Santorum not so strong with Pennsylvania folks Spending raises conservative doubts

The Washington Times ^ | March 11th, 2012 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[Mariner]

HOUSTON — After a big win in Saturday’s Kansas caucuses, Rick Santorum is riding high almost everywhere but in his native Pennsylvania.

While Christian-right leaders such as James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Tom LeFever, Rebecca Hagelin and Richard Viguerie were holding a fundraiser in Texas for the former senator Friday, some in his hometown of Pittsburgh were expressing doubts about the candidate’s reliability as an advocate of small government and fiscal integrity.

“I guess you could say there’s a disconnect between Rick Santorum’s claim to be a small-government fiscal conservative and the Pittsburgh tunnel project he pushed for as a U.S. senator,” said Jack Brooks, a former top official in a powerful Pennsylvania trade union that backed Mr. Santorum’s failed Senate re-election bid in 2006.

Mr. Santorum, running a shoestring campaign to wrest the Republican nomination from front-runner Mitt Romney, has claimed to be “the true conservative” in the GOP race. Not surprisingly, his rivals on the national scene say he is anything but. A campaign ad by his rival, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, tags Mr. Santorum as a “fake fiscal conservative.”

Newt Gingrich, appearing on Fox News on Sunday, again questioned Mr. Santorum’s conservative bona fides.

[Loyal Sedition]

After wading through several post below I have questions.

When eating our own like this, what is the proper condiment, and is it red or white wine?

[skr]

But some are more conservative where it counts. That would not be Romney.

[Plumberman27]

niether. Better off with cheap warm beer.

[SatinDoll]

Chianti, with fava beans. /sarc

[voicereason]

Rick would get crucified in the November election. He has a snowball’s chance in hell of carrying PA.

[seekthetruth]

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum participate in the Alabama Republican Presidential Forum
March 12, 2012 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm CT
Alabama Theater
1817 3rd Avenue North
Birmingham, AL, 35203
Note: This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited to the first 2,000 people.

COVERAGE ON CSPAN 5:30pm Central 6:30pm Eastern

[Mangia E Statti Zitto]

Mr. Behrend said that before Mr. Santorum first ran for Congress in 1990, he “tried out a speech with all of us in Young Republicans” and “didn’t mention the pro-life issue.” “Afterward, I asked him where he stood, and he said, ‘I haven’t made up my mind. I don’t have an answer right now.’ “Then when he took a pro-life position, he suddenly had all kinds of volunteers helping him run for Congress,” said Mr. Behrend,

[Girlene]

lol, Mangia etc. - anyone who questions whether Santorum is truly pro-life should also question their (fill in the blank).

[Guenevere]

Bless you for your post!——Just the facts!! :)

[Paine in the Neck]

Santorum is just Huckabee without the personality.

[Tribune7]

Unless Santorum really looks like he’ll put a stake in Romney’s heart, I’m gong for Gingrich this April

[GulfBreeze]

BS. You are full of crap. It would be just as easy to hammer Gengrich on his open border compassion and global warming love fest with Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi. However, It is not true of who Gengrich is as a whole anymore than this crap you sycophants following him around like a farts blow the wisdom of the Gods.

[GulfBreeze]

So HamiltonJay, if 55% is abysmal in ones homestate I guess you are the first one to urge Newt to get out of the race since in Georgia he couldn’t even break 50%, right? No. You won’t stand by your own words will you?

Results for Georgia Republican Primary (U.S. Presidential Primary)
Mar 06, 2012 (100% of precincts reporting)

Newt Gingrich 424,976 47.2%
Mitt Romney 233,297 25.9%
Rick Santorum 176,080 19.6%
Ron Paul 58,982 6.6%
Other 7,099 0.8%

[GulfBreeze]

So HamiltonJay, if 55% is abysmal in ones homestate I guess you are the first one to urge Newt to get out of the race since in Georgia he couldn’t even break 50%, right? No. You won’t stand by your own words will you?

Results for Georgia Republican Primary (U.S. Presidential Primary)
Mar 06, 2012 (100% of precincts reporting)

Newt Gingrich 424,976 47.2%
Mitt Romney 233,297 25.9%
Rick Santorum 176,080 19.6%
Ron Paul 58,982 6.6%
Other 7,099 0.8%

[steve8714]

Newt cannot win the nomination. Since all his experience is in the House, the GOP will never allow this.
Senate or Governor’s office is all they consider. A private citizen like Trump or Cain had a better chance.
Just the facts. The big problem is that we have the wrong former governor in the race.

[brityank]

I agree - thanks for the pings.

Found this out in the wooly web:

Newt Gingrich & The Republican Revolution - (1:35:39)

Bill Kurtis does the narration, and runs through Newt's "Contract With America" from 1994-5. Well done and a good history lesson too.

[Tribune7]

Excellent find, Brit.

Thanks.

[Steelfish]

So by your logic, what the heck do we know about Romney since we don’t live in MI or MA? May be you’d check with some others who live in Pa (like Lazlo in Pa) on what they think about Santorum in PA? They now have a Republican governor as well.

I didn’t say you lied. I did note that your post was misleading in trying to make out the poll as being worthless stuff from Amish county in Lancaster.

[MestaMachine]

Lazlo is a FRiend of mine. We disgree on santorum, but I have never dissed HIM either. I’m all grown up and have a mind of my own. And there are lots of other things we DO agree on. Don’t try to start a fight you can’t finish.

[Steelfish]

Just testing your logic and no more. And no need for threats like “Don’t try to start a fight you can’t finish,” we don’t do that here in FR.