The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

's rise comes at a time when Roman Catholics are looking for a greater voice within the Republican power structure. For sometime now, Pennsylvania's Sen. Rick Santorum was their standardbearer, but recent political missteps -- an embarrassing stemwinder of a speech at the 2004 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on the heels of his even more embarrassing support of pro-choice Specter in the Pennsylvania primary, and his very public support of Specter for the chairmanship of Judiciary as Santorum's base was working against his senior senator -- have left the junior senator vulnerable. /p>

"Rick's probably been a bit too clever, and maybe a little too comfortable," says a Senate committee staffer, who does not work for Santorum. "He's been the Catholic go-to guy for a couple of years now, and maybe taken them for granted. Brownback has very quietly built up a strong, compassionate-conservative portfolio of issues that appeals to the same base that President Bush has appealed to. He's someone Santorum will have to deal with."

p>Santorum's bumps in the road couldn't be coming at more critical time. He faces what is expected to be a bruising re-election battle from Democrats. br> /p>

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