Quote of the Day

"Don't use the term the other side uses. What does Barack Obama talk about all the time? The middle class. Since when in America do we have classes? Since when in America are people stuck in areas or defined places called a class? That's Marxism talk."

Rick Santorum, in Iowa.

Santorum declaring the use of the term middle class "Marxism" is hysterical. What is happening here is Santorum is stupid enough to publicly air out a 2011 memo by Republican pollster Frank Luntz.

“[Democrats] cannot win if the fight is on hardworking taxpayers. We can say we defend the ‘middle class’ and the public will say, I’m not sure about that. But defending ‘hardworking taxpayers’ and Republicans have the advantage.”

Luntz is a smart pollster. What he is telling the Republican Party is there tax and economic policies are political losers with voters. Luntz is telling the GOP to give up the high ground to the Democratic Party on the middle class. The GOP is a party in retreat. If they don't think they can win the middle class than they better hope for more older, uneducated white people to magically appear.

Write A Caption: Rick Santorum

He's your ice cream baby, stop him when he's passing by.

Quote of the Day

"Today is the day for America to stop leading from behind."

Rick Santorum

For a hetrosexual guy, Rick Santorum sure knows how to make his tweets sound homoerotic.

Rick Santorum defends Joe Paterno

Unsurprisingly, Rick Santorum defends former Penn State coach Joe Paterno. For a politician claiming to be for conservative family values. It shows great hypocrisy to claim Paterno did not cover-up Jerry Sandusky molesting young boys.

SANTORUM: I actually read the Freeh Report. I don’t know if you did or not, but I did. And, my concern with the Freeh report, a lot of the conclusions in the Freeh report aren’t matched by the evidence that they presented and so I’ve been talking to a lot of folks at Penn State and they say, ‘you’re just gonna have to wait for the criminal trial of these two guys at Penn State.’ I think there is going to be a whole new line set on what really went on there. So I’m sort of sitting back and waiting for the facts to come out as opposed to at least I’m being told is a version of the facts. … Let’s get the truth. So I think we’re going to see some things come up a little different in the next six months. I just want to make sure we get it right.

When Santorum says he read a report, that translates into Santorum not reading a report. Santorum claimed he read a jobs numbers report by President Obama's economic advisors. Santorum claimed the report shows that the stimulus failed because it only created 240 million jobs. If Santorum was smart he would realize he is giving President Obama false credit for the greatest job creation in modern history. Of course, Santorum doesn't know this because he never read the economic advisors' report or bothered to learn basic economics. If Santorum bothered to read the Freeh report he would know several emails show Paterno being involved in covering up Sandusky's crimes against young boys under his supervision. Law professor Wes Oliver told ESPN that Paterno would have likely faced criminal charges, if Paterno was still alive.

"If you look at what happened here, it's very clear that they were aware that they had a pedophile on their campus," Oliver said.

Santorum defended the Catholic church, after it was discovered church leaders covered-up priests sexually abusing boys. Santorum blamed people advocating for gay rights for the conduct of the Catholic church. Santorum is a member of the Catholic church and a Penn State alumni. Santorum places more importances on institutions he admires than for the welfare of children. That is an odd position for a man who claims to be pro-life.

Wank Out Day

The embarrassment to Rick Santorum never ends. Vivid Video is staging a national Wank Out Day to protest against Santorum's crusade against porn.

Quote of the Day

"Santorum declares that his support of abstinence will give him an easy victory in the Virgin Islands."

JC Christian

The Rick Santorum Strategy

On Meet the Press, Rick Santorum revealed how he was going to win the Republican nomination. The other candidates would drop out and give Santorum the nomination.

Of course, there would be an easy way for Santorum to really make up ground: “I’d like everybody to get out,” he said.

Well, that settles that. Santorum should start working on his convention speech.

County by County Breakdown of Ohio

Talking Points Memo has a county by county breakdown of the Ohio Republican convention. At the time of the post, Mitt Romney leads Rick Santorum 37.8 percent to 37.1 percent. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul did not win a single county.

Rick Santorum Song

A song and music video by Rick Santorum supporters. What is missing from this video? How about ethnic people. Santorum's base is made of people whiter than Wonder Bread.

There is No Moral Majority

Jerry Falwell liked to tell Americans there was a "Moral Majority" of people that hated feminists, gays and black people with the same passion as him. The controversy surrounding Rush Limbaugh's "slut" remark disproves Falwell's claim. The latest proof that Americans don't buy into social conservatism is the new Gallup poll

Mitt Romney now leads Rick Santoum by 16 percent. Republican voters didn't suddenly decide that Romney was the second coming of Ronald Reagan. GOP voters can't stand Santorum's self-ri'ghteousness. Alex Leary of The Tampa Bay interviewed Pennsylvania voters and found that Republicans felt Santorum spent too much time discussing social conservative issues.

