Rick Santorum (Photo: Getty)

Many in the Republican Party encouraged Missouri Congressman Todd Akin to drop his bid for the state's Senate seat following a firestorm over comments he made about "legitimate rape," pregnancy and abortion in August, but at least two major GOP figures are still standing by Mr. Akin. This morning, former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint issued a joint statement announcing their support for Mr. Akin's bid to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.

"We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse," the statement said.

Mr. Santorum and Mr. DeMint said they viewed Mr. Akin's campaign as crucial to Republican efforts to win a Senate majority.

"If Republicans are to win back the Senate and stop President Obama’s liberal agenda, we must defeat Senator Claire McCaskill in Missouri," they said. "Her support of President Obama’s job-killing, big-spending policies are sending our country into an economic abyss.  And her passionate support of ObamaCare is ensuring healthcare costs go up while quality of care goes down.  Simply put, we cannot afford six more years of Senator McCaskill."

Mr. Santorum and Mr. DeMint also called Mr. Akin a "principled conservative" and praised his positions on the economy, defense and abortion.

"Todd Akin is a principled conservative who is committed to winning and fighting for freedom in the U.S. Senate. Todd will work to stop reckless spending, stop the out of control debt, repeal the government takeover of healthcare, support our military and defend life at every stage," they said.

Yesterday, Matt Hoskins, the executive director of Mr. DeMint's political action committee, sent a memo to supporters saying the PAC was considering donating to Mr. Akin as they now believed his race was "winnable" in spite of the controversy that came after his comments this summer.

Mitt Romney on stage at the RNC. (Photo: Getty)

TAMPA, FL -- It's fitting that one of the most enduring images of the 2012 Republican National Convention was Clint Eastwood's empty chair, since the main purpose of the confab was crowning Mitt Romney as the titular leader of the party, finally filling the seat of GOP power that has remained more or less vacant since John McCain was vanquished by President Barack Obama four years ago.

As the saying goes, when you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die. After his defeat in 2008, Mr. McCain didn’t even bother joining the primary combatants vying to lead the elephant herd into battle against President Obama in this year's race. His second, Sarah Palin, didn't have a place in the primaries or at the convention in Tampa. Instead, she was banished to her Facebook page, where she railed against her overlords at Fox News for canceling all of her scheduled appearances, in which she’d hoped to take to the airwaves in praise of Mr. McCain on the night of his RNC cameo.

Like any coronation, last week’s convention was supposed to be a time for Mr. Romney's fellow Republicans to rally around him and march into combat by his side. However, the ascent of the House of Romney was accomplished without the blessing of the conservative and libertarian factions of the party. As a result, Tampa became a theater for the sorts of behind-the-scenes drama, intrigue and power plays that so often accompany these matters of dynastic succession. Though ostensibly acting as standard bearers for Mr. Romney, the other lords of the GOP seemed to be more interested in plotting their own ascendancies four years from now than in following Mitt into battle against President Obama.

Mr. Romney’s erstwhile primary rival, Rick Santorum, took the stage Tuesday night to deliver a speech that movingly detailed his own family history while pausing to mention the nominee by name just three times. The following night, when Mr. Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, addressed the convention, Mr. Santorum didn’t even show up. Rather, he could be found in the CNN Grill, a makeshift restaurant set up by the cable news network outside the RNC proceedings, where he dined with his family and top aides.

And then there was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s keynote address. Mr. Christie reportedly declined an offer to serve as Mr. Romney’s running mate because fundraising rules would have forced him to relinquish his governorship in order to maximize potential presidential campaign contributions—and because he doubted Mr. Romney’s chances in November.

On Wednesday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, another former rival of Mr. Romney’s, offered some remarks before the RNC attendees in which he invoked Mr. Romney’s name just once. The inclusion of the younger Mr. Paul, and a tribute video hailing his father, were reportedly efforts to placate their fervent supporters, the Paulites. No such luck. Despite these displays of graciousness, the Paulites repeatedly disrupted Mr. Romney’s coronation by staging dramatic walkouts and regularly shouting for both Paul the father and Paul the son during the festivities.

