Santorum Watch - No Pink Balls Edition

March 29th, 2012

This kind of thing that makes me wonder how many casual, throwaway exercises in fearful hatred are being missed when the press is not around.

Via the HRC website:

"At a campaign event at a bowling alley in Wisconsin today, GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told a boy who reached for a pink bowling ball: "You're not gonna use the pink ball. We're not gonna let you do that. Not on camera." Santorum went on to say "Friends don’t let friends use pink balls." The comments were tweeted by Reuters reporter Sam Youngman." (EMPHASIS MINE)

It has come to this. The GOP base is flirting with nominating a man so virulently homophobic that he would order someone else's child not to use a pink bowling ball.

So much for small government.

Quote Of The Day - Here and Now Edition

Feb 29th, 2012

"The two presidential candidates battled each other every day for most of the month. And while they beat up on each other plenty, the month may be best remembered for how it turned into a contest of who could punch themselves in the face more often."

-- Jon Ward reflecting on the Santorum/Romney grudge match of the last several weeks

Michigan Primary- A Dead Heat

Feb 28th, 2012

Last night, Nate Silver's projections in Michigan had Romney up ten points over Santorum.

Not anymore...

Santorum - The Gift That Jon Stewart Keeps Receiving

Feb 28th, 2012

Stewart has a field day regarding Santorum's latest Dominionist mischief and blatant anti-intellectualism.

The Final Polls Before Michigan

Feb 27th, 2012

I stand my prediction that Romney will win tomorrow. However, the race with Santorum is very tight.

HuffPo rounds up the final polling:

"Three of the five surveys, by Rasmussen Reports, Public Policy Polling (PPP) and We Ask America, show Romney ahead of Santorum by two to four percentage points. The two others, an automated poll by Mitchell Research and the one live-interviewer survey by the American Research Group (ARG), show Santorum ahead of Romney by one to two percentage points. All five show Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich running far behind. All but the ARG poll were conducted using an automated, recorded voice over the telephone."

As I have previously stated, I just don't think the Michigan base is quite as reactionary as many of the other states. If Santorum does win this thing, though, we can expect a full-on collective panic from the GOP establishment.

Santorum's "Theology"

Feb 27th, 2012

Daniel Larison is gobsmacked by Santorum's recent theocratic declarations:

"Santorum made a very weird statement when he was trying to defend his “phony theology” remarks:

We’re not here to serve the Earth. The Earth is not the objective. Man is the objective.

Santorum has defended his statement in terms of affirming a Biblical understanding of man’s role as a steward of creation, but if we took this later remark at face value we would have to say that Santorum doesn’t understand the concept of stewardship very well. After all, the purpose of Christian stewardship isn’t simply to serve human needs (much less desires), but to preside over the natural world as God’s viceregents and to rule it in a manner pleasing to God, all of which is directed towards giving God glory and thanksgiving for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. We are to see creation as something entrusted to us by God, and as something that we are responsible for preserving and keeping as part of our obedience to Him. That necessarily involves limiting and restraining our desires so as not to exhaust or waste what has been entrusted to us. Viewed that way, we are here to care for the earth and for one another, and in so doing serve the Creator Who made both."

Of course, this is obvious to many. But to refer to Santorum as a Christian or a Catholic obscures his strict adherence to Dominionist ideology. In his view, "stewardship" and unrestrained exploitation are interchangeable. more frightening, he seem to regard the latter as a requirement of "faith."

Borowitz Wipes Up Santorum

Feb 26th, 2012

Andy Borowitz latest is, predictably, a hoot:

"THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY (The Borowitz Report) – In an effort to underscore his core beliefs leading up to this Tuesday night’s primary contests, former Sen. Rick Santorum made a campaign swing through the Seventeenth Century today.

At the first stop of his ambitious journey, Mr. Santorum restated his reason for seeking the White House: “I am running for President today because the position of Spanish Inquisitor is no longer available.”

The former Pennsylvania Senator served up red meat to his seventeenth-century supporters, telling them, “Since we all agree that contraception is a bad idea, it’s time to take a harder look at electricity and soap.”

Mr. Santorum, who said that in his first day in office he would repeal the Age of Enlightenment, stressed that he had home-schooled all seven of his children: “That means there are at least eight people in this country who don’t understand evolution.”

