Rick Santorum visits the Gem State (Idaho)

KIVI-TV ^ | 2/14/12 | Jaclyn Brandt

[Domandred]

Republican Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum visited Boise tonight to a packed house at Capitol High School. More than 30 minutes before the speech started, the 1300 capacity auditorium was full and any new arrivals were sent to a spillover gym across campus.

Santorum started his speech speaking about his family. There was applause when he spoke about his seven children, ranging in ages from 3 to 20. He said “Last time I said I had 7 children, I was in NY, and there wasn’t applause. I bet a lot of you have that many children.”

He also used his family to talk about who he is, and perhaps even his other challengers. “If I am the only one who accepts the challenge of faith and family, I will take that.”

The rest of the speech was aimed against the Obama administration and other government. He also spoke about global warming, Habeas Corpus, Obama’s health insurance plan, religious freedom and contraception. There were a few mentions of his now-famous sweater vests.

He was well received by most the audience, although a few times throughout the night a jeer was shouted out. Besides that, there were no demonstrations or other hecklers apparent.

At one point he pulled out his pocket copy of the Declaration of Independence and said “We are the greatest country in the history of the world.” When he read the line “endowed by their creator” there was much applause when he emphasized the word “creator.” He followed the applause with “You people in Idaho know these things.”

He then spoke of how he believes it is our now our duty to do the right thing for our country, pushing the point that “We will be the last stand.”

There were many state legislators in attendance, Russ Fulcher and Bob Nonini being two. Treasurer Ron Crane was also in the crowd.

Santorum finished his speech with the thought that “That’s what every election is about…the future.”

Santorum then took about 30 minutes of questions from the crowd.

[Lazlo in PA]

Since I help run the ping list, I find that I read most of the Santorum threads posted here. I see the same small handful of posters on them slamming Rick constantly for the stupidest stuff. Never promote their guy and how he is better. They just post intellectually vapid hate on Rick.

[ari-freedom]

“Never promote their guy and how he is better. They just post intellectually vapid hate on Rick.”

Sounds just like Romney

[Irenic]

Speaking of the seven kids ranging from 3-20, I have a question that has been bothering me since a CNN debate.

I don’t know if Santorum was joking or serious.

Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates what they would change in the White House. Santorum said if he became president, he would expand the White House — not for government, but for his seven children who would need lots of bedrooms.

Was he serious?

[alstewartfan]

Sounds like a freakin’ joke to me.

[American Constitutionalist]

" John Kerry, who served in Viet Nam. Rick Santorum, who has 7 kids. "

And your point is ?

Rick Santorum was born in 1958, don't you think he would have been a bit to young for service in Vietnam ?
He would have been 17 in 1975 when the Vietnam war officially ended.

[American Constitutionalist]

I think it was a little humor.

[Vigilanteman]

The electoral math, so far, still shows Santorum doing way better than Gingrich.

Seven reasons for Rick Santorum

1. Who has won the most states without the benefit of their own money, last election's organization or a billionaire casino sugar daddy?
   
2. Who is everybody's second choice when he isn't their first?
   
3. Who can get both the Romney people and the Gingrich people, who hate each other, to vote for him?
   
4. Who has the best record on immigration?
   
5. Who has the best plan for repealing ObamaCare? And is the only GOP candidate who didn't help write or approve legislation which helped spawn this fiasco?
   
6. Who has the best plan for expanding the American economy and strengthening American families?
   
7. Who is the closest thing we have to the "generic Republican" which polls show consistently beating Obama and is most likely to make the election about Obama's sorry record rather than about himself?

[airborne]

Rick Santorum was born in 1958, don't you think he would have been a bit to young for service in Vietnam ?

Clearly, Santorum intentionally waited to be born so he could dodge Vietnam!

(sarcasm - duh!)

[C. Edmund Wright]

You totally missed my point.

[C. Edmund Wright]

You are pathetically off base. I think Rick Santorum would be a disaster for the Republican Party.

[Da Mav]

I still fantasize about how wonderful a Palin/West ticket would be but in the real world I’d be pretty happy with Rick Santorum heading the ticket. For all his imperfections, he’s hands down the most conservative electable among those with rational foreign policy views.

[Apollo5600]

You accuse everybody of “hate”. Not too long ago you were accusing me of being an anti-Catholic bigot who hates all Catholics, even though I’m supporting Newt, and of going after Santorum’s family, even though I didn’t.

You’re a terrible shill for a empty suit candidate.

I’ve challenged several Santorumbots on various sites to explain how Saint Rick’s platform is superior.

So far, I’ve had no takers, except for this one guy who started saying that the flat tax and fair tax were equal, and that according to Catholic doctrine we’re supposed to fight against the big bad greedy corporations.

I’d love to see how you do!

[Apollo5600]

Oops, not equal, a guy who accused the fair tax and the flat taxes of being “evil”. Typo**

I’ll also take the opportunity to add, that a comment in favor of Rick’s platform does not consist of : “Newt’s more evil than my guy!” and then not addressing the challenge!

