Santorum's Local Baggage

[dgs49]

As I've said in the past, Rick Santorum's political life in Pennsylvania has been dogged by a series of nonsense issues that were raised and exploited by the Democrat majority here in Western Pennsylvania (supported by the dominant newspaper), and ultimately brought him down. The same thing is happening in his national campaign, but that's the subject of another thread. For anyone who is interested, here is a summary of the main issue that resulted in his shellacking by a generic, faceless democrat (Bob Casey) in his last senate campaign.

When Santorum first ran for the House, he was running against 6-time incumbent, Doug Walgren. Like most congresspersons, Walgren actually lived in (I think it was) McLean, VA, and maintained a rented "broom closet" in Pittsburgh as his legal residence. Santorum ran an inflammatory and effective ad that showed Doug Walgren, in a bathrobe and pajamas, coming out of his Virginia mansion to pick up the morning newspaper. He called Walgren a "Washington Insider," out of touch with the home district, and won a squeaker largely based on that attack.

Fast forward several years and Santorum is in the SENATE, with five school-age kids. Obviously, with a six-year term rather than 2, and with a litter of children, Santorum rightly sets up his primary residence with his family in Virginia. In maintaining is legal residence in Penn Hills (a working-class suburb of Pittsburgh), he maintains a house, pays income and real estate taxes, maintains the house, and spends his time in that house when he is, in fact, visiting Western Pennsylvania. He also maintains his Pennsylvania driver's license, voter's registration. Remember, however, he is not a Senator of Pittsburgh or of Penn Hills, but rather of the entire state of Pennsylvania, and he spends more time in the remainder of Pennsylvalia than he actually does in Penn Hills.

But in an effort to maintain as many ties as possible to Pennsylvania, he has his children enroll in the Pennsylvania "Cyber-School," an on-line program that, coupled with home schooling, can satisfy all of the legal requirements of education, while keeping his children enrolled in "Pennsylvania" schools.

A Democrat operative on the Penn Hills school board gets wind of the Santorum school situation, and makes a HUGE stink about Santorum's kids "costing the Penn Hills taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a year" [Penn Hills School District has to pay the Cyber School, I think it was about $4,000 per student per year] while they actually live in Virginia.

Well, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ("Pittsburgh Pravda") goes ape-shit over this "news" and it spreads like wildfire all over the state, especially in the peoples' republic of Philadelphia. Even former supporters are unable to recognize the fundamental difference between Walgren's living in Virginia - Walgren serving a 2-year term and representing a tiny piece of the state, RENTING a broom closet on the South Side of Pittsburgh (or wherever) versus a Senator with a large family of children, serving a 6-year term, and doing his best to maintain local ties in spite of this.

In Pennsylvania, with its Democrat registration majority, everything has to fall in line for a Republican to win state-wide office, and with the Democrats dutifully enraged and the Republicans effectively un-engaged by this "scandal," Santorum got killed. The Democrats all hated him for his stands and statements on social issues, but they never would have voted for him anyway. It was the loss of Republican strong support and the indifference of Independents that cost him the election. Bob Casey could have literally been a mannequin with a D stencilled on its forehead, and would have won this senate seat. During the entire campaign, I never heard a single ad that hinted that he was qualified or would be a good senator. He had one asset - his father's name (former, beloved governor), but it was enough.

Santorum, like other recent presidential candidates, would have a difficult time carrying his home state of Pennsylvania in a general Presidential election, largely due to the remaining fallout from this completely vacuous "accusation." The idea that he would end up on the eventual nominee's ticket as the VP nominee, in the hope that it would guarantee Pennsylvania's electoral votes is just silly.

Santorum demonstrated in Pennsylvania that he is an outstanding candidate in debates and in forums where he can speak directly to people and answer their questions. But there really is no defense for massive media slander, because there is no forum (other than Fox News) where a Republican can get as much visibility for his responses as his attackers get with their accusations - no matter how distorted or false. The coming weeks will feature "shocking" stories of how he used his status as an ex-Senator to make a lot of money doing the things that every ex-senator (who is not yet independently wealthy) does when he is out of office. The "Gay Lobby" hates him with a passion because, in their fragile little minds, he once equated their "lifestyle choices" with incest and bestiality.

As a sports fan, my general desire is to see the better team win every game. I don't like to see fluke outcomes caused by a bad umpire's call, or a wierd bounce of the ball, or an extraordinarily lucky play. In politics, I like to see the candidates and their positions fully exposed, well understood, and the election won by the person who's character, positions, and abilities are most attractive to the majority. It pisses me off when elections turn on lies, intentional distortions, and voters misapprehending what politicians are trying to say and do. And it appears that both this primary and the general election are going to be determined by voters' reactions to nonsense claims, misunderstandings, and intentional distortions. Pity.

[Scooter]

So Santorum found himself the victim of his own tactics being turned back on him, and so we should feel sorry for him because...

[rubato]

... because he wants to turn women back into 'breeders', farm animals, by outlawing birth control.

yrs,
rubato

[Liberty1]

... because he wants to turn women back into 'breeders', farm animals, by outlawing birth control

Rube just can't help himself can he, lying is just in his veins

[Scooter]

You mean like Santorum apologists claiming that he never compared same-sex marriage to pedophilia and bestiality?

