Karen Santorum says women have nothing to fear about her husband becoming president

MORGAN: Let's move on to more serious issues. One of the big things that's gripping, I guess, the whole race at the moment is this question of women's rights and women's issues. And John McCain was pretty strong on "Meet the Press." And I'll read you what he said. He said, "There's a perception out there because of the way this whole contraception issue is playing out. We need to get off that issue, in my view. We ought to respect the right of women to make choices in their lives." What did you think of that?

K. SANTORUM: Exactly. I completely agree. And the unfortunate thing is when Rick was asked the question, he said these are my personal beliefs. And the press kept asking him the issue about it again and again. Rick is brilliant with national security and jobs and the economy, and health care. And for some reason the press wanted to keep wanting to back to it. And really what it is, it's not an issue about contraception. It's an issue about personal freedoms.

And the fact that the government should not be making people go against their conscience. You know we all have — I think most people in America respect freedom of religion. And I think the real issue is not forcing people to go against their conscience and do things that they really don't think is right.

MORGAN: But when you said you agree with everything John McCain said, I mean do you agree with him when he says we ought to respect of women to make choices in their lives because that's — that's a pretty fundamental step away, I would say, from what Rick has been saying.

K. SANTORUM: Well, it depends what you're referring to. Absolutely with jobs, contraceptives. We feel differently. But with women wanting to be in the workforce and women wanted to be at home. With how they choose to live their lives. You know, get married, be single. You know there's so many different decisions. So I don't know, I don't know what John McCain was referring to. But I would agree with him with that.

MORGAN: Well, I think he was specifically talking about the issue of contraception which has been so dominant. I know that because of your Catholic faith, and you have a strong position on this, you've also got young daughters, of course. People will say, you know, how do you feel about changing times?

I mean they're going to grow up. They're going to grow up in an era which is — you know, contraception is very widely prevalent now amongst young women in this country. And many of them are thinking if Rick Santorum becomes president, what does it mean for me? Is he anti-women? Is he anti-us having contraception?

K. SANTORUM: Not at all.

MORGAN: Well, what is his view?

K. SANTORUM: Not at all. He is not anti-woman. And I can tell you, I'm a registered nurse, I'm a lawyer, and an author of two books. When I was doing my book tours, Piers, Rick was the one who was home changing diapers and making meals and cleaning the kitchen. He's been 100 percent supportive of me and my dreams and my career. It was my decision to stay home and be a mom at home. And some day when I come back to work, Rick will be 100 percent behind me.

So it makes me really sad that the media tries to do that to him. They try to make it look like he is something that he's not. Rick is a great guy. He is completely supportive of women. He's surrounded by a lot of very strong women. And I think women have nothing to fear when it comes to contraceptives, he will do nothing on that issue. I think the real issue was when I had said about the religious freedom issue and not allowing the government to be intrusive in our lives and force us to do something against our conscience.

MORGAN: When you say he'll do nothing on the contraception issue, do you mean that if he was to become president that he would basically respect a woman's right to have contraception if that's what she chose to do?

K. SANTORUM: Absolutely. And he has said that.

MORGAN: I mean, that seems to me to be a pretty fundamental conclusion to this debate. Because that's what people have been saying, is that, would Rick Santorum bring his personal religious beliefs to play as president? And from what you just said, I would imagine, the answer is not necessarily.

K. SANTORUM: Not in that area, no, absolutely not. And again, I think the issue is the government forcing people to go against their conscience. That's really the issue here that we're referring to.

Meanwhile, there's the joke that Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown said on St. Paddy's Day: that with Rick Santorum getting Secret Service protection, well, it's the first time he's ever used protection (a joke originally attributed to Conan O'Brien).

When asked about that last night, Karen Santorum rolled with it, saying, "Sometimes you just have to laugh. And I've reached a point now where I shut out a lot of things because I know that it can be pretty nasty. I continue to pray and I ask my children to pray for the other families out there who are also in this campaign. Because it's hard for everyone. You know, I thought that was sort of funny. Sometimes you have to just laugh. And other times you just sort of shut it out and ignore it."