Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who last week jumped into the crowded pool of Republicans seeking the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, says his campaign ideology will be completely different from that of Democrats — as well as those running from his own party.
"As I said when I announced on the factory floor in western Pennsylvania, we have a vision for America that's different than frankly any Republican or obviously any Democrat," Santorum of Pennsylvania said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
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"[It] really focuses on using conservative principles to get people back to work, particularly those who don't have college degrees who are struggling to make ends meet in America.
"We're looking for an economic vision that's going to create jobs and opportunities for the ladder of success to reach down to everybody."
Santorum — runner-up to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 — added that national security will also be a signature campaign issue.
"I'm really concerned about … having someone with real experience and knowledge and understanding of the threat the enemy presents and a plan to win those battles to keep us safe," he said, noting how the Patriot Act expired following a long filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
"I don't criticize Rand Paul for standing up for individual liberties and civil liberties. It's an important argument to have, but we also have to understand that you have a responsibility to protect the country and to allow key provisions of the Patriot Act, which actually have saved lives and have stopped terrorist attacks to lapse, and these are ones that he doesn't, to my knowledge, even disagree with," he said.
"To allow those to lapse because of a fight that he knows eventually … he's going to lose, that deeply concerns me that he would make that type of judgment.
"And that's something that people have to look at in analyzing a candidate for president — whether that kind of judgment is the kind of judgment that you want in the Oval Office."
Santorum partially blamed his 2012 loss to Romney, who ultimately was toppled by President Barack Obama, on worrying too much about his opponent and not concentrating enough on the issues.
"We spent less time laying out a vision to really attract people … I don't really care what candidate runs. No candidate has the message that we have, none have the experience on national security, none have the experience of Washington and standing up for principle and getting things done," Santorum told Malzberg.
"That combination is an important combination and I feel like no one has ever successfully run for president in coming in strong second and has that base of support holding over from the last time.
"So I feel like we have a lot going for us in this race and it's just going to take time for those factors to come into play and put us at the top in the end."
Of the Fox News Channel's decision to limit the number of GOP candidates debating to 10, Santorum said:
"We should have a debate that allows all the legitimate candidates in the race. I mean if you're someone like a governor of Ohio or a successful businesswoman or a United States senator, former governor of New York, these are not candidates who are just saying, 'Oh, I'm running for president and have no base of support, I have no record of accomplishment … '
"It's pretty obvious where you can draw the line for folks who have credible chances of winning, who have credible careers that would recommend them to the presidency.
"I've encouraged from the very first day that in the interest really of the American public to see all of these terrific men and women who are interested in running, it would behoove Fox to make it available to as many as possible."
Santorum said to fit the growing number of GOP candidates on stage, he'd create two back-to-back debates.
"Have it back-to-back that night or on back-to-back nights and put eight randomly in one and eight randomly in the other … It's the first debate. I mean, why are we limiting people? In a sense, you're injecting the media into the decision-making process much more than it needs to be and that's the problem here," Santorum said.
"I would think that it would not be bad television to have two nights as opposed to one and having fewer people on stage at a time as opposed to more and get a chance to see the variety of talent.
"I mean that's the great thing about this race. There are a lot of really wonderful folks who have given a lot to this country, that are wanting to step forward and serve. That should be celebrated as a positive, not seen as a problem."
Santorum said he continues to get pelted by the left for his pro-life and anti-same sex marriage views.
"When you stand up for moral principles, you expect to get hammered for standing up for what you believe in. But the continuing assault by many … simply because I stand for an institution that's been around for 5,000 years, simply because I stand for the dignity of all human life, it gets a little tiresome and a little old," he said.
"Why don't we try to get past that and try to look at the issues that are important for this country … "
Santorum said that he's heard the argument that he's just too much of a dyed-in-the-wool conservative to be elected.
"Whoever is the nominee of the Republican Party is going to be the most conservative person who has ever tried to be nominated in the history of the Republican Party. Why? Because every election, that's what they say about the nominee," he said.
"If you can say it about John McCain, if you can say it about Mitt Romney, then it really just goes to show you might as well nominate someone who’s going to go up against Hillary Clinton and be able to stand there and say, 'Look, you can't assail me on honesty and integrity. I didn't flip flop. I'm not someone that you don't trust.'
"Trust is going to be the biggest issue in this campaign … You've seen Barack Obama break trust with the American people and then Congress can't get anything done because nobody trusts him. Hillary Clinton has the same issue and putting someone up there who has legitimate claims to honesty and integrity and trust is one of the most important things we can do."
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