Posted on 03/27/2005 11:29:32 AM PST by Conservative Goddess
Rick Santorum will not be elected to a third U.S. Senate term. But it's not because Pennsylvania's junior senator is "too conservative." He is anything but, as a succinct National Journal analysis shows.
No, Mr. Santorum will lose his 2006 race for re-election to presumptive Democrat nominee Bob Casey Jr. because he has thumbed his nose and furiously waggled his fingers at a large cross-section of his conservative base.
How can this be? Santorum is an unwavering abortion foe, right? Sure.
And to him homosexual marriage is an abomination that will open the door to legally sanctioned man-canine matrimony, right? Woof-woof.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
So true. Santorum has been a huge disappointment to those of us to whom he was once introduced to a principled champion of conservative values.
Very disappointing---I totally bought into him last year during the one attempt that the Reps had at attempting a filibuster---Santorum spoke very eloquently during those long hours, and then subsequently when the first thought of a Marriage Amendment came up---
what a shame....
Santorum is a poster child for the people that should be taken out in coming elections. His loyalty to the Arlen Spincter's of the world demonstrates who he really is, a meely mouthed, poor man's McCain. I hope the Crats beat his brains out. Socialism lite or socialism heavy ain't a choice anymore.
The Santorum/Specter nonsense again. It's no use going over it again - those who bought into in the first place are way too stupid to talk to in the first place.
Santorum is, and remains, one of the most outspoken conservatives, and yet people want to throw him overboard. Some people are just so stupid it is beyond baffling.
Good read. Santorum has become another of the promising ones, only to capitulate to the ruling mindset for status-quo and power-brokering. Unfortunately, it seems that as soon as they are elected, they get conned into power moves...probably seem pretty innocuous at first, but then they realize that in order to play the game and keep their stakes, there are some votes they have to cede against their convictions. Then it becomes easier and easier. Their mind clouds over and they cannot think for themselves any longer.
A good example of what I was talking about above - people simply do not pay attention. The Republicans weren't the ones filibustering! People who pay so little attention to things that go on have no credibility in making comments like this. Come on, people.
If he is going to be wobbly now, there is little use keeping him around; the pressure to be a RINO will only grow worse... and yes, I voted for Jim Clymer instead of Moron Specter.
Rick may may have made some mistakes but that is no reason to punish him so severely. Think of the alternative, Bob casey will not help the conservative cause? do you think that harry reid will let bob casey let conservative appeal court judges get approved? do you think bob casey will get any pro life legislation throught the senate? the only purpose of electing bob casey is to give harry reid, ted kennedy, hillary clinton, chuck schumer, et al.,, more power to obstruct the appointment of conservative judges & conservative principals & george bush's policies? bob casey jr will not be allowed to do anything for pro life cause, just like his father in 1992 when bill clinton did not let him address the convention??
don't abandom rick santorum! You may be doing more to hurt conservative principals than help them!
We need to start defeating these guys in the GOP primaries and stop falling for the "it takes a moderate to win a general election" line which feeds us hypocrites, liberals, and opportunists.
Senator Rick Santorum is an attorney. Why would anyone think that an attorney would have any loyalty to anything other than his own self interests. When someone asks me if my dog bites, I reply; "Yes, of course he bites, he's a dog, all dogs bite! Likewise, attorney's attorney, that is they look out entirely for themselves. Only fools expect exceptions, from dogs or attorneys.
I absolutely LOATHE Arlen Specter. This man has been a liberal democrat living in Republican clothing for too long now. He has even distorted and covered up the Warren Commission and continues to do so even today.
He's so vile that even God doesn't want him. Santorum should have helped knock him off last election cycle. Since he did not, now he'll pay. Oh well.
Those of us in Pat Toomey's Lehigh Valley district are frustrated with Santorum.
Understand your frustration but what will bob casey jr do for us? Nothing because democrats won't let him do anything! If you have an alternative to santorum vote for him in the primaries but the general election will not help us at all. if we elect casey, we will have 6 more years of frustration in the state. casey will not stand up to democratic establishment. the democrats chose rendell over casey.
Look at the good thing that rick has done for us.
no body is perfect but i am afraid casey jr will not help us at all.
I will not vote for Casey, but my respect for Santorum is gone. He made campaign ads for Specter that played continuously and campaigned all over the state for him. I sincerely believe that Toomey would have won the primary if all the Republican big-wigs hadn't interfered.
