http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/64281-1
Arlen Specter announces for the White House, with endorsee, Rick Santorum at his side.
At Senator Arlen Specter’s official presidential campaign announcement in March 1995, then-Senator Rick Santorum showed his public support and encouragement of Specter by sitting directly next to him as Specter denounced the GOP’s war on abortion. It was at this event that Specter proclaimed his total opposition to social conservatism and declared he is in fact running to make the GOP pro-choice.
Santorum is seen nodding and applauding at Specter’s side:
3:46 mark: “In 1996, I intend to win the other house — the White House — with ten commitments to America… Especially a woman’s right to choose…
13:22 mark: “Even though we have this historic opportunity for these achievements, there are those in our party who would lead us down a different path — and squander this unique moment in our nation’s history — by using our political capital — to pursue a radical social agenda — that would end a woman’s right to choose…
13:48 mark: “When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation between Church and State, I say he is wrong…
14:31 mark: “When Ralph Reed says a pro-choice Republican isn’t qualified to be our President, I say the Republican Party will not be intimidated or blackmailed by those kinds of threats.I, and millions of other pro-choice Republicans, will not be disenfranchised and made second class citizens.
15:33 mark: “… it is not Christian, or religious, or Judeo-Christian to bring God into politics; or to advocate intolerance and promote exclusion.
15:54 mark: “I want to take abortion out of politics. I want to keep the Republican Party focused on the vital economic and foreign policy issues — and leave moral issues such as abortion to the conscience of the individual. I believe abortion is an issue to be decided by women…
16:40 mark: “I pledge to lead the fight to strip the strident anti-choice language from the Republican National platform…”
17:05 mark: “neither this nation nor this party can afford a republican candidate so captive to the demands of the intolerant right...
Ought to cut Santorum a break for having backed Specter for president in 1996. Santorum’s support couldn’t conceivably have done the country harm since Specter hadn’t a snowball’s chance in hell at the nomination. On the other hand, it made sense for Santorum in terms of his own electoral survival to support Specter, who had helped him in the 1994 general election and whose help he’d need in future elections, particularly to to win the votes of liberal-moderate and pro-abortion Republicans in the Philly area, Specter’s stronghold. Had Santorum endorsed a liberal Republican from another state for president, I’d fault Rick mightily, but backing a sure also-ran from his home state, upon whose good will his own future reelection prospects depended, is surely no sin.