He's back: Santorum runs as reliable conservative

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two decades ago, Rick Santorum took the House by storm as a freshman rabble-rouser who gave the complacent Republican leadership fits.

One decade ago, Santorum vaulted into the Senate GOP leadership as a young firebrand whose conservative zeal later helped cost him his seat in Congress.

Now, in a new decade, Santorum is back.

At 53, he's entering the Republican presidential race no longer offering himself to voters as a rising star or the next big thing, but as the tried-and-true candidate conservatives can count on — like an old shoe that fits better than anything new.

"Someone who's been there for many, many years talking about the same issues …