Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a GOP presidential candidate, drove his entire family to Iowa, arriving in the state last night after a 16-hour cross-country trip. He’s embarked on a sort of three-week family vacation in which he’ll campaign around Iowa and at a few of the stops his wife and seven children will join him.
That was not the case this morning. I referred to as a “father’s dream start to a family vacation” in a question I posed to Santorum, asking why the kids weren’t with him this morning in Ankeny for his 8:15 a.m. campaign stop. Santorum said one of his sons was going to accompany him, but just couldn’t get out of bed that early. Santorum indicated most of his family was still in bed when he left the cabin where the family is staying.
“The kids are going to be fishing and four-wheeling and doing some fun stuff today, not that this (campaigning) isn’t fun — don’t get me wrong — but they deserve a break today and I’ll be spending some time with the tomorrow night,” he said, explained a few minutes later the reason for having his family in Iowa: “I’m going to be here…and I don’t want to be away from my family for three weeks.”
Santorum said before the family left home, he and the kids made peach jam using peaches from their own trees. He plans to serve that jam to people who stop by his tent at the Iowa Straw Poll August 13. No word, though, on whether that jam will be served on crackers, bread, toast or scones. Maybe BYOB (bring your own bread)?
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Sanctimonium will go down in a blaze in Ames. Such a shame, since the unemployed former Senator has clearly spent more time campaigning in Iowa than anyone else. Ron Paul 1st place!!