Santorum Headed to Iowa to Raise Profile
Although Santorum says that he has not committed to running, he will be visiting the early caucus state in early October, according to Politico. His political advisor, John Brabender, says Santorum will give a speech at the University of Dubuque as well as attend an anti-abortion luncheon. Additionally, the Des Moines Register reports that Santorum will headline an America's Future Fund Pac fundraiser.
Santorum says his trip to Iowa has little to do with his 2012 hopes. He casts it as an attempt to raise his profile.
"I'm very concerned about the state of affairs in this country and how Republicans are dealing with [issues], so this is an opportunity for me to go out and talk about things I think we need to be doing to turn this country in the right direction," Santorum told Politico. "Your voice becomes more amplified when you go to a place like Iowa or New Hampshire."
Santorum also says that the GOP should provide an alternative to President Obama, although he isn't quite sure who should fill that spot.
"What this country needs is someone with strong conviction who can articulate those convictions and who can provide a vision for America that is an alternative to the big government, freedom-depriving vision of Barack Obama," Santorum said. "I don't know who that is."
Santorum sent a fundraising e-mail to Washington Times subscribers earlier this week claiming that Mr. Obama and the Democrat-ruled Congress are "determined to remake American into a socialist utopia." He also compared the 2010 elections to the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994.
Although he claims in the email that there is a "new tide of popular grassroots opposition" to the Obama administration, Santorum told Politico that the GOP is "irrelevant" and ineffective because the party is not in power.
"If you're as irrelevant as we are, in many respects, in the House and Senate, there are not many voices that rise to the level of having anybody want to pay attention to you because basically you have no consequences," Santorum said. "You're not controlling anything, you have no power."
Should Santorum run for president, he may face stiff competition from 2008 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Now Hampshire reports that a new Populus Research poll shows that Romney has taken a large lead among potential 2012 candidates in New Hampshire, garnering just over 50 percent of voters.
The poll also shows ex-Alaskan governor Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tied with 17 percent, Newt Gingrich with 13 percent and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty with 2.7 percent of the vote.