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Rick Santorum on key endorsement

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    GOP presidential candidate on 'Fox News Sunday'

  • Duration 13:55
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And hello again from Fox News in Washington.

While there has been a big development in the Republican race for president.

For months now social conservatives has split their votes among several candidates.

Leaving a clear path for -- Mitt Romney to become the front runner but at a summit of Christian leaders in Texas yesterday a super majority voted to back Rick Santorum.

This just six days before voters in South Carolina go to the polls.

Joining us now from Myrtle Beach is the former senator from Pennsylvania and welcome back to FOX News Sunday.

Thank you very much Chris good to be with -- Senator how big a deal is this and especially what's the practical effect on your campaign -- just as we -- six days till the -- What's a great it's a very big deal the bottom line is that you had folks there representing.

A lot of different camps a lot of people who came there two to -- the day for their candidate and it was a very divided group at the beginning.

But as they work through it they they came to a consensus and overwhelming consensus like 75% of the people there.

Decided to -- to support me and I think they did so because they know that -- the consistent conservative -- someone who's willing to stand up.

For all of the issues not just the moral cultural issues but the economic issue in the moral crisis of this -- in this explosion of government.

And willing to stand up against radical Jihad is -- the things that are important to conservatives across this country and and they saw me as someone who is the best chance of winning actress I Begin rich and and Perry and in Iowa beat them again in New Hampshire.

And now we're doing well here so we feel very very good that with their support.

-- we're gonna get a network of of of grassroots leaders here are lining up behind this and and giving us that surge that we need coming down to this last week.

And then made any promises the ones who endorsed -- of giving you money I'm going out publicly and supporting it.

I haven't really talked to any of them I -- to one person to be honest with you since that that that meeting.

And what I've what I've -- was told that individual members are gonna go out and do things with with you know either endorsements -- Are contacting people here in the state and across the states.

To support to support us and to to help our cause and we certainly except all the endorsements help money grassroots activity anything they willing you to help will be happy to take it -- But the fact is the practical fact as you have been splitting the vote of social conservatives with Gingrich and -- -- Should they drop out of the -- so of that the votes of those social conservatives can Begin night ahead.

In supporting a candidate who supports their views.

I'm not gonna tell anybody get in or out of a race I think that's their decision to make we're gonna about run the race as hard as we -- and in a south Carolina's gonna have a big impact on this race.

But it's not going to be the final issue there -- a lot of races -- a lot of us states to come we need to get this eventually down to a conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.

And those two when when we finally get mashup -- we believe it'll be us we get -- up if you look at some of the polls that have been done.

In and other states down the road we match a very well and -- ahead of governor Romney almost every one of those state -- so.

We feel like once this field narrows and we get it down to a two person race we have an excellent opportunity to win this race.

But and I take your point you're not asking them to drop out as long as they stay in the rice however Perry and -- -- Doesn't it -- practical effect of helping Romney and doesn't that diminish the effectiveness of social conservatives.

In try to help pick the nominate.

Why don't think it's just social conservatives it's it's all conservatives I think a lot of conservatives have concern about governor Romney's record on the economy and and obviously -- Romney care is as safe as a real.

Scarlet letter here that we can't have a nominee.

That takes away the most important issue in this election which is an explosion the federal government.

Robbing the people's freedom on the federal level with obamacare and and Romney care which was the predecessor to obamacare just disqualifies him and his in his ability to go out and and and aggressively go after this top down approach to -- so this is not just social conservatives.

I'm hearing from conservatives across the board economic foreign policy they're looking for some with a strong consistent track record and I'm hopefully get you know.

What will it help the FB and B album everybody dropped out there a set -- win but you know they -- the the idea is we're gonna go through this process people -- gonna have that have the right -- got make the case to the voters and and then we'll see what happens.

Given that Newt Gingrich is beating you right now and -- polls in South Carolina.

Why should his supporters back -- you why are you a truer conservative.

The Newt Gingrich.

Well I just I just look at the our leadership -- when I was in the Republican leadership in the United States senate.

Conservative organizations from national security to economic to to social conservatives came to me to to make sure that.

The conservative agenda was pushed and our leadership and made sure that those votes came to the floor the United States senate.

Whether it was the NRA or the national restaurant association of the National Rifle Association.

Those folks came in and they understood we -- the conservative voice in the leadership we are the ones -- were out -- taking it to the to the streets if you well and and if you look at congressman Gingrich when he was speaker.

Three years into his speakership there was a conservative revolution.

Because they were -- they were concerned that he was not promoting this idea so when you look at someone and their leadership ability and what they do when it went went inside the room when nobody else is watching.

We were the conservative who stood up and fought for those issues and it was not and that's what we're looking at a -- and we're looking to someone who can lead.

The -- is not afraid to take on those issues and and put the real tough conservative issues on the back burner.

Let's talk about your record as a conservative senator.

When you were -- -- in the senate you've voted against the national right to work law.

Which would have allowed people to get jobs.

Without having to -- -- union for years you repeatedly.

Supported the Davis Bacon Act which requires government contractor is.

To pay the prevailing wage in both of those issues.

-- sided with big -- is there.

Yeah I think if you look back of my my track record I think at about a 9% big labor voting record you picked out the two and ivory Cody you need need to remember I was from the state of Pennsylvania.

State of Pennsylvania does not have a right to work law the state legislature and our governor and four for a long time.

Had the rules in place that that.

That were inconsistent with right to work.

And I wasn't as United States senate for senator representing the state of Pennsylvania.

Gonna go down and by federal vote change the law in the state I believe the state has the right if they if they -- -- have a union dues requirement.

That the state should be able to do that as a as a president.

