Santorum Under the Microscope: Social Conservative & Big Government Statist

With his strong showing yesterday in Iowa, pundits are taking a closer look at former Senator Rick Santorum.
James Delingpole at The Telegraph argues today that a President Santorum would be a disaster:

As Michael Tanner notes at NRO, Santorum is the very opposite of what the US wants or needs right now. He’s a big government conservative.

There is no doubt that Santorum is deeply conservative on social issues. He is ardently anti-abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and no one takes a stronger stand against gay rights. In fact, with his comparison of gay sex to “man on dog” relationships, Santorum seldom even makes a pretense of tolerance. While that sort of rhetoric may play well in Iowa pulpits, it will be far less well received elsewhere in the nation.

At the same time, on economic and size-of-government issues, Santorum’s record is much weaker. In fact, Eric Erickson of Red State refers to Santorum as a “pro-life statist.”

When Hillary Clinton was justly excoriated by conservatives for her book It Takes A Village, which advocated greater government involvement in our lives, Rick Santorum countered with his book, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good, which advocated greater government involvement in our lives. Among the many government programs he supported: national service, publicly financed trust funds for children, community-investment incentives, and economic-literacy programs in “every school in America” (italics in original).

Santorum’s voting record shows that he embraced George Bush–style “big-government conservatism.” For example, he supported the Medicare prescription-drug benefit and No Child Left Behind.

He never met an earmark that he didn’t like. In fact, it wasn’t just earmarks for his own state that he favored, which might be forgiven as pure electoral pragmatism, but earmarks for everyone, including the notorious “Bridge to Nowhere.” The quintessential Washington insider, he worked closely with Tom DeLay to set up the “K Street Project,” linking lobbyists with the GOP leadership.

He voted against NAFTA and has long opposed free trade. He backed higher tariffs on everything from steel to honey. He still supports an industrial policy with the government tilting the playing field toward manufacturing industries and picking winners and losers.

The truth is Rick Santorum is so left on the issues that matter he makes even Mitt Romney look like a red meat conservative. Be very afraid, Republican America. This is how bad things are.

Newsmax also revealed today that Santorum obtained more than $1 billion of earmarks for Pennsylvania.

Perry’s ad claim that Santorum obtained more than $1 billion in earmarks during his time in office is likely legitimate, according to Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, which tracks government waste.

For instance, Pennsylvania in 2005 received $483 million in earmarks for 872 projects, including $5.4 million for an igloo upgrade for an Army Depot and $5 million for a new visitor center at Gettysburg.

Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said Santorum had worked closely with Specter on earmarks and wasn’t known to condemn the practice. “It was not a huge issue during his tenure,” he said.

‘Proud of the Money’
Santorum defended himself on Dec. 29 on Fox News: “I’m proud of the money that I did set aside for things that were priorities in my state instead of having bureaucrats do that.”

The online advertisement released by Perry opens with images of pigs — a play on so-called pork-barrel spending –and a clip of a Feb. 26, 2009, Santorum appearance on Fox News in which he says he is “very proud of all the earmarks” he inserted into legislation.

#1 January 4, 2012 at 12:30 pm
noislamocommie commented:

Voting against NAFTA sounds good to me.This free trade business gave middle-class Americans gazillions of illegal aliens in their local schools,ER,college subsidies. It was a Ruling-Class bonanza.I detest NAFTA & the UN equally.
#2 January 4, 2012 at 12:34 pm
olm commented:

I’m sorry but this field of candidates looks dismal to me. The last thing we need is Ron Paul but besides that, a big government consevative is just as bad.
I am completely discouraged.
#3 January 4, 2012 at 12:36 pm
bg commented:

++

OT..

via Kevin Jackson of The Black Sphere

[Urgent! Liberal U. S. Senator Harry Reid has scheduled a snap final
vote on the Senate version of the internet takeover bill. This measure
will give Eric Holder and Barack Hussein Obama the power to "police”
the internet, "sanitize” web searches, and shut down anti-Obama
websites.]

