Senator's anti-gay remarks may cost him his seat

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 4/25/03 | CHRIS MONDICS and MARIO F. CATTABIANI

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - For all the uproar over Sen. Rick Santorum's remarks comparing gay relations to incest, his leadership post in the Senate appears secure for now.

Even the handful of moderate Republicans who denounced his comments have stopped short of calling for Santorum to step down as Senate Republican Conference chairman, a post that gives him outsized impact on the Senate agenda.

[NormsRevenge]

Incredible.. what writers and reporters get away with these days.

[Fred Mertz]

PC speech must die. Santorum lives with the truth.

[Torie]

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Santorum will be in trouble for re-election. He already was more conservative than his state but due to his political skills, was able to survive. Those skills have left him. He will have a tough time. Pennsylvania isn't Mississippi, it isn't Utah, heck it isn't even Kansas. It is a bit more Democrat than the nation. While it is a rather traditional state (almost more than any other state a throwback to the 1950's), there simply are too many suburban swing voters in the Philadelphia media market that Santorum won last time, that he will have trouble appealing to next time.

[TLBSHOW]

PC speech must die. Santorum lives with the truth.

You know what fred? If PC does not die we are in a heap of trouble. The rats won't give up on this unlike republicans that cave in when someone says boo.

[shhrubbery!]

The senator is simply standing on God's truth, but unfortunately the people here today don't want to hear that," said Michael Marcavage, 23, who said he belonged to a religious group called RepentAmerica

I recognize that name.

Michael Marcavage was a student at Temple University. A few years ago who was assaulted by university officials, and and thrown into a psych ward after he objected to the staging of the blasphemous (and flamboyantly gay) play, "Corpus Christi," on campus.

[Paleo Conservative]

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Santorum will be in trouble for re-election.

He's not up for re-election till 2006.

[Libloather]

How many Americans agree with Santorum? Let's take a poll...

[Madcelt]

Santorum will be fine. If he sticks to the issues and plays his cards right, the lad will be okay. He needs to come out and start on the real issues facing the country and label this for what it is. A distraction. The fruitloop groups are going to assault any Republican now especially since the War in Iraq went,to thier dismay,well. Question? was'nt these "groups" also a part of cANSWER's anti- war rallies?

[Tunehead54]

Carrying signs - some of which portrayed Santorum in a pink shirt and read: "Stay out of my bedroom" and "Hate the bigotry love the bigot" - the group blocked rush-hour traffic on one of the city's busiest streets while screaming: "No more hate in the Keystone State!"

---

Made a number of friends there no doubt, as they inched by the "protestors" on their way home through a protest gridlock ...

I'd almost pay them to do this but they do it for free!

[NEWwoman]

Just watched the DVD, Orwell's 1984. Whoa! Talk about the thought police here!

[lilylangtree]

Sounds like a political ploy. If enough writers report that Santorum is finished, then people will turn against Santorum. What the general public doesn't understand is that the reporters badmouthing Santorum are on the RATS payroll or are pro-RAT.

[Kuksool]

{The protest was organized by the Liberty City Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club}

The attacks on Santorum are meanless partisan attacks. I'm surprised Fast Eddie Rendell hasn't called for Santorum's resignation. Santorum comes up for re-election in 2006. I doubt people will remember or care about Santorum's statements.

[Torie]

Yes I know that. But this issue will be recycled. Santorum has branded himself as a beyond the pale put my morals in the criminal code type in a part of the country that won't tolerate that. Granted, he will have time to mitigate matters. We shall see. So far, he has been a big fat zero in that regard. Maybe because he really believes this stuff.

[visualops]

comparing gay relations to incest

Well, as long as they keep putting words in his mouth or "interpreting" what he said, they'll spin him into the ground.
I'm very very disappointed fellow Republicans (or really just anyone who values truth), haven't stepped forward to shoot down the lies and disinformation.
We cannot cave to the PC truth twisters, the future of this country depends on us saying enough is enough!
For those unfamiliar with Senator Santorum’s remarks, they were the following:

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."

From an excellent essay on the subject from Mrs. du Toit's blog:

"If we focus solely on Santorum’s point, and get over the string he’s created as the slippery slope argument and substitute “any behavior between consenting adults” regardless of their gender or relationship, for the specific behavior he’s mentioned, then he is, of course, correct.

"If you cannot agree that incest would be legal and allowable with a “State’s right to redefine marriage” or protected under the umbrella of “privacy rights” then it’s hypocritical to suggest that homosexual sex is some sort of sacred cow, worthy of special treatment. It is either ALL protected or none is."
http://www.mrsdutoit.com/pmach/more.php?id=482_0_1_0

[JNB]

This issue will blow over in another week or so. The socially liberal "swing" voters in the Philly suburbs that consider gay rights a issue are more or less in the Democratic camp allready, while PA still has more than its share of socially conservative Democrats. Sen Santourms biggest worry in the 06 election will simpily be the so called 6 year itch, if Bush is re elected.

Also, what Democrat can really challenge Sen Santourm who can both appeal to the moderate Republicans in the Philly suburbs and the socially Conservatives Dems in the rural and westeren parts of the state? Possibly Gov Rendell if he chooses to serve only one term, but other than that who? Democrats that have appeal among conservative Democrats such as Rep Holden would do poorly in the Philly suburbs, Dems that would appeal to the mushy middle such as Rep Hoffel would do poorly in the rural areas.

[Jewels1091]

Why is the media beating this dead horse????? There is NOT a public outcry for him to loose his seat anywhere!!! Are they keeping this story in the paper and tv just trying to get people mad????

[WOSG]

your comments are pure defeatism.

Santorum does well in PA because he is a strong conservative, not in spite of it. Moderate wimp candidates in the northeast keep losing to liberal democrats because they dont offer real issues for the average voter.

[Paleo Conservative]

What makes you an authority on Pennsylvania? I can see that he would be in serious trouble if he were from California.

[Timesink]

Incredible.. what writers and reporters get away with these days.

It's not incredible. It happens because we the people allow it.

We should be organizing and picketing every AP bureau in the country every day with the ferocity of abortion clinic protesters. We should be jamming every AP phone line in the country with complaints. We should find the best lawyers we can get our hands on to sue both the AP as an organization and Lara "DNC" Jakes Jordan with libel.

Instead, we sit around and wring our hands and wonder why the world is so mean. And Rick Santorum's LIFE IS GOING TO BE DESTROYED, while Lara Jakes Jordan's going to be on the career fast track.

I'm beginning to think we deserve what we get.