Santorumbots don’t argue from Santorum’s platform. They argue on his character and from his religion, and put the icing on the cake by bashing the other candidates of doing exactly what Saint Rick himself has done!

God help us if conservatives decide to send this empty suit to the nomination! We have an opportunity here thanks to Obama to make some serious reforms, but Saint Rick actually opposes anything that actually damages the current progressive system!

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

[Are we electing a Daddy?]

ABSOLUTELY!

All that matters is “family values”, Moral Superiority and he goes to church. And has one wife. That thing about the Government going to crap, not to mention the fact that we only have anout 2 years to fix this fiscal mess or lose this country permanently, is not important by golly. It's all about principles and how you perceive them.........

The only candidate who can even remotely fix this mess is Newt, but there is no way we can elect him, because he had 3....COUNT ‘EM......3 marriages. He also has kids who love him and respect him and think he is a wonderful dad, but because he's Newt Gingrich, that does not count!

Proven Executive ability and a strong knowledge of fiscal restraint is not important either, because the Reverend Rick is Principled, GOD will guide him and he is perfect, so all that trivial budget and national security stuff will be provided free of charge.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

With a record like Santroums, perhaps we need to “articulate” that some more, since you are always so respectful and coutreous towards those you deem inferior.

NEA
Voted for taxpayer funding of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Voted against a 10% cut in the budget for National Endowment for the Arts.

Bankruptcy
Voted for a Schumer amendment to make the debts of pro-life demonstrators not dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Defense and Foreign Policy

Voted for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Voted against requiring the President to certify that the CWC is effectively verifiable.

Voted against requiring the President to certify that that Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, North Korea, China, and all other countries determined to be state sponsors of terror have joined CWC prior to submitting the instrument of ratification.

Voted for the START II Treaty
Voted to allow the sale of supercomputers to China.
Voted to ban antipersonnel landmines
Voted against increasing defense spending offset by equivalent cuts in non-defense spending.
Voted to require that Federal bureaucrats get the same payraises as uniformed military.
Voted to allow food and medicine sales to state sponsors of terror and tyranical regimes such as Libya and Cuba.
Voted to limit the President’s authority to impose sanctions on nations for reasons of national security unless the sanctions were approved by a multilateral regime.
Voted against requiring Congressional authorization for military action in Bosnia.
Voted to give $25 million in foreign aid to North Korea
Voted to weaken alien terrorist deportation provisions. If the Court determines that the evidence must be withheld for national security reasons, the Justice Department must still provide a summary of the evidence sufficient for the alien terrorist to mount a defense against deportation.
Voted against delaying the India Nuclear until the President certified that India had agreed to suspend military-to-military exchanges with Iran.
Voted against the Conventional Trident Missile Program

Nominations
Voted for Richard Paez to the 9th Curcuit (cloture)
Voted for Sonia Sotomayor, Circuit Judge
Voted for Richard Holbrooke to be Ambassador to the UN
Voted for Margaret Morrow to be District Judge
Voted twice for Marsha Berzon to the 9thg Circuit
Voted for Mary McLaughlin to be District Judge
Voted for Tim Dyk to be District Judge
Voted for James Brady to be District Judge

Labor
Voted against National Right to Work Act
Voted against Real of Davis-Bacon Prevailing union wages
Voted for Alexis Herman to be Secretary of Labor
Voted for mandatory Federal child care funding
Voted for Trade Adjustment Assistance.
Voted for Job Corps funding
Voted twice in support of Fedex Unionization
Voted against allowing a waiver of Davis-Bacon in emergency situations.
Voted for minimum wage increases six times here here here here here and here
Voted to require a union representative on an IRS oversight board.
Voted to exempt IRS union representative from criminal ethics laws.
Voted against creating independent Board of Governors to investigate IRS abuses.
Guns

Voted to require pawn shops to do background checks on people who pawn a gun.
Voted twice to make it illegal to sell a gun without a secure storage or safety device
Voted for a Federal ban on possession of “assault weapons” by those under 18.
Voted for Federal funding for anti-gun education programs in schools.
Voted for anti-gun juvenile justice bill.

Reform

Voted for funding for the legal services corporation.
Voted twice for a Congressional payraise.
Voted to impose a uniform Federal mandate on states to force them to allow convicted rapits, arsonists, drug kingpins, and all other ex-convicts to vote in Federal elections.
Voted for the Specter “backup plan” to allow campaign finance reform to survive if portions of the bill were found unconstitutional.
Voted to mandate discounted broadcast times for politicians.
Voted for a McCain amendment to require State and local campaign committees to report all campaign contributions to the FEC and to require all campaign contributions to be reported to the FEC within 24 hours within 90 days of an election.

Immigration
Voted against increasing the number of immigration investigators
Voted to allow illegal immigrants to receive the earned income credit before becoming citizens
Voted to give SSI benefits to legal aliens.
Voted to give welfare benefits to naturalized citizens without regard to to the earnings of their sponsors.
Voted against hiring an additional 1,000 border partrol agents, paid for by reductions in state grants.

