By CHARLES BABINGTON
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum says no group has done a better job of promoting American freedom than the National Rifle Association.
Santorum told the NRA convention Friday in St. Louis that the gun-rights group has been a vital beacon for individual liberties.
He praised GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney and said conservatives must back Republican candidates even if they find them imperfect.
Santorum said it is essential to defeat President Barack Obama in November. If re-elected, Santorum said Obama may be able to turn the Supreme Court in a more liberal direction should any of the longest-serving justices retire.