Santorum, Curry to write columns for Inquirer

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and former editor George Curry will write for the

opinion page beginning next month.

editorial page editor Harold Jackson and publisher Brian Tierney made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. The two columnists will write every other week, on Thursdays.

"It is truly exceptional to get these two new outstanding voices in

," said Jackson. "Rick and George approach the issues facing our region and world from vastly different perspectives. Inquirer readers will have the benefit of reading both perspectives and making up their own minds about the right solutions."

Santorum was a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. During his tenure, he served on several important committees, including eight years on the armed services committee and six on the finance committee. He is the author of

. He is writing a second book on the war against a radical, Islamic fascist enemy and its growing global alliances.

He reiterated his stance that he is not looking for a return to politics, nor was he looking to be a journalist.

"I'm not in the newspaper business," he said. "I'm in the thinking business."

His column will be called "The Elephant in the Room."

Curry is a former Washington correspondent and New York bureau chief for the

, editor-in-chief of

magazine and editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service. He was also a reporter for

and the

.

In 2003, the National Associatiom of Black Journalists named him "Journalist of the Year." Under Curry's leadership,

won more than 40 national journalism awards.

His column will be called "Beyond the Spin."