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Make or break for Rick Santorum?

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    GOP presidential candidate looks ahead to Tuesday's primaries

  • Duration 11:25
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Joining us now from Minneapolis is one of the Canada's looking to regroup and generates some momentum on Tuesday.

Former senator Rick Santorum senator welcome back to FOX News Sunday.

Thank you Chris can -- -- first of all and most important -- how is Dalai your precious little three year old who just left the hospital laughter.

About -- pneumonia.

She's doing just ground thank you and everybody therefore after praying for and everybody across this country.

She had a very rough but time about a week ago today but back to the great -- work from doctors in the hospital and and a lot of prayer she turned around amazingly quickly and she is home and healthy and not.

We're very very please thank you.

I want to ask you about your commitment to this campaign doesn't -- human level because I've got to think -- she was going through this part of the a sad.

Maybe I should get out of this race and focus on my family.

Well obviously any time one of your children are second in -- you gotta you gotta get home and and particularly case like this or she was seriously ill and required hospitalization.

You know family comes first and that's I think where anybody -- this race much less myself.

But you know one of the -- -- and I talked about was.

Being parents and you know what your responsibility to be the best educate be best best husband you can -- We really think that this country is in a critical juncture in that.

You know we feel like that.

I can bring something to the table that can make my children's lives substantially better as being president.

Even more so than that even be home for you know these few months where I'd be out campaigning.

That'd be better for me to -- that time to create a country.

Which is gonna be free and safe and prosperous for them in the future.

All right let's not some practical politics senator you finished third in the South Carolina you finished third in Florida and last light night and about as we mentioned.

You finish last.

How we gonna turn that around -- become more competitive.

Well.

I think you wait for -- for Tuesday mean.

The first five states are sort of cast in stone they were the first five states the last time.

-- the states that you know that governor Romney and and and congress and Paul who ran for years ago.

Had an advantage because they've spent a lot of time and money.

Not just in this year's campaign but for the last four years and in working on those states.

Now we're getting into the states where people don't have the natural advantage don't have the the -- commitment to staff commitment to really build.

-- about an organization like they did in these first five.

I think we're gonna do very well -- here in Minnesota.

And agreeing to do very well in Colorado and we've got a one on one matchup against Mitt Romney -- that and Missouri -- it's no delegates it is a key state.

It is a primary.

And we think we can do exceptionally well in the state of Missouri so we've got three states coming up on Tuesday I think we're gonna show that this race is moving.

Again in a very different to what direction.

Well let me ask about that as you -- Colorado Minnesota our caucus.

Is Missouri is a primary but it's a basically a beauty contest that's.

Doesn't choose any delegates.

Honestly is Tuesday make or break Prius -- -- -- not at all I mean again I think we're gonna show improvement.

This race is a long long way from being over we we believe that you know that the if you look at the national polls are numbers are moving up continually.

As I've mentioned in your in your intro.

We're the only candidate right now according to at least the -- -- -- that defeats Barack Obama.

Everybody else is behind a technique in which is way behind.

I think the this this race as people start seeing Mitt Romney doing well and Gingrich really not up to the task.

With the money and they -- sources and a the the organization that he -- been particularly in Florida.

They're looking for somebody else -- can take on Mitt Romney and and more importantly in this is important take on Barack Obama it's not about who can win the primary who can win the general election and we have two candidates candidly that are flawed if you look at Florida Nevada the results were down as far as participation is concerned.

I mean this is not a good sign when the two candidates that everybody's talking about has not generated any energy.

In a Republican primary.

Well let's talk about your two main rivals we gotta say Ron Paul is an irony is -- -- -- delegates still but.

It is.

Nevada you ran a tough crowd not against Romney but against Gingrich and lets fly a clip from -- When you say did you live that you live a good conservative game.

And then we see a picture of you and your beautiful found light.

Is that a veiled reference to Newt Gingrich's personal problems.

Well I think if you look at.

-- actual ad the ad before that line talks about four issues talks about immigration talks about cap and trade.

It talks about health care and it talks about.

The the Wall Street bailouts so it -- it's very much an ad focused on the four issues that are very very important not to this campaign.

Where the four issues where governor Romney of speaker Gingrich simply are are do not present a very good contrast with the President Obama do not reflect the conservative values.

That are going to be important for rally in our basic -- excitement across this country and and on the issue of you know living that yes I live it in both my professional personal life and not that is that is a message that I think isn't as important.

You know for upper presidential candidate and you think well let me ask united and got some legitimate issue the question of Powell you've -- your personal life.

Well I think it certainly is something that everybody should consider I mean these certain that I said that repeatedly in the debates that.

