SantorumBlog

Dig it.

Last night OpenSourceMedia’s radio program had a discussion of the Pa Senate Race. When I was offered a spot on the show, to represent, the agenda was a one hour discussion with Gar Joseph (of the Philadelphia Daily News), the host Christopher Lydon, a liberal blogger to named later, and myself. My neighbor had a restaurant opening, so I politely declined.

But Randy Potter and Lowman Henry, did not.

Here’s what Randy Potter says…

The radio show really didn’t focus on relevant, important issues that pertain the Pennsylvania Senate race. In my opinion the real truth about the Santorum/Casey race is that most people here in the central part of the state are frustrated with both candidates. Some even feel the race has been a joke from the very beginning. There is no doubt that Santorum is the better candidate and that he has a better grasp of the issues and challenges that face our country. However, Santorum has also sold his conservative soul to the power of Washington. This has alienated his base. Most feel that Santorum is more focused on governing than he is advancing conservative reform, principles or legislating conservative solutions. Santorum’s support of the senior prescription drug benefit is a perfect example of this.

And Lowman Henry.

In an attempt to set the stage and give the nationwide audience a flavor of what Pennsylvania is like culturally, the host Christopher Lydon along with Gar Joseph of the Philadelphia Daily News and a liberal blogger using the fake name “BillMon” did a fairly good job of dumping on the mid-state. Kicking off the show with Jim Carville’s old statement about Pennsylvania being Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle, the host did his best to make the state sound like a bunch of hicks. Who else would elect Rick Santorum to the Senate - twice?

Terms like “turnip pickers,” and “cow country” were tossed about and Joseph did his best to make everyplace outside of Philadelphia sound like it was one step away from becoming a ghost town. Of course, it had to be mentioned that we cancel school on the first day of deer hunting season. Hopefully we will soon discover fire.

The entire program was one good example on exactly why government-funded NPR, the Philadelphia media and the Left in general simply doesn’t understand real America. The overall tone was one of condescending arrogance that left little doubt they consider us to be a bunch of Neanderthals in desperate need of their enlightened leadership.

I’m glad I was busy.

And if you’re going to go on the radio to discuss politics, wouldn’t it be considered polite to shed the nom de plume?

Here’s a link to the audio.

Kathryn Jean Lopez

He’s no stranger to lonely fights. He recently ushered through the bipartisan Iran Freedom and Support Act and he is constantly focusing attention on the threat that we face from Iran. While most candidates are cutting and running from Iraq and anything like long-term fortitude on the War on Terror, Santorum is warning us about the nature of our enemy and the long haul.

Pennsylvania voters are faced with a clear choice. They can vote for Santorum, who has shown adult leadership, or for Democrat Bob Casey Jr., who ducks too many debates because his performances at them are simply embarrassing. Their votes will not only elect a senator but also set a tone for 2008. They will send a message as to how serious we are about the War on Terror, about the struggle to preserve the traditional family, and about the importance of leadership itself. Are we willing to face the truth about the enemy, an enemy that wants to destroy us and our way of life? Are we willing to embrace a politician like Santorum who — far from being a rubberstamp, as Casey ridiculously alleges — says what he believes on important issues, and actually makes a better case for the war we’re in than the White House itself?

This election will be a character test for the electorate. If you believe that Rick Santorum should have shut his mouth about (to take just one of his opponents’ favorite examples) how fundamental the family is to children and to our country — how children need parents more than they need stuff — then you want someone else. Bob Casey Jr., a princeling who doesn’t even do his debate prep work, is waiting in the wings, ready to be one of America’s 100 senators.

I take full credit for the “debate prep” line.

Read the whole thing.

Mat Toenniessen at Red State thinks that Santorum will win in spite of the polls. Why? Because he thinks that the media’s cheerleading for the Democrats is firing up the conservatives. He also thinks that the fact that Santorum obviously bested Casey in every debate will lead honest Pennsylvanians to support Santorum.

In other words, it’s all about voter turnout. If you haven’t done so already, start making sure that people you know who support Santorum are going to vote on November 7th. If you know people who aren’t particularly political and aren’t sure about who to vote for, use all your intelligence to convince them that Santorum’s their man.

-If they’re pro-lifers, show them how Santorum has led on that issue and how pro-abortion groups want Casey to win.

-If they’re anti-gay marriage, point out that Casey opposes any constitutional amendment to protect the definition of marriage and how the most radical pro-gay marriage people support Casey.

-If they’re fiscal conservatives, show them how the Republican tax cuts have helped the economy, and show them Casey’s promise to raise those taxes. One easy to remember bit of good news to point out is that in November 2004, when the Republicans won big, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 10,000. Today, it’s 2,000 points higher at 12,000. Also remember that the federal budget deficit is shrinking much faster than predicted, and federal tax revenues are higher than ever.

