SantorumBlog

Senators Chuck Schumer and Pat Leahy are now saying that they will not support any originalist judicial nominee.

So if in 2007 or 2008 President Bush nominates someone else like Justice Sam Alito for a court, I will expect then Senator Bob Casey to vote in favor of his or her confirmation.

Bob Casey will be the senator of all Pennsylvanians, not just those who voted for him. I will hold him accountable for what he does or does not do, just as Senator Rick Santorum was held accountable by those who did not vote for him. If Casey sides with the Democrats in order to filibuster originalist judges, he can expect to receive letters from my friends and I asking him to be more like his father and oppose judicial tyranny.

Senator Rick Santorum: What we are talking about here with partial birth, as the senator from California knows, is a baby is in the process of being born - -

Senator Barbara Boxer: “The process of being born.” This is why this conversation makes no sense, because to me it is obvious when a baby is born. To you it isn’t obvious.

Santorum: Maybe you can make it obvious to me. So what you are suggesting is if the baby’s foot is still inside of the mother, that baby can then still be killed.

Boxer: No, I am not suggesting that in any way!

Santorum: I am asking.

Boxer: I am absolutely not suggesting that. You asked me a question, in essence, when the baby is born.

Santorum: I am asking you again. Can you answer that?

Boxer: I will answer the question when the baby is born. The baby is born when the baby is outside the mother’s body. The baby is born.

Santorum: I am not going to put words in your mouth - -

Boxer: I hope not.

Santorum: But, again, what you are suggesting is if the baby’s toe is inside the mother, you can, in fact, kill that baby.

Boxer: Absolutely not.

Santorum: OK. So if the baby’s toe is in, you can’t kill the baby. How about if the baby’s foot is in?

Boxer: You are the one who is making these statements.

Santorum: We are trying to draw a line here.

Boxer: I am not answering these questions! I am not answering these questions.

-Senator Rick Santorum challenging Senator Barbara Boxer to explain how she can support partial-birth abortion, October 20, 1999

Every poll shows that a clear majority of Americans think that partial-birth abortion should be banned. Every sane person who is told what partial-birth abortion is immediately opposes it.

The Supreme Court is currently considering whether our elected officials are allowed to ban partial-birth abortion. Let me make it clear; the Supreme Court is not going to decide if it’s legal or illegal, but just whether or not we Americans are allowed to make it illegal through our elected representatives. We’re talking about something that borders on infanticide, and the issue is that only if Justices Roberts and Alito vote the right way will we actually be allowed to outlaw it. That is incredibly perverse.

Every adult American should know what partial-birth abortion is, and it’s ridiculous that the media refuses to tell anyone. The technical name of the procedure is “intact dilation and extraction”, and through this process, a fetus which is somewhere inbetween the late second trimester and birth is killed by inducing labor, then pulling the fetus out of his mother feet first. Before the head is removed from the mother, the fetus’ head is punctured and his brains are vacuumed out, collapsing his head, resulting in death. We would not do this to an animal, and yet there are people in America fighting tooth and nail to keep it legal. Unless the Supreme Court decides correctly next year, Americans will have no right to ban this abhorrent procedure.

I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s really not that bad. Sure, we’ve lost the best Senator in the US Senate for basically no good reason, and that hurts, but now we need to concentrate on the big picture, and that means the victory of conservatism.

But first, now that I have it all figured out, let me explain exactly why Senator Rick Santorum lost yesterday so that something like this doesn’t happen again. Yes, he is still Senator, and will be until January. I think I’ll keep calling him “Senator Santorum” afterwards, anyway.

First, well, the six-year backlash was the main cause of his defeat. This is the sixth year of President George W. Bush’s presidency, and historically, the president’s party gets walloped in these six-year elections - and the Iraq War and Republican spending didn’t help matters. Yesterday was no exception. To minimize these losses, Republicans must be more economically conservative.

Second, and Santorum could have stopped this, was that the far-left successfully defined Santorum as a gay hating, woman hating, theocratic neanderthal, mostly by either misquoting him, but also by just plain old making up quotes. Rick should have hit back against these people hard and fast. The slurs of radical homosexual Dan Savage and his moonbat allies should never have been allowed to flourish as they did. (By the way, Dan Savage, I see that gay marriage was just banned in a few more states last night. How sad for you. Congrats on helping to elect the anti-gay marriage Bob Casey, though. Great job, guy.)

Third, Santorum’s support of Arlen Specter in 2004. He just shouldn’t have done it, even if Specter usually does vote with the Republicans, and even if Specter is a friend. The conservatives were trying to replace Specter with a true conservative, or at least try to do so, and Santorum’s endorsement of Specter messed up their plans. Unfortunately a large number of conservatives couldn’t put this behind them and thus opposed Rick.