==
#4 January 4, 2012 at 12:37 pm
SnowSoul commented:

I hope the Iowa caucusers enjoyed relevancy while it lasted. They’re off the radar next time.
#5 January 4, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Bonanza driver commented:

Santorum will get a couple of days in the sun, if that…The guy is another lawyer and professional politician. He has virtually no experience outside of casting votes in Washington. He lost his senate seat to a democrat and later endorsed Arlen Specter’s losing bid for re-nomination for the senate race against Toomey who went on to win. As related above, he was none to shy about stealing taxpayer dollars for any and all Pennsylvania earmarks…Pathetic! Not ready to lead at any level…Besides, how does losing your seat in your home state translate to a candidate for President?
#6 January 4, 2012 at 12:44 pm
WakeUp commented:

first off remember who is reporting this. ABC NBC CBS CNN MSNBC. The Big Govt he is talking about is to DEFEND THE USA… that sounds so bad doesnt it. Making sure our boarders are SAFE from ISLAMIC TERRORISTS, and illegals… really bad huh. He does not want Big Gov like the far left. Remember big gov to the left is bad really???? look who they elected

BIG GOVT DADDY OBAMA ruler of the not so free USA…

Dont let the left fool you. Santorum is NOTHING like OBAMA, he’s about the USA
#7 January 4, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Multitude commented:

For those 30 Rock watchers, you might recall that Dennis Duffy is Liz Lemon’s on and off again loser boyfriend, creep, pager salesman, and self-declared “socially conservative, fiscally liberal” political disaster.

Is this what we have in Santorum? My high school son pointed out that Santorum would be exceptional in turning out the youth vote… for Obama. He’s probably the most hated Republican running for the young college-aged voters. While they typically don’t go Republican (unlike my kid), they’re pretty disaffected right now. Santorum’s big government social control views would rally the crowd for Obama.

Thanks RINOs for delivering such a pathetic field. I won’t make the same mistake of voting for a disaster like McCain twice.
#8 January 4, 2012 at 12:47 pm
MrGoodWench commented:

Hey remember once upon a time Hillary voted for ther Iraq war ? Before she started using that war to beat Bush with ?
#9 January 4, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Gary Ogletree commented:

Check Hillbuzz for more on Rick in action.
#10 January 4, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Joanne commented:

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/sheriff-joe-targeted-for-ouster/

They are trying to get Sheriff Joe out before he can present the findings of his posse he has investigating Obama’s eligibility in February.
#11 January 4, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Phlogiston commented:

Rush disassembled this load of malarkey fairly thoroughly this afternoon.
#12 January 4, 2012 at 1:02 pm
tarpon commented:

Rick didn’t propose RomneyCare

Rick is a Conservative. …
#13 January 4, 2012 at 1:05 pm
John commented:

What exactly does Romney stand for?
#14 January 4, 2012 at 1:11 pm
gary gulrud commented:

Big Government, more in-your-face BS from the Demopublican collective.

Obmamba or Omamba-Lite pick your poison Amerikkka.
#15 January 4, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Catholicgauze commented:

Missiahism continues. Maybe, just maybe one day we will realize there is no “perfect” candidate out there. We await for this “Reagan” to come again but remember the real Ronald Reagan and his record with some taxes, spending, tariffs, pulling out of Lebanon, and amnesty.
#16 January 4, 2012 at 1:18 pm
scinfidel commented:

Wow Jim, this is sad and your relevance is waning… As a Christian first, I won’t support a mormon, God has called us to choose Godly men, not pagans(Barack or Mitt). As a conservative I won’t support someone who supported abortion, gay-marriage and was a tax increaser.

Jim, get off Mitt’s nutsack it doesn’t suit you well.
#17 January 4, 2012 at 1:24 pm
RedBeard commented:

Our Republican candidates are not perfect! Oh, my dear stars and garters! Panic! Scream! Run in circles! All is lost, all is lost! This is the way the world ends!

Meanwhile, Barry Soetoro Obama, the worst internal enemy this nation has ever had, bides his time while laughing at our disarray.

Let’s stop with the circular firing squad agenda, and get on with defeating the Quisling-in-Chief and sending him back to a Chicago streetcorner to peddle his Marxist literature.
#18 January 4, 2012 at 1:26 pm
gee! commented:

The take-down of Santorum has begun……………..just sayin
#19 January 4, 2012 at 1:28 pm
#1AMERICAN commented:

where is ronald reagan when we need him…these candidates suck
#20 January 4, 2012 at 1:31 pm
SteveN commented:

Face it..It’s going to be Romney-Rubio by default.
Just sayin’
#21 January 4, 2012 at 1:32 pm
SteveN commented:

*ticket I meant.
#22 January 4, 2012 at 1:36 pm
donh commented:

