Rick Santorum, Earmarxists, and the Pro-Life Statist

[rambone]

From RedState:

Rick Santorum, Earmarxists, and the Pro-Life Statist (http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/12/29/rick-santorum-earmarxists-and-the-pro-life-statist/)


A number of people read my post yesterday about Rick Santorum and still are scratching their heads. In my book RedState Uprising I spent a bit of time dealing with “pro-life statists” who will be the death of the conservative movement if we do not start standing up to them.

Rick Santorum is a pro-life statist. My friend Ned Ryun introduced me to the term and his post on pro-life statists written in the wake of Congressman Mark Souder’s resignation sums up every issue I have with Rick Santorum.

[Agorism]

He's a Perry hack.

[Liberty Shark]

He's a Perry hack.

True.

Also, as much as I find Santorum to be a statist and warmonger, I will defend him on the earmark issue as it is a non-issue. Earmarks do not increase spending, they direct spending. I'd rather have a politician familiar with state/district decide where to allocate money that will be spent anyways instead of a Washington bureaucrat. The politician can be held accountable by voters if they feel money was misallocated, whereas the bureaucrat remains largely anonymous and susceptible to backroom deals.

I would recommend going after Santorum on votes on No Child Left Behind and the Bush Medicare plan.

[Feeding the Abscess]

True.

Also, as much as I find Santorum to be a statist and warmonger, I will defend him on the earmark issue as it is a non-issue. Earmarks do not increase spending, they direct spending. I'd rather have a politician familiar with state/district decide where to allocate money that will be spent anyways instead of a Washington bureaucrat. The politician can be held accountable by voters if they feel money was misallocated, whereas the bureaucrat remains largely anonymous and susceptible to backroom deals.

I would recommend going after Santorum on votes on No Child Left Behind and the Bush Medicare plan.

I also support staying away from attacking on earmarks, but Paul and Santorum approach earmarks very differently. Santorum as #3 in the Senate, and was involved in trading favors for votes - what most people are referring to when they say "pork," and often conflate legitimate earmarking with this practice.

[Feeding the Abscess]

Triple post

[Feeding the Abscess]

triple post

[BamaAla]

Yeah, we don't want to go after him on earmarks; that would blow up in our faces hard and fast. There is plenty that he is horrible on though, so it's no loss really.

[FrankRep]

Is Rick Santorum Pro-Life?

Rick Santorum Supported Pro-Abortion candidates: Arlen Specter, Christine Todd Whitman
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?344656-Rick-Santorum-Supported-Pro-Abortion-candidates-Arlen-Specter-Christine-Todd-Whitman