Fourth, and finally, the liberal media was to blame. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s editorial page in particular was horrendous. Their disgraceful, dishonest attacks on everything conservative no doubt had a major influence on this election. As Santorum once said, the P-G hasn’t said a single nice thing about him in 16 years. We must continue to work to expose media bias. And we must not buy newspapers which print outright lies on the editorial pages in order to hurt conservatives and conservative ideas.

Now, as to why this loss wasn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things. Democrats relied on conservatism more than ever to win elections. They ran a pro-life, pro-marriage, anti-embryonic stem cell research, pro-gun candidate in their effort to defeat Rick Santorum. And let’s just consider the possibility for a moment that Bob Casey actually will vote pro-life, anti-embryonic stem cell research, and pro-gun as a Senator. Let’s consider that Casey was being honest when he said that he would have voted to confirm Justice Sam Alito. If that’s true, then we’re in decent shape here.

Taxes rise and taxes fall. That is inevitable. Thanks to the Democrat victory, our taxes will be going up for the next two years. We’re just going to have to live with that. Nancy Pelosi will also try to force us to pay for the destruction of embryos, but hopefully Casey and others - if they vote how they said they would vote - will block Pelosi’s bills in the Senate.

The two issues of the absolute most important now are as follows:

-The war on Islamic fascism

-The Supreme Court

Again, Bob Casey says that he supports the Iraq War, and that he wants to fight the terrorists. If that is true, great! As I said, he says he would vote for Sam Alito. So if Casey sticks to his word and doesn’t make a liar out of himself, he will support the conservatives in the two most important areas.

Also, if you look at the way some of these elections went, it’s something which could only have happened in a six-year backlash election. Districts which are normally 2/3 Republican ended up with Democrats winning. My point is that we’re going to get a lot of those House seats back in 2008, and we’ll win control of some Senate seats in 2008 if we play our cards right over the next two years.

The solution to everything is to return to the principles of conservatism! That was a major part of the Democrat strategy yesterday, and it will be the way for us to win in 2008.

It’s more urgent than ever. We must not have a Democrat-controlled Senate for the next two years:

Possible Supreme Court Retirement Shakes Up Election Last Minute

“Speculation that a pro-abortion member of the Supreme Court may be planning to step down soon is providing a last-minute shake up in a hotly contested Congressional election that is expected to go down to the wire. The head of a judicial watchdog group says political observers believe Justice John Paul Stevens may retire.”

““It would be a cruel twist indeed for conservatives to ‘teach Republicans a lesson’ Tuesday, only to be taught a lesson themselves within months when new Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) leads a Democratic majority against the most important Supreme Court nominee in decades,” he said.”

It’s not just abortion. It’s every issue which activist judges have legislated from the bench on - eminent domain abuse, rights for terrorists, restrictions on free political speech, replacing American law with international law… we need to have a majority of originalists on the Supreme Court.

Ultra-liberal Nancy Pelosi says that she wants to take America back from the “radical right-wing”. Of course, to Pelosi, the “radical right-wing” consists of people who think that we should have some limits on abortion, such as parental notification or a ban on partial-birth abortion. It consists of people who think that voluntary school prayer - free speech - might not be such a bad thing. It consists of people who don’t have a problem with the Ten Commandments hanging in a courtroom or a schoolhouse, because they understand that the Ten Commandments being on the wall doesn’t hurt anyone. It consists of people who think that if you lower taxes, people can keep more of their own money, and then invest that money to result in great federal tax revenues. It consists of people who want judges who obey the law instead of inventing the law.

In the final days of his campaign, Bob Casey chose to spend his time with the House Minority Leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi wants to be the Speaker of the House, which would make her third in line for the Presidency and give her a great deal more power in our government. In short, this would be a disaster for our nation and for the world.

Nancy Pelosi wants to force her San Francisco values on the entire nation. And no, that’s not just gay marriage, though nearly every state in the Union opposes gay marriage but she would force it on us all anyway.

-It’s also extreme taxation. Taxation which seeks to punish people for being successful, slowing or even reversing our current economic growth. This is America; we don’t punish success here, Pelosi!

-It’s also socialized health care, which gives everyone in a country access to the same pathetic, worthless treatment, but as Pelosi might say, at least it’s free! It’s not exactly “free” since our money will be stolen through taxation to pay for it, but it’s similar to something that is free because we would get what we were paying for. We would have long waits and short visits at the doctor’s office, and rarely would we ever actually see a doctor - instead we’d see an assistant. The quality of American health care would drop dramatically, but Pelosi would be happy, since everyone would be “covered” and taxes would be sky high.