On the final night of the convention, Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced Mr. Romney. He dutifully named the candidate six times, however, Mr. Rubio’s rousing speech left many observers wondering why he’d been passed over for the veep spot and where he'll be four years from now. (Several commentators compared his prime-time address to Mr. Obama’s star turn during the 2004 DNC.) Mr. Rubio possesses three things Mr. Romney lacks: relative youth, a gift for public speaking and the admiration of the Republicans’ Tea Party faction. This trio of political advantages may have made it impossible for Mr. Rubio not to upstage the man he was meant to introduce and, indeed, from the convention floor it seemed his speech engendered a far more electric response from the crowd than Mr. Romney’s.

Even Mr. Ryan, the most important member of Mr. Romney’s court, didn’t focus his convention address entirely on the campaign message. Mr. Romney has disavowed the budget proposal that had become Mr. Ryan’s signature in Washington and was initially adopted by his fellow Republican lawmakers, but there was the vice presidential candidate on stage casting a discordant note by touting the “good-faith reforms and solutions equal to the problems” that he and the congressional Republicans proposed for the budget.

What the speeches largely had in common was that they promised an election victory and a subsequent renaissance for the American kingdom following the dark ages of the financial crisis. These optimistic orations were offered within a fortress of metal gates and concrete barriers guarded by a massive contingent of police officers, Secret Service agents and National Guardsmen. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who has served in the halls of government since 1977, told The Observer the security surrounding the convention “event zone” was unprecedented.

“I’ve been to ten of these, I’ve never had as much trouble getting around as I have here,” the old lawmaker said. “It’s a different world right now. Terrorism and all these other things are scaring everybody to death.”

Indeed, outside the fortified ramparts of the convention, many of the forces threatening the Republican Party were amassed—shouting, chanting and otherwise calling for Mr. Romney’s head on a pike. The delegates and other RNC attendees run a gauntlet of these fearsome creatures, including disgruntled Paulites, Occupiers and religious zealots. One group we saw was led by a fiery preacher named Ruben Israel, who brandished a pair of the sacred temple garments worn by members of the Mormon Church.

“This is the holy underwear that Mitt Romney wears,” Mr. Israel shouted through his megaphone. “You going to vote for a guy that puts this stuff on? You going to think that God is going to honor this?”

Though small groups of demonstrators managed to infiltrate the Forum and briefly interrupt the speeches made by both Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan, they failed to halt the proceedings. However, they were a troubling indicator that, whomever wins the election in November, winter may be coming for the Republican Party as internal discord on the right wing mounts. Could it be that some of those who are supposed to rallying behind the nominee believe they could do a better job fending off the impending threats to the party than the current candidate? Whether due to such calculations or to cold ambition, there was a palpable sense in Tampa that many of the high-profile leaders assembled for the convention were more concerned with their positioning for 2016 than they were with Mr. Romney's race.

In spite of this potentially toxic cloud of competing interests and aspirations swirling around Mr. Romney's coronation, the ceremony was not without its revelries and feasting. On the convention floor, the attendees seemed unaware of any discord and cheered each time a speaker uttered the party's newly-minted credo, “We Built That!” After each day's convention activities concluded, hordes of delegates, elected officials and their chroniclers, the political press corps, mingled and imbibed at a series of invite-only parties scattered across Tampa.

Along with these fetes for the standard convention crowd, there was also a parallel convention of sorts for the elite megarich donors who have been fueling those conservative super PACs, complete with private parties, concerts and an exclusive event on board a yacht during which backers schmoozed with Mr. Romney’s close relatives. One set of events aimed at women took place in a pavilion temporarily named for Dr. Miriam Adelson, the wife of Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has pledged to give over $70 million to Republican groups in this election cycle.

In this election, President Obama has raised about eighty percent more in traditional campaign contributions for his war chest than Mr. Romney has. This cash imbalance means the Republicans’ dream of seeing their party’s rulers retake the White House is entirely reliant  on the largesse of extremely wealthy individual super PAC donors. With the GOP’s presidential prospects dependent on these moneyed moguls, those who took the stage at the convention itself could be seen as merely pawns with the real kings of the party operating behind the scenes.

