Santorum moving closer to 2012 decision

“When he speaks of our greatness as a country, he ties it to our modern social welfare programs,” Santorum said of Obama. “A president who doesn’t understand the greatness of the American experiment cannot confidently advance her interests.”

The former senator called Libya “a morass,” faulting Obama for not acting swiftly to support the rebels and oust leader Moammar Gadhafi.  

Santorum laid out a 10-point plan he said would mend the Obama administration’s foreign policy failures and “restore our greatness.” Anchored by what Santorum views as a need to shed political correctness in talking about the nation’s foreign policy challenges, his plan argues for a fundamental change in tone abroad.

“We are in a clash of civilizations, and we will ultimately win with ideas and ideals, not words of appeasement and not flimsy Hollywood culture,” he said. “Syria does not deserve an ambassador, its protesters deserve support, Israeli housing starts should not be put on the same moral plane as Hamas terror attacks and China should be challenged on religious liberty rather than be given a veto on the human rights activists we wish support.”

Santorum also rejected Obama’s proposed cuts to defense spending, calling it the “wrong signal” at the “wrong time.”

“Now is the time to not only be increasing our military preparedness but to finish the task of a comprehensive missile defense system,” Santorum said. “Nothing is so helpful to negotiations toward peace as overwhelming strength and defense. To ignore this lesson in the pursuit of utopian ideas of a nuclear free world is both irresponsible and dangerous.”