Maggie

Breitbart.tv » Karen Santorum Asking ‘Holy Spirit’ To Speak Through Her Husband

Breitbart.tv » Karen Santorum Asking ‘Holy Spirit’ To Speak Through Her Husband

Family Research Council explains value of Santorum tripling child tax deduction

from the FRC email blast;
While the press picks on Rick Santorum for his social views, the Wall Street Journal is attacking the former Senator from another angle: his pro-family economic plan. In Monday's edition, editors complain that the "most disappointing" part of the Pennsylvanian's proposal is his idea to triple the child tax credit from $1,000 today, which the WSJ claims is "social policy masquerading as economics." The paper accuses Santorum of unfairly rewarding taxpayers who have children over those who don't. But at the root of these accusations is a fundamental misunderstanding about how the economy works. The child tax credit, which was originally conceived, developed, and promoted by FRC, recognizes that the American family is the engine that drives the U.S. economy. A world with fewer children means a world with fewer taxpayers.

Sen. Santorum recognizes, as we do, that a modest tax credit now is a small investment to make in the growth of human capital, which is shrinking at an alarming rate. Who does the Wall Street Journal expect to pay down the debt, fund social security benefits, and pick up the tab for big government programs in the future? Certainly not those who aren't having children. America's tax policy should reward the families who are raising taxpayers who will carry these economic burdens in the coming years. The principle of fairness applies to the tax treatment of the family: it should get the same deductions in the tax code as business does for similar investments in human capital. It's simple: if you're interested in growing the U.S. economy, you'll support tax credits for married families raising children.

When Christina was a baby, I brought her with me to protest my liberal Congressman's 'nay' vote on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban.
I made this point at a Town Hall Meeting of Rep Tim Bishop (NY-D) when I lived on Long Island. The assembled seniors who lived in the wealthy summer colony of Westhampton, NY were concerned about the future of Social Security. I reminded them that a 30% abortion rate for over a third of a century put their checks in danger. They were dumbfounded!
. When you  lower the birth rate as dramatically as we have through abortion, failure to marry and delayed childbearing, you make Social Security a burden. It used to have 16 younger workers paying in for each retiree. Now that ratio is 3 workers for each retiree. Another factor which exacerbates this is the longer life span of older Americans, but good news or not, the Social Security System needs more workers. Santorum pointed out recently that if it had not been for an increase in legal immigration, Social Security would be in even worse trouble.
Want to help the economy? Have a baby!

Brian Burch tells Catholics to keep working for Santorum in SC!

Is Mitt Romney's victory in the GOP primary inevitable?

Not so fast.

Governor Romney's victory last night in New Hampshire was decisive, but hardly a surprise. He spent millions of dollars there, and has been campaigning in the Granite State for six years now. And of course he served as Governor next door in Massachusetts.
So what about Santorum?

Coming from behind in Iowa, Senator Santorum had little time to organize much of anything in New Hampshire. He spent the week campaigning door to door for voters, but his campaign made the decision to not run any TV ads. They chose instead to hold their fire for South Carolina.

Right now Rick Santorum is polling in second place in South Carolina. After that comes Florida. A brand new Quinnipac poll asked Florida voters who they would support in a hypothetical match between Barack Obama and Rick Santorum. The result was a statistical tie in the biggest swing state in the country.

The facts are clear: Rick Santorum can go head to head with President Obama if voters give him a chance.

But right now we are focused exclusively on the South Carolina’s primary -- just ten days from now.

We're raising as much money as we can to try and put Rick Santorum back on top in South Carolina. We can't predict the future. But candidates like Santorum will never succeed unless people like us get behind him.

If you haven't yet contributed, we definitely could use your help. Chip in here.

And stay tuned. This campaign has been one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.

The Santorum Surge is far from over.

All my best,
Brian Burch
President
CatholicVote.org

 

Partial Birth Abortion poster baby, Donna Joy Vance endorses Rick Santorum

Endorsement of Rick Santorum for President
By: Donna Joy Vance
 Donna Joy was the child whose mother Lori Vance spoke on the floor of the Senate against Partial Birth Abortion. Lori and Donna Joy were Rick Santorum's companions during that battle, on the Senate floor, even in the cloakroom where Donna Joy tried unsuccessfully to hug opponent Barbara Boxer. "She was drinking punch, she threw her cup away and ran out of the room," recounts Lori Vance of the incident. Now Donna Joy runs track in school and is proud to fill out her voter registration. Here's her endorsement of Rick Santorum. She and her mother are pro-life heroes and both are 100% behind Rick Santorum. Seems that the more you know Rick, the more likely you are to get behind him.

