Santorum attacks Romney as contraception roils GOP

Chicago Sun-Times via A.P. ^ | March 2, 2012 | A.P.

[Graybeard58]

SPOKANE, Wash. — Seizing an opportunity to instill doubts about Mitt Romney’s conservative credentials, Rick Santorum on Thursday said his presidential rival’s gut reaction to a Senate measure that would have repealed mandatory health coverage for contraceptives shows the former Massachusetts governor is not conservative “at the core.”

Romney opened himself to criticism the day before by telling a reporter that he opposed a Republican bill to block President Barack Obama’s policy on contraceptive insurance coverage. Hours later, Romney reversed himself and said he had misunderstood the question.

But the damage was done. Santorum used the opening to score political points just five days before Super Tuesday’s 10-state voting, suggesting that Romney was too moderate to defeat Obama in November.

“We aren’t going to win with someone who doesn’t excite the very people that we need to excite,” Santorum said during a rally inside the New Life Assembly of God church. “We won 2010 not because we nominated moderates!”

The issue of contraceptive coverage resonates with conservative primary voters, but it also offers a contrast between each party’s priorities that could have general election ramifications. While the issue roiled the Republican presidential contest, Obama railed against oil and gas company subsidies in New Hampshire.

The dispute offered a window into Romney’s fundamental challenge in his second White House bid. He dominates his opponents with money and organization, but he has struggled to win over his party’s right flank because of lingering concerns about his social conservative bona fides. The turnabout in message also allowed his critics to once again label him a flip-flopper.

Addressing a town hall-style meeting in North Dakota, Romney briefly spoke in favor of the Senate provision that pitted religious freedom against women’s privacy rights and riled Americans in this volatile election year. He called Obama’s decision

[nhwingut]

Santorum still talking about rubbers and pills. Enough!

And then he complains when the media pegs him as johnny one note.

Gas, energy, taxes, healthcare... Obama is so vulnerable.

[cripplecreek]

Romney opened himself to criticism the day before by telling a reporter that he opposed a Republican bill to block President Barack Obama’s policy on contraceptive insurance coverage. Hours later, Romney reversed himself and said he had misunderstood the question.

Yeah that makes it Santorum's fault.

America is in the shape it is because "conservatives" like yourself are exactly like the liberals you claim to oppose. A complete and utter lack of ethics.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The country is about to slide off a fiscal and moral cliff, and we’re obsessed with birth control.

Gotta hand it to the Alinskyites, they’ve got this down to an art.

[BlueStateBlues]

Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt and say he’s not a liar. Then, if he misunderstood the question and gave a knee-jerk answer, what would he do when faced with one of those 3 a.m. phone calls? Would he not be able to comprehend what is said to him and answer anyway? Not fit to serve. If only he loses Ohio next week, then he’ll be on his way out and Gingrich can climb back up again. I miss Mrs. Palin not running, I was counting on that for 2012.

[FrankR]

Just as "contraception" is supposed to prevent pregnancy, if they keep harping on it, it's going to prevent an Republican from getting elected "president".

It's time the GOPe crowd stopped flinching at every liberal social issue the media decides to use to trap them.

We're letting the libs and the media not only pick our nominee, but what the candidates and the nominee even talk about.

They should be booed into silence like Stephanopolis was at the debate when he foisted the - then unheard of - "contraception bomb on the candidates.

I would come back with, "If you can't afford your own contraception, then maybe you should just say 'no' to sex, or prepare yourself to be a parent.".

We all know that when a liberal says "contraception", s/he really means "abortion".

That fact is proven by the coed who decried that she has so much sex, she can't afford to pay for contraception. Well, you only have to take one pill a month whether you have sex one time, or a hundred times. So, she is either talking about the "morning after" pill, or abortion.

It's plain that she, and her lib mentors, want the taxpayers to pay for either, or both.

Nancy Reagan was speaking of drugs with her "Just Say No" line, but it should also apply to those who want to be "sexual activists" at someone elses' expense...namely, the taxpayers.

[PGR88]

The Dems LOVE this “contraception” issue.

The fact they keep shooting back at Rush with this tramp from GU proves to me they are trying to keep this issue alive. Continued talk about it distracts from any focus on Obama.

If you read the NY Times or WaPO - there is rarely any articles about Obama, the economy, or gas process.

[skeeter]

If Santorum takes your advise how long do you think it'll be before democrats find the 'social' angle on every issue on which Obama is vulnerable?

If the state forcing their will upon US religious institutions isn't a worthy topic in this campaign, nothing is.

[annieokie]

They bring this issue up in EVERY election that I can remember. It is the only issue they can win with.

The Republicans keep falling for it, when will they learn? sigh.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

That's right, Santorum bombs in the latest primaries and polls, still has no clear economic plan, other than the rhetoric he spews,(Copied mostly from Newt's registered plan) so the best he can do is, the ONLY thing he knows how to do. Stand at the pulpit and preach about issues and Moral Platitudes that less than 10% of the population gives a rip about.

No wonder he can't win......(But we knew that a year ago.)

[throwback]

Not surprising that Romney doesn’t care about religious freedom. He did the same thing in Mass. with Romneycare. Right now they’re gunning for the Catholics. He’ll worry about it when they get to the Mormons.