U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum yesterday defended the observations on women and work in his new book, and stood by his controversial remarks linking Boston's supposedly liberal climate to the scandal of priests and sexual abuse.

Santorum, R-Pa., who faces a likely challenge next year from Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., revisited those topics, lightning rods for criticism in recent weeks, as he embarked on a series of appearances to promote "It Takes a Family," his newly published work, which combines a critique of liberal orthodoxy with a call for conservative solutions to the challenges of poverty.

On Monday, the senator is scheduled to appear on the "Today" show, Fox News and, perhaps most improbably, "The Daily Show," with Jon Stewart, on Comedy Central.

Yesterday, at a taping of "KD/PG Sunday Edition," Santorum rebutted early criticism of the book, said that it pointed out the failures of both liberalism and conservatives in addressing poverty and expressed confidence in his re-election prospects for next year.

In stressing the importance of parental attention to children, Santorum writes in one widely noted passage, "Many women have told me, and surveys have shown, that they find it easier, more 'professionally' gratifying, and certainly more socially affirming, to work outside the home rather than give up their careers to take care of their children."

Santorum described that view as an unfortunate consequence of "radical feminism."

Asked during the taping if he believed it was acceptable for women to work outside the home, he said, "Sure, absolutely. My mother worked when I was growing up. ... I'm perfectly comfortable with that. All I've said is children need parents and they need parents to be there and help nurture and raise them."

In a brief interview later, Santorum reaffirmed remarks about Boston and the priests' sex scandal that brought a rare rebuke on the Senate floor from Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

In July 2002, Santorum wrote in an article in the journal Catholic Online: "Priests, like all of us, are infected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element of it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

That passage has sparked criticism from politicians of both parties, as well as from victims' support groups, many of whom have pointed out that priests' abuse was by no means confined to Boston, with widespread documented reports from across the United States and other nations.

"People are sort of taking that out of context because in 2002 that was the story; it was Boston," Santorum said yesterday. I mean yes, we found out subsequently that it occurred in a lot of other places."

While Boston was the primary focus of the scandal, particularly in the earlier months of 2002, by the middle the year the widespread nature of the problem was apparent and had been extensively reported.

In June 2002, the month before Santorum's article appeared, the nation's Catholic bishops met in Dallas, painstakingly reviewed the widespread reports and approved strict new guidelines for dealing with instances of abuse.

Santorum expressed reservations about the cover-ups of abuse by Boston's then bishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, and the fact that, although he resigned in disgrace in 2003, Law's colleagues allowed him a position of prominence as celebrant of a Mass prior to the funeral of the late Pope John Paul II.

"Let's put it this way, I didn't go to the Mass," said Santorum, who was among the American politicians who traveled to Rome for the papal funeral. "I think it showed that the Vatican hasn't quite gotten the message on the damage the cardinal did to the church in this country."

On other subjects during the program, which will air at 11:30 tomorrow morning on KDKA-TV, Santorum criticized the Penn Hills school board for appealing a decision that the district could not recover tuition money paid for Santorum's children to attend a cyber charter school.

A hearing officer said the district could not assert its claim because it had waited too long to file its objections.

"The fact that they are continuing to appeal this and pay taxpayers' dollars [is] clearly a political vendetta," said Santorum, who pointed out that the Democratic chair of Penn Hills is a member of the board pressing the appeal.

"...Who's benefiting from this? Certainly my children are not, certainly the children in Penn Hills aren't. Certainly the parents and families in Penn Hills are not."