We previously discussed the unease of civil libertarians over Rick Santorum, particularly his privacy positions. His appeal to evangelical and faith-based voters was evident in a remarkable appearance in Sioux Center, Iowa. Santorum has a tense exchange over his position on same-sex marriage and health care — making the factual representation that no one has ever died from lack of health care protection and same-sex marriage would have horrific consequences for the nation.
The first exchange was with Jason Kornelis, 23, who started out by asking Santorum about his opposition to same-sex marriage. Santorum expressed disbelief in the statement of Kornelis that he could not see how same-sex marriage would “be a hit to faith and family in America . . . You can’t think of any consequence?”
Santorum raised the specter of teaching such “sexual activity” in schools and added
“Really- wow- um okay, well let’s see if we can have a discussion. We can flesh out some, well, let’s look at what’s going to be taught in our schools because now we have same sex couples being the same and their sexual activity being seen as equal and being affirmed by society as heterosexual couples and their activity . . . so what is going to be taught to our people in health class in our schools? What is going to be taught to our children about who in our stories, even to little children — what are married couples? What families look like in America? So, you are going to have in our curriculum spread throughout our curriculum worldview that is fundamentally different than what is taught in schools today? Is that not a consequence of gay marriage?”
When Kornelis said that he was still not convinced, Santorum said “I think you’re wrong — okay, in fact you have to know you’re wrong, because if we say legally if this type of relationship is identical to other type relationships than of course more of it will be taught because this is what the law says.”
When a student asked Santorum asked about health care, the student cited a 2009 Harvard study and noted that he did not “think God appreciates the fact that we have 50 to 100,000 uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of healthcare every year.” He should know better to cite an academic study to Santorum during an election with experts and intellectuals have been denounced as virtual threats to the nation. Santorum responded
“Dying?” . . . the answer is not what can we do to prevent deaths because of a lack of health insurance. There’s — I reject that number completely, that people die in America because of lack of health insurance . . . People die in America because people die in America. And people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their healthcare. And they don’t go to the emergency room or they don’t go to the doctor when they need to . . . And it’s not the fault of the government for not providing some sort of universal benefit.”
Few candidates are willing to take those breast cancer victims to task for their “poor decision” to have cancer. Not since Ann Coulter took on those 9-11 widows has a Republican shown such daring. I am not sure who is more benefitted from the Santorum surge: Romney or Obama. I expect both. What is remarkable is that Santorum can in good faith oppose the national health care legislation on federalism grounds without asserting that the lack of health care does not cause some harm or deaths to uncovered individuals.
After a long and bizarre GOP primary season, I expect voters in South Carolina and New Hampshire may want to consider the response of Melvin Udall when Santorum comes knocking:
Source: ABC
More change you can believe in….
Obama Unveiling Defense Strategy, Military Cuts
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama vowed Thursday the United States will remain the world’s pre-eminent military power even as the Pentagon scales back spending, shrinks the Army and Marine Corps and pulls back from Europe.
In a rare appearance at the Pentagon, Obama said the U.S. is “turning a page” after having killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, withdrawn troops from Iraq and begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. He outlined a vision for the future that would ensure an uncompromised U.S. military strength operating with less money.
“Our military will be leaner, but the world must know the United States is going to maintain our military superiority,” Obama said, with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey at his side.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/obama-defense-strategy-military-cuts_n_1186025.html?ncid=webmail6
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_presidential_election/election_2012_republican_presidential_primary Republican pollster has Romney 29- Santorum 21 Gingrich -16 Gingrich has promised to help Santorum. Maybe Newt will be his vice.
I was wrong in my previous criticizm of the kitty litter topic previously posted today. It is relevant to the likes of this Santo Rum fellow. This guy does not pass the smell test. I watched his wife and the proud mother of their seven kids blather about her faithful husband on one of the Iowa caucus podiums the other day and am convinced that this midget would loose to Obama by the same percentage points that he lost to Senator Casey in his last election.
So, Grand Old Party, please nominate this dork.
Liberty1st,
Santorum is the byproduct of a usually homosexual sex act.
http://spreadingsantorum.com/
As well as the former lunatic Senator from the Keystone State.
Look, Santorium knows better. He’s just pandering to the mob like vile politicians have been doing for centuries. Today’s bread and circuses are social causes that fire up people’s attitudes that were inculcated in childhood. It’s easier to react negatively than to rethink your position based on evidence so just “reject” the evidence. It’s the reason I don’t like extreme positions on either side of the political fence. They are designed only to shock and offend and not to educate or persuade.
Count me in on everyone’s thoughts above about Santorum. Now I want to put Rickie in the larger context.
As I said yesterday, I believe all of the Republican candidates (with the exception of Ron Paul and Buddy Roemer) are there in great measure to be mind stoppers for Obama supporters through the mechanism of fear.
The US is a military/financial/corporate entity which uses lackeys in “both” parties to play a part. They keep people focuses away from the present, unable to think and act concerning the complete erosion of our rights and society which is occurring right now. In the end, if we allow fear to cover over this reality we will get no where.
