Senator Santorum Gets a Life

Not mentioning whether he misses the World's Most Deliberative Body, Opinion Journal Political Diary turns to John Fund to answer "Whatever happened to Rick Santorum?"

The former two-term senator from Pennsylvania is proving that defeated officials can mine a wealth of opportunities beyond politics. Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer announced that he will become a columnist for the largest newspaper in the Keystone State. His column will be called "The Elephant in the Room" and focus on cultural and foreign policy issues rather than politics.

Mr. Santorum is busy in other areas. He is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Washington think tank. When I caught up with him at a recent Becket Society dinner, he told me most of his work there revolved around warning about the threat of Islamic terrorism. He may even go to Hollywood to get his message out. He has talked with Steve McEveety, who produced the Mel Gibson megahits "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ," about a movie idea.

His film would center around three Iranian brothers who pursue different life paths. One eventually comes to the U.S. as a terrorist. While the film would be an action-packed thriller, Mr. Santorum told me he thought it could also be used to carry an educational message.

I've conceded that Santorum was not my favorite Republican, but a lot of people around this blog devoted much blood and treasure to his re-election, and the country would have been far better off had they succeeded.

UPDATE: DB Light from PA Water Cooler links to Don Surber's advice for the Senator.

First, don’t tell anyone but this is the easiest gig in the world. You get paid to piss people off. Not much, but it beats pissing people off for free.

Pennsylvania Posted by jk at October 25, 2007 12:55 PM