Presidential hopeful former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum was in Sulphur Springs Tuesday at noon to address supporters and the curious at a fundraiser in the Regional Civic Center banquet room. Santorum, a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2012 election, won 11 contests and received 4 million votes, putting him in second place to nominee Mitt Romney. When Santorum suspended his campaign that year due to family health issues, he began talking about his 2016 campaign.
In an interview with KSST News, Santorum said his response to the terrorist attack in France would have been different from that of President Obama. Santorum believes one has to understand the Islamic State, ISIS. He stated to understand them, one has to read their books and study the seventh century beginnings of Islam. He said ISIS is territorial. Thus, they establish a Caliphate. A Caliphate is the territory governed by the group and as long as they have territory under their control they exist as a state. Santorum said Obama’s desire to contain ISIS is good news to them. They desire to remain a state and will not give up as long as their control specific territory.
Santorum said the immigration problem has taken on new meaning now that Syrian refugees are being allowed to enter the United States. He said to allow either Muslim and/or Christian Syrians to enter is a mistake. To allow Christians to immigrate is to give in to ISIS desire to push Christians from homelands they have held for 2000 years. He said the U. S. needs to stop immigration period.
Should he receive the Republican nomination, he expects to run against Hillary Clinton in the November election showdown. He said the former First Lady and former Secretary of State would prove a formidable foe to Republicans, especailly those who are beginners in international affairs. Only Santorum and one other have had interaction on the international stage, he said.