With catastrophic debt problems upon us, the last thing this country needs is another Bart Stupack who holds the whole country hostage to the abortion issue . Rick will sell out spending cuts and regulatory reforms for petty symbolic consessions from abby killers. ….You will get very weak John Boehnerisms of trading trillion dollar debt ceiling increases in return for a doomed vote on a constitutional amendment banning abortion .
#23 January 4, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Dave commented:

If Santorum is the nominee plan on four more years of Obama.
#24 January 4, 2012 at 1:42 pm
MustComment commented:

Okay, so we aren’t all jazzed up over our GOP candidates. What is our alternative? We only have one choice and that is to back up the nominee. If not, what?
#25 January 4, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Ron commented:

I don’t trust him. He reminds me too much of Robamaney, and everyone on this board knows how I feel about NER’s. Perry/Gingrich or Gingrich/Perry 2012, any combination of the two would work. I’d prefer Governor Perry as POTUS, but would accept Newt. All of the others are Obama and Demlite. Not going to vote for Robamaney, Crazy Ol’ Uncle Ron or Santorum. Bachman had a chance with me until she pulled that constituent’s daughter became retarded after an immunization vaccine out of her @$$ in the second debate. Good grief would you guys WTFU! You are letting the Country Club R’s, Establishment R’s and the insidious LibDemCom media pick your nominee. Someone needs to do a reallity check here. You guys have let the Dems and their media cronies set the narrative on our candidates. Some of you have fed on our own good decent conservative potentials due to regional prejudices and undying devotion to celebrity candidates and hasbeens.
#26 January 4, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Jayne on Left Coast commented:

Good grief!!! I am so tired of the bashing whoever is in the lead or close. Obviously Romney was chosen in 2008 as it’s his turn next time. Time to start beating up on zero and his non record,and his Marxist agenda.
#27 January 4, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Maryd commented:

If this blog audience hasn’t listened to Rush today, please do! We can not fall for this Santorum bashing. The left is afraid of him.
#28 January 4, 2012 at 1:53 pm
FurryGuy commented:

Gee, like 4 more years of Obama is a better alternative?

Why wait for the Left and MSM to trash whoever is the GOP nominee when supposed allies are already doing just that to whoever is perceived to be the front-runner. Yet again we are allowing hostile forces to choose who we can vote for.
#29 January 4, 2012 at 1:55 pm
squeaky commented:

“..Eric Holder and Barack Hussein Obama the power to “police” the internet,..”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvrVSiKnlKk
#30 January 4, 2012 at 1:58 pm
More Liberty commented:

Rick IS a Big Government statist, and anti-liberty fruit cake. Why should actual Constitutional conservative vote for any of these RINOs? I’m tired of voting for “the not democrat” – I’ll be voting my conscious or not at all. Voting for the non-democrat got us the open borders, big government, big debt spender Bush. Voting for the non-democrat got us McCain, who in turn got us Obama.

These two parties are virtually the same. They both spend us into more debt and deficit. They both refuse to guard our own borders while guarding the borders of other nations. They all want to take money from the us taxpayer, and hand it over to some other country.

Look at the recent passage of the NDAA. This was bi-partisan and did nothing but take more rights away from the individual and give it to the government.

Yeah many of you racists out there like it because you think its targeting brown muslims, but the fact is it can be used against any US citizen on US soil.
#31 January 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Ron commented:

#27 Maryd: The left is afraid of him because he is the white Obama. He’s just rehashing the centrist political crap that worked for the”O’ in ’08, without reading off of a teleprompter and stumbling the hell all over himself without one. Remember a bunch of idiots voted for the “O” in ’08 to prove that they were not racists. The racist crap has been played out and this time a round a lot of those ipeople will not vote for Obama to prove that they are not stupid. The centrist message fooled some in ’08, and the LibDemComs think that Santorum’s centrist message will fool more people this time.
#32 January 4, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Cliff commented:

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that any time someone starts to challenge Romney stories start flying about how that guy just isn’t conservative enough? Conservative enough as compared to what? Not even Obama could make Romney look like a red meat conservative. There are no candidates in this race to the left of Romney. Romney would have been a better choice than McCain, but McCain isn’t running this time, he is endorsing Romney. Newt isn’t perfect, but his record is to the right of Romney. Santorum isn’t perfect, but his record is to the right of Romney. Perry isn’t perfect… Ron Paul is, well, Ron Paul (probably the only candidate that would make me vote Romney). All stories like this do is harm the conservative credentials of supposedly conservative sites that run them.
#33 January 4, 2012 at 2:08 pm
donh commented:

Right…say SHOVE IT to the entire Tea Party agenda, screw every single one of our objectives , spend the coming year throwing feces at Obama who you have helped achieve most all his agenda in stealth back door deals, and have all your AM radio hosts and bloggers push the hackneyed “lesser of 2 evils” mental prison used over the last 20 years to extort loyalty from an anally raped constituancy . You fail to realize such cruel devotion to wickedness makes you the GREATER of 2 evils .
#34 January 4, 2012 at 2:21 pm
P. Aaron commented:

I have a difficult time trusting the credibility of National Review these days. Romney pulls punches and is too into making a bloated government run well rather than cutting the waste & uselessness.

