Posted on 01/24/2012 7:45:07 PM PST by Coleus
GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is under fire in South Carolina for touting his alleged pro-life beliefs but voting to subsidize abortion and Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in America, while serving in the U.S. Senate. He has also backed pro-abortion candidates and voted for legislation that is being used to federally prosecute peaceful pro-life protesters who demonstrate outside of abortion clinics. Critics are outraged.
The once top-tier Republican candidate, who surged into the spotlight after an unexpected strong finish in Iowa before a disastrous showing in New Hampshire, defended himself against the attacks by lashing out at fellow GOP contender Rep. Ron Paul. He also argued that he voted for the unconstitutional appropriations — used for terminating pregnancies, lobbying against pro-life legislation, handing out birth control, and litigating to keep abortion legal — because they were part of bigger spending bills he supported.
A group called Iowans for Life first went after Santorum on the issue before the caucuses there, distributing fliers calling the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania a “Pro-Life Fraud.” The leaflets highlighted, among other points, the fact that Santorum had "a long and storied history of campaigning for radical pro-abortion candidates” such as former Sen. Arlen Specter — a Republican who later turned Democrat.
On January 13, Santorum’s record on abortion came back to haunt him again when he was confronted about voting to subsidize abortion and its apologists during a small town-hall meeting in South Carolina. He promptly attacked the questioner, accusing him of being a “Ron Paul supporter.” Then he plowed into a diatribe against the pro-life Texas Congressman, who finished a strong second in New Hampshire last week and is widely seen as a front-runner in the Republican race.
“This is a very interesting thing,” Santorum said, puzzled, apparently looking for the right words to answer a question he had not been expecting. “There is nobody that’s been a stronger pro-life leader in the United States Congress than I was.” He also alleged — inaccurately — that Ron Paul, who has never voted to fund Planned Parenthood, did not have a solid record of defending life while in office.
Santorum continued his anti-Paul rant, accusing the 12-term Congressman of not voting for federal spending even while inserting earmarks into legislation in an effort to return money to his constituents from the federal government. But despite Santorum’s bumbling efforts to attack Ron Paul, analysts say the Texas veteran — who delivered over 4,000 babies during his career as a doctor — actually proposed the most effective way to constitutionally overturn Roe v. Wade.
Indeed, Paul introduced a bill known as the We The People Act to remove the Supreme Court’s purported jurisdiction over abortion and other issues. He sponsored the legislation in every legislative session since at least 2004, though Santorum never got on board.
Santorum then continued to defend his vote by claiming that the funding was used for birth control. However, because money is fungible, few serious analysts accept the implied argument that tax funds for Planned Parenthood are not used to subsidize abortion. They undoubtedly are.
“The program that he’s talking about is a program called Title X, and it’s a program that is in appropriation bills that funds — allows for funding of, uh, uh, uh — of birth control,” Santorum claimed when he eventually addressed the original question, carefully avoiding any mention of Planned Parenthood’s far more lucrative abortion business or its pro-abortion lobbying. “I am not for federal funding of that, but it’s in a big bill that provides a lot of things. Did I vote for that overall bill? Yes, I did.” He then resumed his attacks on Paul for not supporting enough federal spending.
The legislation in question was also used to fund several other federal departments not authorized by the Constitution including Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. But for many pro-life activists, voting for any bill that sends even a dime of tax money to an organization known to commit over 329,000 abortions every year is deal breaker — let alone voting to appropriate almost half of a billion dollars for the abortionist cause.
One pro-life commentator in South Carolina, Brian Frank, wrote in the S.C. Hotline that Santorum’s vote to fund Planned Parenthood actually “makes him a partner in crime of the ungodly murder of the innocent unborn.” Frank assailed the GOP hopeful for other faults, too. “’Mr. Pro-life’ voted to have innocent Americans placed into the PP vegi-matic laboratories and enthusiastically campaigned for pro-abortion Arlen Specter against the more conservative Pat Toomey,” the critic noted. He also said Santorum was mistaken if he believed his votes to fund Planned Parenthood could be hidden from Christians and pro-life activists.