-If they’re serious Catholics, point out Casey’s desire to have the government pay for more contraception and give more money to abortionist organizations. Casey won’t even admit that emergency contraception can cause a human life to be destroyed after conception but before implantation.

-If they’re worried about Social Security, show them how Santorum is leading the fight to save Social Security for the future while preserving it for those who are getting it now, and Bob Casey wants to ignore the problems and hope they go away.

-If they heard that Santorum hates the poor, point out Santorum’s record on helping the poor, including his work to help people on Welfare stand on their own two feet as well as make housing more affordable for the poor.

-If they heard that Santorum hates gays, inform them that Santorum never compared gays to pedophiles and people who want to marry animals. Show them the actual quote which makes clear that Santorum was contrasting, not comparing homosexuality and bestiality. Also point out that obviously Santorum doesn’t hate gays, because he employs a gay man. He opposes homosexual acts, not homosexuals themselves. That is not nonsensical, either, because the official Catholic teaching on homosexuality is the same.

-If they heard that Santorum hates women and doesn’t want them to work, inform them that Karen Santorum, his wife, works outside the home. He also employs many women. And in his book, he never said that women should not work. He said that both men and women should maximize the amount of time they spend with their small children.

-If it’s another issue that I haven’t addressed here, go to ricksantorum.com/issues to find out where Santorum stands on that issue and what he has done about it, then use that information to help you out.

-If they aren’t interested in any of these issues but just want the best person for the job, then show them how Santorum is a strong, honest leader while Casey is a wimp who thinks he can win an election by hiding under his desk. How is Casey going to fight for us when he can’t even give a straight answer to a question because he’s afraid of how people will react?

We can win this election and we will win it if we want to badly enough. Don’t give up until the last polling place in PA is closed on the night of November 7th.

6ABC’s Monica Malpass asks some local political types who won the WPVI debate.

The incumbent Republican, Senator Rick Santorum, faced off against his democratic challenger, Bob Casey, Jr., at the National Constitution Center Monday night. You saw it on 6abc. Santorum went on the offensive, trying to paint Casey as a lightweight who rarely does work once elected to office and skates by on his family name. Casey’s father was a 2-term Pennsylvania governor. But Casey countered that Santorum is a desperate campaigner who is partly responsible for the “toxic” environment in Washington and has heavily backed President Bush ’s Iraqi war policies .

Experts I talked to had their own ideas about who “won” or “lost” the final debate of a 3-series of showdowns. Ed Turzanski of the Foreign Policy Research Institute says the race continues to be a “Rorschach test”…that people read into it what they want to. “Santorum has not been able to draw him (Casey) into a discussion that people care about. There were no ‘gotcha’ moments that provide traction for either candidate,” Turzanski said. Former democratic Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky disagrees, endorsing the candidate from her party. She said “Casey is coming out of the box. I think Democrats were afraid of his not being a good debater. He stepped up to the plate (in Philadelphia) and hit it out of the ballpark. He really has made it into this race.” Nia Meeks, a staff writer for BlackAmericaWeb.com characterized the candidates and the debate this way. “Analysts often talk about the ‘mother’ vs. ‘father’ candidate; Casey definitely comes across as the ‘mother’ candidate, softer in tone, appearing a bit more timid in approach and ideaology. Santorum is the far firmer ‘father’ candidate, decided on his view and adamant about it,” Meeks said.

Heck, even Bobby Casey’s website didn’t declare him the winner.

Tribune-Review has a bunch of Letters to the Editor.

One.

After watching both debates between Sen. Rick Santorum and Bob Casey, I am firmly convinced that Pennsylvania needs to return Santorum to the U.S. Senate.
In both debates, Casey didn’t have the slightest understanding of the critical issues that we face today.

When asked about the upcoming Social Security crisis, Casey said that we could grow the economy by raising taxes.

When asked about the Middle East, Casey was unable to name Khatami as the president of Iran, who just visited the United States.

When asked about his support of amnesty for illegal immigrants, Casey couldn’t even define amnesty.
Thankfully, Santorum spoke with poise and confidence and was able to look into the camera and tell me what he believes. Santorum has worked on reforming Social Security, opposed the Bush administration’s handling of Khatami’s visit and is fighting for better immigration laws.

This election is not about a conflict between Republicans and Democrats. This is an election between a famous name without substance and a U.S. senator who is working for Pennsylvania.

Two

As the debates between Rick Santorum and Bob Casey rage on, I keep hearing Sen. Santorum say, “We must stay the course in Iraq” and “We cannot abandon the cause.” Santorum goes on to blast Casey for not offering a plan on how he would get us out of Iraq.
As with most recent wars, it is far easier to step into the quicksand than it is to get out of it. It will require a lot of forethought and prolonged effort to extract our troops from this deadly morass.

