On Iowa Radio, Rick Santorum Touts Praise From Sarah Palin

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IOWA — Sarah Palin has not made an official endorsement in the 2012 presidential race, but the surging Rick Santorum is telling Iowans he’s her kind of candidate.

Iowa talk radio is a cacophony of political radio ads in the days before the Jan. 3 caucuses, and in the course of a two hour drive down the highway Friday, I caught spots from Ron Paul talking up his nickname “Dr. No“, a spot where Newt Gingrich repeats a promise over and over that “the jobs will grow” if he’s elected, and the infamous Mitt Romney spot touting his endorsement from Ann Coulter.

But the ad that stood out as the best embodiment of a candidate’s current position in Iowa came from Santorum. In the ad, the former Pennsylvania Senator, who polls show has entered the top tier, tries to claim the mantle of a number of prominent social conservatives who have not yet made official endorsements.

In the ad, which began running this week, Santorum’s campaign points to kind words said about him by Mike Huckabee (who publicly stated he won’t be endorsing in the caucus race), Rush Limbaugh (who also hasn’t endorsed anyone) and Palin, who pretty much dropped off the face of the mainstream radar after she announced she wouldn’t run for president and who also said she won’t be endorsing anyone for a while.

Santorum is trying to grab on to the social conservative credentials of these people anyway, and so his ad reminds everyone that Palin “praised Santorum for protecting the sanctity of life.”

It’s worth remembering here that if Palin does endorse someone soon, it would be a surprise if it’s Santorum. The pair got in a public tiff in February when Santorum accused Palin of skipping CPAC for the money and because she had to stay home to take care of her kids. Santorum later said he wasn’t trying to suggest anything negative with the comment, but Palin is not known for letting things go.

Nevertheless, Santorum is trying hard to win the Palin vote, with the narrator in his ad noting he’s “a homeschooler” and the father of seven kids of his own. Santorum has seen his fortunes rise since Iowa social conservative leader Bob Vander Plaats backed him (that gets a mention in the ad, too) and he appears to believe he can solidify that base by standing as close to Palin as possible.

Here’s the script from the ad, as published by the Des Moines Register:

FEMALE NARRATOR: “Seven candidates running for president, but only one consistent conservative – Rick Santorum.”

A father of seven, a homeschooler, and a devoted husband for 21 years – Rick Santorum has been a passionate pro-family conservative for decades.

He wrote the law that ended partial-birth abortions; led the fight to reform the welfare system, ending abuse and moving millions from welfare to work. And Santorum wrote critical legislation that protects America from the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Sarah Palin praised Santorum for protecting the sanctity of life.

Mike Huckabee said he loves Santorum’s conviction.

And Rush Limbaugh said it would be “great” if Santorum became president.

And Rick is endorsed by Iowa conservatives like Bob Vander Plaats and Sam Clovis.

Now it’s time for all conservatives to unite and support Rick Santorum for President.

Visit RickSantorum.com. Paid for by Rick Santorum for president.

SANTORUM: “I’m Rick Santorum and I approved this message.”

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