I would suggest turning off the MSM election “coverage” which amounts to horse racing and propaganda. Obama voters already know they are going to vote for Obama so their problem is solved. Perhaps Obama voters could do what Scahill said in 08–He said, all his friends were in love with Obama and he just asked them to cheat on him a little bit. Maybe a little cheating by looking into independent candidates wouldn’t hurt.
Republicans could do the same thing. If their heart is set on Rickie or Romney, then so mote it be, but do a little cheating on those handsome fellas! A quick glance at independent candidates doesn’t mean god will strike you down.
In the meantime anyone of any party can concentrate on the here and now. Resisting the destruction of our rights and society will not be solved by hand wringing about various candidates. Turn off the T.V. and get to work on ameliorating current conditions. Mr. T.V. is not anyone’s friend. Mr. MSM is not anyone’s friend either (well unless your in the .1 percent). So pay attention to what the current crop of lackeys and their puppet masters are up to and stop them.
“…scary people out there wandering the corn fields”
lol, Blouise…. , but I’m compelled to amend it to read… “scary people…wandering” around the whole darn country…
Stephen Bloom, a U of Iowa journalism professor, recently wrote a satiric piece about Iowa/Iowans in Atlantic Monthly…
“The bulk of jobs here are low-income ones most Iowans don’t want. Many have simply packed up and left the state (which helps keep the unemployment rate statewide low). Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly waiting to die, those too timid (or lacking in educated) to peer around the bend for better opportunities, an assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth, or those who quixotically believe, like Little Orphan Annie, that “The sun’ll come out tomorrow.”
It’s no surprise then, really, that the most popular place for suicide in America isn’t New York or Los Angeles, but the rural Middle, where guns, unemployment, alcoholism and machismo reign. Suicides in Iowa’s rural counties are 13.55 per 100,000 residents; New York’s suicide rate is 5.4 residents per 100,000.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/observations-from-20-years-of-iowa-life/249401/
To tack onto Mike’s excellent post, that’s why we have and must protect and maintain a separation of the two very large institutions of government and religion. Too much of either negatively affects them both.
“People die in America because people die in America.”
Following in that vein: The 2012 Republican presidential candidates are crazy because the 2012 Republican presidential candidates are crazy.
I’ve noticed a growing trend in the number of people whose religious beliefs require ignorance in everything else. Most proudly proclaim that they are conservatives but I think they would be more accurate in claiming they are the ignorants.
Andy,
There is a large strain of fundamentalist thought in this country, their churches have money and it goes to people who share their beliefs. The sad fact of a system attempting democracy is that rule by the people can’t of necessity rule out those whose thinking is muddled.
“In most professions there is a filtering procedure to sort the gifted from the average.” (Andy)
It is quite possible that these candidates are the cream of the republican crop and considered gifted by the rank and file. “Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”
I have watched these people (Rick, Newt, the Divine Ms. B, et.al) and pondered whether they are just pandering for votes or they believe their nonsense. The conclusion is the latter, they really believe. (If some one wants argue for the former please do.) Then I have to ask, how do they reach the position in society to be allowed a national stage to spout this rubbish? In most professions there is a filtering procedure to sort the gifted from the average.
Again, this is change we can believe in….
2009 Harvard study:
Health Insurance and Mortality in U.S. Adults (pdf)
Lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44789 deaths per year in the United States, …
“making the factual representation that no one has ever died from lack of health care protection”
No wonder Bachmann dropped out, she has met her match for crazoid sayings: Saint Orum.
Hey Rick, what does this denial fall under ?
Rick Santorum denies using ‘black people’ in welfare remarks
http://www.thegrio.com/politics/rick-santorum-denies-using-black-people-in-welfare-remarks.php
I guess some people are impressed,now that you got that million bucks overnight.
Santorum is just another Anti-intellectual Republican.
I just don’t get it. Why is the right so against intelligence, I don’t suppose it has anything to do with clinging to religion, does it?
Santorum’s answer on Gay Marriage is, in my opinion, a fear based straw man. “Well, if we let’s gay people get married, we’ll have to teach your kids to have gay sex”
Last I checked, ‘The Joy of Sex’ isn’t the high school health class text book and all that is taught is the basics of how reproduction works….not how to get down and dirty.
In regards to health care he says…
“And people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their healthcare. And they don’t go to the emergency room or they don’t go to the doctor when they need to”
Could it be that they don’t go to the ER or Doctor when they need to because they can’t afford health insurance?
I really don’t believe we should be giving away health care, but I do believe that we should be doing everything we can to keep health care costs down so that insurance is affordable.
“People die in America because people die in America.” … this guy came in second in Iowa … a very close second … scary people out there wandering the corn fields.
Santorum is one of the most dangerous wack jobs in the country. His constituents in Pennsylvania understood that and voted him out of office. He should be called out for the nonsense that same sex marriage is a threat to our society. What is a threat to our society is far right religious boobs like him spouting out lies.