-It’s also taxpayer funded abortion. For years, the pro-choice people have said that we need to stay out of their personal, private decisions. Dishonest liberal like Pelosi, however, aren’t satisfied now that they have legalized abortion on demand. Making complete hypocrites of themselves, they now demand that the American taxpayer fund abortions. We are to be forced to fund something which we will not be allowed to regulate, and the tax dollars of pro-lifers will be used to pay for killing unborn children, with pro-lifers no doubt being called “right wing radicals” if they object.

-It’s the support of judicial activists who think that the Constitution is a living document which changes - and conveniently, it changes according to the personal ideology of the judicial activist. The US Constitution can only be changed by Amendment. Amendments are voted on by Congress. Judges do not and should never have had the power to change the US Constitution, but if Pelosi gets her way, there will be more and more liberal activists on our courts.

-It’s also a hatred of our military and the great liberating work it has done. The politicians of San Francisco despise our troops, and work to undermine and insult them at every turn. Their plan for the war on Islamic fascism is to have a full retreat and then apologize to Osama bin Laden for making him mad. Pelosi would hand the Islamic fascists their greatest victory of all time by surrendering to them Iraq.

Bob Casey and Nancy Pelosi - “Vote Democrat”… if you want higher taxes, socialism, an end to religious freedom, activist judges who legislate from the bench, taxpayer funded abortion, and a policy of surrender in the war on Islamic fascism

Five Reasons to Vote for Rick Santorum:

1 - The Republican tax cuts supported by Senator Rick Santorum have led the Dow Jones Industrial Average to increase by 2,000 points since the 2004 presidential election. The Dow has been propelled to an all-time high. Unemployment is at its lowest rate in five years. The budget deficit for 2006 is $248 billion - down from $412 billion in 2004. Why is it important to remember the 2004 numbers? Because it shows what progress we’ve made since America went out in force to elect conservative Republican leaders two years ago. It shows that we must do it again, and re-elect Rick Santorum.

2 - The war against Islamic fascism could very well be the most important issue of our time. Senator Santorum has shown that he understands this conflict more than any other Senator. He recognizes that we must secure the borders to prevent Islamic fascists from bringing deadly substances into America. He recognizes that we must encourage the people of Iran to fight for their freedom and put an end to the tyranny in their country, not only for their own sake, but for the sake of the world. He recognizes that we must finish the job in Iraq, because if we allow the Islamic fascists to defeat us there, they will be emboldened like never before.

3 - Senator Santorum is a conservative, no doubt about it, but he is also willing to challenge his conservative colleagues when he disagrees with them, and work with liberals when they agree on an issue. He has worked with Democrats to help fight poverty and AIDS. He has stood up and opposed President Bush’s immigration and Iran policies. While he is a conservative and therefore agrees with the President often, he is not a “rubber stamp” for anyone.

4 - We only need one more originalist Justice on the Supreme Court to undo decades of ideological decisions made by left-wing Justices who abused their power and became judicial activists. Senator Santorum has been a fighter to get originalist judges on all courts - judges who will not make decisions based on their own personal opinions, but rather based on the law. In 2004, Rick Santorum supported the re-election of Senator Arlen Specter, and many conservatives were upset - upset that Specter would block originalists from the Supreme Court. Yet thanks to the influence of his Republican colleagues like Rick Santorum, Senator Specter not only allowed a vote on John Roberts and Sam Alito - he voted in favor of their nominations. Senator Santorum and Senator Specter voted together to put Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito on the Supreme Court, two solid originalists who will remain on the Court for decades. We only need one more originalist Justice to have a majority of originalists on the Supreme Court, and that’s why we need to re-elect Rick Santorum.

5 - Agree or disagree with him, you always know where Senator Santorum stands on the issues. Everyone knows that Rick Santorum is pro-life, against euthanasia, and against government funding for emergency contraception and embryonic stem cell research. As a social conservative, I applaud Santorum for his positions on these vital issues. But maybe you’re not a social conservative, so you disagree with Santorum on these issues. Still, you must recognize that he is a man of integrity who stands up for what he believes in and always tells us what he thinks, and that’s exactly the kind of leader we need to represent us in Washington.

Five Reasons Not to Vote for Bob Casey:

1 - Bob Casey wants to ‘roll back the tax cuts’ (in other words, raise taxes) which have been responsible for the improvement in our economy over the past two years. When asked what programs he would cut, Casey couldn’t give a single answer - all he wants to do is raise taxes, and he thinks that will cure all of America’s ills.

2 - Bob Casey is MIA in the war against Islamic fascism. He wants President Bush to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, but that’s about all he wants to change in Iraq. In spite of the fact that he constantly blasts President Bush and Senator Santorum for supporting the Iraq War, Casey tells us that he also would have supported the war and that he opposes leaving Iraq. He has no idea about what to do in Iran, and he is not serious about securing America’s borders.