Santorum is at least Conservative & proud of it. He doesn’t apologize, he’s not defensive of it like Romney, and he takes it to Obama. Romney is…? It’s anyone’s guess.
#35 January 4, 2012 at 2:22 pm
dunce commented:

At the time he served it was called bringing home the bacon and you could not be re-elected if you did not get your states share of the federal spending because the money was certain to be spent on something somewhere. I have never heard of any building, airport, or highway named after Santorum, but Pennsylvania has plenty named after democrat politicians.
#36 January 4, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Sally commented:

A few things cement for me how Santorum is the real deal:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9fxRJIK3Ms.
Anything that this airhead says- think the opposite!

2. As Santorum was giving his sincere, strong speech w/ few notes last night, the Romney peeps were in a panic, dis-assembling Romney’s Tel-prompter and advising Romney to “give this morning’s off the cuff speech! Forget the Tel-prompter speech!!”

3. Mysteriously, the ‘powers that be” changed the rules on Virginia primary qualification, so that only Romny and Paul (due to his strong supporters) were able to scramble fast enough to qualify for the ballot! Anyone wanting to vote for the other candidates there is SOL.

Santorum needs our support now if we want to push aside the “scripted plan” for us….
#37 January 4, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Sasja commented:

jayne, maryd, I’m with both of you. Some of these posts are getting on my last nerve. I have come to the conclusion that some of these people are chronic complainers. There is no person walking on the face of this earth who is perfect. That hasn’t happened for over two thousand years.
#38 January 4, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Sasja commented:

I think Santorum is the best one to take the fight to Zero and win. We know Mittens won’t and he’s too much like Zero anyway.
#39 January 4, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Sorry to Live in Illinois commented:

LOL. My comment removed. I guess I shouldn’t compare the sensationalistic headlines on GP to MSNBC.
#40 January 4, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Bonanza driver commented:

scinfidel,

I’m not Mormon or particularly religious but your comments about Mormons is pretty disgusting…Moreover, the Mormon Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If that makes them pagans in your twisted little mind then know that your slander of millions upon millions says much more about you than them…Now pi$$ off!
#41 January 4, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Bonanza driver commented:

For the rampant anyone but Romney crowd who declare that they will not vote for Mitt if he is the nominee, who cares? Why do you feel like you have to announce the fact? Just take your toys and go home. Have a beer on election day, shake your fist at the tv or computer screen and revel in your personal rebellion. Nobody cares!
#42 January 4, 2012 at 2:39 pm
RedBeard commented:

If Santorum is the R nominee, I’ll vote for him in a heartbeat.

If Romney is the R nominee, I’ll vote for him in a heartbeat.

If Gingrich is the R nominee, I’ll vote for him in a heartbeat.

If Perry is the R nominee, I’ll vote for him in a heartbeat.

If my Black Angus bull is the R nominee, I’ll vote for him in a heartbeat.

Etc.
#43 January 4, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Molon Labe commented:

This is a bad joke. How does DSantorium stack up against Romney? No question he is more conservative in every way. Against Newt, ditto. Against the Crazy Uncle, are you kidding?

So exactly why is Santorium a big government statist compared to these others.

Well when you wqrite a hit job you just don’t compare and contrast Santorium with his opponents. Only Bachman was compatible. Santorium may not be my first choice but I trust him more thanthe country clubbers.
#45 January 4, 2012 at 3:01 pm
gee! commented:

# 42……….bing………..ditto here
#46 January 4, 2012 at 3:08 pm
WakeUp commented:

Stop falling for liberal media lies…. they want us to have ROMNEY…. they love him for us because Obama can and will defeat him if he is the nominiee…

Santorum is by far the one to watch, the one the media lies about next just so we get stuck with a fence riding Repubocrate…. we need to actually stick to a canidate or else obama will win and the country will go to hell in a heatbeat.
#47 January 4, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Ladue Pundit commented:

I wonder if James Delingpole at The Telegraph (UK) ever issued any dire warnings regarding the impending “disaster” of have Barack Obama as president. I’ll research and get back to you on this.
#48 January 4, 2012 at 3:53 pm
tru commented:

#43 Molon Labe commented:
So exactly why is Santorium a big government statist compared to these others.

