Top story: The former presidential candidate and senator stays in the picture for 2016 by quite literally staying in the pictures.
- Yes, you heard right: Rick Santorum is the new CEO of EchoLight Studios, “America’s fastest-growing faith and family film company.” (EchoLight Studios)
- Laugh, but the young film company boasts films with stars you’ve actually heard of, including Patrick Warburton, Corbin Bernsen and Dean Cain. (“Hoovey”) and (“25 Hill”) and (“I am Gabriel”)
- And, yes, Brian Dennehy, too. (“Welcome to Paradise”)
- Santorum’s new company also has worked with John Schneider (AKA “Bo Duke”), which is ironic as Schneider once played the role of Ram Peters, the head of a porno film company in “Nip/Tuck.” (Nip/Tuck)
- Now, if film producer seems an odd career path for Santorum, it’s not. After all, Santorum has been linked with some of the great film roles of all time. For instance, there was his presidential campaign visit to where “Field of Dreams” was made in Iowa. (NPR)
- One supporter even introduced Santorum as a modern-day version of Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (Reuters)
- And then, of course, there were the Mitt Romney aides who privately referred to Santorum as Monty Python’s Black Knight for not knowing when to give up. (Christian Science Monitor)
- Heck, Santorum is even known to attend movie premieres — for instance, in Dec. 2011, at the premiere of the anti-abortion documentary, “The Gift of Life.” (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Perhaps now Santorum can finish that film on Iran’s nukes he and the producer of “Braveheart” and “The Passion of the Christ” were once in talks about. (Think Progress)
- So what does this mean for Santorum’s 2016 plans? Who knows — although don’t be surprised when he touts his “private sector experience” if he runs for office again. (Robert Costa)
- Because during the last election, Romney and his people were only too happy to point out that hole in Santorum’s resume. (USA Today)
John Flowers