Since Mitt Romney and Ron Paul continue to make the curious claim that former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum isn’t a fiscal conservative, here’s a quick, pocket-sized overview of spending grade point averages (GPAs) during Santorum’s tenure in the Senate — based on grades awarded by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).  The grades from NTU — a group that stands for lower federal spending and has Steve Forbes on its board of directors — are based on the perceived effects of members’ votes (weighted based on importance) on the size of the federal budget.   

Fifty senators served throughout Santorum’s tenure, including 25 Republicans.  Based on how the various states voted in presidential elections throughout this period, only one of those 25 Republicans (Maine’s Olympia Snowe) represented a state to the left of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was 3 points to the left of the national average in presidential elections during this period, backing Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry. Meanwhile, the majority of Republican senators represented states that were at least 16 points to the right of the national average. Paul, of course, has never served in the Senate, but his congressional district (Texas-14) was 34 points to the right of the national average — and 38 points to the right of Pennsylvania — over the past three presidential elections.