Santorum also voted for the Democrat-sponsored “Freedom of Access to [Abortion] Clinic Entrances Act,” legislation purportedly making it a federal crime to “interfere” with a person seeking to terminate a pregnancy. As critics warned at the time, the bill has been used with increasing frequency to prosecute peaceful protesters. The former Senator vigorously campaigned for several rabidly pro-abortion candidates, too — even against their pro-life opponents.
Beyond abortion, Santorum’s voting record in the Senate also includes other evidence that the GOP hopeful is not quite as “conservative” as he would like voters to believe. For example, he supported unconstitutional gun control, the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, raising the debt ceiling, invading Iraq without a declaration of war, and expanding the unconstitutional Department of Education. He also backed indefinite detentions, torture, removing habeas corpus, and other legislation repugnant to American traditions and the Constitution. But it has not gone unnoticed by his opponents.
As the GOP race heats up, in addition to his votes for Planned Parenthood and the law used to prosecute pro-life protesters, critics are also taking aim at Santorum’s consistent support for big government. Comments by the former Senator advocating a “long war” to “eradicate” many of the world’s more than one billion Muslims have been the focus of some criticism, too. And his vow to unilaterally and unconstitutionally attack Iran when elected if its government refuses to obey him has some analysts very nervous as well.
That's the truth.
From the National Right-to-Life Committee Santorum received a 100% rating; Newt received about 98%, and now that he’s a Catholic I’m sure it would be 100%, but NOW LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT RON PAUL - ONLY a MERE 56%!!!!
The sneaky Ron Paul has a mixed record on abortion:
“Voted NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)
Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
Rated 56% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)”
snip http://www.issues2000.org/Ron_Paul.htm#Abortion
AND MORE pro-abort votes if you check out his voting record.
Why is Ron Paul against a parent deciding what’s right for their minor child?
Basically, if I follow this logic, anyone who ever voted for a funding bill voted for planned parenthood.
On the other hand, anyone who voted against funding, voted against our troops overseas.
The way business is done is unworthy of our nation. I will admit that. A bill should be single focused and not omnibus.
DOD should get their own vote, IRS, EPA, etc., etcl, on down the line to whatever niche planned parenthood would occupy.
That ain’t all of it.
Santorum:
Voted AGAINST increasing the number of immigration investigators:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00201
VOTED AGAINST HIRING AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 BORDER PATROL AGENTS, paid for by reductions in state grants.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00179
VOTED TO GIVE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=105&session=1&vote=00058
Voted to allow illegal immigrants to receive the earned income credit before becoming citizens.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00154
SANTORUM: Trim Social Security now- even if painful.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7O34Bpp42k-IlMMNiOLBkYF2zNw?docId=b1cff9ecefe24ca6ae1764a09761e361
VOTED AGAINST FOOD STAMP REFORM
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00353
VOTED AGAINST MEDICAID REFORM
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00352
Voted to increase the social services block grant from $1 BILLION to $2 BILLION
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=1&vote=00302
VOTED TO RAID SOCIAL SECURITY instead of using surpluses to pay down the debt.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=2&vote=00056
Voted to impose a uniform federal tax mandate on states to force them to allow convicted , rapists, arsonists drug kingpins and all other ex-convicts to vote in federal elections.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00031
.
Santorum; Big government spender:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt6XCZz2X1Y&feature=player_embedded
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087812/Rick-Santorums
.
Santorum needs to put his ego aside, place his country before himself, drop out and go back to wherever he came from.
Are you retarded? It explicitly says that NO FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR ABORTION. You better get right with the Lord for bearing false witness pal. >>>>
All money is fungible, and santorum voted to fund Planned Parenthood, every year. I see you resorted to name calling, very low of you...I think you should think about all the horrors you hear about planned parenthood and wonder how planned parenthood gets their money, from Rick Santorum and others like him...