Dear America,
I want you to vote for Rick Santorum for President. I do not really like President Obama. President Obama likes abortion. I do not like abortion. Mr. Rick will make a really, really, really good president! Mr. Rick and his friends in Capitol Hill wanted to let me live. He does not like abortion. It is killing a baby. Other people did not want me to live. Mr. Rick wants me to live. Please vote for Mr. Rick to be my president and I will be really, really, really happy! I am voting for him!
                                          Thank you!
                                   Donna Joy Vance

Bring Out Yer Dead, Mr. Santorum! – UPDATED

Elizabeth Scalia shares her column on how our reaction to death has been sanitized, and how natural a home wake was only 80 years ago.

Death, for the people of that era, and every era before, was no stranger and brought no squeamishness. There was nothing mysterious about death beyond those questions we still ask–will we see them again in the next life, and why, so often, do the good die young while old bastards hold forth for far too long? A family mourned and drank, and fought and keened and then stumbled into church for the funeral; they buried their beloved and stumbled about some more, and life went on

Pundits Alan Colmes and Edward Robinson mocked the Santorum's handling of the death of their son Gabriel was a mean spirited act of ignorance. It was far beyond the pale and at least Alan Colmes has had the grace to apologized, which the Santorums gracefully accepted. It shows the depth of their Catholic convictions, and their loving hearts. I would have had a difficult time being that gracious!

Colmes and Robinson are not only part of the Culture of Death, but they are ignorant. They don't know what mothers know, that proper mourning a dead child is healthiest for the family. Karen Santorum is a mom of 8 and a neonatal nurse, she has training and life experience which she drew upon in her moment of crisis. What she and Rick did was the most healthy and loving for them and their children. How would the children know their brother Gabriel really ever existed without seeing him?

I lost three babies to miscarriage. The first time, I was in such shock, I allowed the OB to take the remains of my son to “the lab” without thinking about what that meant. The thought that my child may be disposed of like poor aborted babies, in medical waste, haunted me. Finally I researched and discovered that in my Catholic hospital, unborn children’s remains are put to rest in a common plot in a local Catholic cemetery. I felt comforted to know this.

The next two times I miscarried, I buried my children’s remains with their grandmother in our family plot in the same cemetery. My priest told me it was proper. I memorialized them in the book at the Shrine of the Holy Innocents in NYC. The book which inspired me to take such care of my children. to name them and bury them was Karen Santorum’s “Letters to Gabriel”.

Last night, I finally had the opportunity to thank Karen personally for her example and her book. If we truly want a culture of life, we participate in the corporal work of mercy and bury our dead with love, and dignity.

Just imagine how it would help the pro-life movement if we had Karen Santorum as First Lady, a promoter of the Culture of Life! Read more in Jill Stanek's column here.

Rick Santorum TV Ad: Sing Sing Sing

My interview with the Long Island Catholic

I told the reporter the story of how "A Special Mother is Born" came to be.
Here's an excerpt;

Velasquez said “A Special Mother is Born,” “my own story of Christina’s birth,” was first published in Faith & Family magazine in spring of 2007. “I received so many letters in response from women who had the same epiphany of being surprised by this powerful joy, this encounter with Jesus in the person of their special needs child, that I knew I was on to something,” she continued. “I began collecting stories from mothers three years ago, and was delighted to meet many courageous faith-filled women.” Reading former Senator Rick Santorum’s story in The Philadelphia Inquirer about his daughter with special needs inspired Velasquez to ask fathers to contribute to the book as well.

You can read it on their website.

If you missed Saturday debate at St Anselm College

From the Satorum campaign, some of Rick's comments. I was present at an economic summit at St Anselm earlier that day, and will be posting on it shortly. The photo is from the morning event; "The Economy and the Electorate" at the New Hampshire Institute for Politics at St Anselm. Rick faced over 40 journalists about the economy and was very poised and detailed as he outlined his plant to bring back manufacturing jobs.
Tonight, Rick Santorum emerged as a front-runner for the Republican nomination for President. Attacked by his fellow contenders, Rick Santorum stood tall, calm, and collected - rebutting all scurrilous allegations with the fact that he has fought for causes he cares about. And when presented with the foreign policy challenges that face America, he stood head-and-shoulders above the fray as the best equipped, most knowledgeable, and with the fortitude to stand up for America's security interests.

Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: "Rick Santorum stood on the stage tonight and emerged as a candidate ready to be commander-in-chief. Not just the Middle Class, not just Wall Street, but commander-in-chief for all Americans. Rick Santorum stood up for traditional values, stood up for the security of our nation, and stood up for all American workers. America needs such a leader, and it is becoming clearer and clear that leader is Rick Santorum."

SANTORUM SAID:
On CEO versus Commander-in-Chief:
"We need a leader, not a CEO. What we need is someone who can paint a positive vision for this country."

In Response To Rep. Ron Paul:
"If you haven't been accused by CREW, you're not a conservative. You should know better than cite a George Soros organization.

