Santorum Campaign Press Release - Santorum California Speech: "Fight for Freedom"

Verona, PA - This afternoon, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum addressed the most pressing issue facing our nation this election year - the fight for our foundational freedoms. With the backdrop of the Jelly Belly Candy Company - the legendary favorite candy of President Ronald Reagan - Santorum renewed his vow to fight for our basic freedoms; including speech, religion and enterprise.

Ronald Reagan once said, "We've gone astray from first principles. We've lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we've accomplished. Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." Those words ring as true today as they did 25 years ago.

Rick Santorum said, "I am not running for President to be the most powerful man on Earth. I am running for President to put the power back in the hands of the people. I agree with President Reagan that 'as government expands, liberty contracts,' and today our liberty is being smothered by the infringement of a government run wild."

Santorum has worked to model his public service like Reagan, as a consistent conservative who will not waiver on foreign policy or negotiate with foreign dictators. Compare that to Mitt Romney, whose camp admitted he is like an 'Etch-A-Sketch' and will remake himself in order to win - and President Obama who sent word this week to Russia that he will be more 'flexible' on missile defense after he's re-elected.

Rick Santorum said, "We must elect a leader whose conservative principles are etched in stone and will not bend on important national security issues. We need a leader like Reagan who believes that we achieve peace through strength and stand firm in that conviction."

Santorum addressed the following themes to highlight the 'Fight for Freedom:'

- Call on the leadership of the Muslim world to tear down the wall of tyranny and oppression; and stand for freedom of conscience, religion, equal treatment of women, the security of Israel, and stand against violent jihadists - and for the United States to stand with those seeking freedom.

- Will never be "flexible" on issues like missile defense by whispering in the ears of foreign leaders with the security of America or her allies is at stake.

- Without freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and a free-market economy - we can never be a free people. We cannot expect those freedoms to be maintained by electing a candidate who waivers, seeks to hit the "reset button," or shakes the Etch-A-Sketch.

View the entire speech here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?305209-1/rick-santorum-remarks-us-foreign-...