Stacy McCain is Right - Rick Santorum: "This is the little engine that could campaign"

Glenn Reynolds is dreaming in the land of Oz when he predicts that Rick Santorum will be the next candidate in the GOP field to drop out.  Santorum has some of the most ardent supporters who are willing to back him the whole way to the White House.  Stacy McCain is correct in his analysis.  Rick Santorum is riding on the bump which he received, and continues to receive from both his masterful debate performance and his unexpected fourth place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll.  It was quite unexpected for Santorum to do that well in the straw poll.  Pro-life Catholics and anti-Jihadists are probably Santorum's most ardent supporters, we are very loyal to him and aren't about to abandon Santorum for some other lesser candidate at this point in time.  Rick Santorum keeps on chugging along, working his hardest with a small amount of funds, relaying his message of liberty, religious freedom, economic policies to boost the economy, foreign policy agenda, immigration policy (specifically illegal immigration), and his staunch pro-life message to the American people.  Stacy rightly points out that Rick has even seen an uptick in online donations since last Thursday's debate.  He is gaining momentum so there is no reason for Rick Santorum to hang it up at this stage in the presidential race.  Now I'm not sure whether Newt Gingrich is going to be the next candidate to drop out of the race as Stacy predicts but it is certainly possible with all of his previous campaign troubles.  I think the next GOP candidate to drop out could be either McCotter or Huntsman.

Here is Rick Santorum's exchange with Ron Paul on Iran:



Every innocent human life is precious and Rick Santorum understands this as evidenced by his answer to an abortion question during the debate.



To display that his campaign is gaining momentum Rick Santorum has released a video touting his 4th place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll.



This was a great campaign description by Santorum. He said, "This is the little engine that could campaign".

On Infertility: This article hits the nail on the head

This article hits the nail on the head with regards to how hard it is for faithful Catholics to deal with the cross of infertility.  My heart aches so that someday my husband and I may be blessed with a child.  We pray and leave it in God's hands but it is so hard for us...

This week is Infertility Awareness Week. According to the CDC, over 2 million married women in America are currently experiencing infertility. This is a deeply painful experience for any couple, but faithful Catholics face unique challenges in this department—yet in all the discussions about Natural Family Planning and how and when to avoid pregnancy, the struggles of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are not able to achieve pregnancy often get overlooked. So this week I spent some time chatting with friends who are facing infertility, including a woman whom I’ll call “A.,” who chronicles her journey online at This Cross I Embrace. They shared some of the challenges unique to being Catholic and infertile:

Temptation to Use Illicit Treatments: In modern culture, the words “infertility” and “in-vitro fertilization” go hand-in-hand. Even though IVF doesn’t always succeed, and often costs tens of thousands of dollars when it does, the success rates are high enough that it’s widely touted as a solution that is likely to give couples the children they so desperately desire. This is a source of temptation for the women I talked to, even though they understand and agree with Church teaching against IVF on an intellectual level. “I would never do it, but it’s like a punch in the gut when other women go to the IVF clinic and are then planning baby showers seven months later,” one friend said. Added to this, there can also be tremendous pressure from family members who don’t understand Church teaching and see IVF as a path to having grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

Loneliness: Catholics who face infertility often find themselves in a social no-man’s land. In terms of day-to-day lifestyle, they have little in common with fellow Catholics who have kids, and often find that friends with children are so busy that it’s hard to make plans with them. Sometimes it’s possible to find community among fellow Christians who are infertile, but tensions inevitably arise over differing views about IVF and other reproductive technology. Other childless couples tend to be much younger. “The main people you can really relate to are other infertile Catholics who are faithful to Church teaching, and they are few and far between,” one friend told me.  CONTINUED

Crossposted at Tu Ne Cede malis