"He's too preachy," said Marilyn Harrison, 80, who remembers Santorum knocking on her door in Mount Lebanon in his first Senate run in 1994 and being impressed with his vibrant attitude. In 2006, Harrison crossed party lines and voted for Democrat Bob Casey Jr., whose father had been immensely popular as governor and shared Santorum's pro-life views.

"Santorum is out of step with the day," Harrison said. "I'm not against family values, but I don't want him imposing his version on others."

Amen.

Santorum or Mustaine Quiz

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine endorsed Rick Santorum. No one has been able to make sense of that endorsement. In tribute of the endorsement, Mother Jones is running the "Santorum or Satanic Heavy Metal Quiz." I only got 4 out of 10 right.

Quote of the Day

"He is rigid and homophobic. He said, 'I want a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage,' and they said, 'Well, what about the people who are already married?' And he said, 'Well, they would be nullified.' I mean what is, what's human, what's kind about that? We're all human beings, we all know or love somebody who's gay or lesbian so what the hell is that about? To me it's startling and borders on disgust."

Alan Simpson, commenting on Rick Santorum.

This isn't the first time Simpson has voiced his disgust with Santorum.

Quote of the Day

"Folks, you've got energy here. They're going to bother you. They bother you, because you are a very key and strategic resource for this country."

Rick Santorum, warning North Dakota citizens that their state faces an imminent threat of attack from Iran.

Santorum's remarks are mind-bogglingly stupid on several counts. Santorum believes that Iran needs to attack North Dakota for oil. Iran has some of the richest oil fields in the world. Another matter is, Santorum believes Iran has the military power to wage a land war with the United States. The Iranian army had its hands full facing Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard in the 80s. Santorum believes the neoconservative gospel, without considering real world considerations.

Santorum's Rombo Ad

The Rick Santorum campaign has released the best ad, so far in the campaign. The "Rombo" ad portrays Mitt Romney as a mudslinging Rambo. The ad is well made and is a great way to disfuse the negative ads Romney will run against Santorum.

Does anyone know who made this ad?

Dave Mustaine Endorses Rick Santorum

Dave Mustaine was unbearably whiny in the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster. Mustaine cries to Lars Urlich about being kicked out of Metallica. Mustaine maybe a millionaire rock star. But can't you feel his pain for being kicked out of Metallica. I am no Metallica fan. I do wonder how the guys in the band could tolerate spending five minutes with Mustaine.

Another reason I don't like Mustaine is that he just endorsed Rick Santorum.

"... You know, I think Santorum has some presidential qualitities, and I'm hoping that if it does come down to it, we'll see a Republican in the White House... and that it's Rick Santorum."

Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica because he was too big of a drug addict to be in a band full of drug addicts. Mustaine spent most of his adult life doing drugs and screwing groupies. The man Mustaine wants in the White House is a social conservative Republican. What a hypocrite.

I cannot stand Mustaine. He has the right to support the candidate of his choosing. I hope he is off drugs now. That said, Mustaine is insufferable.

Quote of the Day: Rick Santorum

"I believe and I think the right approach is to accept this horribly created - in the sense of rape - but nevertheless a gift in a broken way, the gift of human life, and accept what God has given you. As you know, we have to, in lots of different aspects of our life. We have horrible things happen. I can't think of anything more horrible. But, nevertheless, we have to make the best out of a bad situation."

Rick Santorum

Santorum actually believes women are receiving a gift by being raped and impregnated by their attacker. In Santorum's world being raped is something women should put on their Amazon.com wishlist. Santorum then tells condescendingly tells women to tough it out and carry the fetus to birth. This man is insufferable.

Reactions from the feminist blogosphere.

Jill Filipovic

The thing is, we don't just "accept what God has given us" in a whole lot of circumstances. Like when God gives us cancer. Or when God gives us problems with a wanted pregnancy. We try to counteract the things that are physically or psychologically harmful to us, or things that we don't want to happen. And plenty of women do choose to give birth when they're impregnated by rape - that's a totally valid choice. But it's not one that should be forced on any woman, rape or no rape.

Robin Marty

Most candidates, when questioned on whether they could honestly force their family members to carry a pregnancy to term after rape, will at the very least hem and haw a little over the issue.