On the floor on Thursday, the final night of the convention, we spoke with one of the most controversial conservative kingmakers, David Koch, who along with his brother, Charles, owns what is reportedly America’s second largest privately held company and has pumped an estimated $400 million into this election. Mr. Koch, who was attending as a member of the New York State delegation, dismissed criticism of the influence he and his fellow megadonors have begun to exercise on the nation’s political process.

“We have a free society and people are free to do what they want, you know, as long as they don’t hurt others and they obey the law,” Mr. Koch said. “So, I believe in free speech and if people want to spend money in politics or something else, it’s their right, nothing wrong with that. So, I endorse that.”

Not long after, Mr. Romney made his way to the stage to deliver a speech that would be the convention’s grand finale. As he waded through the crowd shaking hands, the candidate paused briefly by the New York delegation, clasped Mr. Koch’s hand, grabbed his shoulder and exchanged a few pleasantries.

It’s good to be the king. The question was just which man held the title.

Rick Santorum (Photo: Getty)

Former senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum held a press conference call today in which he described President Barack Obama's policies on welfare as part of a "pattern" of the president's "contempt for the Constitution" and "contempt for the rule of law." He also said the president's decision to offer states waivers lessening the requirements for people to apply for welfare funds as proof "the president doesn't believe in the American people."

"The president's acted with contempt for the law ... absolute contempt for the law and for the Constitution," Mr. Santorum said. "For the president to act in this fashion, to act with contempt for the people's laws and the people's Constitution as he has done here, and by the way, he has done on repeated occasions over the past several months in office on immigration, on his healthcare law and some other things."

Mr. Santorum's conference call was part of a weeklong offensive staged by the Republican Party and the Romney campaign attacking President Obama for trying to "gut" the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. The accusation is based on a directive issued last month by the Department of Health and Human Services allowing states to apply for waivers lowering the requirements necessary for applicants to qualify for aid through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. These requirements include things like job training programs and attendance in secondary school. The Obama campaign has responded by arguing the waivers simply give states flexibility to identify the best welfare programs for their needs in this difficult economic climate and that the waivers don't weaken the welfare-to-work requirement, because states that receive them are required to increase the job placement rate among aid recipients by at least 20 percent.

On his conference call, Mr. Santorum said he and his colleagues in Congress "specifically said in that law that no waivers would be allowed" when the Welfare Reform Act was originally enacted. He suggested that, rather than having HHS offer the waivers, the president should have "worked in a bipartisan way" if he wanted to "strengthen the work requirement or somehow change it to make it a better work requirement."

"The president, if he was concerned about the work requirement, it certainly could be worked in a bipartisan way, because we've always worked in a bipartisan way on these work requirements," said Mr. Santorum.

Mr. Santorum described supporting welfare reform as an act of faith in the American people and suggested the president's actions show he doesn't believe in "people being able to rise."

"I can tell you that a number of people, both in my office and the people I talked to when I was senator for Pennsylvania who went through the welfare system as reformed, who thanked me, who said, 'I would have never thought I would have thanked you for making me do this, but I now thank you for forcing me to do things that I didn't think I could do ... Thank you for challenging me and believing in me,'" Mr. Santorum said. "The president doesn't believe in the American people and people being able to rise, otherwise he would not have done this waiver."

According to Buzzfeed's Andrew Kaczynski, Newt Gingrich is very impressed with Al Sharpton's figure.

Newt Gingrich tells Al Shaprton he is awe struck about how much weight he has lost.

—
Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) June 12, 2012

TV appearances by Mr. Gingrich and Rick Santorum gave Politico's Jennifer Epstein a bad case of déja vu.

looks like three months ago: Gingrich on one channel, Santorum on another

—
Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) June 12, 2012

Reuters reporter Sam Youngman took note of a connection between the location of a Mitt Romney fundraiser in Florida and an infamous sports scandal.