On The Right To Privacy:
"It created a right through something that wasn't there. I am for overturning Roe v. Wade, I do not believe we have a right to take a life. I do not believe the founders envisioned that. I do not believe the constitution enables that."

On Same-Sex Marriage:
"If the constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman, then marriage is between a man and woman."

On Securing Afghanistan (in response to Ambassador Huntsman):
"How long do you wait? Until the security of our country is ensured. That is the job of commander-in-chief."

On Iran (in response to Rep. Ron Paul):
"If we had your foreign policy there wouldn't have been a fleet to pick up the Iranian fishermen... The Iranian people love Americans because we stand up for the truth and call evil what it is."

On Manufacturing:
"I do something different than everybody else. I focus on one sector that has been hit hard - manufacturing. We eliminate the corporate tax for manufacturers... We eliminate all regulations that cost business over $100 million."
On The Middle Class:
"There are no classes in America... That's their (Democrats) job - divide, separate."

Why Catholics should support Rick Santorum: Values and Economics

Rick Santorum is receiving a last minute surge of support among pro-life Evangelical Christians, among them the Duggar Family of TLIC fame who urge all Christians to support the family values stalwart.

I don't understand conservative Catholics who won't support Santorum but they can be divided into several groups;
1. Ron Paul anti-establishment zealots- you can't talk to them
2. Pro-lifers holding a grudge against Rick for supporting Specter against Toomey in the PA Senate primary. We must remember Specter was brought into line and we got Alito and Roberts while he was chair of the Judiciary Committee. Toomey is now the Senator from PA.That was the reasoning behind Santorum's support of Specter and may explain the loss of his Senate seat in 2006.
3. Conservative Catholics who think he's unelectable. Rush Limbaugh said recently only a true conservative will beat Obama. Santorum is surging in the polls, and getting money and media hype he was long denied.
4. Conservative Catholics who don't like some other less important aspect of his policy (like foreign policy) than life issues. Nothing is more important than ending the holocaust of abortion. The Pope says so.
5. Derisive comments that he doesn't 'sparkle' on TV. Obama sparkled during his 2008 campaign, see where that got us?

Let me be perfectly clear; when I first interviewed Rick for Canticle magazine in 2008, Fr Edmund Silvia wrote a sidebar to my article "Catholics in the Public Square: Catholic Politicians who Stood Their Ground" about the so called "non-negotiables":which are the life issues(embryonic stem cell research, loning, abortion) and traditional marriage are THE issues where a candidate must conform to the age-old standard of Catholic moral teaching.
Rick is the Catholic candidate which has the best record on these issues, and I will never forget his defense of the dignity of the unborn child during the Partial Birth Abortion debate.

Rick Santorum with Bella, Leticia and Christina Velasquez

He has written a book "It Takes a Family" which explains in great detail the Catholic social teaching of subsidiarity, or letting the lowest level of government handle aspects of our lives, and the relationship between strong two parent  families and a health economy.He argues that the family is the building block of society, NOT the federal government.
 More broken families mean more broken people whom the federal government has to imprison, rehabilitate, house, feed, and re-educate. The Democrats know this well, products of single parent homes is the bulwark of their base, they need to vote Democrat to keep their checks. The Dems need to keep them dependent on entitlements to remain in office.  While they refuse to strengthen marriage or offer educational choice, the true ways out of poverty. Is this true concern for the poor?

I have a personal reason for supporting Rick. We are both parents of special needs children. He has a special needs daughter, three year old Bella who has trisomy 18 and has promised to champion such children if elected. This truly comforts those of us who have a deep-seated fear that, in a couple of years we will be fighting the Obamacare system for medical care for our special needs children. We had a conference in 2009 entitled Healthcare for Gunner. where we joined parents from Canada who had experienced discrimination against their disabled children under their socialized medical system.
That would not happen under a Santorum presidency.First of all, he promises to abolish Obamacare.  In addition,  I am confident that instead of NIH funding research into pre-natal testing which results in a 92% abortion rate for children like his Bella and my daughter Christina with Down syndrome, increased funding would go towards the promising research to improve their learning and memory skills.Many promising research projects are in clinical trials but would be farther along if they had as much funding as is given to the search-and-destroy prenatal testing methods.

Pro-family, pro-life, and pro-freedom, Rick has an immaculate record in his personal life and an outstanding record of public service to back up his detailed, populist economic plan according to Mark Sticherz of Catholic Vote. and Rich Lowry of National Review;

In the debates, Santorum has constantly talked about increasing economic mobility. In a heresy for a Republican, he’s acknowledged that some countries in Europe are more mobile than we are, and he has noted the disparity between the unemployment rates of college-educated and non-college-educated Americans. Santorum proposes zeroing out the corporate tax rate for manufacturers to provide them a boost as a source of blue-collar jobs. “We need to talk about people at the bottom of the income scale being able to get necessary skills and rise so they can support themselves and a family,” Santorum said at the CNBC economy debate. He’s right, although he is one of the few Republicans who seem determined to have the conversation.

