Popular conservative syndicated columnist, author, and Fox News Channel contributor Michele Malkin endorsed Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday, while slamming rival candidate Ron Paul for his foreign policy views.
Ms. Malkin is a self described wife, mother and blogger and frequently appears on Fox News.
Her endorsement of Mr. Santorum also included criticism of Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, as she labeled them a part of the “pro-bailout GOP crowd.”
Although she announced her support for Mr. Santorum Monday, the conservative writer called him out for the earmarks, steel tariffs, and the prescription drug entitlements he supported while a member of the Senate under the Bush administration.
However, she still believes that he is the best remaining candidate in the Republican primary race.
“Santorum opposed individual health care mandates — clearly and forecfully — as far back as his 1994 U.S. Senate run. He has launched the most cogent, forceful fusillade against both Romney and Gingrich for their muddied, pro-individual health care mandate waters,” wrote Ms. Malkin on Monday.
The Fox News contributor also believes that Mr. Paul should be more like his son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican. Similar to his rival candidates’ criticism, the conservative blogger believes Mr. Paul’s foreign policy views aren’t strong enough.
The Texas congressman wants to drastically reduce the U.S. military presence overseas in an effort to cut government spending. Mr. Gingrich and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann have each called Mr. Paul’s foreign policy views “dangerous.”
Mr. Paul defends his views by stating that he receives more campaign donations from active military members than all of his rival candidates combined.
“I wish Ron Paul was not the far-out, Alex Jones-panderer on foreign policy, defense, and national security that he is,” wrote Ms. Malkin “If Ron Paul talked more like his son, Rand Paul, about the need for common-sense profiling of jihadists at our State Department consular offices overseas and if he talked more about the need for strengthened visa screening and airport security scrutiny of international flight manifests, I might have more than a kernel of confidence that he would take post-9/11 precautions to guard against jihadi threats.”
Although she slammed his foreign policy, the conservative blogger called Mr. Paul “rock solid” regarding core economic issues.
In contrast to the other three remaining candidates, the conservative author calls Mr. Santorum the “most conservative candidate still standing.”
The Fox News contributor claims Mr. Romney could have earned her endorsement, but she simply believes the Bain Capital co-founder has too much “ideological baggage” to receive her endorsement.
Mr. Santorum thanked Ms. Malkin for her endorsement via his Twitter account Monday.
The former Pennsylvania senator has been unable to recapture the momentum he had after winning the Iowa caucuses in early January. Lagging well behind Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney in polls of Florida voters, he has ditched the Sunshine state to focus on campaigning in states with upcoming primary elections and caucuses, including Missouri and Colorado.
