Santorum may lose the nomination, but he's won my respect

Rick Santorum’s weak finish in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary likely quashed his chances of becoming the Republican presidential nominee. Either way, he’s earned my respect — and I’m no Santorum cheerleader. I have long been critical of his brand of Republicanism, which sees an active role for government in attempting to improve lives and foster a more moral society.

To be fair, Santorum was an early and prominent advocate for reforming Social Security and a leader in the Senate on welfare reform. But on the flip side, he backed the Medicare prescription drug plan, the bloated 2005 transportation bill and No Child Left Behind.