Thursday, February 16, 2012

Career Politician


Lying through his teeth, Rick Santorum misleads with malice: "Mitt Romney has the same positions as Barack Obama." Santorum has been telling some whoppers but even Newt would have to file this one under "Pious Baloney". Where did Rick leave his family values?

Like many politicians, Rick Santorum has cashed in on his insider knowledge of Washinton DC once he lost the confidence of his constituency. Apparently they came to realize as we have that he is a self-serving career politician and not the salt of the earth common man he purports to be. His recent tax records verify that he returned to his first and only job as a lobbyist after his historic defeat in 2006 but this time he rebranded as a "stealth" lobbyist. "He has been hired to try to influence policy on behalf of his clients without crossing the thresholds that would require him to report what he's doing." Senator Santorum has worked simontaneously with up to 7 different employers including dedicated lobbying firms. As long as Senator Santorum was not contacting members of Congress on behalf of his clients he was not required by law to register as a federal lobbyist. Like Newt Gingrich he was clearly a Washington insider that walked the fine line of a quasi-lobbyist and was compensated very well for his influence.
While in office Santorum voted to raise the federal debt ceiling 5 times and accumulated nearly a billion dollars in earmarks for his state. His Bridge to Nowhere support was a classic Washington scratch your back and you scratch mine at the tax payer's expense transaction. Can we trust Rick Santorum to cut the deficit and balance the budget? History suggests we shouldn't.

Before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 Mr. Santorum worked as a legitamate lobbyist. He lobbied for the World Wrestling Federation to deregulate the sport so that anabolic steroids could be used by it's wrestlers. His argument being that WWF was not a sport but entertainment so steroids should be allowed. How's that for wholesome family values?

In the NBC News/Facebook debate Rick Santorum was asked what disqualifies Mitt Romney from being President. While this was clearly a loaded question from the liberal media to antagonize and encourage discord, Rick Santorum gladly picked up the media gun and unloaded on Mitt Romney. To Santorum's chagrin the gun exploded in his face and exposed him as a career minded politician. He responded by saying, "well, if his record was so great as Governor of Massachusetts why didn't he run for reelection?" It was unfathomable to a career politician like Santorum that a person would serve their time and not seek re-election. Mitt said he fought for the promises he made in his campaign and another run would have been about him and not the State of Massachusetts. Romney said, "politics is not a career...my life's passion has been my family, my faith and my country." Santorum seems to be more about ambition and power than altruism and service.

While in congress Rick Santorum proposed to cap medical malpractice lawsuits at $250,000 dollars. Several years after the proposal his wife sued her chiropractor for $500,000 dollars and was eventually awarded $350,000.00 dollars with the help of her husband's testimony. He testified that the injury caused his wife pain and impaired her ability to campaign for him. He went on to declare, she "likes to be fit...We have to go out and do a lot of public things. She wants to look nice, so it's really difficult...we knocked on 20k doors together. Now she doesn't have the confidence to do that." Apparently all the Santorum's needed to boost their confidence was a $350,000.00 dollar cash settlement. When attacked for his serial hypocrisy he sheepishly quibbled that, "of course I'm going to support my wife in her endeavors. That doesn't necessarily mean that I agree with everything she does." Looks like the wife is the first to get thrown under the bus when the former Senator get's in hot water. It wouldn't be the last time either. The Senator recently attributed certain inconvenient chapters in his book to his wife and asserts that he disagrees with her parts of the book. A book that does not recognize her as an author or a contributor I might add. One wonders with whom the buck would stop if he should miraculously make it to the White House.

Before being ousted from office Santorum obtained an unorthodox $500,000.00 dollar loan for his home in Virginia (not Pennsylvania) from a private bank that catered to affluent investors and institutions and whose officers donated to Santorum's re-election campaign and PAC. The bank advertised that it only offered its preferred rates to "well-heeled" borrowers who also used their investment services. But Santorum's public disclosure showed he did not have the minimum requirement of $250,000 dollars in liquid assets nor was he an investor in the Philadelphia Trust. His ability to secure the 5 year note led former federal prosecutor Melanie Sloan, now employed at the watchdog group CREW, to file a complaint under a Senate ethics rule that prohibits it's members from accepting loans on terms not available to the general public i.e. the everyday working people he represented.

