« Rick Santorum
August 7, 2008
Santorum Says Obama Has “No Right To Claim” He’s a Christian
It looks like former Senator Rick Santorum is adding his voice to the right-wing chorus that has been loudly proclaiming that Barack Obama is not a “true Christian,” that his proclamations of Christian faith are ““deceitful” and that is understanding of the faith is “woefully deficient” and borderline sacrilegious. Steve Waldman at BeliefNet reports on a recent speech that Santorum gave to the Oxford Center for Religion and Public Life in which he asserted that Obama’s talk of the importance of his faith is “absolutely disingenuous” and “phony” and that Obama has “abandoned Christendom” and thus has no “right to claim it”:
Santorum, known for overtly connecting his faith to his politics, said the Democrats' current efforts to be more faith-friendly are "a charade... I don’t think it's sincere at all." Obama's efforts to talk about the importance of faith in his life is "phony--absolutely disingenuous. I think he's a complete phony."
Obama, Santorum argued, chose Trinity Church in Chicago because it was politically advantageous -- "faith was an avenue for power."
(At the end of the attack, he added that of course it would be inappropriate for him to judge the authenticity of Obama's faith, as only God could do that.)
…
However, he questioned whether liberal Christianity was really, well, Christian. "You're a liberal something, but you're not a Christian." He continued, "When you take a salvation story and turn it into a liberation story you've abandoned Christendom and I don't think you have a right to claim it."
Posted by Kyle at 10:15 AM | Permalink
February 15, 2008
Will They or Won’t They?
Ever since James Dobson declared that he would never vote for John McCain, the big question has been whether the Republican Party’s Religious Right base would follow suit or whether they would support McCain simply as the lesser of two evils.
While there appear to be some efforts underway to threaten to abandon the GOP altogether, McCain has been making inroads with various Religious Right leaders and slowly securing endorsements from the likes of Gary Bauer and Fidelis. And while some on the Right, such as Tony Perkins, are perfectly happy to see Mike Huckabee stay in the race in order to remind McCain that the Religious Right is not dead and force him to cater to the “voters who are passionate about the issues that Mike Huckabee addresses,” others conservative leaders predict that, for all the public grumbling and gnashing of teeth, the Right will eventually come around.
As Haley Barbour put it:
If people like that don't vote for John McCain, it means Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is going to be President. It's one thing in February or May or even August to say that you're not willing to support John McCain. But life is a series of choices, and inevitably the choice in November is going to be between McCain and either Clinton or Obama. Now, those people will look into their hearts and decide what to do. But for an incredibly high percentage of conservatives and Republicans, they'll vote for John McCain.
Others are making the same point – and even militant McCain-hater Rick Santorum says he’ll suck it up and vote for McCain:
Less than a week after Romney withdrew from the race, Santorum told WORLD he's still rankled by McCain, but won't avoid the ballot box in November if he's the GOP pick: "When you look at the [Democratic] alternatives, it makes the choice of whoever the Republican nominee is that much easier to vote for."
Ultimately, pointing out the alternative may be the key to McCain's hopes of wooing conservatives. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says McCain could take several steps to reach out to evangelicals, but adds: "In the end, there's not anything that John McCain can do to unite conservatives that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama can't do better."
The prospect of a Democratic presidency looms large in Gary Bauer's support of McCain. The Christian conservative and former presidential candidate formally endorsed McCain in early February and told WORLD he's baffled by evangelicals who say they won't vote for the senator if he's the Republican nominee.
Bauer points out that the next president may nominate as many as three Supreme Court justices. "If those justices are appointed by Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, we will have abortion for another 35 years and we will have same-sex marriage," he says. "We will have lost the two main things on the social agenda, probably forever."
And just in case the wavering right-wing voters needed any more convincing, Mark Creech of the Christian Action League of North Carolina weighs in to say that sitting out the election would be an affront to God:
Most troubling, however, is that many conservative evangelicals are now acting as though God were not sovereign in the political process. Have we become more focused on the process than on the God who controls it? Granted, we must diligently seek to influence the culture for righteousness sake. Nevertheless, evangelicals are not sailing the ship politic and never were. There is but one Captain - the Lord - and He raises to power whomever He wills. Infighting and laying blame is counterproductive to advancing the kingdom.
These experiences test our faith in God’s mysterious ways. And they strain our commitment to Christian liberty - the very foundation of our belief in political freedom. Let us lay aside the attacks on our brethren.
Neither is this a time to withdraw. Only a straining of the facts makes John McCain equal to or worse than the godless direction a Clinton or Obama ticket would take the nation. Such would not only imperil the social agenda of conservative evangelicals, but jeopardize one of the greatest of family values - protection of the American people from the violence of its enemies. If America bails out on the war effort before the job is finished, the United States will not only be dishonored, but the terrorists will follow our troops home.