In a lighter moment, Sen. Santorum told his audience what he said was his favorite joke: “A Kenyan, a Muslim and a socialist walk into a bar. And then he makes everyone get an abortion.”

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich scored points with this comment on education: “We should leave no child behind, only wives."

The GOP War On The Separation Clause, cont...

Feb 26th, 2012

I wrote recently that the Republican party was engaged in nothing less than a full assault on the principle of separation itself. Some of the responses were heated and accused me of hyperbole. With all due respect, Rick Santorum exploded those arguments a short time ago. Appearing on This Week with George Stephanopulous this morning, he doubled down on remarks he made last year that his reaction to JFK's famous address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in Septemer of 1960 made him want to vomit.

"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute," he said. He then actually argued that the church not participating the "operation of the state" is "antithetical" to our founding.

Where Some Fear To Tread...

Feb 23rd, 2012

Dave Weigel spent some of his time covering the Mesa, AZ GOP "debate" asking Santorum supporters about their motivations...

"Three months ago, Public Policy Polling asked Republican primary voters whom they liked. Three percent of them chose Rick Santorum. This week, PPP asked again. Thirty-three percent of Republicans planned on voting for Santorum, putting him one hot breath away from Mitt Romney.

Who are these people, and why did they switch to Rick? I interviewed voters outside a Santorum speech in Tucson to find out."

Our favorite? Meet Ann Doherty, "teacher."

"I started supporting him when he became more electable, honestly, because that’s what conservatives are looking for. They’re not necessarily looking for the right candidate. They’re looking for someone who can beat Obama. If that turned out to be a 7-year-old with an aneurysm, it would be enough."

As Bruce Bartlett snarked earlier, "Remember, their votes count the same as yours."

Another GOP Debate... Again

Feb 23rd, 2012

I didn't have the stomach to liveblog last night's angry-white-man-distortion-fest. Sullivan, whether to his credit or as a sign that he really is a masochist, did so HERE. His takeaway:

"Maybe I've lost my mind after all these debates, or maybe I secretly want him to win (because he would finally expose all the insanity that has been building in this party and needs venting). But I thought Santorum was on form tonight. My sense is that he will not lose his current momentum after tonight. I didn't feel Newt tonight. Romney doesn't wear well. Paul was great and funny and human.

But there was a winner, it seems to me. He's in the White House."

Yup.

Romney Watch - Et Tu, Mittens?

Feb 22nd, 2012

by F. Grey Parker

Barry Goldwater once said, 

"Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives."

My. How things have changed.

There was a time when I had some regard for Mitt Romney. He once seemed contemplative and fair. There is plenty in his record to respect no matter how much he's running from it lately.

But that's just it... he's really running from it. What's more, what he is running to is un-American.

A few months ago, he was not just the GOP elite establishment's choice. He also seemed the smart choice. Not anymore.

I believe that yesterday, Romney not only sealed the fate of his campaign but also that of his party.

Santorum Watch - Obama Equals Hitler Edition

Feb 21st, 2012

Way back in 2010, while stumping for Republican candidate Pat Toomey, GOP darling and potential 2012 Presidential nominee compared the sitting President to a schoolyard drug dealer and argued that he posed the same threat to the world as Hitler. I shit you not.

Newt Watch - Turning Up The Crazy

Feb 13th, 2012

Image via Salon

It's understandable, I suppose, that Gingrich would be trying to beat Rick "Crazy-Pants" Santorum at his own game. After all, Santorum's star seems to be rising with the GOP base in direct proportion to his widening orbit away from both reality and decency.

But, two of Newt's recent statements are particularly unbelievable:

Defeating President Obama is now "a duty of national security" because "he is incapable of defending the United States."

Uh huh. Tell that to Qaddafi and Bin Laden.

Even more rich is this gem from Raw Story:

"At a campaign event in Suwanee, Georgia, the former House Speaker told supporters that he would bring back cheaper gas because "you can’t put a gun rack on a Volt."

Hee haw.

Santorum Watch - Home Schooling Edition

feb 21st, 2012

When I noted yesterday that the least insane of Rick Santorum's statements recently was his assault on public schools, I was unaware of an interesting (and unsurprising) piece of information.