He and Little Dick Durbin threw in with Peta and H$U$ and sponsored PAWS. He pushed hard for this bill and it took a lot for pet owners, breed clubs, hunters and rescues to defeat it.

http://saova.org/PAWS.html
S1139 was introduced by former Senator Rick Santorum on 5/26/05 and PAWS mirror, HR2669, was introduced by Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) PA-6. PAWS was promoted by Animal Rights groups as legislation that “will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).” Typical of the animal rights agenda, their description of what PAWS does is disingenuous, at best. At worst, it absolutely misleads legislators and the public into thinking this legislation will put an end to “puppymills,” when nothing could be further from the truth.

What PAWS did was federalize a hobby – by subjecting home breeders and rescuers of cats and dogs to USDA licensure and over 60 pages of regulations. It further provided groundwork for imposing extra restrictions on “any person who buys, or sells any dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.” [see definition of "Dealer"] Essentially, the best source for puppies and kittens – the home breeder – will be all but eliminated; thereby assuring that the only choice for consumers are commercially-bred pets.
————
At least he didn’t put his dog on the roof of his car and drive to Canada like Romney did.
#49 January 4, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Kaye commented:

Please take a look at Rush’s website. He debunks the Rick Santorum Big Government meme. I am sick of everyone attacking every candidate that is not ROMNEY.
#50 January 4, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Luddite commented:

Circular firing squad…FIRE!
#51 January 4, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Jane commented:

Lincoln was a lawyer and a professional politician. His first big project was trying to get public railroads through. His second was to limit slavery, because he was first and foremost for the working man and for a market economy over an agrarian, paranoid Jacksonian economy. A working man couldn’t compete against a plantation owner who relied on free labor.

The Republican party is the party of Hamilton. It always has been about big ideas. Yes, we’ve gone too far. The Democrat party completely lost its way, too. But Jacksonians, in my opinion, should try to reform the Democrat party. But there’s nothing wrong with Mr. Santorum’s resume. A businessman will not make a better President based on his resume alone. That’s foolishness.
#52 January 4, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Freddy commented:

ANOTHER FULL BORE attack on anything not Romney!

The truth matters little to gateway pundit.
#53 January 4, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Ladue Pundit commented:

Apparently Delingpole has a decent website exposing the global warming hoax. Little else there regarding fiscal policy.

I heard Rush deflate the Santorum as ‘big spender’ argument and waited for someone to bring up No Child Left Behind and Medicare Part D, two thing the GOP should not have done.

That said, I’ll vote for anyone who runs against BHO. It’s for the children–mine.
#54 January 4, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Ron commented:

#50 Luddite: The circular firing? I disagree. Cannibalism comes to mind; Certain socalled conservatives pounced on and ate their own kind when Governor Perry announced his candidacy. I think most of it was due to the unhinged Nistas at the time he announced, because his announcement knocked her down a notch or two. The implosion came when an awful lot of people got their feelings hurt when when Governor Perry made the “Don’t have a heart” comment. Ofcourse Bachman screwed the pooch with the “A vaccine made the daughter of one of her constituents retarded”comment. Then that set the Queen of Virtue MM off (Whom I strongly believe thought that because of Guardisil one of her precious flowers would use it as an excuse to sew wild oats), and then Juggs jumped in and went crazy because Sarah Palin was knocked into irrellevency as a potential presidential candidate following his announcement. The fembots on our side went apopleptic over that fiasco. I still support Governor Perry as presidential candidate but would settle for a Gingrich/Perry ticket in ’12, but would prefer a Perry/Gingrich ticket.
#55 January 4, 2012 at 5:13 pm
FurryGuy commented:

#32 January 4, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Cliff commented:

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that any time someone starts to challenge Romney stories start flying about how that guy just isn’t conservative enough?

No, you are not the only one. Have you also noticed as I have that whenever Mr. Holt posts some tidbit that other people in the blogosphere are saying, more often than not self-serving and self-appointed pundits, that many of the commentors see it as bedrock opinion of Gateway Pundit and Mr. Holt?
#56 January 4, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Listen Up commented:

I am CONVINCED that Americans LOVE being conned.

