Santorum hates moderates

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At CPAC, Rick Santorum disses CPAC
By Tal Kopan, March 7, 2014

Former Sen. Rick Santorum on Friday slammed the “Republican establishment” and members of the party who are pushing to “lose” conservative values in order to win elections.

“I’ve been watching a little bit of what’s gone on here at CPAC, and I hear a lot of ‘we have to win.’ Now we all know what they mean; they actually mean we have to lose,” Santorum told the crowd at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, saying the party is being told to lose “unfashionable” but “proven” principles.

“We’re told that we have to put aside what we believe is in the best interest of the country so a Republican candidate can win,” Santorum said. “Now that may result in a win for a Republican candidate, but it will be a devastating loss for America. I don’t know about you, but I’m not out here fighting just to elect Republican candidates and let them win, I’m here to see America win.”

His remarks punctuated by applause, the former Pennsylvania senator and presidential candidate slammed the “establishment” and previous Republican nominees for president, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, without calling out anyone by name.

“By the way how did it work out for the Republican establishment and following their lead nominating moderate candidates in the last two presidential elections?” Santorum said. “Let’s face it, we have a bunch of leaders in this country who don’t believe conservative policies can be the basis of a winning national election and so they put forth candidates that keep apologizing for the principles they say they believe in and then they wonder why they lose.”

Santorum spent most of his nearly 20-minute speech decrying Republicans for adopting the left’s view of America as divided into classes, saying the Republican message should be one of unification and standing for the most economically vulnerable in society.

He criticized the 2012 Republican National Convention message of “we built that,” saying the party spent too much time focused on the “small percentage” of the country that are business owners instead of talking about working Americans.

“I want to win too,” Santorum said. “I think everybody here wants to win, but unlike a lot of these beltway talking heads, I’m not pontificating. I actually put my neck out there — and just about every other body part.”

Santorum has not ruled out another bid for president in 2016.
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