Rick Santorum joins commentary team

Rick Santorum (photo: Sean Evans)

Rick Santorum – the former U.S. senator who ignited grass-roots conservatives as a Republican candidate for president this year – today joins WND as an exclusive columnist. His commentaries will be featured each Monday.

A native of Pennsylvania, Santorum went to bat for conservatives who didn't feel their voice was being represented in the GOP primary. His grass-roots approach to campaigning – including visiting every one of Iowa's 99 counties and his stunning victory in the Iowa caucuses – put him in front-runner status where he ultimately won 11 states and 3 million votes during the Republican primary process.

In June of this year, Santorum launched Patriot Voices, a grass-roots and online community of Americans committed to promoting faith, family, freedom and opportunity. With a goal of recruiting 1 million members, Patriot Voices hopes to transform the political landscape of America.

Rick and his wife of 22 years, Karen, are the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, Peter, Patrick and Isabella. During his run for president, Santorum spoke about his belief that strong families help produce a strong economy. He shared his views that opportunities for all Americans must be expanded by encouraging incentives for marriage, children and free enterprise.

Santorum strongly believes in renewing America's manufacturing sector, believing that such a renewal will strengthen working families and help struggling communities return to a path of prosperity during these tough economic times.

During the presidential campaign, voters across the country heard about the Santorums' youngest daughter, Isabella, who was born with a condition called Trisomy 18, and who wasn't expected to survive her first birthday. Beating the odds, Bella celebrated her fourth birthday in May. Bella's life has strengthened Rick and Karen's belief in the dignity of each of every life.

Prior to running for president, Santorum served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995, and in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007 where he was known as one of the most successful government reformers in history. Along with John Boehner and Jim Nussle, Santorum was a member of the "Gang of Seven" that exposed the congressional banking and congressional Post Office scandals. A Washington Post reporter described Santorum as "a tea party kind of guy before there was a tea party."

Santorum was also an author and floor manager of the landmark Welfare Reform Act, which passed in 1996.

He wrote and championed legislation that outlawed partial-birth abortion as well as the "Born Alive Infants Protection Act," the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act," and the "Combating Autism Act."

Santorum penned the 2005 New York Times best-seller "It Takes a Family."

Read Santorum's debut column for WND, "This treaty crushes U.S. sovereignty."