POLITICIANS like Clinton, Bush, Obama, Romney, Gingrich, & Santorum get elected; STATESMEN like Ron Paul are marginalized.

POLITICIANS say what you want to hear to GET ELECTED, while STATESMEN have CONVICTIONS, PRINCIPLES, and INTEGRITY.

Aren’t you SICK AND TIRED of being LIED TO? Aren’t you sick of being EXPLOITED? Do you love seeing our national interests sold to the HIGHEST BIDDER? Doesn’t anyone realize if we keep electing men like this, we’ll continue down a path of national destruction?

When will we learn to stop prioritizing IMAGE, PERSONALITY, and ORATORY SKILL? When will we stop supporting CRIMINALS who disregard, and merely play lip service to the HIGHEST LAW IN THE LAND – The U.S. Constitution.

When will we learn that the U.S. Constitution IS THE ESSENCE OF AMERICA? When will we realize that those who pervert, undermine, or violate the Constitution and Bill of Rights are CRIMINALS and TRAITORS?

Maybe America will wake up in time. Likely not. I pray so. Either way, WE’LL GET WHAT WE DESERVE.

Ron Paul 2012
#57 January 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Listen Up commented:

Congratulations Rick Santorum, voted the Most Corrupt Politician In 2006 by Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/index.php/press/entry/crew-releases-second-annual-most-corrupt-members-of-congress-report
#58 January 4, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Ruebacca commented:

Social conservatives were appart of Rosovelts coalition. SC want to spend MY money to help OTHERS so THEY can fell better.
#59 January 4, 2012 at 5:21 pm
FurryGuy commented:

#56 January 4, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Listen Up commented:

I am CONVINCED that Americans LOVE being conned.

First off you say something I could agree with, but then you have to finish off with

Ron Paul 2012

Oh, the irony. Thanks for unintentionally (I can only hope) providing such a good laugh regarding your atrociously obvious lack of credibility.
#60 January 4, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Kaye commented:

Listen up/ Every person on that list is a Republican. Crew is a Soros fuhded entity, Try again
#61 January 4, 2012 at 5:28 pm
GotFreedom commented:

Has there ever been any Congressional Rep/Senator who has not taken earmarks for their state? Haven’t earmarks been around since the founding of our country? Serious questions–would really appreciate some perspective–thanks
#62 January 4, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Deanna commented:

#57 January 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Listen Up commented:

Congratulations Rick Santorum, voted the Most Corrupt Politician In 2006 by Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington.
I hope you’re a Liberal Dem because no Conservative or Republican would use CREW as reference for anything. They have a Liberal Dem agenda and the head of CREW was a staffer for both Conyers and Schumer. It’s gotten money from Soros and who knows what otherLeft Wing groups/people.
I hope everyone reads this and ignores your link.
#63 January 4, 2012 at 5:46 pm
valerie commented:

No. Barack Obama is a disaster. Rick Santorum would be a president.
#65 January 4, 2012 at 6:02 pm
bg commented:

++

only 1 billion?? /s/

CAGW

hah, bet Pauls earmarks (not to mention
numerous others) run much higher..

how long has he been robbing US blind
in the name of the US Constitution??

==
#66 January 4, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Sparky commented:

Maybe people should put Romney under the same microscope that other candidates have been subjected to.

Romney is getting a complete pass as did Obama.

Thankfully, Gingrich is taking off the gloves and will force petulant Romney to publicly answer questions and be held accountable for his Progressive political record.

Santorum has a Conservative ideology while Romney just wants power.
#67 January 4, 2012 at 6:15 pm
bg commented:

++

Sparky #66 January 4, 2012 at 6:08 pm

if you haven’t been here awhile, then
you missed all the anti-Romney posts..

i wouldn’t mind discussing all the candidates flaws, but for some reason,
that aspect of debate in here seems to have morphed into noting more
substantial than a personal tit for tat attack fest..

==
#68 January 4, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Sam commented:

It has come to be normal for me to not be shocked by the intellectual bankruptcy, intellectual dishonesty and lack of principles of conservatives on this website.

Why is Rush Limbaugh revered as a sole, infallible source of information on this site? The level cowardice of some people here to actually check out a candidate for themselves on independent websites is embarrasing. Rush didn’t debunk anything about Rick Santorum’s real big government conservatism. In an attempt to defend K Street he basically admitted that big government is OK, as long as it is used to combat big government liberalism.

