Rick Santorum understands what’s bankrupting the United States, and it isn’t defense spending as the anti-American liberals claim. As he points out, defense spending doesn’t even make up 20% of our budget, while unconstitutional social programs make up 60% of our budget.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation will begin the next phase of reconstruction on state Highway 16B (Catron Boulevard) in Rapid City on Monday, Feb. 27.

The “mainstream” media and the rest of the Left are predictable freaking out over a speech Rick Santorum made several years ago in a Christian setting where Santorum talked about Satan’s designs to harm America. Of course, such things make the RINO establishment cringe as well. But it wasn’t that long ago that a double-landslide-winning Ronald Reagan talked openly of his faith in terms very similar to those of Santorum. Has reality changed? Has a winning philosophy changed? Or has liberalism changed?

Craig Shirley, author of “Rendezvous with Destiny,” recently expressed concern that the Republican Party has divorced itself from the principles that propelled Reagan to victory and has instead embraced big government, and Steven Hayward, a scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, said all of the current Republican Party candidates could do a better job of studying and learning from the example Reagan set.

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed several legislative bills on a variety of subjects including sales and use tax, pharmacy licenses, repealing outdated statutes, the State Cement Plant Commission, staffing, the Bureau of Intergovernmental Relations, redistricting, insurance agent examinations, and more.

Are you one of those poor folks who are scratching your head trying to figure out why the “Republican” leadership in Pierre doesn’t really seem too serious about stopping the implementation of PPACA (ObamaCare) in South Dakota ? You aren’t alone. But the money trail might provide some clues as to why the freedom of South Dakotans is being sold out by “Republicans.”

Another state legislature approves same-sex “marriage.” Another chip in the foundation of civilization. Another moment closer to a death sentence for a nation, and not even ObamaCare will be able to stop it. But the trials that we face in this nation, and in the West, are not about healthcare or even a constitutional crisis, but a crisis of ethics and morality.

As glad as I am to see Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine switch his support from a RINO liberal like Mitt “RomneyCare” Romney to Rick Santorum, I had to marvel as I listened to his explanation of why he supported Romney in the first place. For a high-level state leader and nationally-prominent person like Mike DeWine to fall for this utter nonsense about “he can’t win” for a good candidate, and “he’s the strongest candidate” for a lousy one?

Against the odds. Since the beginning of time, people have been stymied from achieving their goals in life because they are told, “It’s against the odds.” And all too often, they succumb to the naysayers who love to throw cold water on other people’s dreams. The real achievers in life, however, don’t let the odds determine their fate. Not satisfied with the reality envisioned by others, they decide to create their own. And they do it against the odds.

George Washington was born FEBRUARY 22, 1732. In his Farewell Address, 1796, President Washington stated: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness.”