Moreover, to disengage - worse still, not to vote - I believe is a grievous mistake. Though a person certainly has the right to adhere to his/her conscience in such action, it should be noted that to do so is to walk away from one's place at the table. With what credibility can one possibly speak to those serving in office when one was previously unwilling to even vote? At that point, one's credibility as a part of the discussion - now or later - becomes significantly compromised.
For whatever it's worth, having served as a lobbyist in the North Carolina General Assembly since 1999, there are two great truths constantly before me when seeking to influence the politics of those sacred halls: (1) God is sovereign over everything and ultimately His will cannot be defeated; and (2) no person or group involved in politics ever gets all they want all of the time. But for Christ's sake, one must ever be vigilant in victory and defeat. And one must always find positive ways to stay engaged in the process.
Posted by Kyle at 4:39 PM | Permalink
January 10, 2008
DeLay No Fan of McCain
Tom DeLay says "There’s nothing redeeming about John McCain." Wonder if this has anything to do with the animosity? Rick Santorum doesn't like him either.
Posted by Kyle at 2:11 PM | Permalink
August 31, 2007
Right Wing Marks Katrina Anniversary
Two years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other stretches of the Gulf Coast. At the time, the response by many on the Right was to blame the victims and/or social-service programs, and to take advantage of the “golden opportunity” to advance a far-right economic agenda. Remember Pat Buchanan, who criticized the “failure” of the “character and conduct” of the population of New Orleans, who “waited for the government to come save them” and “screamed into the cameras for help”? Then-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) called for “tougher penalties” for those who were stranded when the storm hit and the city was flooded. Bill O’Reilly saw video footage of the tragedy as an ideal object lesson for young people: “If you refuse to learn, if you refuse to work hard, if you become addicted, if you live a gangsta-life, you will be poor and powerless just like many of those in New Orleans.” (Watch the video.)
A few on the Religious Right joined in: Steve Lefemine of Columbia Christians for Life and Flip Benham of Operation Save America declared Katrina and Hurricane Rita acts of God in response to abortion in America. “God has more disaster than our federal government has relief!” said Benham. Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist, said in a visit to Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, “There’s been satanic worship. There’s been sexual perversion. God is going to use that storm to bring revival. God has a plan. God has a purpose.” (Pat Robertson, whose organization was promoted by FEMA as a Katrina relief charity, merely stated that Katrina and the Asian tsunami were the “birth pangs of a new order.” Watch the video.)
Meanwhile, many right-wing activists sprang at the chance to implement long-standing policy aims like private-school vouchers and capital gains tax cuts (according to Jack Kemp, capital gains is “not a tax on the rich, [but] a tax on the poor who want to get rich”). A number of Republicans in the House organized a program code-named “Operation Offset,” using Katrina as an excuse to revive efforts to cut funding for bugbears like PBS, Amtrak, and the earned-income tax credit.
Most of these activists and commentators have been silent on Katrina’s two-year anniversary, but a few have marked the occasion. Fred Smith, head of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, complained this week about the government “dump[ing] billions” into a “regulated” Louisiana economy, and called for more “self-help” on the part of residents. He echoed his own comments from October 2005, when he said the Bush Administration’s response to Katrina proved his point that, “You can have good government, or you can have Big Government, but you can't have good Big Government.”
John Hawkins wrote that he was tired of the “pity party” and said victims should “get over it”:
[W]e're all supposed to eternally sit around and weep tiny little tears of sadness for the people who really took it on the chin in a hurricane because they chose to live in a city shaped like a soup bowl on the coast. Let me tell all the citizens of New Orleans something that should have been told to them 18 months ago: it's time to stop playing the sympathy card and get over it.
And Joseph Farah, publisher of WorldNetDaily, complained about any effort toward “restoring New Orleans to its former decadent glory. “
The politicians forcibly take the money from you, bestow it upon a rebuilding effort that should never take place and then slap themselves on the back for all their hard work and sacrifice. …
Somebody's got to say it: New Orleans, the party's over!
(Photo from Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi, U.S. Coast Guard.)
Posted by Ezra at 4:51 PM | Permalink
August 15, 2007
GOP Finally Getting Hip to Blogs?
The Washington Times reports that the Right and the GOP might have finally figured out that blogs and bloggers are valuable, noting that the Heritage Foundation's Robert Bluey has been hosting weekly "Conservative Bloggers Briefings" that have included people such as Robert Novak, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich.
Posted by Kyle at 12:24 PM | Permalink
April 24, 2007
Buchanan: Abortion Case 'Could Be Decisive' for 2008
Cites GOP “unanimity” on judges. DeLay: Decision “uniting conservatives around the country.”
Posted by Ezra at 11:59 PM | Permalink
March 1, 2007
Santorum in Talks for Op-Ed Column
In Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile: Losing Ohio gov. candidate Blackwell writes column for Townhall.com.
Posted by Ezra at 6:05 PM | Permalink
February 2, 2007
Ousted Rick-Wing Senators Land Think Tank Gigs
Santorum at Ethics and Public Policy Center, Talent at Heritage (and with Romney).