YOU PEOPLE AGREE WITH THIS?

ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY INSANE?

How is right-wing social engineering anymore desirable than left-wing social engineering? It’s still government intrusion in people’s lives and will eventually lead to a massive backlash from either side.

All these people who are whining and crying that their dear Rick is being unfairly attacked need to zip it and suck it, because after next week he won’t even be in the race. Stop deluding yourselves. The left went after Ron Paul on the newsletters and the Right were even more zealous in their attempt to make Paul appear a racist and a homophobe even when all of that is clearly untrue. You people here constantly engage in petulant and disgusting attacks of Ron Paul.

You deserve your dreams to be shattered.

You deserve to be gagged, neutered and sterilized that the good little labradoodles you are and get in line to vote for Romney.

You deserve to receive four more years Obama and with that, the completion of the annihilation of America in which the Party of Stupid in which you cling to is the chief accomplice.
#69 January 4, 2012 at 6:20 pm
bg commented:

++

Sam #68 January 4, 2012 at 6:18 pm

got anything to back that up??

thanks..

==
#70 January 4, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Sam commented:

Rick Santorum is NOT a conservative.
#71 January 4, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Sam commented:

69. bg

Why don’t you google it, you moron.
#72 January 4, 2012 at 6:27 pm
fightinggranny commented:

Rick Santorum is NOT a Big Government man. I live in PA and he was my Senator. I cannot believe the stupidity I am reading here. The far left doesn’t even have to run a candidate to have the Conservatives eat their own. The attacks have started against Rick and this site is perpetuating the lies. WAKE UP PEOPLE. Support your candidate, don’t let the establishment make this decision for you. That’s how we got McCain and Romney.
#73 January 4, 2012 at 6:31 pm
bg commented:

++

Rick Santorum, Big Government Conservative

[In his book he comments, seemingly with a shrug, “Some will reject what I have to say as a kind of ‘Big Government’ conservatism.” They sure will. A list of the government interventions that Santorum endorses includes national service, promotion of prison ministries, “individual development accounts,” publicly financed trust funds for children, community-investment incentives, strengthened obscenity enforcement, covenant marriage, assorted tax breaks, economic literacy programs in “every school in America” (his italics), and more. Lots more.]

Santorum was speaking intellectually
and honestly, David Boaz.ot so much..

[At least Santorum is right about one thing: sometimes the left and the right meet in the center. In this case the big-spending, intrusive, mommy-AND-daddy-state center. But he’s wrong that we’ve never had a firmly individualist society where people are “left alone, able to do whatever they want to do.”]

to way too many people, the words in “quotes” do
not hold the same values they used to these days..

==
#74 January 4, 2012 at 6:32 pm
bg commented:

++

Sam #71 January 4, 2012 at 6:22 pm

i wouldn’t mind discussing all the candidates flaws, but for some reason,
that aspect of debate in here seems to have morphed into noting more
substantial than a personal tit for tat attack fest..

thank, i did, you’re dismissed…

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#75 January 4, 2012 at 6:34 pm
bg commented:

++

re: #74 January 4, 2012 at 6:32 pm bg

noting = nothing

thank = thanks

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#76 January 4, 2012 at 6:36 pm
bg commented:

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oh crap..

re: #73 January 4, 2012 at 6:31 pm bg

Boaz.ot so much.. = Boaz, not so much..

whatever..

==
#77 January 4, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Got Billy Ayers on Speed Dial commented:

I thank the republicans in Iowa for their support of a true conservative. The process worked. Rick Santorum would be an appealing nominee given the current slate of candidates.

And he will take it to Obama.
#78 January 4, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Fionnagh commented:

#42 nails it. I will add…anyone who chooses NOT to support the GOP nominee is giving his/her vote to Obama. This is looking like 2008 all over again, when folks stayed home rather than vote for McCain, because McCain (among other things) “was not conservative enough.” Get real, people. You play with the hand you’re dealt, not the hand you wished you would have been dealt.
#79 January 4, 2012 at 7:33 pm
burt commented:

Time for Obama and his media thugs to draw their knives and attack Santorum.
#80 January 4, 2012 at 7:37 pm
bg commented:

++

re: #73 January 4, 2012 at 6:31 pm bg

“leave these people alone if this is what they want”

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#81 January 4, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Vicky Hernandez commented:

This scrutiny is good. The earlier candidate’s skeletons are taken out of their closets and made to dance in the front yard the better. Don’t need no “October Surprises!”