Stephen D. Foster writes:

"Rick Santorum has been very vocal about his preference for home schooling. There’s a reason for this of course. He holds a grudge. Santorum enrolled his children in the Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School and stuck the taxpayers for 80% of the costs which were paid through the Penn Hills School District. In November 2004, Penn Hills asked Santorum to repay $67,000 in tuition costs because he and his family were spending most of the year in Virginia and did not meet the qualifications for residency status. So Santorum pulled his kids out of school and has home schooled them ever since. If parents are supposed to be responsible for teaching their own kids, how come Santorum wasn’t home schooling his children before 2004?"

Santorum is a hypocrite of a very rare breed.

Regarding Alice Stewart

Feb 21st, 2012

Of course she didn't mean to call President Obama's positions on environmental issues "radical Islamic" policies.

So fucking what?

That she slipped so casually in her role as Santorum's National Press Secretary speaks volumes regarding what is acceptable when that camp is behind closed doors.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dominionists On Parade

Feb 21st, 2012

Well, Franklin Graham certainly distinguished himself this morning. Appering on Joe Scarborough's show, he openly questioned the faith of the sitting President and smeared the Mormon faith. Graham said at one point that because Brack Obama's father was a Muslim, "Islam regards him as a son of Islam."  He also makes sure to remind the audience, several times, of Obama's attendance at services in Jeremiah Wright's church.

No dog whistles there.

Coversely, he declared that there is "no question about" whether Rick Santorum is a Christian. What's more, he makes no bones about his trust in Newt (the prevaricating philanderer) Gingrich's faith.

The panel was justifiably shocked. A visibly angry Willie Geist shot back at one point, "So, Newt Gingrich is a Christian, but you’re not sure that President Obama is?"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Santorum Watch - Just Plain "Wow" Edition

Feb 20th, 2012
by F. Grey Parker

Last week, I had more than a little egg on my face after posting a bit of satire regarding Rick Santorum as if it were factual. When I realized my error, I updated it promptly and left it posted in the interest of disclosure. I do take responsibility for my mistakes.

Was the post I am discussing patently absurd? Yes. But nearly every actual pronouncement from the Santorum campaign has also been absurd. So, yeah, I got fooled. That said... can anyone blame me?

Charting The Political Climate

Feb 20th, 2012

Brian Beutler highlights two sets of indicators that bode very well for Obama over at TPM:

The GOP War On Women, cont...

Feb 17th, 2012

UPDATE: We may have been taken in by a parody here. If so, we apologize. That said, that we found it plausible in the current climate is worth noting.

If you think there is any way to argue that senior members of the GOP are not actively engaged in a war against women's rights, you are not paying attention. It is being reported that Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum made the following statement recently while speaking before a Nebraska audience:

"It has been my experience that when dealing with females, you need to treat them as though they have a mental disorder… especially those that are constantly seeking equality in the workplace, the military, and in the home. Women need to know their place and need to know when it is okay for them to speak. They were put on this earth for two reasons, and two reasons alone: taking care of their husband, and giving birth to his children… that is all. Any woman who tells you otherwise is obviously touting the liberal agenda of equality, and they need to be told the truth of their purpose. It is a disorder that can be fixed, but not until they go through several years of therapy to understand that they need to be subservient." EMPHASES OURS

This man is now the darling of the GOP base. His vision for a world of barefoot, pregnant, docile and obedient females whose primary destiny lies in their breeding status actually appeals to them.

The GOP's Ala Carte Religious War

Feb 12th, 2012

Juan Cole takes aim at the hypocrisy of the GOP's Dominionist darlings:

"The right wing Republican politicians who have been denouncing the requirement that female employees have access to birth control as part of their health benefits as an attack on religious freedom completely ignore the church teachings they don’t agree with. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are both Catholics, and wear their faith on their sleeves, but they are hypocritical in picking and choosing when they wish to listen to the bishops."

By ignoring the Catholic Church's opposition to pre-emptive war and the death penalty as well as their support for expansion of welfare programs and organized labor - all argued in the name of theological duty - the candidates have demonstrated a conveniently narrow interest in "protecting" religion in public life.