Posted by Ezra at 11:59 PM | Permalink
January 24, 2007
Long-Shot Brownback at Home in Anti-Abortion Protest
Campaigning for president as “the full-scale conservative,” Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) has won the hearts of many right-wing activists for joining in the calls warning of a so-called “War on Christmas” and blocking a judicial nominee who once attended a lesbian commitment ceremony, but his candidacy has so far failed to establish viability. “Brownback has to prove he can win,” as Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention put it. Still, the senator is steadily expanding his base, as he demonstrated during Monday’s anti-abortion protests in Washington.
Brownback wrote an op-ed in support of the protests in The Washington Times, and he spoke at several events during the day, culminating in a “Brownback for President” reception. Washington Post’s Dana Milbank reports:
The Rev. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life gave the opening prayer: "We pray today particularly for a man whom we love and whom we admire, whom we look to and have looked to for leadership and have not been disappointed. We pray today for Senator Brownback and his family."
Two hundred march participants chanted: "Brownback! Brownback!"
Brownback also spoke at the Family Research Council’s Blogs4Life conference (covered by ProLifeBlogs, Townhall, and Human Events), where he predicted that “Roe v. Wade is going to be overturned” within a few years, as Milbank reported.
He announced his introduction of the "Unborn Pain Awareness Act" and vowed to protect all "children of a living God." Asking why disabled Americans are protected but not fetuses with abnormalities, he demanded: "What's the difference -- location?" For emphasis, he introduced a 4-year-old girl with Down syndrome. He urged the listeners to speak to abortion-rights supporters with "truth encased in love."
This is not the first time Brownback has used children as stage props. This past summer, the senator argued against embryonic stem-cell research by bringing out a 7-year-old girl, who had drawn a picture of herself as an embryo saying, “Are you going to kill me?” This particular rhetorical technique was previously used by former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), who brought a 4-year-old to the Senate chamber while arguing for the “Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.” ““What they wanted to do was kill this baby by stabbing her in the base of the skull and suctioning her brains out,” said Santorum, pointing to the girl in the audience.
Santorum’s extreme politics endeared him to the Right – not too long ago, he was the one frequently mentioned as a potential presidential candidate – but it cost him his Senate seat in November’s election. Brownback is hoping to find a growing Right Wing in Iowa that could give him the edge in the GOP caucus, but first he has to appeal to more moderate Republican voters, and convince them that he won’t meet Santorum’s fate. Otherwise, the difference will be location – the chasm between warm reception at a far-Right blog panel and disappointment at a real-life voting booth.
(Photo from ProLifeBlogs.com.)
Posted by Ezra at 9:32 AM | Permalink
January 9, 2007
Santorum Joins Ethics and Public Policy Center
After losing his Senate seat, Rick Santorum has quickly rebounded and joined the right-wing Ethics and Public Policy Center where he will head up a program called – literally – America’s Enemies.
The EPPC press release says:
"As a United States Senator, Rick Santorum was a champion of efforts to counter the threat of radical Islamic fascism, to protect victims of religious persecution, and to promote democracy and religious liberty around the world," said EPPC President Ed Whelan. "We are honored that he is joining EPPC to continue his important and courageous work on these matters."
"In these perilous and uncertain times, I believe it is critical that we define the threats that confront America," said Mr. Santorum. "Without a clear definition and precise understanding of our enemies we cannot fight effectively and our own citizens become divided. It is my hope that the America's Enemies program at EPPC will help the American people -- including our leaders -- understand and communicate with clarity, honesty, and consistency the enemies we face and the complex and enormous threat that they pose to our lives and the freedoms we all enjoy."
According to an article in The National Review, Santorum has big plans for his new program:
“It’s a stark name,” says Santorum. “But we wanted to be candid about the fact that America really does have enemies and to point out that the nature of these enemies is much more complex than what people realize. It’s not just Islamic fascism, but also Venezuela, North Korea, and, increasingly in my opinion, Russia.”
…
How will a former senator adjust to life at a think tank? “This is a very impressive group of folks who share my worldview more than any other group in town,” says Santorum. “We’re going to have a lot of synergy. I know that I’m not the foremost scholar in the world, but I can offer a lot of ideas and help put together a communications strategy to describe the threats we face. Communication is a big problem, as the results of the elections in November show.”
Santorum plans to organize lectures and conferences, write articles, and work on a book. (His book agent is Kathy Lubbers, who is Newt Gingrich’s daughter.) “We expect to be very, very active,” he says. One of his focal points will be religious liberty and how people of faith might confront radical Islam.
Now that he is out of the Senate, it was nice of the EPPC to give Santorum a platform from which he can continue his work defending the country against its terrorist enemies by making bizarre comparisons to “Lord of the Rings.”
On a positive note, at least Santorum’s home in Virginia has now become a convenience instead of a political liability.
Posted by Kyle at 12:34 PM | Permalink
Older Rick Santorum posts: