Libertea Party
12-27-2011, 08:30 PM
I thinks it's obvious by now that Santorum is the establishment's "conservative alternative". He's basically going to play the role that Alan Keyes and some guy he endorsed in Kentucky against Rand Paul did. He's going to stalk Ron Paul portraying himself as the "consistent conservative". The good news is that unlike Keyes he actually has a horrible record he can't run away from. The bad news is that it's a shame that none of Iowa's voters will hear about it until the caucus is over. I'm guessing a lot of Newt's Iowa vote that doesn't go Ron Paul will go to him. More bad news is that he'll probably have some money behind him after Iowa.
So here is what New Hampshirites and more importantly South Carolinians and Floridians should know about 3rd/4th place Santorum:
Remember these points about Rick Santorum. Like all neocons his first loyalty is to the garrison state:
1) In fact if it wasn't for Arlen Specter there would be no Obamacare (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/04/08/sen_specter_says_he_would_still_vote_for_health_bi ll_if_he_was_a_republican.html). If Santorum wants to take credit for 1% of votes in Iowa (he claimed that his attacks on Ron Paul swayed the Ames Straw Poll for Bachmann) he has to own the 1% of votes in Pennsylvania for his public endorsement of Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Pennsylvania,_200 4#Results_2)
No Hack Santorum=No pro-Abortion (http://www.nationalreview.com/critical-condition/250356/obamacare-and-abortion-facts-william-l-saunders) Obamacare
Rick Santorum: Bringing you expanded government healthcare TWICE in 2003 and 2009!
The ad, which ran during Specter's 2004 primary fight against former Rep. Pat Toomey, features Santorum, a conservative darling, endorsing Specter and calling him the "key vote" in passing then President George W. Bush's tax cut plan.
"Arlen is with us on the votes that matter to move our agenda forward for this president and for the country," says Santorum as a picture of Specter and Bush strolling at the White House is shown on screen.
While Santorum's support almost assuredly aided Specter in narrowly beating back a challenge from Toomey six years ago, the words of the former senator -- not to mention the images in the ad -- are sure to come back to haunt the newest Democrat as he prepares to run for reelection.
So not only did he endorse the guy during the primary but he went on air saying only votes on taxes not abortion matter to him. This primary was probably the closest thing to a Tea Party primary before 2010.
It was definitely a precursor and who did Santorum go to bat for? The establishment pro-abortion, pro-union, pro-government sleaze Specter that left the party and provided the 60th vote for Obamacare.
2) Abortion isn't a vote that matters to Rick! Tax cuts only do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3HOb0NEJ1E
3) As he said in the Specter endorsement he was a member of the Senate Leadership. That means he was McConnell/Bush lackey and enforcer when they ran up the budget busting deficit and tanked our economy. I think the best point is that when the Republicans had finally had control and chance to shrink government they violated their Republican pledge and establishment hacks like Santorum ruined it by siding with Bush/McConnell and tanking the economy in 2008.
4) He supported and voted for No Child Left Behind and thus further federalization of education (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3769). Great news for conservatives (and homeschoolers).
5) Santorum supported the irresponsible and immoral expansion of Medicare Part D. He caved to the Bushies and not only expanding government health care but immorally set up the next generation to foot the bill. This was a huge dividing line among Republican establishment and small government believers.
What really bothers me about this is it was such despicable and immoral transfer of wealth to the relatively wealthy elderly from the struggling middle-aged and youth. You see for the purpose of argument if you buy the premise that people who get Medicare "paid into it" that's fine. But this is such a disgusting sham that Santorum supported the FREE GIVEAWAY to the current seniors and future Baby Boomer generation which either pay very little for the benefit or not one penny at all for current Seniors. Again they're the wealthiest demographic (http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/average-net-worth-of-an-american-family.html) and they're getting a government giveaway on the backs of the next generation that's poorer. They're contributing nothing at all or very little to their entitlement because of people like Rick Santorum. It's shameful pandering of the worst kind.
Also now Rick Santorum refuses to support a payroll tax cut which will would have been less of an revenue loser for current and future retirees had he not voted for the shameful entitlement expansion for wealthy seniors at the expense of working families.
6) Santorum endorsing Romney over everyone else in 2008. Now he runs against him? Santorum's most galling behavior is on the issue of Obama/Romneycare:
"Santorum called the Democrats' national health care overhaul the "most important issue" of the coming presidential election, and said it would "fundamentally change America going forward," before quickly pivoting to attack Romney, who he supported in 2008
"We'd better have a candidate who is out there and very, very strong in opposition to government-run health care and focuses on a health care system that centers on you, not on the government," Santorum said on Fox News Tuesday morning. "And that, I think, is a problem for Governor Romney this time around."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52993.htm
And this treasure:
“President Obama & former Governor Mitt Romney's policies both put government squarely at the center of your health decisions. But I believe more government is not the answer. And I'd be willing to bet you agree,” Santorum said in the email.
Ahead of Romney’s major health care speech last week, the Journal’s editorial page slammed Romney as a “compromised and not credible” candidate for president. The editorial board said if Romney couldn’t change his message on health care, he’d be fit to join the president on the 2012 Democratic ticket. Romney last week made the case that the health care reform law he signed in 2006 isn’t much like the one Obama signed last year, saying while both plans contain an individual mandate, the goals were different.
Santorum was quick to pounce then, faulting "a lack of foresight on Gov. Romney's part to understand the implications of his policy proposals."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55132.html
All of which he knew about when he endorsed him in 2008!
