Three big news items about Rick Santorum today. CatholicVote, of course, endorsed Santorum yesterday. Read the press release here. This endorsement has generated a great deal of attention and press which should find its way into today’s lunchtime reader (stay tuned). First, his poll numbers in the next two primary states, New Hampshire and South Carolina, have improved dramatically in poll... More

Last night Carson Holloway took on the strange attack on Rick Santorum leveled by Alan Colmes and Eugene Robinson: that it was odd, or “weird,” that the Santorums would bring their recently deceased newborn son Gabriel home so Gabriel’s siblings could meet their newborn brother who was now with the angels. Carson looked at the hypocrisy and oddness of their criticism, but it stru... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2012 Contact: Joshua Mercer Email: mercer@catholicvote.org CHICAGO, IL – CatholicVote.org, a leading national grassroots Catholic advocacy organization, today proudly announced their endorsement of Senator Rick Santorum for President. CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch issued the following statement explaining the endorsement: “Pennsylvania’s Rick Sa... More

Back in June I wrote The Catholic Case for Rick Santorum. Now that Santorum has registered a strong tied-for-first finish in Iowa and is the talk of the chattering classes, far-left Catholics have woken up and swooped in for the attack. The most notable example of this attempted theological assassination is by John Gehring of Faith in Public Life, who previously worked for Catholics in Alliance fo... More

As I write, it is not clear if Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney came in first in Iowa. Whichever the order, it is a Santorum win. It was not so long ago when Santorum only really was noticed for being barely noticed by the media. Headlines like: “Amid G.O.P. Din, Santorum Wages Struggle to Be Heard“; that New York Times story included this photo of a long shot who consistently referred to ... More

Things are looking good for Rick Santorum to have pulled off a stunning upset. He’s certainly 1st or 2nd next to Mitt Romney. Ron Paul finished 3rd. Here’s the very latest as of 11:30PM EST: I think Santorum’s numbers will continue to improve slightly as the results are finalized. 1:00AM UPDATE — some first thoughts: For many voters, tonight was the first time they got a c... More

Today voters in Iowa head into their caucus chambers to choose who they want to support for the Republican Presidential nomination. A big part of the story line heading into today’s caucuses is the surging support for Rick Santorum, now that many of the leading Mitt Romney alternatives (Cain, Gingrich, Perry) have failed to retain support: In the closely followed Des Moines Register poll jus... More

Is that what is resonating in Iowa? Is this at the heart of the story Mark wisely suggests could be one that voters are receptive to? I discuss in my syndicated column today. ... More

Welcome to the Lunchtime Reader, where we assemble important stories to keep your eyes on. Romney is campaigning now in eastern Iowa, where he did well in 2008. http://is.gd/Dr8LRd Noteworthy: Romney did well in an area dominated by Catholics. (Dubuque is 75% Catholic). Just look at the map from 2008. http://is.gd/6vaE99 Rich Lowry says Santorum’s focus on families and the working class sets h... More

Welcome to the Lunchtime Reader, where we assemble important stories to keep your eyes on. Don’t like the 2012 Republican presidential field? Blame George W. Bush, says conservative columnist Philip Klein. http://is.gd/uxXhFU Do you still support Herman Cain-style harsh anti-immigration rhetoric? Here’s your wake up call: “The Coming Latino Majority” in the U.S. Catholic Church. ... More