Next stop Romney. He needs his feet held to the fire now about a lot of things, now. It’ll be worse if the Libs do it.
#82 January 4, 2012 at 8:02 pm
MJ commented:

O’Reilly just dumped all over Santorum.
Bill gives nice, cordial interviews to socialists like Ed Asner, Clinton and Roseann Baar, and treats Santorum like a crumb.
#83 January 4, 2012 at 8:04 pm
el polacko commented:

if santorum should, somehow, end up as the candidate then obama wins. there is SO much in santorum’s past statements that shows him to be mis-informed, ill-informed, completely ignorant, often loony, and sometimes downright hateful that there will be more than enough ammunition to easily make him a laughingstock and worse.
#84 January 4, 2012 at 8:30 pm
myohmy commented:

Santorum big government statist, compare to who? GP is a big fan of Perry ‘gardasil mandates’.
#86 January 5, 2012 at 1:21 am
Molon Labe commented:

56 68
Craig:

Everyone knows these inane, incoherent ramblings of a damaged mind are yours. Only a Ronulian such as yourself continues to beat a dead horse with such fervor. Why transfer your affections to something more appropriate, like Lindsay Lohan or some other crack wacked slut. But in your case it should more appropriately be some crack addled queer like Barney Frank or Elton John.

Your comments still amuse. They are like wtaching this is your mind on drugs commercials.
#88 January 5, 2012 at 7:11 am
Fuquay Steve commented:

How’s that Romney kool aid? When’s the joint staff meeting with The Daily Caller scheduled? It’s Romney or nobody in your eyes.
#89 January 5, 2012 at 7:25 am
Gary commented:

It makes sense that as conservatives, we recoil at the idea congressmen going after the pork, but as I heard one old Republican explaining it the other day, there are states that are net contributors and those that are net detractors.
If you’re from a state that is kicking in far more tax revenue than another state, it makes sense to try to get as much of it back as possible. Not to do so would be to participate in wealth redistribution on a state-to-state scale.

So I won’t fault Santorum on that at this point.

Lastly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Romney tap Santorum for VP in a last minute move to seal the nomination early.
#90 January 5, 2012 at 7:29 am
Trish commented:

Fighting Granny is right! PA is a blue-ish state…but if voter fraud weren’t entrenched here, it would be red. So when we had him, we sholud have loved him. Rick’s a good guy, a true conservative and he only did the job he was sent to DC to do! Murtha the rat ba&tard was NOT a good guy, but he got “stuff” and was re-elected by his district far far too long…rest his soul.
The days of earmarks are over- at least for now- but if and when there is surplus money in the govt, it will retrun. It is what the reps are meant to do- get stuff for their state. Now, did it get crazy ie dog parks, airports in the middle of nowhere, bridges over turtles- all frivolous stuff that should be stopped- yes. But if the state needs something for real, then of course they will and ought to try to get the funding. However- right now- we HAVE NO MONEY. That is the issue at hand. And it needs to be completely stopped until the damage is reversed. But infighting and beating Rick up for doing what a good representative does, is stupid. And as she put it, we don’t need no stinking democrats to destroy our chances, we will gleefully destroy our own, again.
#91 January 5, 2012 at 7:30 am
Gary commented:

Sparky 66
You’re dreaming on that point. Romney didn’t get where he is by being “forced into” anything.
Gingrich can ask the questions, but that doesn’t mean Romney will answer them. What is a more realistic result is Romney coming back at Gingrich with a hundred questions about his own past. Then Gingrich will whine and complain to the cameras, and Romney will go on tv with a cooly waxy composure and say that Gingrich shouldn’t be such a whiner.
And the majority of voters will agree.

That’s the way the game is played.
#92 January 5, 2012 at 7:40 am
B commented:

What in the world is wrong with voting against NAFTA?

“Dictatorship can be established only by a victory of socialism in different countries or groups of countries, after which there would be federal unions of the various groupings of these socialist countries, and the third stage would be an amalgamation of these regional federal unions into a world union of socialist nations.” — Comintern 1936

Ofcourse, NCLB is no child left out of the marxist dialectic process.
#93 January 7, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Ron Paul 2012 commented:

‎”One of the criticisms I make is to what I refer to as more of a Libertarianish right… That is not how traditional conservatives view the world. There is no such society that I am aware of where we’ve had radical individualism and that it succeeds as a culture.” – Rick Santorum