As long as Casey says, “I will not stay the course; I will do something different,” he will get my vote.

What’s the different course though?

Three.

The debate between Sen. Santorum and Mr. Casey was an eye-opener for me as a Iraq war combat veteran.

I am a registered Democrat but usually split my vote, as there are good people of all political views and ideals.

My view, as a soldier, was that Santorum came off as the tested leader and Mr. Casey, as much as he is a likeable guy, came off as the soldier who always complains and wants to go home and gripes about any mission handed him.

It seems that this election is more about “I hate Bush” than it is about getting serious and fighting this war how it should be fought. That goes for both political parties.

But then again I am only a retired soldier.

Four.

I am an 18-year-old freshman at Carlow University and have decided to vote for Bob Casey. Although Bob Casey is pro-life and I am pro-choice, Casey’s Bible, unlike Santorum’s, seems to have all its pages intact. Casey hasn’t torn out the chapters where prophets demand leaders take care of the poor.

Casey is Catholic and shares his church’s beliefs on abortion but he also shares its belief in protecting the dignity of working people by supporting an increase in the minimum wage. This is clearly something Santorum opposes. [except when he votes for it.ed]

Casey wants to support and protect programs like Social Security and has the strong support of unions across the state. Lastly, Casey understands that Pennsylvania is a huge hunting state, but recognizes the importance of keeping the environment healthy. Casey favors healthy forests to hunt in, unlike Santorum.

If you believe in helping the poor, protecting Social Security and in a clean environment, I strongly urge people of all ages to vote on Nov. 7 for Bob Casey!

I’m not a biblical scholar, but I’m wondering where government’s involvment in poverty programs is listed. I did not know that Rick Santorum was anti-tree and pro-dead forests. I’ll have to keep that in mind.

Five

While you’ve gotta hand it to Rick Santorum for sticking to his guns of staunch conservatism mixed with Christian activism, that also may explain his sagging poll numbers.
Independents and conservative Democrats (many of whom voted for Bush) don’t like Santorum and many feel the Religious Right has too much influence over the Republican Party.

I tend to agree. I go to church on Sunday but not to hear about foreign policy. Benchmark Goldwater pillars like individual freedom have a populist appeal that middle-of-the-road voters aren’t seeing in Santorum, and the reverberations of this could signal a potential schism within the GOP.

Free-market capitalists have long tolerated the Religious Right as a means to an end, but how many Wall Street bankers wish to have Katherine Harris making policy decisions?

Crazy idea here. Indepedents and conservative Democrats aren’t Republicans. Who cares what they think about who influences the Republican Party? It’s a free association of people.

That would be like saying conservatives say the baby-killer caucus has too much influence in the Democrat Party.

Yeah. That’s why we’re not a Democrats. That and creeping socialism.

Looking back at the debates, Rick Tucker writes…

It’s time for Americans to push back against the political consultants. As Bono said about the song Helter Skelter, “This is a song Charles Manson stole from The Beatles. We’re stealing it back.” We should do the same and steal back our political process. We can start by reclaiming a critical word: “privatization.”

Casey repeatedly uses this word as a point of attack. “The crisis [in Social Security] is Sen. Santorum’s privatization scheme. He and the president cooked up a scheme which will drain the Social Security trust fund by a trillion dollars,” Casey announced on Oct. 16. He’s repeatedly demonized “privatization,” which means it must poll-test poorly.

But what’s wrong with privatizing something? As a general rule, private industry works and the government doesn’t. People know this in their bones. An ABC News/Washington Post poll last year showed that 80 percent of Americans under age 30 don’t think Social Security will have enough money to pay them what it promises.

That’s why most people these days invest in 401(k) plans and IRAs. We trust Vanguard and Fidelity — private, for-profit companies — but we doubt the government. Seems what people really want is more privatization, not less.

The facts about Social Security haven’t changed. It was a growing problem last year when the president was proposing a reform package, and it’s a growing problem this year. It’ll be a growing problem until we allow workers to invest some of the money that’s taken out of their paycheck for Social Security taxes into private retirement accounts, which will allow them to earn a better return on their money than Social Security can provide.

Al Gore famously called that a “risky scheme” and Casey would no doubt agree. But just this month the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached record highs. People are voting with their wallets. Millions of people are pouring billions of dollars in after-tax earnings into stocks. Plus, as Santorum noted during one debate, Casey himself (as state treasurer) has allowed Pennsylvania to invest in Halliburton stock. So how dangerous can the stock market really be?

In their final debate, Santorum reminded Casey that “issues are important.” Well, they should be. But they clearly aren’t to Casey’s political handlers. For them, what’s important is winning, and Casey may well do so. That would be a political victory for one man, but a defeat for politics everywhere. If it happens, Americans will once again have missed a chance to reclaim the political process, or at least the critical concept of “privatization.”

Read the Whole Thing