Romney's fundraiser is in the same hood where Tiger was trapped in his SUV after hitting hydrant. Saintly (ex)wife freed him with an iron

—
Sam Youngman (@samyoungman) June 12, 2012

Senator John McCain hoped his Tweets about the Farm Bill would elicit a wide variety of emotions from readers.

Coming tomorrow: I'll tweet Top 10 pork projects in the #FarmBill - you won't know whether to laugh or cry!

—
John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 12, 2012

Lastly, this one is from yesterday, but it is just too good not to include. California Congressman Darrell Issa is apparently a Sex Pistols fan.

@BillTrack50 I'm only pro anarchy of it's "Anarchy in the UK"

—
Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) June 11, 2012

One-time Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum released a statement this afternoon in which he accuse President Barack Obama of making a "capitulation" after his announced support of marriage equality this afternoon. 

"President Obama has consistently fought against protecting the institution of marriage from radical social engineering at both the state and federal level," Mr. Santorum said. "The President recently opposed the North Carolina constitutional amendment and, of course, he refused to defend President Clinton's Defense of Marriage Act before the U.S. Supreme court. The charade is now over, no doubt an attempt to galvanize his core hard left supporters in advance of the November election."

Mr. Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania and a favorite of the far-right is an interesting one to watch as conservative try to grapple with this most recent news. If he is making any kind of signal as to how conservative will approach the question of marriage equality, it seems to be that they will a) accuse Mr. Obama of pandering to radical elements in the Democratic Party; b) branding the president a "cultural elite" who wants to tell you how to live your life and organize society. Obviously, the truth claims of either of these points is debatable, but Mr. Santorum is correct that recent electoral battles have shown that same sex marriage is not politically popular.

"Thankfully the American public, when it has had an opportunity to consider the real world consequences of such a fundamental change to our society, has consistently voted for maintaining one man one woman marriage - the basic building block of our society," Mr. Santorum added. "I will continue to fight to make sure that the cultural elites don't further undermine the institution that gives the best opportunity for healthy, happy children and a just and prosperous society."

And now that Rick Santorum has followed suit, endorsing Mr. Romney (albeit somewhat tepidly) this morning, the Democratic National Committee has taken a similar tact, this time splicing together footage of Mr. Romney explaining ow he is so conservative that he is even more conservative than Mr. Santorum, who was the darling of the far-right Tea Party set during the campaign.

"Who is more conservative than Rick Santorum?" the ad asks. "The guy receiving his endorsement."

The ad then proceeds to show Mr. Romney slamming Mr. Santorum for being too far to the left.

Using a divisive primary to hit an opponent during a general election is one of the oldest tricks in the campaign book, but this move comes just as Mr. Romney is trying to pivot to a general election.

Take a look:

Rick Santorum

Mitt Romney issued a statement today thanking Rick Santorum for endorsing him via an 1,107 word late night email yesterday.

"Senator Santorum ran a spirited race and his commitment to conservatism energized millions of Republicans around the country," Mr. Romney said. "Ann and I extend our sincere gratitude to Karen and Rick for his endorsement.”

Mr. Santorum proved to be a surprisingly strong opponent to Mr. Romney by focusing on social issues where Mr. Romney has taken a more moderate position. In his endorsement, Mr. Santorum said that, after meeting Mr. Romney last week, he is confident his erstwhile rival "clearly understands that having pro-family initiatives are not only the morally and economically right thing to do, but that the family is the basic building block of our society and must be preserved."

In his statement thanking Mr. Santorum for the endorsement, Mr. Romney said they both share a desire to "restore the promise of America" by undoing the policies of President Barack Obama.

"The race for the Republican presidential nomination has always been about restoring the promise of America," Mr. Romney said. "Senator Santorum and I share an absolute commitment to that goal, just as we share an absolute commitment to reversing the failing policies of the Obama Administration, from its assault on freedom of conscience to its feckless foreign policy."

Mr. Romney also made sure to offer his "continued prayers" for Mr. Santorum's 3-year-old daughter, Bella, who was hospitalized due to trisomy 18, an often fatal genetic condition she has suffered since birth, just as Mr. Santorum was ending his campaign.