Get over it. You really expected Santorum to turn to Specter and say "Thanks for your help in getting me elected to these two terms in those close races - now to repay you, I'm going to try to get rid of you in this primary! Sucker!" Unrealistic - and certainly not something someone with any integrity would have done, yet you seem to demand if of Santorum. The problem is you, not Santorum. I'm sure Toomey understood Santorum - why can't you?
And the alternative is...a democrat!
Ping to myself for later.
No, the alternative is a trustworthy Republican.
Not from Pa, but isn't Santorum one of the good guys? Specter by the way isn't all that bad, he has lead some important battles for the GOP. He deserves a bashing from time to time, but Specter is far superior to most Rats.
Exactly correct, beat Specter like a raw egg when he screws up, which he does from time to time. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Santorum is not a disappointment to me. I am disappointed in Republicans that are paying attention to the liberal garbage that is printed every day.
He disappointed me greatly when he backed Specter for Judiciary chairman. Had he not, we may have had a real conservative, and not a Democrat agent, as the gatekeeper for judicial confirmations.
I did not know that Santorum plans to succeed Frist in 2007, but Mitch McConnell may want the nod himself.
Does anybody know Senator Santorum's opinion on border security and amnesty?
If he votes for open borders, it will be the final nail in the coffin of his conservative reputation.
Santorum is a good Christian man. I have no problems voting for him.
McConnell may, but there's a chance he will not run for re-election in 2008. He's had heart surgery and his health may induce him to step down.
Some would say that you ghost wrote the article for Colin. ;-)
He sums up what you and I have been trying to tell people, but they only want to believe that Ricky can do no wrong. Hmmm? Where have we heard that before about a politician?
RW, you're not really stupid. You just can't read, or didn't read the article about his votes. This is nothing new for Ricky, it's just becoming more visible to more people.
If you look at his record over the years, you will find a lot of votes that will make you think twice about him. In this recent episode over Terri Schiavo, don't fall all over yourself in praising him either. Lanny Davis said more on behalf of Terri than Ricky.
Its going to be battle.
Trent Lott is making it pretty clear he wants another shot at leadership again, his mississippi colleage is also itching for a run, their has been rumors that Senator Coleman wants it, Mitch McConnell, if his heart problems work out, will almost definatley give it a shot along with Sanctorum shooting for it. Senator Coryn is eyeing it too.
Then you have your mavericks and long shots (think Elizabeth Dole), etc.
Worth repeating, boldly
One of our local state senators, John Pippy, won in a special election while he was serving in Iraq. This is not to demean his service, but he came to address our gun group one Sunday and in either of moment of unexpected honesty or stupidity, he told us that he would have to vote in ways that would disappoint us but hoped that we would understand and still support him. Did he, does he, think that we are as morally bankrupt as he that we would abandon our principle or is he truly as stupid as some suggest? I guess that will depend on his record and how long he gets our support.
This article is out of line and a true slap. I think its unfair to Rick. Sometimes people on either side lose sight of the forest through the trees, and simply don't understand the concept of compromise and incrementalism. if Santorum had done what this guy asks, he wouldn't be in the Senate and we would have a Dem. Is that what people want? Rick is still my favorite Senator and is a champion. What people say about him is unfair. We need to stop eating our own, because soon, there will be none left.
Exactly. You can agree or disagree with a vote or two, but this "he must do everything as I say" line is just silly.
Toomey understood what Santorum did and why. That doesn't mean that he thought it was right and indeed, it does not make it right. The process turns them into political whores who protect each other to keep their seats. I'd like to turn them all out and start fresh.
Interesting definition of integrity when you say that he should turn his back on the voters and his principles, but support the man who cancels out virtually every one of his votes in the Senate.
If Santorum had principles and integrity, he'd have quit his job to support Toomey in defiance of tradition and party protocol. But he was more interested in advancing himself and in a case of poor political miscalculation, he may not even win reelection. He has already lost the work and money of his conservative (former) base. If he keeps pandering, he'll lose their votes as well, and with it, his seat.
Reelection is what is important to these politicians and they sell their souls to win. Why should we reward their treachery? What lesson do you think they will learn if we reelect them after they screw us?
From the article:
" The highly rated and eminently fair National Journal analysis gave Santorum a perfect conservative voter rating for 2003. He was one of 13 "perfect" Senate Republicans.
But last year, Santorum was rated slightly left of center. Thirty-two GOP Senate brethren had more conservative voting records. A trend has emerged.
What part don't you understand?