But not former Pennsylvanna Senator Rick Santorum. He says the baby is still a gift, and he would council his daughters to believe the same.

If you think Santorum has an empathy problem then you aren't the only one. Amanda Marcotte notes that Santorum has spent his career trying to deny the medical rights that saved his wife's life.

Most of us, when we suffer from a traumatic situation, find that it increases our empathy with others in similar circumstances, and many of us are driven to become activists fighting to make life easier for people in similiar situations. But for Rick Santorum, trauma drove him in the other direction: It decreased his empathy for others in similiar situations, and caused him to want to increase their pain and suffering. That's the lesson to be drawn from a profile of Santorum in the New York Times, which explains that after his wife Karen, got sick at 20 weeks of pregnancy and was spared the the spontaneous abortion/early delivery (the distinction is more cultural than biological), Santorum got busy making sure other couples in the same situation could never have the options and speedy medical care that helped saved Karen's life.

Santorum has no problem allowing women to die to please his religious worldview. No wonder Santorum views rape as a minor nuisance to women.

USF GOP Debate Live Blogging

My understanding is the Marshall Center at USF is shut down for the Republican debate.

Drink every time a candidate mentions Ronald Reagan's name.

The Ron Paul supporters are out in force by the Marshall Center.

Video of the scene outside the Marshall Center. The media is on the second floor in the ballroom.

State of Sunshine blogger Jim Johnson said he estimates there are about 200 Ron Paul supporters.

The Tampa Bay Times has a photo gallery of the protest outside the Marshall Center. Occupy Tampa is present.

The USF Oracle has a photo of the Occupy Tampa protesters at USF.



Jim Johnson will be live blogging the debate.

My understanding is that Peter Schorsch will be live blogging. Check his blog at 9:00 PM.

Tas just sent me this awesome tweet.

There's another fucking debate tonight? I thought it was on Thursday.

It feels like there have been debates since the day after Obama's inauguration. What makes matters worse is these debates have been substance-free.

9:00 Brian Williams introduction and sweeping music.

9:02 Gingrich brings up Herbert Hoover to make the case he is electable. Good God.

9:05 Romney hits Gingrich twice on him "resigning in disgrace."

Romney declaring his love for the Paul Ryan plan is a great general election sound bite for Democrats.

Romney hits Gingrich for working on Freddie Mac. Romney is coming out swinging because he is in trouble.

9:10 Newt defending himself on House ethics reprimand. Newt attacking Romney on false facts. What part of ethics reprimand and fine does Newt not understand. Newt won't fess up to anything.

9:13 Man is Rick Santorum boring.

9:17 Is Gingrich and Paul having an onstage bromance?

Jim Johnson picks up on the bromance vibe.

Ron Paul praises Gingrich, and might support Newt. Gingrich returns some of the favor.

Ginger Lee thinks Newt brushed off Paul.

'Rick Perry said I'm cool, fuck the other dude from TX'-What Newt really meant.

9:22 Newt wants a 15 percent flat tax and zero capital gains tax. Next Newt will say he will balance the budget.

9:24 Short answer: Mitt lifted himself up by his designer boot straps.

Peter Schorsch sums up Santorum's electability. Remember, Santorum lost his Senate race.

“I lost by 18 points but it was only because I was a terrible candidate.”

9:27 Shorter Gingrich: "I didn't lobby. I told Freddie Mac how to lobby."

9:28 Romney hits Gingrich on the infamous "historian" defense. That was the best b.s. answer during the debates.

Jim Johnson thinks that Romney needs to stop the Freddie Mac attack. Romney has no choice. He is in trouble.

9:33 Isn't Brian Williams suppose to be moderating? Romney and Gingrich have been arguing forever.

9:37 Santorum blaming the entire foreclosure crisis on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie were part of the problem. Santorum won't name the major banks that sold the majority of the mortgages.

9:41: BHAH! HA! HA! HA! HA! Romney said Pam Bondi is cracking down on illegal foreclosures. Wrong.

Ginger Lee pointed out the stupidity of the debate.

Holy hell, we're arguing about Castro going to heaven or hell?

Candidates can't be accused of getting bogged down in wonkery.

9:50 Gingrich is attacking Obama on foreign policy. Obama backed Libya bombing and killed Osama bin Laden.

9:52 Romney wants to keep troops in Afghanistan longer. Afghanistan is a losing proposition.

Commercial break: Do Romney and Gingrich truly believe sending more troops to war and accusing Obama of being weak on national security will win in the general election? It won't.

9:58 Adam and Beth Reinhard in the House to help Williams give candidates non-questions.

