Culture Challenge of the Week: The Truth About Rick Santorum
The challenge for any presidential candidate is to get his message out. For Rick Santorum, that has been an extra-tough challenge.
As the conservative standard-bearer, Rick has faced more than his share of antagonism and message-distortion from the liberal press. His response? To stand his ground and proclaim a bold message that resonates in the hearts of all Americans who actually get to hear it.
Rick is the “real deal” — a man open about his beliefs, authentic in living those convictions and compassionate to the plight of American families. And while he unfailingly supports the pro-life, pro-marriage values platform, his most powerful winning appeal may reside in how those values intersect with his understanding of sound economics.
In the recent Louisiana primary, Rick won not only conservative voters, but also moderate voters. Significantly, he won those voters for whom the economy matters most.
How did he garner that support? By communicating to Louisiana voters his bold economic plan — a plan often overlooked by press members eager to paint Rick as concerned “only” with social issues. The truth is that his economic views are why he is best poised to beat President Obama, because he understands that economics are woven into every aspect of our lives.
How to Save Your Family: Support Rick’s Economic Freedom Agenda
The media is hiding the fact that Rick is a champion of economic freedom — and that he understands better than any other candidate the root cause of poverty in America and our ever growing nanny-state. Little-known is the fact that he has the experience learned in the school of hard knocks in Congress and the Senate to know how to push through his bold economic agenda for our future.
A major case in point: Few in the media will remind America that it was Rick Santorum who championed the Welfare Reform Act, which successfully overhauled welfare and helped millions of Americans transition from poverty to the workforce.
Rick knows that the number one cause of poverty in America is broken and fatherless families. Children from single-parent homes are nearly six times as likely to live in poverty as children raised by both a mother and father — yet Rick Santorum is the only candidate with the understanding and guts to address the issue head on.
What can we count on President Santorum to do during his first 100 days in office?
Consider these centerpieces of Rick’s Economic Freedom Agenda that the media just doesn’t want you to know about. He said he immediately will take steps to:
• Unleash America’s energy: Secure approval for the Keystone Pipeline. Allow states to explore for oil and natural gas and to set their own regulations for hydrofracturing.
• Stop job-killing regulations: Eliminate all Obama-administration regulations, which have created an economic burden of more than $100 million dollars.
• Cut spending: Propose spending cuts of $5 trillion over five years, including spending cuts for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. Reduce the non-defense federal workforce by at least 10 percent.
• Repeal and replace Obamacare: Submit legislation to Congress to repeal Obamacare and work with Congress to replace it with competitive choices to improve quality and limit health care costs, while protecting pre-existing conditions.
• Balance the budget: Submit a plan to balance the budget within four years and ask Congress to pass a balanced-budget amendment.
• Pro-growth and pro-family tax policy: Lower income tax rates to 10 percent and 28 percent. Triple the personal deduction for children and eliminate the marriage tax penalty.
• Restore America’s competitiveness: Cut the corporate tax in half to 17.5 percent to make America competitive again. Eliminate taxes on manufacturing activity to attract manufacturing back to America. Lead tort reform to lower the cost of doing business in America. Repeal the Dodd-Frank Act, so businesses can get credit and Americans can buy or refinance homes.
• Negotiate free-trade agreements: Initiate and submit to Congress at least five free-trade agreements to increase exports.
• Reform entitlements: Cut means-tested entitlement programs by 10 percent, freeze them for four years, and block grant them to the states. Reform Medicare and Social Security so they are fiscally sustainable.
• Revive housing: Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s federal housing role, reform the Federal Reserve, and allow families who are underwater in their homes to get a fresh start.
Rick Santorum’s economic agenda is not only a winning platform against President Obama, it’s also a bold step toward securing American liberty and prosperity for our families and children today — and tomorrow.
• Rebecca Hagelin can be reached at rebecca@howtosaveyourfamily.com.
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