3 - Bob Casey likes to pretend to be a conservative or moderate Democrat, but he says that he will not lead on any conservative issues. Instead, he says that as a Senator he would push for liberal economic policies. He is supported by all manner of far-left groups, from MoveOn.org to NARAL to Daily Kos. These groups are counting on Casey to be a pawn of Chuck Schumer and the Democrat Party leadership.

4 - Bob Casey says that he would have voted to filibuster some originalist justices branded as “extreme” by Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy. Casey is once again MIA on the issue of judicial activism, and frankly doesn’t seem to understand it. Many Americans have voted in favor of State Constitutional amendments to protect traditional marriage, understanding that such amendments are the only way to stop judicial activists from redefining marriage on their own whim. When it comes to the issue of judges, Bob Casey is out of touch with the people of Pennsylvania.

5 - Does anyone know what Bob Casey really believes? Does Bob Casey himself know? He says he is pro-life, yet he is supported by NARAL and Planned Parenthood and he denies the scientific fact that the morning-after pill can have an abortifacient effect prior to implantation. He says he’s against gay marriage, yet he is supported by all manner of radical homosexual groups. He says he wants strong borders, yet he supports Amnesty. He says that we need a new direction in Iraq, yet he provides no such new direction. He never gave a straight answer to a question in any of the debates he was involved in. When asked to appear on numerous news and talk shows to discuss his views, he didn’t show up, claiming that he was too busy doing something else to talk to the people of Pennsylvania. We Pennsylvanians must not send a man to Washington when that man absolutely refuses to take a clear and consistent position on any issue. Pennsylvania deserves better representation than someone who will not even tell us what he believes.

Productivity

As Pennsylvanian go to the polls on Tuesday, please think carefully about the vote for senator. We currently have a senator who has worked his way to the No. 3 spot in his party.

He has been responsible for helping to save military bases, helped pass farm bills, helped get a coal refinery plant and represent the interest of all people of this state with aggressive action. Think jobs.

I’m sure Bob Casey would be a very nice dinner guest, but he doesn’t appear to have the push and knowledge to fight for the people of this state the way Sen. Rick Santorum has. Why trade a productive, energetic senator for a “nice guy” with no clout? Vote for the betterment of Pennsylvania, not for a “nice guy.”

The Record.

Rick Santorum was co-sponsor of the “Covering Kids Act of 2005,” which gives more kids health insurance, he helped Pennsylvania’s small businesses provide health insurance to their employees, wrote legislation to provide screening for prevention of breast and cervical cancer, helped expand access to home health care and worked to expand research for Parkinson’s disease.

He supported the Patients’ Bill of Rights, a leading advocate for program which funds community health centers, a leader in the fight to cut down frivolous lawsuits that are forcing doctors out of Pennsylvania, fought for prescription drug coverage, was instrumental in adding $1.5 billion emergency funding for veterans. How in the world can anyone say he is bad for regular folks?

Judges

It is interesting that The Patriot-News and others have so widely covered the New Jersey Supreme Court’s forcing of gay marriage, by whatever name, upon the people of New Jersey. The decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court only makes it all the more clear why the appointment of judges is such a critical function and why I am supporting Rick Santorum for re-election to the Senate.

Bob Casey opposes Pennsylvania adopting a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman. He supports civil unions, exactly the same result as the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Casey tries to hide his opinions by refusing to answer questions in debates and by trying to walk a fine line on these critical issues. Whether you always agree with Santorum or not, you know where he stands, and you know that, in the words of Gov. Ed Rendell, he fights for Pennsylvania.

Let’s keep Santorum fighting for Pennsylvania and for the values of Pennsylvanians.

Deserved

Your Oct. 29 editorial endorsed Robert Casey for senator because he will listen and learn? Of course he would. What else can he do? Casey’s a confirmed lightweight; a known quantity in Pennsylvania politics. He hasn’t held an office long enough to become good at any of them.

For that matter, he hasn’t shown much interest in those he has held, preferring to dedicate the majority of his time, as he has done since his last election, to his next opportunity. He’s invisible, stonewalling the voters of Pennsylvania, counting on his supporters in the press to carry his water.

Your endorsement damns Casey with faint praise. If you were to do an article headlined, “Bobby Casey: In his own words,” you’d have trouble finding meaningful content. Rick Santorum deserves re-election. As you fairly noted, Santorum has served the commonwealth effectively. The governor agrees. So should all thinking voters.

Senator Dole writes in Human Events.

About this time last year, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) said something that has stuck with me ever since I read about it. He was showing off his hand-picked Pennsylvania Senate candidate, Bob Casey Jr., trying to convince liberal power players that Casey’s pro-life stance wouldn’t “be a problem.” When addressing the Democrat caucus, Schumer said: “There’s no worry on judges. … And judges is the whole ball of wax.” For once, Chuck was right: judges are the whole ball of wax.