Values Voter Summit 2014 ... >
Sept. 26, 2014 - Former Sen. Rick Santorum noted that he has spoken at all nine Values Voter Summits, and joked that he expects "a pin next year, like an attendance pin, for 10 years." 

Many will recall Santorum's daughter Bella who has a rare genetic disorder and gained a fair bit of attention during his presidential campaign.  Santorum said she is now 6 1/2 years old:

"In fact, Karen and I have just finished a book that will be coming out in February that will be a very raw witness as to the life of a family, a somewhat high-profile family, with a special needs little girl.  And the name of the book, which I hope you will have the opportunity to see, is “Bella’s Gift.”  And so I’m very excited about that and sharing the reality of accepting life in all of its forms and respecting it for what it is and what it can be."

Santorum asked how it is that "...there’s twice as many conservative traditional values people in this country than there are liberals, yet for the past 30 or 40 years, we’ve been losing ground?  How does that happen?"  "It happens because they’re willing to fight, because they’re willing to sacrifice, because they’re willing not to give up," Santorum said.  He declared:

"If we are going to win this fight here at home to protect our religious liberty, to protect the right to life, to protect the institution, the glue that holds the family together, marriage, to protect our economic liberties, then we have to be willing to make those sacrifices, we have to be willing to join together and make a difference."

Santorum spoke of a "clash of civilizations" and also had a few pokes at "the Republican establishment," which he said is playing defense and hoping that some issues just go away.

Brian Brown, founder and president of the National Organization for Marriage, introduced Santorum.
(Before his speech) Santorum talks with Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of the Liberty Institute.
(After his speech) Santorum talks with McClatchy Newspapers' David Lightman; at left is Bob Fischer, a businessman and activist from Rapid City, SD.
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