Taxes
Voted against a flat tax.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for Medicare prescription drugs
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to fund health insurance subsidies for small businesses.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for an $8 billion increase in child healh insurance.
Voted to increase tobacco taxes to pay for an increase in NIH funding.
Voted twice for internet taxes.
Voted to allow gas tax revenues to be used to subsidize Amtrak.
Voted to strike marriage penalty tax relief and instead provide fines on tobacco companies.
Voted against repealing the Clinton 4.3 cent gas tax increase.
Voted to increase taxes by $2.3 billion to pay for an Amtrak trust fund.
Voted to allow welfare to a minor who had a child out of wedlock and who resided with an adult who was on welfare within the previous two years.
Voted to increase taxes by $9.4 billion to pay for a $9.4 billion increase in student loans.
Voted to say that AMT patch is more important than capital gains and dividend relief.

Welfare
Voted against food stamp reform
Voted against Medicaid reform
Voted against TANF reform
Voted to increase the Social Services Block Grant from $1 billion to $2 billion
Voted to increase the FHA loan from $170,000 to $197,000. Also opposed increasing GNMA guaranty from 6 basis points to 12.
Voted for $2 billion for low income heating assistance.

Waste
Sponsored An amendment to increase Amtrak funds by $550 million
Voted to use HUD funds for the Joslyn Art Museum (NE), the Stand Up for Animals project (RI) and the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Project (WA)
Voted to increase spending on social programs by $7 billion
Voted to increase NIH funding by $1.6 billion.
Voted to increase NIHnding by $700 million
Voted to for a $2 million earmark to renovate the Vulcan Monument (AL)
Voted for a $1 billion bailout for the steel industry
Voted against requiring that highway earmarks would come out of a state’s highway allocation
Voted to allow Market Access Program funds to go to foreign companies.
Voted to allow OPIC to increase its administrative costs by 50%
Voted against transferring $20 million from Americorps to veterans.
Voted for the $140 billion asbestos compensation bill.
Voted against requiring a uniform medical criteria to ensure asbestos claims were legitimate.
Voted to increase community development programs by $2 billion.

Spending and Entitlements
Voted to make Medicare part B premium subsidies an new entitlement.
Voted against paying off the debt ($5.6 trillion at the time) within 30 years.
Voted to give $18 billion to the IMF.
Voted to raid Social Security instead of using surpluses to pay down the debt.

Health Care
Voted to allow states to impose health care mandates that are stricter than proposed new Federal mandates, but not weaker.
Voted twice for Federal mental health parity mandates in health insurance.
Voted against a allow consumers the option to purchase a plan outside the parity mandate.

Education
Voted to increase Federal funding for teacher testing
Voted to increase spending for the Department of Education by $3.1 billion.
Voted against requiring courts to consider the impact of IDEA awards on a local school district.

Energy

Voted to allow the President to designate certain sites as interim nuclear waste storage sites in the event that he determines that Yucca Mountain is not a suitable site for a permanent waste repository. Those sites are as follows: the nuclear waste site in Hanford, Washington; the Savannah River Site in South Carolina; Barnwell County, South Carolina; and the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee.

Voted to make fuel price gouging a Federal crime

[RasterMaster]

The idiots think that if they can keep us on defense, nobody will look at Newt's poor record for themselves or question his own past misdeeds.

They expect everyone to "relax and accept it" lest we pi$$ off the BIG TENT Rudy McRomney RINO "moderates".

[Wallace T.]

Given that Idaho, like Nevada, has a sizable Mormon population, would this state be a strong candidate for a Romney win? If I'm not mistaken, the Mormon percentage is even higher in ID than in NV. Additionally, like Nevada, New Hampshire, and Maine, is Idaho a fairly weak state for evangelicals and doesn't it have an above average portion of libertarian-minded people? Remember that Paul came in second to Romney in NH and ME. It is interesting that Santorum believes ID is in contention. He must have good reason to think he has a chance in a state which would naturally be strongly pro-Romney.

[Domandred]

Given that Idaho, like Nevada, has a sizable Mormon population, would this state be a strong candidate for a Romney win

In a highly unscientific pole the politically active Mormons I personally know (friends, neighbors, ward and stake members) are overwhelmingly for Santorum over Romney. The not so politically active for Romney of course.

I'm not sure if it's a "for Santorum" or "against Romney" support though. None of them like Gingrich AT ALL, citing both the 3 marriages and ethics violations. Ron Paul gets laughs.

As far as Nevada goes the secret is that in 2012, just like 2008, Romney would have won even if ALL the the Mormon vote was for 2nd place (Gingrich) though the difference would have been only 3% instead of 29%. (estimating based on a reported 1/4 of the vote being Mormon)

It is interesting that Santorum believes ID is in contention.

It's not just Santorum that believes ID is in contention. Idaho has 32 delegates up for grabs and is no longer winner take all. Idaho is proportional now so even a Paul will show better than Gingrich in Idaho.

[Domandred]

Idaho is proportional now so even a Paul will show better than Gingrich in Idaho.

Ug ruined this sentence in editing. Should have said "Idaho is proportional now so even a split would help Santorum. Paul will show better than Gingrich in Idaho."

[Lazlo in PA]

Thanks for explicitly proving my point.