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney at a debate in Arizona. (Photo: Getty)

Rick Santorum sent a legnthy, late night email to his supporters yesterday discussing his meeting with Mitt Romney last week and his potential endorsement in the presidential race. He got to the endorsement in the 13th paragraph of his 16 paragraph missive.

"President Obama must be defeated. The task will not be easy," Mr. Santorum said. "It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime."

Mr. Santorum, whose campaign was fueled by social conservatives who were not satisfied with Mr. Romney, assured his supporters his endorsement only came after he assessed Mr. Romney's "commitment to addressing the issues most important to conservatives." He began his endorsement email by discussing the sitdown he had with Mr. Romney in Pittsburgh last Friday.

"I felt that it was completely impossible for me to even consider an endorsement until after a meeting to discuss issues critical to those of us who often feel our voices are not heard by the establishment: social conservatives, tea-party supporters, lower and middle income working families," Mr. Santorum wrote. "During our meeting I felt a deep responsibility to assess Governor Romney’s commitment to addressing the issues most important to conservatives, as well his commitment to ensuring our appropriate representation in a Romney administration."

Mr. Santorum admitted to having some differences of opinion with Mr. Romney, but he said he came away from their meeting confident in Mr. Romney, particularly on the issues that were central to his campaign; gay marriage and abortion.

"The primary campaign certainly made it clear that Governor Romney and I have some differences. But there are many significant areas in which we agree: the need for lower taxes, smaller government, and a reduction in out-of-control spending. We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman. I am also comfortable with Governor Romney on foreign policy matters," Mr. Santorum said. "And while I had concerns about Governor Romney making a case as a candidate about fighting against Obamacare, I have no doubt if elected he will work with a Republican Congress to repeal it and replace it with a bottom up, patient, not government, driven system."

Mr. Santorum finished his endorsement email by promising that "very soon we will be making another big announcement." Read the full text of his email below.

Thank you again for all you did as one of my strongest and committed supporters. Your belief in our campaign helped us start a movement of Americans who believe deeply that our best days are ahead as long as we fight to strengthen our families, unshackle our economy and promote freedom here and around the world. Karen and I will be forever grateful for the support, kindness and commitment you showed us, as well as our children, over these last months.

On Friday, Governor Romney came to Pittsburgh for an over-hour long one-on-one meeting. The conversation was candid, collegial and focused on the issues that you helped me give voice to during our campaign; because I believe they are essential ingredients to not only winning this fall, but turning our country around.

While the issue of my endorsement did not come up, I certainly have heard from many of you who have weighed in on whether or not I should issue a formal endorsement. Thank you for your counsel, it has been most helpful. However, I felt that it was completely impossible for me to even consider an endorsement until after a meeting to discuss issues critical to those of us who often feel our voices are not heard by the establishment: social conservatives, tea-party supporters, lower and middle income working families.

Clearly without the overwhelming support from you all, I never would have won 11 states and over 3 million votes, and we would not have won more counties than all the other candidates combined. I can assure you that even though I am no longer a candidate for president, I will still continue to fight every day for our shared values – the values that made America the greatest country in the history of the world.

During our meeting I felt a deep responsibility to assess Governor Romney’s commitment to addressing the issues most important to conservatives, as well his commitment to ensuring our appropriate representation in a Romney administration.

The family and its foundational role in America’s economic success, a central point of our campaign, was discussed at length. I was impressed with the Governor’s deep understanding of this connection and his commitment to economic policies that preserve and strengthen families. He clearly understands that having pro-family initiatives are not only the morally and economically right thing to do, but that the family is the basic building block of our society and must be preserved.

I also shared with Governor Romney my belief that we cannot restore America as the greatest economic engine the world has ever seen until we return America to being a manufacturing superpower. He listened very carefully to my advice on this matter, and while our policy prescriptions differed, he clearly expressed his desire to create more opportunities for those that are feeling left behind in this economy.

As it is often said, “personnel is policy.” I strongly encouraged Governor Romney as he builds out his campaign staff and advisors that he add more conservative leaders as an integral part of his team. And you can be sure that I will work with the Governor to help him in this task to ensure he has a strong team that will support him in his conservative policy initiatives.

