Santorum on why ’12 race is slow developing (AUDIO)

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a potential candidate for president, suggests the reason there are no “declared” Republican presidential candidates today is because of the restrictions on fundraising and spending that fall upon someone once they become an “official” candidate for the GOP’s presidential nomination. 

“Look, I don’t really see any real reason to make a decision at this point. I mean, what’s the point of announcing your candidacy and putting yourself in a position where you’re under all of the FEC and all of the rules and regulations and funding restrictions and everything like that,” Santorum told three Iowa reporters late today. “…If you can go out and test the waters and get your message out and see — it sort of gets you a lot more flexibility than being under these restraints that McCain/Feingold put us under.”

Santorum also predicts the 2012 presidential race will be cheaper than 2008.  “Barack Obama raised $750 million.  I will predict to you today that he will not raise that amount of money, because it isn’t there,” Santorum said.  “…The economy’s taken a real hit and people don’t have disposable income like they d in 2007 and 2008 when folks were here running.  So, to say, ‘Why aren’t you running?’  Well, you’ve got to have fuel in the tank and right now there’s just not a fuel out there.”

Listen to his full remarks to reporters, including Santorum’s analysis of the decision facing both Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin about running for president in 2012:   Santorum

Santorum is the guest on this weekend’s “Iowa Press” program on Iowa Public Television.  The program was taped this afternoon; he spoke with reporters after the taping.