Eye of the Tiger: Rick Santorum Makes Campaign Official, 'I'm Ready to Lead'

Rick Santorum has the 'Eye of the Tiger'

Standing on the sunlit steps of the Somerset County Courthouse Rick Santorum looked confident, comfortable and ready for the political fight of his life. With his wife, Karen, and seven children standing with him, he proclaimed, "I'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation, with the courage to fight for freedom, with the courage to fight for America. That's why I'm announcing today that I'm running for president."

P>SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (Catholic Online) - Standing on the sunlit steps of the Somerset County Courthouse former Senator Rick Santorum looked confident, comfortable and ready for the political fight of his life. With his wife, Karen, and seven children standing with him and  flanked by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, he proclaimed, "I'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation, with the courage to fight for freedom, with the courage to fight for America.That's why I'm announcing today that I'm running for president."

He spoke from the heart - not from a teleprompter, demonstrating tremendous rhetorical skills. He began by expressing his gratitude "to my wife and these kids behind me..I am a blessed man."   He explained he had chosen Somerset County because this was where "Our American Journey started," referring to his own family.

His grandfather "left a country where the government made all the promises," Santorum explained. He came from Italy and left a good living and a picturesque home to become a coal miner in Pennsylvania. The candidate asked rhetorically "Why would anyone want to leave?"  He then answered the question, "One Word, FREEDOM."

That word - FREEDOM - formed the heart of an this Presidential announcement speech and will become  a theme of this Presidential campaign. The Santorum announcement speech was inspiring, feisty and, at times, combative. Clearly, this is a candidate with fire in his belly and steel in his backbone. He is ready for the fight.

During the speech a woman in the front row passed out, apparently from the heat. It was reminiscent of candidate Obama, back during the 2008 campaign, when people would do the same thing during his speeches. However, what made it entirely different was this candidate's response. Santorum stopped and stepped down from his podium, showing genuine concern.  Accompanied by his wife, Karen, they obtained a glass of water for the woman and secured medical assistance.  Before stepping back onto the podium one could hear him off microphone saying "I'd appreciate it if everyone would say a little prayer for this woman."

After the young woman was assisted out of the crowd he continued his speech without missing a beat. This is a candidate comfortable in his skin, confident in his message and convinced of his mission."He's devalued our currency..he's devalued our culture... he's devalued our moral currency" he said of President Barack Obama. He pulled no punches on the so called "social issues" affirming his commitment to life, marriage - and the family and society and society founded upon them. However, his speech covered all issues; from fiscal solvency and economic recovery to foreign policy and our international standing. He sounded a theme to which he returned over and over with rhetorical ease and impressive oratory. That theme was freedom.

Referring to the Constitution as the "owner's manual" for the citizenry of the United States, candidate Santorum focused on the Declaration of Independence, explaining that it set forth the "why" of America with its promise of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to all men and women. That "why" of America, the candidate insisted, is "Freedom."  He explained that the uniqueness of the American experiment and the vision of the founders was found in the departure from the European notion that Rights were given to the Sovereign, to then be dispensed to the people. Rather, he affirmed, the "principle purpose of America was to ensure that every person is free." 

Against that backdrop Santorum contrasted his vision for good governance with a bloated, centralized Federal Government exerting its increasing power over the citizenry under the Obama administration. Throughout the speech he displayed an eagerness to take on this President by exposing his failed polices without hesitation. After reminding the crowd of the 2008 campaign of now President Barack Obama, he told them that the Obama campaign took advantage of a nation in crisis promising a President to believe in. However, Santorum told the enthusiastic crowd, "America's not looking for someone they can believe in - but for a President who believes in them."

In the course of this spontaneously delivered and inspiring announcement speech, he explained why he chose this date, June 6. He paid tribute to those who gave their life for freedom on June 6, 1944, "D-Day". He also pointed to the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, just miles away, where ordinary men and women, under the inspiring leadership of a heroic American, a traveling salesman, laid their lives down for freedom on Flight #93 on September 11, 2001. It was a compelling and moving tribute.

Earlier Monday morning Presidential candidate Santorum gave his first interview to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "Good Morning America."  Over the weekend I had mentioned to a few friends that the Senator was going to speak first to ABC News on "Good Morning America." They seemed surprised, expecting him to turn to FOX News, the network upon which he formerly appeared. I told them I felt it was a good move, sending the signal that he is in it to win, running for the Presidency of the entire Nation and seeking to win every vote he can.

In the interview the presidential candidate told George Stephanopoulos, "We're ready to announce that we are going to be in this race and we're in it to win .What people are looking for is someone who has stood by their principles in good times and bad.  I stood up and I didn't back away."  His interview with Stephanopoulos sent the signal that an underdog with courage is ready for the fight. Stephanopoulos asked "Do you have a credible path to the nomination?"  Without hesitation, Santorum answered that he did. This acceptance speech made that path clear by sounding the themes of what promises to be an exciting campaign and showing the mettle of the man.  

During both the interview and the announcement speech I was reminded of my favorite movie, Rocky III. There is a wonderful dialogue between Rocky and his trainer, the former Champion Apollo Creed, which has always inspired me. It took place after the underdog fighter had suffered a serious loss at the hands of "Clubber Lang". Apollo reminds Rocky "Now, when we fought, you had that eye of the tiger, man; the edge!"  That is what I saw in Rick Santorum's eyes Monday morning, the "eye of the tiger."  This man is ready for the fight. Perhaps now the media will be forced to stop ignoring Rick Santorum since his "underdog" candidacy is official. 

I have known Rick Santorum for years. I pull no punches; I believe he is a wonderful man and would make a great President. He truly is a "Rocky" candidate to me. I can even picture him running up those stairs. It is not accidental to me that he comes from Pennsylvania or that many self professed political pundits consider him an underdog. I know that Rick Santorum has genuine courage, the attribute we needed most as we face a looming financial collapse. Like him I believe this financial collapse is connected to the loss of our National moral compass.

I was there years ago in the Senate Chamber when Rick Santorum defended our first neighbors in the womb against being partially delivered and having their heads crushed through the infanticide called "partial birth abortion." He spoke with passion that day, confronting the empty words of an opponent defending the brutal procedure. "Some people have likened this procedure to an appendectomy.  That's not an appendix," he shouted as he pointed to a drawing of a fetus.  "That's not a blob of tissue.  It's a baby!  It's a baby."

At that moment a baby cried, filling the chamber with the sounds of life and delivering the most poignant defense of the truth about life I have ever heard. I will never forget the moment. His stalwart defense of life has only improved with age. So, too, have his skills as a communicator. His defense of marriage and the family and society founded upon it has been coherent and consistent. His unapologetic defense of the moral basis of a truly free society has been refreshing.

Today's announcement speech showed that, like a good red wine, this public servant is just getting better with age. Over the weekend, Senator Santorum won the New Hampshire Conservative Future PAC's presidential straw poll. Perhaps those New Hampshire folks are trying to send a signal to the Press and to the rest of the Nation. I grew up in Massachusetts. I remember when we use to drive up to New Hampshire and I was always impressed that they put right on their license plates "Live Free or Die".

It appeared this morning, even before the announcement, that "Politico" seems to be waking up to this "Rocky" underdog's candidacy. In their morning edition they ran an article entitled "Santorum sees a Huckabee path."  After this extraordinary announcement speech I hope "Politico" and the rest of the pundit class begins to pay more attention to the Santorum candidacy. If they do they will come to understand that Rick Santorum is following his own path. It is much like the one that led his grandfather to Pennsylvania. He is becoming the freedom candidate. Rick Santorum has the "Eye of the Tiger" and he is in this race to win.

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