9:59 Santorum is making same argument on Iran that Bush administration did with Iraq.

10:02 Shorter Rick Santorum: Offshore oil drilling helps tourism. Nothing prettier than seeing an oil rig off the beach.

10:04 The bashing the Spanish language should continue to repel Hispanics from Republicans.

10:06 Gingrich supports citizenship for military service.

10:07 Romney proposes that immigrants would turn themselves for self-deportation. This took 30 seconds for Romney's staffers to think up.

I agree with Ezra Klein on this.

I bet watching Newt Gingrich run for president makes Bill Clinton want to run for president sooooo bad

Commercial break saves America from the boredom. None of these candidates have anything resembling charisma.

Reactions to Mitt's "self-deportation" immigration policy. People are wondering what the hell is Romney talking about.

Jim Johnson

Adam Smith continues on immigration. Romney says the best plan is self-deportation… what?

Ginger Lee

Is 'self deportation' just a fancy word for leaving? Because it sounds like it.

10:18 Gingrich saying that Terri Schiavo cased wasn't reviewed by the courts. It went up to the federal courts. The Supreme Court rejected hearing the Schiavo case.

Gary Fineout points out that Gingrich won't let facts get in the way.

Newt Gingrich says there should have been a judicial review of Schiavo decision. Well, there was.

10:23 Romney harps so much on "the Space Coast" that it is obvious he was coached for his debate prep. Problem is that Romney makes it obvious.

10:25 Sorry Newt, but most economist don't agree that the Bush tax cuts helped the economy.

10:30 Brian Williams asked what Romney did to further conservatism. Romney says he raised a family and worked in business. Tons of people have done that who aren't conservative or political.

10:33 Shorter Newt: I got Ronald Reagan elected and won Congress. So modest.

10:34 Rick Santorum disses Obama on cap and trade. Cap and trade was the idea of Congressional Republicans.

10:36 The question to Paul should be how he furthered the libertarian movement.

1037 Romney lying about never saying that Romneycare should not go national. Romney said his health care program should go national.

Side note: Pam Bondi's name mentioned several times. Rick Scott's name not mentioned once.

Side note: The Newt Gingrich campaign press release on Mitt Romney's conservative accomplishments is hysterical.

Jim 'Bathroom Sex' Naugle Endorses Santorum

Former Fort Lauderdale Jim Naugle went on one man crusade against gay bathroom sex. Naugle become so bizarre that the Fort Lauderdale City Commision distance themselves from him. It should be no surprise that Naugle has endorsed Rick Santorum.

Registered Democrat Naugle isn't going to pull votes from the Left. Florida's Republican primary is closed to Democrats.

Here is Naugle at the Santorum rally. Notice that Naugle sounds nothing like a Democrat.

Rick Santorum Wrong on Recess Appointments

Let's ignore the lady telling Sen. Rick Santorum that President Barack Obama is a Muslim and not a citizen. If tea partiers want to keep ranting birther conspiracy theories they will just repulse ordinary Americans. What I do want to touch upon is Rick Santorum's claims that the recess appointments made by Obama were unconstitutional.

“He uniformly ignores the Constitution,” Santorum said, not correcting the woman on Obama’s religion. “He did this with these appointments over the, quote, recess that was not a recess, and if I was in the United States Senate, I would be drawing the line.”

The Senate took a 20 day recess. Pete Yost of the Huffington Post points that out that "five presidents have made recess appointments during recesses of 14 days or less." President Obama also has legal precedent on his side. United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit decision on Evans v. Stephens

The court next found that the Senate break during which the President appointed Judge Pryor constituted a “recess” within the Recess Appointments Clause. The court stated the arguments that Judge Pryor was not appointed during a constitutional recess “are not so strong as to persuade us that the President’s interpretation is incorrect. . . . given the words of the Constitution and the history, we are unpersuaded by the argument that the recess appointment power may only be used in an intersession recess, but not an intrasession recess.”

Short answer, if the Senate isn't in session for 14 days then the president has the power to make a recession appointment. Congress cannot say they are not in recess when in actuality they are in recess.


Santorum will say that he is a strict constitutionalist. There is nothing in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution that states how long the Senate must be on recess to make a recess appointment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

Santorum doesn't know what he is talking about. The sad thing is that he is an attorney.

Side note: Santorum's legal claim to fame was defending the World Wrestling Federation against steroid regulations. Now that is a true less government conservative.

Rick Santorum Launches CUM

Rick Santorum already has a Google problem. Santorum should have kept that in mind before launching a fundraising drive with the initials CUM.