I have a very different point of you have already signed a eight letter and sent it to national right to work that I would -- -- national right to work bill.

Because now not no longer reprimand represented that state.

And by the way.

The same thing with respect to to Davis -- my feeling was again representing that state which has a large segment of that.

Of contractors.

That that work under those provisions that I would protect that right within that again as a present I would have a different view.

But I did represent a constituency and one of the things I think is importance to listen to that constituency and respected the rights of my state.

But but how is that different than Mitt Romney who took some positions when he was the governor of Massachusetts.

And changed some of his position since that.

Well if I was governor of Pennsylvania would have worked to change those laws by -- and -- senator and go to an audience.

Well but then -- -- that I would change those what was in Pennsylvania but I'm not gonna have the federal government change the law for the state offense and it's a very different thing you work within.

The people of your state.

To promote the ideas that you believe that but you don't have the federal government impose Arizona State when the state has decided differently.

That you are also coming under fire -- for your tax plan you would cut the corporate tax rate.

To seventeen and a half percent for all industries except that you would cut it to zero.

For manufacturing the conservative national review says -- the radical differences between taxes for manufacturing and other activities.

Would introduce perhaps the biggest and most damaging tax distortion in American history it would also invite and -- law.

You're a sponsor.

Well that's just outrageous the bottom line is the reason that.

We have a different rate for taxes for manufacturing is because manufacturers face a very different playing field.

Via the hotel that that is here right now is not gonna move to China.

It's not -- -- the jobs are going to be taken and gone and and go to to Canada.

The bottom line is that foreign competition.

That is in large part we are being uncompetitive.

Because of high rates of taxation because of government regulation because of government policy generally.

Is making our manufacturing.

Base uncompetitive with the rest of the world.

The rest of our economy by and large is going to be is is is domestically based because it serves the domestic economy.

Manufacturing is very different it competes with with international with the international competition and particularly.

With countries that want to take those jobs into their countries and so what I've done is look at them look at where government.

Can allow us to compete and if you look at the national association manufactures what they've said.

Is that if you exclude labor -- and you compare our cost of manufacture in this country verses are nine top trading partners were 20% more expensive.

There's no way that we are going to be able to keep those jobs for a national security person perspective because manufacturing is key to our domestic to our to our security.

To be able to have products that are essential for our for.

But I also key for wealth creation particularly wealth creation for the blue collar workers and America's -- -- disagree with that with those folks we do need.

To have a different rate of tax to compete against the chinas in the Mexico -- -- the that countered of that and the argument would be that you're picking winners and losers that you out you're using the tax code to establish.

And industrial policy and they give you one other example of -- -- time night that that you have a plan in as part of your tax plan you would tripled the tax credit.

For children.

The wall street journal editorial page says that's mr.

Santorum is essentially agreeing with the liberals.

Who think the tax code should be used to pursue social and political goals and the conservative Tax Foundation.

If your plan a.

Yeah well.

In -- a look at what's going on in Europe today.

What they have is a tax code just a similar to -- actually worse than ours went with respect to families and children.

And guess what's happened they have a demographic winter going on.

People aren't having children why because it's so expensive -- government does nothing to help them they've reached the point right now where they're paying baby bonuses so people have children.

What's happened in this country we've seen a dramatic increase the child abduction and credit deduction back then used to be up ten times almost ten times what it is today.

When the government had a policy that said we want human capital we want.

Children and we want we need and actually want children to be here in America and the government has a policy of helping and supporting families because children are the greatest resource we have they're the greatest.

There that they're the natural resource that creates wealth in this country.

And if it wasn't for immigration our population would be declining.

And one of the biggest reasons Chris is the financial burden on families and the federal government over the years has to has.

As -- year by year by year decrease support for families and guess what's happening.

Year by year by year birth rates are going down this is not social engineering what social engineering is the policies of the last thirty years that have -- the family.

Of the support that they used to have in the tax cuts.

And as a -- got about a minute left and wanna get under one last issue -- you when the next segment we're gonna debate.

-- Gingrich's attacks and the attacks by his super -- On Mitt Romney's record as a businessman a bank capital I know that you oppose those and say we shouldn't be attacking the Republican Party shouldn't be attacking.

-- -- -- -- The speaker now says that the super -- should either correct -- -- take them down but the super packet going to be talking to one of their senior advisors.

Says we're not gonna do that until.

Romney clears the rocket -- here's the question for you sir.

I know the super pacs are legally independent but what does it say about a candidate if he can't -- A legally independent super -- that supports him.

To change its actions -- to do something different for instance do you think the red white and blue fund which supports you.

Do you think if you send -- I want you to take down and that -- -- that -- and he.

I hope so I hope anybody supporting my campaign would listen to what I have to say I hope they lift -- governor Romney.

We'll have -- his back take down an ad that's running against me in South Carolina saying that I want felons to be able to vote that's an absolute lie.

I voted for a provision that said if a felon.

And serves -- term serves his parole and probation and then after that period of time he can be restored his voting rights which is exactly the law that's here in South Carolina.

But we had a the federal audio federal -- -- and we got about it so so governor Romney should be saying to his -- Take that -- down is false he gives the impression that I want people to be voting from jail.

And those are the kinds of things -- candidates when they see their super -- doing things whether it's Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney they should stand up and say this is false I repudiate that and they should take it down and if they -- back ignores them.

Well then got a -- -- hot and then obviously.

Governor Romney doesn't have that kind of persuasion if -- can't persuade his own people to do something how was you can -- say the American public and Democrats to get things done.

You say the same thing for Newt Gingrich.

I say the same thing for the Gingrich senator -- gonna have to leave -- -- wanna thank you so much for joining us and we'll see it down the campaign trail sir thank you.

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