Santorum Faces DeLay-Style Questions

The Washington Post reports that Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) needs to "lay out what he did and why he did it" if "he is going to put an end to questions about his travel and dealings with lobbyists."

It's true, DeLay needs to answer these questions. But then again, these very same questions should be swirling around Santorum as well. Santorum has run the so-called K Street project in which he "vets the hiring decisions of major lobbyists" at weekly breakfasts in the Capitol, despite the Senate Ethics Committee questioning Santorum's behavior. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on 8/12/02 that contributions to Santorum's campaign and political action committee "have come from some of the same lobbying firms that attend his breakfasts." That same campaign and PAC, according to a very recent Newhouse News Service story, is funding charter planes for Santorum's own personal travel "to the tune of nearly $83,000 in two years."

Is Santorum shaking down lobbyists to make them pay for his jet setting and lavish lifestyle? And what favors are those lobbyists getting from Santorum in return?