Karen Santorum: Husband Seeking Presidency Is 'God's Will'
Karen Santorum, the wife of GOP presidential front-runner Rick Santorum, told talk show host Glenn Beck on Thursday that it is "God's will" that her husband is seeking the presidency though she was initially opposed to the idea.
After losing his Senate seat in the 2006 elections, Karen Santorum said her husband came home to reflect on what his future held and how he could help the conservative cause – which in 2006 was not a popular topic with the majority of Americans.
In a separate conversation with The Christian Post while campaigning for the South Carolina primary, she and three of her seven children shared stories about how they came to the decision as a family.
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"I was also against my dad running," said Sarah Marie, who is 14. "We enjoyed having him around and I didn't want to lose him to the campaign trail for two years. We prayed a lot of the better part of a year and in the end, everyone, including me, felt Dad should run."
Karen Santorum also told Beck that the passage of the 2010 health care bill was another motivating factor.
"I did always feel in my heart that God had big plans for Rick," she said. "Eventually it was there, tugging at my heart. When Obamacare passed, that was it. That put the fire in my belly."
But the term "hectic" rarely describes life on the campaign trail. The Santorums' oldest daughter, Elizabeth, has taken time off from her college studies to join her dad on the campaign circuit. John, who graduated from high school last year, is also taking a year off to campaign and is considering military service as part of his future.
In addition to appearing with her husband at various campaign events, much of Karen Santorum's time is spent looking after the children, including the couple's youngest daughter, Bella, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 18.
"We're very protective of Bella and she always comes first, no matter what the campaign schedule says," she told CP.
"You really have to keep your prayer life in order," she said on Beck's show, "and really keep faith and family the top priority always and keep your feet on the ground because you can get lost."
Karen Santorum also told Beck she thought her husband did well in Wednesday night's CNN debate in Arizona and that admitting past legislative mistakes was the right thing to do.
Rick Santorum had admitted during the debate that he made a mistake in supporting the No Child Left Behind education reform package in 2002.
