Reply #70: Ah, the wife - Here's a thought.

[GoneOffShore]

Apparently, before little Ricky - formerly known as 'Rooster' - got married he was pretty much a run of the mill, country club Repuke. He got involved with Karen Gerver, now Karen Santorum.

Full article here - http://citypaper.net/articles/2005-09-29/cover.shtml

"He was a strong believer in the big-tent approach," says Phil English, a U.S. Congressman from northwestern Pennsylvania and a College Republican with Santorum. "He was outspoken and aggressive but had a populist approach — less about issues and more about getting people involved."

"He had Republican values," adds U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, another college friend of Santorum's. "But it's not like he was running around leading conservative jihads or anything."
<snip>
Santorum was working for the prestigious Pittsburgh law firm, Kirkpatrick and Lockhart, when he met Karen Garver in 1988. (While at the firm, Santorum represented the World Wrestling Federation, arguing that pro wrestling was not a sport and should be exempt from federal steroid regulations.) Karen, a law student at the time, was being recruited for a summer internship with the firm. Karen was a pretty, intelligent Pittsburgh native from a large Catholic family. The two quickly fell in love.

"Rick would come by the library at night and pick up Karen," remembers Arthur Rauschenberger, a Butler native and friend of Rick's who attended Pitt law school with Karen. "Before her, I know of one other girlfriend he had, a jaw-dropping blonde."
<snip>
A cousin of Santorum's with whom I'd corresponded over e-mail remembered Santorum becoming decidedly more serious after meeting Karen, whom he married in the summer of 1990.

"Rick was a funny guy," wrote the cousin. "He sported a bushy moustache for a time, wore Hawaiian shirts and smoked cigars. He liked to laugh, drink and call things 'horsey-assey.' He was very popular and fun to be around. I think the change happened when he met Karen."

Santorum's views on abortion changed around this time as well, recalls the cousin.

<snip>
After deciding to run for office in 1989, Santorum says that he studied scientific and ethical literature on abortion. Plus, he writes, "one should never underestimate the influence of a spouse in politics." He came to the firm conclusion that "abortion was the taking of an innocent life."

End quote.

So there you have it. It is entirely possible that the real power behind Ricky Rat is Mrs. Rat.