The problem with the National Right to Life is that they never put the Title X funding as an item on their scorecard and the NRLC never helped South Dakota in their anti-abortion bill, so how pro life are they?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1588908/posts
Didn’t you read that it’s not supposed to pay for or promote abortion? >>
all money is fungible, if rick santorum didn’t fund planned parenthood with hundreds of millions of dollars, they would be out of business by now... so now you are saying that it’s ok for Rick Santorum to fund planned parenthood?? Is that what you mean?
Are you retarded? It explicitly says that NO FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR ABORTION. You better get right with the Lord for bearing false witness pal. >>>>
all money is fungible, if rick santorum didn’t fund planned parenthood with hundreds of millions of dollars, they would be out of business by now... so now you are saying that it’s ok for Rick Santorum to fund planned parenthood?? Is that what you mean?
There’s no doubt Santorum has been a rhetorical warrior in the war against infanticide and there’s no doubt he has sponsored substantial legislation to support that position. >>>
and there is no doubt that the pro-life republicans have been funding planned parenthood (Title X)for decades...and have increased the amount during the bush administration with a republican house.
You’re a disgraceful human being and an apostate bearing false witness against a good and decent fellow Christian who has walked the talk. You make me ill.
Are you retarded? It explicitly says that NO FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR ABORTION. You better get right with the Lord for bearing false witness pal. >>>
so, you think it’s ok for santorum to vote for Title X funding of planned parenthood?
You really don’t want to hear what I think you lying sack.
J Walsh is getting too emotional and doesn’t understand that although federal law does not allow for taxpayer dollars to directly pay for abortion, the hundreds of millions of dollars Planned Parenthood gets annually (by the likes of Santorum and Smith when they vote for the omnibus bill that contains Title X funding) helps it to support other programs,( like teaching teenagers fisting is ok and teaching sex ed in kindergarten), thus freeing up funds that can be used to promote or perform abortions.
I guess he and his ilk approve of republicans voting for Title X funding of Planned Parenthood where they can teach sex-ed in kindergarten and fisting to teenagers in High School. Santorum won’t get my vote, btw, he was a poor Senator who would only spend a couple of days a year in his home state of PA. That’s one of the reasons why he lost. He just didn’t care for his people.
I love their articles
Yes, I do want to know.
I'm sorry, this is not a lie, it is fact...get your blinders off and yes, I really do want to know what you think.
GovTrack: HR 3010: Text of Legislation
17 That of the funds made available under this heading,
18 $285,963,000 shall be for the program under title X of
19 the Public Health Service Act to provide for voluntary
20 family planning projects: Provided further, That amounts
21 provided to said projects under such title shall not be ex-
22 pended for abortions, that all pregnancy counseling shall
23 be nondirective, and that such amounts shall not be ex-
24 pended for any activity (including the publication or dis-
25 tribution of literature) that in any way tends to promote
and you can see how santorum voted here on the Senate website, not the new american website, the US Senate website The bottom line, Santorum's vote allowed Planned Parenthood to get hundreds of million's of dollars. That is a fact.
I mean you used a hit piece against Santorum to prove a point rather than point the finger at Boehner and McConnell, and those in Congress who are voting for it NOW. I mean that this whole POS has to be researched and straightened out. I mean that this Paul Bot hit piece has more accusations in it than those related to “fungible money” for Planned Parenthood.
I want to see what was in the last Title X appropriations bill Santorum voted for to see if a major portion of it was military spending.
Yep. I like Santorum a lot. I don’t think he’s going to win it, though. Heard him speak in our area once. He’s a really nice guy and a gifted speaker.
I don’t know the formula for having your face and message light a fire in people, but he’s not found it yet, either.
I’m hoping he sits with Newt and negotiates a VP slot. I’d love that conservative ticket.
He speaks with such passion about the founding, Natural Law and values. I think it's that he's got to go one step further and draw on that fire of the Holy Spirit. He sure has a Godly message.
Come O Holy Ghost and fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created, and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.
That's my prayer for Rick.
By the way, no fooling around with the military {per usual} in this particular bill, but it sure is monstrous.
H.R.3010 — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006
In the first link in the above article, there’s a video in which he says he voted for a lot of things in the appropriations bill. Guess what - he voted for a LOT of things!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.