ACU rates Specter at 42 (out of a hundred). In any test that I've taken, a 42 means that you flunk. 42 means that he doesn't deserve the Republican label either. There were more than a few Democrats who scored better than Specter.
The one (I can't even remember 'a few') thing Specter did that was good was defending Clarence Thomas. But if you will recall, that was in the lead up to an election (and Specter always leans right then), but he also spent the next year apologizing for doing so. He figured that Thomas would toe the line, but Thomas apparently has a lot more integrity than Santorum.
I believe Bush campaigned for Spector as well. Missed your comments on why John Kerry should have taken "W" out as well during the last election? But your right! It'll be much much better to have a full blown liberal Democrap in charge to compliment Specter!
What in the article is wrong?
Where do you disagree? With facts? Or the conclusion? Or both?
Why would you want to ignore the facts, which are indisputable, or the conclusion he draws, which is reasonable?
The end result is unreasonable. Did he ask Rick why he took those positions? No. Does he realize taht perhaps Rick disagrees with on an issue or two? No. This guy is just flying off the handle in critizcizing one of conservatives main friends in the Senate. Great idea.
You know, here in Kansas I work with several elected state reps and senators, and the one thing that frustrates them the most is when their "supporters" get unreasonable in their requests. They demand and demand and demand and if you dont do everything right, they start writing letters and columns.
Listen, there are people all over this nation just like Seantor Santorum who are putting their necks on the line for the conservative cause. While people are certainly free to disagree with this vote or that vote or this decisino or that decision, writing articles entitle "the problem with Rick" is way over the top and doesn't help the cause at all.
The ability for our side to eat our own (Jeb in FL, Rick in PA--two of our brightest stars) is unbelieveable.
Tricky Ricky has done this to himself and he is not worthy of our continued support. He is a conservative when convenient, and he caves at the slightest pressure. He doesn't represent the conservative voice and he will not get my vote.
I suggest you tell this to Ricky.
In other words, they are politicans.
........;-)........
I didn't ghost write it, but definately share the same views!
If Santorum had done what this guy, a hero in my view, said, we'd still be in control of the Senate, we'd have a true conservative (John Kyl) in charge of the judiciary committee and in the worst case, we'd have a green newbie dem as our senator for a term. The implicit assumption that Toomey would have lost is unfounded.
The true cause of conservatism would have been advanced by culling RINO Arlen from the Republican herd. He's always been and always will be more trouble than he's worth. IN this case, a "D" would have been superior to a "RINO."
I'm not necessairly disagreeing over his decision to back Specter. I had issues with it too. But, you can just say "hey I disagree with him on this" rather than writing columns entitled "the problem with rick santorum" just as his reelection heats up. Do you guys seriously want to lose rick in favor of Casey, who would support Democrats? I just think the article is over the top.
At the time, no one could be sure that the Republicans would still even have the Senate after 04. Murkowski was in a tight race with Knowles, Coburn was struggling for a time against Carson, Burr was behind Bowles, Coors was behind Salazar, we were losing Illinois for sure, the race was tight in Florida, no one could bet on Louisiana, Demint had his problems, and Daschle's defeat was hardly a given. There was no way that Santorum could know that we would still have the Senate even if he pulled the rug out from under Specter. And given Pennsylvania's rather tight division between the parties, there is no guarantee that Hoefel wouldn't have held the seat for life if he won (Same would go for Casey).
If you're takling about the Toomey race, there is a general prinicple in electoral politics that you support republican incumbents, even when more moderate. I'm not sure I agree with this stance--however, its reasonable to me and that'swhat Rickd ecided to do. Beating the dead horse that is that race will do nothing except work towards replacing Santorum with a Democrat.
My point is this article is beating a dead horse, over the top, and not appropriate.
LOL
Are you serious?
He came to us and told us he was a conservative. He ran as a conservative. We believed him and supported him. When it came time for Ricky to 'put his neck on the line,' HE RAN AWAY.
Where is the political courage in that?
Did you actually read the article? He was one of 13 perfect Senators one year and in the next, his voting had changed so much that he had 32 others to the right of him. Are you blind to the change? How many times would you allow your banker to shortchange you? How many times would you allow your wife to stay out all night and come home disheveled before you threw her out? Or she, you? Why put up with cheating politicians?
Very good point. Hindsight is always 20-20 among those who are not pratical about politics, which is my point in all of this. We can sometimes be unreasonable. Santorum had his reasons--disagree all you want, but dont hang the guy in an editorial. Just inappropriate.
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