DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Rick Santorum say a candidate’s fidelity to their spouse is a factor voters should consider, subtly distinguishing themselves from national poll leader Newt Gingrich.
Perry, Texas’ governor, said: “If you cheat on your wife, you’ll cheat on your business partner. It’s a characteristic people look at.”
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Perry and Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, are both aggressively courting social conservatives, and touting their family lives. “Certainly, it’s a factor and it should be a factor when you’re electing a leader,” Santorum said.
Gingrich, who has been divorced twice and admitted past infidelity, was asked the question last and confronted it as he has throughout the campaign.
“I think it’s a very important issue,” he said. “I’ve made mistakes at times and I’ve had to go to God for forgiveness.”
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