Of course we talked about what it would take to win this election. As you know I started almost every speech with the phrase that this was the most important election since the election of 1860 and four more years of President Obama is simply not an option. As I contemplated what further steps I will take, that reality weighed heavy on me. The America we know is being fundamentally changed to look more like a European socialist state than the land of opportunity our founding fathers established.

Freedom and personal responsibility are being replaced with big government dependency. The greatest and most productive workers in the world are being hamstrung by excessive regulations making it impossible to compete. Our healthcare system had been socialized, and the worth of each life dictated by some government bureaucrat. Our allies are insulted while our enemies are appeased. And our religious beliefs and freedom have come under attack.

What is even more troubling is what a second term of an Obama administration could bring. President Obama's admission to the Russians that he will have more flexibility in a second term can only be translated to "if you thought I was liberal in the first four years you haven't seen anything yet!"

The primary campaign certainly made it clear that Governor Romney and I have some differences. But there are many significant areas in which we agree: the need for lower taxes, smaller government, and a reduction in out-of-control spending. We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman. I am also comfortable with Governor Romney on foreign policy matters, and we share the belief that we can never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. And while I had concerns about Governor Romney making a case as a candidate about fighting against Obamacare, I have no doubt if elected he will work with a Republican Congress to repeal it and replace it with a bottom up, patient, not government, driven system.

Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated. The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime.

My conversation with Governor Romney was very productive, but I intend to keep lines of communication open with him and his campaign. I hope to ensure that the values that made America that shining city on the hill are illuminated brightly by our party and our candidates thus ensuring not just a victory, but a mandate for conservative governance.

Karen and I know firsthand how difficult the campaign trail can be particularly as governor Romney faces relentless attacks from the democrats. We have been praying for him and his family and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.

Thank you again for all you have done for us, and I look forward to working together to defeat President Obama this fall and to protect faith, family, freedom and opportunity in America.

With Gratitude,
Rick Santorum

P.S. As promised, very soon we will be making another big announcement, and I will be asking you to once again join forces with me to keep up the fight, together. Stay tuned.

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney at a presidential debate in Arizona in February. (Photo: Getty)

Mitt Romney and his erstwhile rival in the race for the Republican nomination, Rick Santorum, are spending a little time together today at the Pittsburgh home of Mr. Santorum's former senior strategist, John Brabender. Staffers for Mr. Santorum described the sitdown as two politicians, just hanging out.

"Santorum aides have said an immediate endorsement of Romney is not expected at the session. Instead, they describe an opportunity for the one-time opponents to get to know each other better and discuss the upcoming general election campaign," reports CNN.

According to his aides. Mr. Santorum also hopes to discuss some of his pet issues with Mr. Romney. During his campaign Mr. Santorum, focused on social issues, particularly abortion and gay marriage.

Staffers with both men released few details of their Pittsburgh powwow, which the pair of politicians apparently wanted to keep quiet.

Michael Biundo standing by his man, Rick Santorum, in 2011. (Photo: Facebook)

Witth his candidate officially no longer a contender in the presidential race, Rick Santorum's campaign manager, Michael Biundo, headed back to his home in New Hampshire yesterday. After his first night off the campaign trail, Mr. Biundo is clearly having some trouble adjusting to the more relaxed schedule of normal life outside the election cycle.

"So... no reason to be up at 4:00am but yet here I am. :)," he wrote on his Facebook wall this morning.

Mr. Biundo is a native on Long Island who settled in New Hampshire and became an operative on serveral Republican presidential campaigns thanks to his expertise in the Granite State, which holds a vitally important position on the primary calendar. In 2008, he served as an advisor to former mayor Rudy Giuliani's failed White House bid.

On Tuesday, when Mr. Santorum announced his exit from this year's presidential race, Mr. Biundo posted another Facebook note thanking his friends for the support and bidding adieu to the campaign.

"Thank you to all my friends and family that stood by me during these many months," Mr. Biundo wrote. "I had the ride of my life. The Santorum family and team are all class acts."