Presidential politics have come to the Sioux Empire.
Monday night, Republican candidate Rick Santorum campaigned in southwest Minnesota, becoming the first candidate to visit the state this year.
The original plan was to host Rick Santorum at the Pizza Ranch in Luverne, but the organizers had to move the town hall meeting to the Palace Theater, because the turnout was just too large and even the theatre ended up packed.
The Rock County Republican party says this is encouraging to see with the Minnesota caucus next Tuesday.
Bill Weber is the chair of the Rock County Republican Party. He says Rick Santorum's visit Monday isn't just the first GOP presidential hopeful's visit to the state this year, saying, "this is the first time I remember an active presidential candidate coming to Luverne."
Santorum told a very enthusiastic crowd at the Palace Theater he is rising above the back-biting amongst his fellow Republican candidates. He says, "this is a very fractured primary still and now Minnesota gets to weigh in."
The former Pennsylvania Senator says he is choosing to focus on the issues, instead of insults. He reinforced his campaign mantra of faith, family and freedom. Santorum says the Declaration of Independence was based on a Christian faith. He says, "we are creatures of a loving god and that gives us equality and it gives us rights, see our rights come to use from god, not from the state."
Santorum says the American government has gotten too big and says it's gotten away from its original values. He says he wants to focus more energy on American manufacturing. He attacked the current education system and President Obama's healthcare reform. Santorum says, "any right President Obama can give you, he can take away from you, any right the Supreme Court gives you, they can tell you how to exercise that right."
In all Bill Weber says Rick Santorum is a candidate he and many of his fellow Republicans can support. He says, "I think his values are very close to the values held by many people here."
Santorum also talked to the crowd about his daughter Bella's recent illness. 3-year-old Bella has a rare genetic disease that hinders her development. She recently got pneumonia and was very sick, but Santorum told the crowd Monday she is recovering and it's nothing short of a miracle.
