SANTORUM IS A CAREER POLITICIAN WHO PUT IN EARMARKS FOR HIS PALS AND IN RETURN GOT CAMPAIGN CASH

"... an examination of Mr. Santorum’s earmark record sheds light on another aspect of his political personality, one that is at odds with the reformer image he has tried to convey on the trail: his prowess as a Washington insider. 

A review of some of his earmarks, viewed alongside his political donations, suggests that the river of federal money Mr. Santorum helped direct to Pennsylvania paid off handsomely in the form of campaign cash."

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How bad was Rick Santorum’s record on pork? I look at that in my homepage piecetoday:

There’s no way to know for sure how many earmarks Santorum requested, since lawmakers weren’t required to attach their names to earmark requests until 2007. (Santorum served in the Senate from 1995 to 2007.) The Club for Growth, in its presidential white-paper series, claims that Santorum “requested billions of dollars forpork projects,” while the Perry campaign is alleging that Santorum requested over $1 billion in earmarks. Steve Ellis, vice president ofTaxpayers for Common Sense, views the $1 billion–plus figure as a plausible estimate. “As a matter of fact, I would probably peg it probably a little higher,” he says.

FOX: RICK PERRY AGREES

Rick Perry is unleashing a new line of attack against his GOP rival Rick Santorum, calling out the former senator as a Washington insider addicted to earmarks. 

"Rick Santorum is a friend and I've got great respect for him but when he talks about fiscal conservatism every now and then it kind of leaves me scratching my head," Perry said during a campaign stop in Washington, Iowa. 

"I love Iowa pork but I hate Washington pork, and Senator Santorum, he loaded up his bills with Pennsylvania pork. He said in 2009 I'm very proud of my earmarks, I put them in my bills and I will defend earmarks. Well Senator Santorum, I'm going to give you that opportunity because earmarks are the gateway drug to the spending habits they have in Washington, DC."

SANTORUM IS A CAREER POLITICIAN AND WASHINGTON INSIDER AND LOBBYIST AND NO FRIEND OF THE TEA PARTY.