Santorum Eyes Leader’s Post, White House

Print

E-Mail

Reprints

Text Size

Latest News

• Obama Defends Use of Procedural Maneuver for Passing Health Care
• Report: Justice Department Subpoenas Nevada Businesses in Connection With Ensign Inquiry
• Health Reform Inches Closer
• Sunday Health Care Vote Increasingly Likely
• Senate Moves Closer to Impeachment of Louisiana Judge

NEW YORK — At a reception for Jewish Republicans last week, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) delivered a rousing address, telling attendees that President Bush deserves to be re-elected and prompting the crowd to break into shouts of “Four more years.”

But Santorum did not get caught up in the moment, keeping his remarks brief, mindful of the queue of GOP Senators off stage waiting to address the crowd themselves.

“If I want to stay in leadership, I noticed that about half of my colleagues are here, so instead of making them wait and threatening my future in the United States Senate and leadership position, I want to thank all of my friends from Pennsylvania,” Santorum quipped as he wrapped up his remarks and bounded off stage to head to another Republican National Convention event.

It was a rather revealing and frank comment from the Pennsylvania Senator who must decide soon if he is going to run for Republican leader in 2006, lay the groundwork for a presidential bid in 2008, or perhaps do both. Republican Conference rules require Santorum to vacate his current job as Conference chairman in two years, a perch he has used since 2001 to help craft his party’s message and influence the chamber’s legislative agenda.

Fork in the Road

Santorum acknowledged he is approaching a professional crossroads and that he will have to make a life-shaping decision that will force him to weigh any national ambitions against his Senate leadership objectives, all the while gearing up for his own re-election bid in 2006.

“I can’t say I never talk about it, because everybody asks me, not because I am sitting here doing any kind of real essential planning,” said Santorum, speaking about a possible presidential bid in an interview last week. “Ultimately, I look at it as a decision that I have to, first, make it through an election cycle and beyond that, how can I best serve the people of Pennsylvania and my country?”

“Obviously, with the leader’s race in ’06, I have got to make the decision on that, too,” Santorum would later add.

The Pennsylvanian is one of several Republicans mentioned as possible successors to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.), who has vowed to retire at the end of the 109th Congress. Other Republicans reportedly interested in succeeding Frist include National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman George Allen (Va.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Republican Policy Chairman Jon Kyl (Ariz.), former GOP leader Trent Lott (Miss.) and Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

Having built his career on long-shot wins on the campaign trail and in the halls of Congress, it should be no surprise that Santorum is looking at both the leader’s post and the White House.

“We think that he will be one of our strong leaders for the next couple of decades in the Senate, unless he runs for president,” said Jim Backlin, vice president of legislative affairs for the Christian Coalition of America.

One fact appears certain: Santorum is planning to seek a third term in the Senate, regardless of whether he decides to run for Republican leader or president.

“I am very, very comfortable looking at ’06 and just trying to go to the people of Pennsylvania and say, ‘I would like another opportunity because I think I am making a contribution to the state,’” he said. “I think I can do more.”