Santorum targets welfare

 Republican Rick Santorum vowed Friday to cut government spending, regulations and entitlement programs during his first 100 days in office if elected president.

 Santorum told Michigan voters that social welfare programs have made millions of Americans dependent on government for the kind of help that churches and civic groups used to provide.

 When that happens, “we become detached from our neighbors,” he said. The government should remain “the ultimate safety net,” he said, providing only “a hand up, not a handout.”

 Santorum said “means-tested” entitlement programs should be turned over to the states and have time limits imposed for recipients. The plan would “save money and save lives,” he said.

 Santorum’s campaign had billed his 55-minute speech as a major announcement of his agenda for his first 100 days in office. But the proposals were familiar ones. They included steep cuts in spending and regulations, and the repeal of “Obamacare,” the 2010 Democratic- crafted health care overhaul.

Associated Press