After the improprieties of the loan and unflattering connections to the "K Street Project" and Jack Abramoff, Senator Santorum was named by the non-partisan Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as one of the top twenty most corrupt US legislators. Quite a feat considering his competitors. Senator Santorum went on to loose his Senate seat to Bob Casey Jr. in 2006 in a historic landslide shellacking 41% to 59%.
Santorum often talks about sitting around the kitchen table to go over finances. If only he would have done so when he was in office. Unfortunately, he added significantly to the overall tax burden facing American families. He spent our money and our children's and now he wants a shot at the budget. Yikes!

Perhaps more troubling than all the above is Senator Santorum's spending record. He raised the debt ceiling five times and was a champion of earmarks and pork projects. Sadly to this day he defends his earmarks. He continues to say it is the Congresses prerogative to "spend the money" but he fails to realize that Congress also has the duty not to squander tax funds on bridges to nowhere and ever increasing government programs and projects. For all the morality talk that Rick Santorum throws out he fails, to this day, to recognize the immorality of spending more than you earn and taking from some to give to others. He is completely tainted by money and continues to defend the indefensible.
Most recently Rick Santorum's record has been overlooked since his candidacy seemed to be a sideshow. But with his tarnished star beginning to shine bright in the GOP primary it is only a matter of time for these past inconsistencies to rise to the surface once more. Santorum, like many in this campaign, is the latest and last "anti-Romney" candidate and will soon join the ranks of his former rivals in his support for the eventual nominee. The family values candidate has told some whoppers as of late and it only reminds us of his jaded tenure in office and warns us of the dangers of career politicians who loose their guiding principals in the swamps of Washington DC and big money politics.
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22 comments:

Unknown said...

Santorum likes to claim Romney has no authority on health care because of MA Care.

Hmmm. This from the guy with federal-level Medicare woes...and he voted for Sotomayor, to boot.

Let's talk about authority.

Anonymous said...

Nice wrap up, Publius Nemo. There's a lot more than meets the eye with Rick Santorum. Let's get it all out there on the table.

-Martha

Noelle said...

In defense of Rick Santorum, at least he is not as bad as Newt Gingrich. It's a crying shame that there are people who think that is enough to vote for him.

We can do so much better!

Lionhead said...

Publius Nemo, events have overtaken you again. Careful on your attacks on Rick Santorum, as Romney is open to him as VP.

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/romney-doesnt-rule-out-santorum-veep/377986

I will re-iterate to all you folks on this site. Cut the negative attacks on Santorum & the remaining candidates. Period.

Anonymous said...

I would lose alot of respect for Romney if he ran with someone like Santorum...who by the way is no fiscal conservative. I would rather Romney shake things up and select someone like Rand Paul.

Anonymous said...

I have strong negative opinions regarding Sanotrum because I am originally from PA and I know all about Rickie Santorum. Why do you think he lost by 19% as an incumbent Senator? He was one of the Republican senators that rubberstamped all of GWB's spending and programs. He and the Republicans in office during this period practiced anything but fiscal conservatism.

Anonymous said...

Lionhead. How about we vett all the candidates as much as Romney has been vetted? Seems fair to me.

We need to know EVERYTHING about Rick Santorum, just like we know everything about Mitt. It's not attacking.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Even if Rick is the VP nominee--and I don't think that's very likely--we should know what his policies and positions have been and are. There is no way the press will be nice about ANY Republican candidate. Just because Joe Biden gets away with his stupid comments does not mean that any Republican VP or Presidential hopeful will.

AZ

Unknown said...

Pub, well done. LH, whatever are taking about? Rick Santorum has been all over the map taking negative shots at Romney. There is no way that Romney can sit still and let Rick bad-mouth him all the way to the nomination, and then promptly loose to Obama. I am sorry to see the political fist-fighting, as you are; but that is what you get when a politician like Santorum, who is no gentleman, enters the fray. That's the game, unfortunately. Moreover, Romney would never ever never select Scrotorum as a running mate; but he's too polite to say so.