The issue of character is an important -- the issue of trustworthiness is an important one.

Authenticity.

Whether you've but even flip flopping on positions.

And in in your career all of those things.

Our character issues when you're electing a leader are certainly important issues to consider.

You have been very critical of Newt Gingrich his leadership when he was speaker of the house and you were in the house went -- Even in some of these debates you've questioned his stability and I -- basket do you honestly.

Think that Newt Gingrich is fit to be president of the united stats.

I -- -- -- should be a much better present the Barack Obama might my concern is with respect to a campaign.

And you know some of the things that -- is prone to do which is due to look to government to do a lot more things then you wouldn't.

Think to believe when you listen to his rhetoric.

A lot of the lot of the ideas that news -- -- comes up with whether it's a moon colony are.

Are whether it's you know personal accounts for Social Security in the face of a one point two trillion dollar deficit.

You are not connected to fiscal responsibility limited government and and doing things from they from the bottom up from a free market and free enterprise point of view cell I just one -- candidate that we can go out there rely upon to be authentically conservative.

To stay disciplined to stay focused on Barack Obama is the as the person that we should be -- in this race and not make use the key Republican candidate the central issue in the campaign.

Now let's talk about Romney obviously we all know that the -- jobs numbers were pretty good.

Relatively speaking in on on Friday they came out for the last month of January 8 point 3% unemployment.

Quarter of a million jobs created and you look sad about Romney.

That if the economy keeps improving.

Then his candidacy -- question.

Is in question because he's gonna have nothing to offer what do you mean.

Well I mean he's he's pretty much -- unit eventual candidate I mean only talks about his being the CEO be in the CEO of the in the businessman.

First of all not -- sure that's the greatest step qualifications for being president out of states.

But if it is the qualification is that you know I'm someone who can who can run the economy even though I don't believe the president runs the economy.

Present creates an environment.

If he can work with congress and regulatory atmosphere and a to improve the the atmosphere but the president not states as commander in chief the president not states it executes the laws and tries to motivate the American public.

To make changes that are necessary.

It's not a necessarily -- CEO type of position.

And secondly you know governor Romney and even more than speaker Gingrich doesn't create the contrast that we need to beat Barack Obama mean.

We give away the health care issue if if Mitt Romney is the nominee we give away.

Cap and trade we give away.

The the Wall Street ballots all of these.

Big government interventions into the private sector where you would think a CEO businessman wanted to oppose government intervention.

At the -- through some level that they are and he is.

I -- -- I wanna get in went into whether you a couple of health issues got into the news this week and became political first of all the Susan G.

Komen.

Race for the cure foundation.

First cut off funding for planned parent -- which is the nation's biggest abortion provider and then reverse that decision.

Your reactions are.

Well look they they're a private organization they can fund whatever whatever kind of after that they want I've I've taken the position as a as a presidential candidate as someone in congress that.

In a Planned Parenthood.

Funds and does abortions of the leading abortion provider in the nation.

And that we don't I don't believe federal funds should go there their private organization they should stand up and and support whatever they want -- I don't I don't believe that.

Breast cancer research is advanced.

By the funding and aid organization that.

Does abortions where -- you -- ties to cancer.

And -- abortion self I don't think it's a -- particularly healthy way of contributing money to it to further the cause of breast cancer but that's her.

A private organization like -- and become into to make that decision the Obama administration is coming under fire for a new decision.

That Catholic institutions not churches but charities hospitals schools.

Are going to have to offer health insurance that includes contraception.

Now the administration -- this -- The vast majority of women even Catholic women.

Use birth control your response.

The Catholic Church specifically teaches that.

Birth control pills as well as the morning after pill which is not just a birth control pill that what -- it clearly causes abortions.

As well -- sterilization which is something the church specifically teaches against.

Here you have a situation where you you you have this tricky play.

The government says that they can give you rights they'll give you the right to health -- be careful because then they can tell you how to exercise that right.

Against your first amendment rights against your ability to practice your faith and even worse we saw on the case of the army.

-- the art where that's head of the chaplain C of the army.

Wanted to issue a letter that was issued last week and all the other Catholic churches in this country.

And the army and the Obama administration said they couldn't even issued a letter to complain about the Obama administration's plan on on not on this policy.

So now we violating the freedom of religion now the freedom of speech.

This is the problem when government tell tells -- that they can give you things they can take it away but even worse they can tell you how they're gonna exercise this new right that they've given you.

Consistent with their values instead of the values guaranteed in our constitution.

-- sent out a wanna thank you so much for coming in today and talking -- us safe travels was evaluated Tuesday and we'll also see it on the campaign trails there.

Thank you very much -- Up next will debate.

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