Rick Santorum to Speak at Family Policy Institute Fundraiser in Bellevue

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum will speak at the Family Policy Institute of Washington fundraiser at the Hyatt Bellevue on Wednesday, according to the group.

The group, which is affiliated with conservative group Focus on the Family and offers resources for those opposed to same sex marriage, will host Santorum at its two fundraisers in Spokane on Tuesday and in Bellevue on Wednesday. The Bellevue event will be hosted by radio host Michael Medved. Tickets to the Bellevue event are $95.

The Family Policy Institute of Washington calls Santorum "one of the leading
 voices in America on behalf of the family:"

"As a member of the  United States Senate Santorum has argued forcefully against policies that undermine the family and weaken America's economic competitiveness. And now he comes to Washington to help our fight for marriage, life, and religious freedom."

However, the Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest criticized Santorum's appearance, calling for him to withdraw from the appearances, due to his stances on abortion and same sex marriage:

“The open-armed invitation to Santorum reveals how extreme the organizations who oppose marriage equality are,” said Treasure Mackley, Political and Organizing Director at PPVotesNW. “If Preserve Marriage Washington and the Family Policy Institute want to be taken seriously by the people of our state, they need to retract their invitation to a man who is not only insulting but who also has a complete disregard for facts and the values of Washingtonians.”

A recent poll showed a majority of Washingtonians supporting passage of Referendum 74, a referendum that would affirm the legislature's law legalizing same sex marriages in this state. The most updated poll, released last week by KING-TV, showed that the referendum was getting 55 percent support.

For more information about the Santorum event, go the Family Policy Institute of Washington's website: http://www.fpiw.org/events/rick-santorum-events.html