Rick Santorum is the obvious choice for faithful Catholics.And values voters.And he has been proving in the last few days that hard work pays off as he surprised everyone but his followers, by his surge. We knew you could do it, Rick!


http://spectator.org/archives/2011/12/16/a-santorum-surge-or-a-jindal-j

The Dugggar family throws their support to Rick Santorum

From an official Santorum press release;

The Rick Santorum for President Campaign has received the endorsement of the Duggar Family, stars of TLC's "19 and Counting."
Michelle Duggar said: "This year's Presidential race outcome will set the course of America for the next several years! Rick Santorum is a pro-life, Christian conservative with the family values and common sense business perspective that we need to get our nation back on track, to create jobs and to stand for what is right! Rick has a proven track record as a leader in the US Senate he fought to end partial birth abortion, he has stood for defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Rick believes in lower taxes and less government control in our lives. He also will fight for drilling our own oil out of Alaska, which will lower fuel prices, create jobs and put thousands of dollars back in families pocketbooks. Rick is the man for the job, and the entire Duggar family asks those who are looking for a conservative candidate to support to join them in voting for Rick Santorum for President. He will be a voice for senior citizens, the working families and the unborn."
Rick Santorum said: "I am excited to receive the Duggar's endorsement, and even more excited that they are coming to Iowa to join us for the Caucus. The Duggars have lived out their lives and their faith in the public eye, and have stood up for the foundational principles not just in word, but in deed. I have campaign on the theme of faith, family, and freedom and the Duggars epitomize this in their daily lives. I welcome their support and am honored that they believe in our surging candidacy."

The Duggar Family has been prominently featured on several Discovery Health and TLC documentaries including "14 Children and Pregnant Again!," "16 Children and Moving In!," and "Duggar's Big Family Album." The Duggars have used these and other national platforms to profess their faith and belief in traditional family values such as the preservation of human life."



The Duggar family has the moral authority to speak on behalf of life issues, they are a living epitome of the Culture of Life. I am so pleased they see in Rick Santorum the pro-life values I have come to appreciate about him. I hear that Jim Bob Duggar is driving the Santorum bus!

Top 10 Reasons for Hope - 2011

Rick Santorum at The Gift of Life Premiere

Christmas Blessings, 2011

Discrimination begins in the womb

My friend Gerry Nadal is confounded.

The man isn't confused often; he's a PhD in Microbiology, and is one of those rare people who makes full use of both hemispheres of his brain, he's as eloquent and insightful about historical perspective as he is brilliant about microbiology. So when Gerry is perplexed, its for a darn good reason. He, like me is absolutely flummoxed that the NAACP is opposed to the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011, Why would the NAACP among other so-called civil rights organizations, oppose a bill which would make it illegal to discriminate against unborn babies on the basis of sex or race?


He elaborates here;



"The Bill in question will make it illegal to target babies for abortion based on gender or race, and admittedly raises a problem for Planned Parenthood. Under the Bill, abortionists can be imprisoned for not determining if the race or gender of the baby was a determinative factor in aborting.

In practical terms, it’s doubtful that at the individual level this would affect many African American abortions, as the mothers aren’t aborting because of their child’s race. It does, however, have implications at the macro-level when an organization such as Planned Parenthood operates 78% of their centers in inner-city neighborhoods.

That said, why would any civil rights organization (and there are 45 others opposed to this Bill, including the National Council of Jewish Women) object to the Bill’s language or intent? Supposedly, the opposition is to the names of the two great leaders on the Bill, and therein resides a hornets nest of gender and racial politics, of political correctness. So, let’s lance the boil."

So, its the name is it? Those organizations can't state their true objective, undying allegiance to abortion as a way of life, so they have to find some detail to focus upon. But wait, what about this bill is incongruous to the legacy of tolerance and justice for which we honor Susan B Anthony(click here to see her pro-life views) and Frederick Douglass?



“The truth of the matter is that Douglas and Anthony belong to all of us, including those of us who fight in the modern abolitionist movement.”

As the mother of a child from another group targeted for abortion; those with Down syndrome, I rejoiced when I heard of this legislation. I thought, ‘if we can protect unborn babies from racial and sexual discrimination, maybe, just maybe we can protect them from genetic discrimination.’

I love all the races and both genders which God created. I love the genetic diversity displayed in the almond eyes of my daughter, no less a gift from His Hand than any other child.

We need to see that a love for diversity cannot be artificially begun at birth, it must begins when life begins, at fertilization!

Read Dr Nadal's riveting post on his blog Coming Home.