Unknown said...

For the record, Newt first went negative on Mitt in Iowa on November 23rd--not the other way around. Its always stated that Romney came out with negative adds first. Its just not the case. Newt first miss-quoted Romney. Its old news now, but I get tired of hearing that Mitt started the negative attacks.

Lionhead said...

Martha, just like we need to know everything about Romney? ;)

"In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism."

Spiro Agnew, Speech, San Diego, 11 Sept 1970.

Since we're talking about Santorum as a possible VP candidate, this quote comes to mind. Don't be one of those "nattering nabobs of negativism" in your quest for a win at all costs for Romney.

Machtyn said...

Lionhead: I agree that attacking Santorum may not help to sure up the base. But why has Santorum been bold-faced lying about Romney and his positions since December.

He may as well come out with ObamneyCare. To say Obama and Romney are the same person? Well, that's like saying Ted Kennedy and Rick Santorum are the same thing. It makes no sense. And I would appreciate it if Santorum and Gingrich would stop with the lying attacks.

There are legitimate concerns with Romney. But you have to hit him from the Left to do it. Or, you have to have a more Libertarian tendency in some issues.

Anonymous said...

Lionhead, Santorum is not even remotely on Romney's list for VP. He brings nothing, has no executive experience, and has too many negatives. To think he would be considered is ignorant of the facts.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Lionhead (at 10:17 am): The libertarian streak in me grows very suspicious—indignant, in fact—when someone tells me NOT to say what I think. I begin to wonder why this matters so much to the would-be censor. What are his/her real motives in stifling free speech? What undisclosed interests is he/she protecting and serving? This is an informal, privately run BLOG, for crying out loud. You’re entitled to your sanctimonious chiding of Romney supporters. And I’m entitled to tell you, before it’s too late, why Santorum would be an extremely poor candidate to put up against Obama. I don’t like losing anymore than I like being told to shut up.

Terrye said...

Lionhead:

I see, so if Romney tells the truth about Santorum that will be bad for him because the base likes when he lies about Santorum? Is that your point?

There is nothing wrong with asking Santorum to debate his record..it is not attacking and it is not negative..it is just what happens in a campaign.

And if he is going to lie about Romney, then Romney should at least have the opportunity to defend himself.

So...what are you afraid of? The truth?

deila taylor said...

Excellant post, Santorum's history must be exposed, he cannot be allowed to stand on his own rhetoric. All of this would come out if he became the nominee, and it seems that the media is slow to expose him because they know that holding back and waiting will secure their candidate, Obama for a second term. The media bombs Romney in hopes of getting rid of their only fear. Santorum's history would sink him. All candidates must be vetted. Good work on this post. Understanding the truth helps all of us.

Anonymous said...

Loinhead, what goes around comes around. Rick should get what he deserves, a severe smackdown.

Publius Nemo said...

The post is not negative. It's accurate. If there is misinformation in the post I will be the first to disown falsehoods. I think the polls are reflecting the Santorum honeymoon phase. Now we are starting to come back down to earth and see who MO, CO, and MN married and the rest of the country isn't looking to get hitched with Rick. But I could be wrong. Time will tell.

Ohio JOE said...

Yes, Mr. Romney needs a smackdown indeed. We do not need MAcare. The people are finally realizing this.

Publius Nemo said...

Ohio Joe-You really believe that Romney will enact MAcare? What is the real reason you think Santorum would be better for the economy? It can't be his spending record. Do you just dislike Romney personally? Peace, PN

Anonymous said...

Look what he did during his career. He was one of the most corrupt politicians in congress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q7l70tmxWg&context=C3fcdc47ADOEgsToPDskJu21-gQGvizlEOJEPRfRj3

Anonymous said...

The medical malpractice law billed by then Senator Richard Santorum has helped improve personal injury cases in Pennsylvania. Coincidentally, he was able to use it when his wife sued her chiropractor.

personal injury attorney los angeles