[Sue U]

Shamelessness, thy name is Santorum.

The Pennsylvania Dipshit now claims he never said "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them someone else's money" despite the fact that he was CAUGHT ON VIDEOTAPE SAYING EXACTLY THAT in Iowa a few days ago. Instead, he is making the ridiculous claim that he said "blah people." Whoever they are!

[Liberty1]

What does any of that have to do with outlawing birth control

[quaddriver]

Scooter says:

You mean like Santorum apologists claiming that he never compared same-sex marriage to pedophilia and bestiality?

Rick Santorum said:

"In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality —"

One should never have to apologize for speaking the truth, setting the record straight, dispelling myths etc. (perhaps the sole issue in black and white above why the opponents on this issue have never once ever included the quote in their diatribes?)

the new math....'not' = 'the same as'

[quaddriver]

Sue said:

Shamelessness, thy name is Santorum.

The Pennsylvania Dipshit now claims he never said "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them someone else's money" despite the fact that he was CAUGHT ON VIDEOTAPE SAYING EXACTLY THAT in Iowa a few days ago. Instead, he is making the ridiculous claim that he said "blah people." Whoever they are!

which obfuscates the issue.

Rick Santorum said:

"I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families."

Which is actually a good thing to say. It appears the hubbla is about using the term 'black' instead of a LBJish or Byrdish "nigger" I suppose....

[Scooter]

That's always the quote I have been referring to, and when you mention same-sex marriage and start talking about man-on-dog, there's a calculated reason.

[Liberty1]

Rick Santorum wrote:
"I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families."

The ultimate moral view, from both sides of the equation.

[Joe Guy]

Don't be silly.

It's very clear that Santorum was talking specifically about blah people.

You know, those blah people who live on welfare.

They're blah because they don't do anything.

Not doing anything makes you blah.

Santorum shouldn't be criticized for speaking the truth.

[Joe Guy]

One should never have to apologize for speaking the truth, setting the record straight, dispelling myths etc.

You mean like, among many other examples, publicly correcting a person who states that a voter's registration is proof of citizenship?

[Scooter]

Rick Santorum wrote:
"I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families."

The ultimate moral view, from both sides of the equation.

And in lily white Iowa, playing the race card sure doesn't hurt him, either.

[quaddriver]

One should never have to apologize for speaking the truth, setting the record straight, dispelling myths etc.

You mean like, among many other examples, publicly correcting a person who states that a voter's registration is proof of citizenship?

If only one was able to...the GSA smart card, the overriding form of id for all feds, STILL, 3+ years after you denied it does, allows the voter registration card to be used as the second form of ID.

what the heck do they know that you do not

[Joe Guy]

quad, what is it about 'Secondary' that you don't understand?

If we're going to continue this discussion, it should be moved to another thread, but I'm surprised that even you don't know this, but "Secondary Identification" is not proof of citizenship.

Secondary Identification can only be used with acceptable primary proof of citizenship as support to a person's identity. As I wrote many times before, try to apply for a Social Security Card or a government benefit with only your Voter Registration Card and see what happens.

So, even changing your story to say that you said that a voter registration is acceptable secondary identification doesn't support your incorrect statement.

[quaddriver]

quad, what is it about 'Secondary' that you don't understand?

If we're going to continue this discussion, it should be moved to another thread, but I'm surprised that even you don't know this, but "Secondary Identification" is not proof of citizenship.

Secondary Identification can only be used with acceptable primary proof of citizenship as support to a person's identity. As I wrote many times before, try to apply for a Social Security Card or a government benefit with only your Voter Registration Card and see what happens.

So, even changing your story to say that you said that a voter registration is acceptable secondary identification doesn't support your incorrect statement.

If only I would change my story....but I have not. the link I gave, and its encompassed verbiage, are exactly identical to the one I gave 3+ years ago.

Stability.

[Joe Guy]

If only I would change my story....but I have not. the link I gave, and its encompassed verbiage, are exactly identical to the one I gave 3+ years ago.

You didn't give a link before, quad, but even if you had, as it does here, it proves you wrong.

I'm just going to have to accept that you won't admit to being wrong.

But I would like you to answer this -

Do you believe that you can obtain a Social Security Card with only a Voter Registration Card as "proof" of citizenship?

A simple Yes or No will do.

[quaddriver]

If only I would change my story....but I have not. the link I gave, and its encompassed verbiage, are exactly identical to the one I gave 3+ years ago.

You didn't give a link before, quad, but even if you had, as it does here, it proves you wrong.

I'm just going to have to accept that you won't admit to being wrong.

But I would like you to answer this -

Do you believe that you can obtain a Social Security Card with only a Voter Registration Card as "proof" of citizenship?

A simple Yes or No will do.

Nope, I gave a link before, and if G is true to his word, I will be able to display such shortly.

I will also be able to display that I never argued the strawman you now present.

My reply now, is exactly the same as it was 3+ years ago. not one thing has changed.

[Rick]

Guess he's not getting the Blah vote then...