So Romney had a "lack of foresight of the implications of his policy proposals" in 2006 but Santorum doesn't "lack foresight" on his endorsement of Specter in 2004 and even more recently of Romneycare in 2008!
I'm sure there's other votes/statements out there but these are the ones that stick out for me. He's gotten a free pass so far due to the chaos in Iowa but Santorum is going to be getting the sort of media attention he hasn't been once the field narrows down.
So here is what New Hampshirites and more importantly South Carolinians and Floridians should know about 3rd/4th place Santorum:
Remember these points about Rick Santorum. Like all neocons his first loyalty is to the garrison state:
1) In fact if it wasn't for Arlen Specter there would be no Obamacare (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/04/08/sen_specter_says_he_would_still_vote_for_health_bi ll_if_he_was_a_republican.html). If Santorum wants to take credit for 1% of votes in Iowa (he claimed that his attacks on Ron Paul swayed the Ames Straw Poll for Bachmann) he has to own the 1% of votes in Pennsylvania for his public endorsement of Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Pennsylvania,_200 4#Results_2)
No Hack Santorum=No pro-Abortion (http://www.nationalreview.com/critical-condition/250356/obamacare-and-abortion-facts-william-l-saunders) Obamacare
Rick Santorum: Bringing you expanded government healthcare TWICE in 2003 and 2009!
The ad, which ran during Specter's 2004 primary fight against former Rep. Pat Toomey, features Santorum, a conservative darling, endorsing Specter and calling him the "key vote" in passing then President George W. Bush's tax cut plan.
"Arlen is with us on the votes that matter to move our agenda forward for this president and for the country," says Santorum as a picture of Specter and Bush strolling at the White House is shown on screen.
While Santorum's support almost assuredly aided Specter in narrowly beating back a challenge from Toomey six years ago, the words of the former senator -- not to mention the images in the ad -- are sure to come back to haunt the newest Democrat as he prepares to run for reelection.
So not only did he endorse the guy during the primary but he went on air saying only votes on taxes not abortion matter to him. This primary was probably the closest thing to a Tea Party primary before 2010.
It was definitely a precursor and who did Santorum go to bat for? The establishment pro-abortion, pro-union, pro-government sleaze Specter that left the party and provided the 60th vote for Obamacare.
2) Abortion isn't a vote that matters to Rick! Tax cuts only do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3HOb0NEJ1E
3) As he said in the Specter endorsement he was a member of the Senate Leadership. That means he was McConnell/Bush lackey and enforcer when they ran up the budget busting deficit and tanked our economy. I think the best point is that when the Republicans had finally had control and chance to shrink government they violated their Republican pledge and establishment hacks like Santorum ruined it by siding with Bush/McConnell and tanking the economy in 2008.
4) He supported and voted for No Child Left Behind and thus further federalization of education (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3769). Great news for conservatives (and homeschoolers).
5) Santorum supported the irresponsible and immoral expansion of Medicare Part D. He caved to the Bushies and not only expanding government health care but immorally set up the next generation to foot the bill. This was a huge dividing line among Republican establishment and small government believers.
What really bothers me about this is it was such despicable and immoral transfer of wealth to the relatively wealthy elderly from the struggling middle-aged and youth. You see for the purpose of argument if you buy the premise that people who get Medicare "paid into it" that's fine. But this is such a disgusting sham that Santorum supported the FREE GIVEAWAY to the current seniors and future Baby Boomer generation which either pay very little for the benefit or not one penny at all for current Seniors. Again they're the wealthiest demographic (http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/average-net-worth-of-an-american-family.html) and they're getting a government giveaway on the backs of the next generation that's poorer. They're contributing nothing at all or very little to their entitlement because of people like Rick Santorum. It's shameful pandering of the worst kind.
Also now Rick Santorum refuses to support a payroll tax cut which will would have been less of an revenue loser for current and future retirees had he not voted for the shameful entitlement expansion for wealthy seniors at the expense of working families.
6) Santorum endorsing Romney over everyone else in 2008. Now he runs against him? Santorum's most galling behavior is on the issue of Obama/Romneycare:
"Santorum called the Democrats' national health care overhaul the "most important issue" of the coming presidential election, and said it would "fundamentally change America going forward," before quickly pivoting to attack Romney, who he supported in 2008
"We'd better have a candidate who is out there and very, very strong in opposition to government-run health care and focuses on a health care system that centers on you, not on the government," Santorum said on Fox News Tuesday morning. "And that, I think, is a problem for Governor Romney this time around."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52993.htm
And this treasure:
“President Obama & former Governor Mitt Romney's policies both put government squarely at the center of your health decisions. But I believe more government is not the answer. And I'd be willing to bet you agree,” Santorum said in the email.
Ahead of Romney’s major health care speech last week, the Journal’s editorial page slammed Romney as a “compromised and not credible” candidate for president. The editorial board said if Romney couldn’t change his message on health care, he’d be fit to join the president on the 2012 Democratic ticket. Romney last week made the case that the health care reform law he signed in 2006 isn’t much like the one Obama signed last year, saying while both plans contain an individual mandate, the goals were different.
Santorum was quick to pounce then, faulting "a lack of foresight on Gov. Romney's part to understand the implications of his policy proposals."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55132.html
All of which he knew about when he endorsed him in 2008!
So Romney had a "lack of foresight of the implications of his policy proposals" in 2006 but Santorum doesn't "lack foresight" on his endorsement of Specter in 2004 and even more recently of Romneycare in 2008!
I'm sure there's other votes/statements out there but these are the ones that stick out for me. He's gotten a free pass so far due to the chaos in Iowa but Santorum is going to be getting the sort of media attention he hasn't been once the field narrows down.