6. His High School Nickname Was "The Rooster." According to a 2005 profile in the Philadelphia City Paper, when Santorum was in high school, "Everybody called him 'Rooster' because of a strand of hair on the back of his head which stood up, and because of his competitive, in-your-face attitude. 'He would debate anything and everything with you, mostly sports,' [a friend recalled]. 'He was like a rooster. He never backed down.'" That profile also contains this description of the young Santorum, before he met his wife, courtesy of a cousin: "Rick was a funny guy. He sported a bushy moustache for a time, wore Hawaiian shirts and smoked cigars. He liked to laugh, drink and call things 'horsey-assey.' He was very popular and fun to be around."
7. He Represented the World Wrestling Federation. Santorum has a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a law degree from Dickinson. In his first career, as a lawyer, he represented the World Wrestling Federation, "arguing that pro wrestling was not a sport and should be exempt from federal steroid regulations," according to the City Paper profile.
8. He's Obsessed With Iran. Santorum is an extreme Iran hawk, arguing that tough action, likely military, is needed to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. In effect, he says, the U.S. has been at war with Iran since 1979, and regime change will be necessary to ensure the country is no longer a threat. Santorum has been pounding this drum for some time. In 2005, he authored a bill to put $10 million toward Iran regime change.
9. He's a First-Generation American. Santorum's grandfather immigrated from Italy when his father was young. Santorum frequently mentions this fact to support his argument that he's not against immigration, only illegal immigration, against which he takes a very tough stance. On Sunday in northwestern Iowa, he pointed to the five years his grandfather spent apart from his family to argue that breaking up families to send illegal immigrants home is not inhumane, as some contend. His family was temporarily broken up, he said, "but America was worth it."
10. The Rap on Him. As Santorum's chances have improved recently, Mitt Romney has attacked him as a Washington insider who lacks executive experience. Rick Perry has taken aim at his seeking of earmarks, his votes in favor of increased federal spending and his support for raising the debt ceiling while he was in Congress. Though Santorum believes in lowering taxes and decreasing regulation, his willingness to get government involved in people's private lives and his aggressive national-security views tend to supersede his belief in small government. But the mark on Santorum's record that seems to chafe conservative primary voters the most is his endorsement of his former colleague, former Sen. Arlen Specter, in Specter's 2004 Republican primary against Pat Toomey. Santorum recorded a pro-Specter ad vouching for his conservative bona fides and continues to defend Specter's record. In 2010, facing almost certain defeat, Specter switched parties, only to lose the Democratic primary. Toomey won the general election.
11. The Sweater Vest. Santorum has recently adopted a sartorial trademark, wearing a sweater vest over a dress shirt at every recent campaign stop. Asked by MSNBC's Chuck Todd how that came about, Santorum said it started when he wore one at a Mike Huckabee-hosted candidate forum in Des Moines in mid-December. "That day, I just happened to have a sweater vest on," he said. People at that event took notice -- some wondered whether the inspiration came from Santorum's national communications director, Hogan Gidley, whom Santorum describes as "one of the most unique dressers in political history." (For the record, Gidley denies involvement.) Ever since then, Santorum has been sporting the sweater vest, which, with its aggressively vanilla, anti-fashion flavor, seems to suit him.
CBS News/National Journal embed Naureen Khan tweets from Iowa on Sunday: "@naureen_cbsNJ: Coffeeshop in Sioux City crammed with ppl to see Santorum" (Naureen Khan via Twitter)
Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, right, and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, talk during a hunt at Doc's Hunt Club in Adel, Iowa, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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