Rick Santorum Says VP Candidate Must Be Pro-Life

Failed presidential candidate and former senator Rick Santorum has spoken out in a new interview, saying that presumptive nominee Mitt Romney must choose a pro-life candidate to be his running mate against incumbents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Yahoo’s Power Players’ blog reported that Santorum added, “this is non-negotiable for a vice presidential pick.”

Santorum, who also tried for the Republican nomination for the presidency and was a frontrunner for a time, is now campaigning for Romney, despite their differences.

Power Players reported that Santorum supports Romney over Obama because he believes the president is abusing his powers. Santorum made the remarks in an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, in a segment that included the two competing in a friendly bowling match, which Santorum won.

The pro-life website Lifenews.com also reported Santorum’s remarks.

“For the Republican Party to nominate someone who is pro-choice would be as much of a problem for the Democrats to nominate someone who is pro-life,” Santorum said in the interview.

Lifenews pointed out that Romney has, during the current election cycle, pledged to do exactly as Santorum suggests.

It was during a 2011 presidential candidate forum, when Rick Santorum was still in the race, in South Carolina that Romney was asked if he would select a running mate who shared his pro-traditional marriage and pro-life views.

“I certainly imagine so, I haven’t made and selections in that regard,” Romney answered. “As I look around at the people I would consider I would expect that they would all be pro-life and pro-traditional marriage…but this is an important enough issue that the person that I would select in that position would share my views on those important issues.”

Will Mitt Romney do as Rick Santorum asks, and if so, what impact will it have on the election?