Former Pa. senator campaigns for Barrett in Bluffton

A former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania considering a run for the presidency in 2012 spent Tuesday evening in Bluffton to support his friend U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, who is seeking the Republican party's nomination for governor of South Carolina.

Rick Santorum, who Barrett introduced as a rock-solid conservative, praised his friend's leadership abilities and traditional values.

"He's a principled conservative (and) a born leader with a personality that can bring people together," Santorum said. "What more could you want from a governor in this state?"

Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007, has a brother, Dan, who lives on Hilton Head Island and is CEO of the Professional Tennis Registry.

Santorum said he wants to weigh in on issues important to the United States and be a part of the process that will determine who the Republican nominee for president is in 2012.

As for running himself, Santorum said: "I'm certainly considering it."

Santorum and Barrett spoke at Beaufort County Councilman Jerry Stewart's Sun City Hilton Head home, where a few dozen residents quizzed them over cheese and crackers on issues such as the Jasper Ocean Terminal, polarization in American politics and health care.

Barrett discussed job creation, tax reform, education and energy, including his goal of making South Carolina a national leader in the nuclear power industry. He said government in South Carolina must be restructured to make the state a leader in the right areas.

"Too many times when we're first we need to be 50," he said. "And too many times when we're fiftieth we need to be first."

Barrett and Santorum will appear at similar events in Rock Hill and Spartanburg today.

Barrett represents the state's 3rd Congressional District and lives in Westminster.

Other Republican gubernatorial candidates include Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Sen. Larry Grooms, state Rep. Nikki Haley and S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster.