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Santorum: "I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life, Until I Ran for Congress" (1995)
Philadelphia Magazine ^ | December 1995 | Eric Konigsberg

Posted on 03/17/2012 11:01:02 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

IN THE SUMMER OF 1989, Rick Santorum and a fellow associate at the Pittsburgh law firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart left work to drive to Three Rivers Stadium for the firm's annual softball game. Sitting behind the wheel, Santorum popped in a tape, and on came the reedy voice of a man lecturing as if to a classroom.

“Listen,” Santorum said. “Newt Gingrich.”

“Who the hell is Newt Gingrich?” the co-worker asked.

Santorum explained that Gingrich was a congressman from Georgia, and that he was the guy to listen to if you were considering a future in politics. “At the time,” says the co-worker, “I had no idea that was something Rick was interested in.” As it turned out, Santorum was already telling people he was running for Congress in the upcoming election. The tape was something he had ordered from GOPAC, Gingrich's political action committee, full of do-it-yourself campaign tips for aspiring candidates.

In recent years, of course, Gingrich's tutelage of Santorum has taken on a much more direct nature. Last September, Santorum, at 37 a Republican U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, managed the Senate floor debate as it passed its welfare bill, all the while working closely with Gingrich, now speaker of the House of Representatives and the country's most powerful Republican. Santorum, who prior to his election to the Senate last year served two terms in the House with Gingrich, is in fact known on Capitol Hill as Gingrich's protégé and his point man in the Senate. The two meet weekly for early-morning swims at the House gym.

Much of Santorum's record, thus far, has been a series of tantrums. More than a dozen times in his first few months in the Senate, Santorum took to the floor to trash Bill Clinton for not drafting a balanced-budget proposal...

(Excerpt) Read more at phillymag.com ...


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: 0percentnaralrating; abortion; congress; gingrich; newt; pennsylvania; prochoice; prolife; santorum
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To: Guenevere

Don’t play the “Romney Troll” card with me. I was single and in my twenties once too and I never, NEVER, supported abortion.


81 posted on 03/18/2012 4:53:01 AM PDT by j.argese (FR is a Newt-ist Colony, not a Romney Room, Paul Pavillion or Santorum Sanctum)
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March
It's not a matter of H.S. dropouts or college professors, although perhaps being a rebellious sort could have something to do with it. It's a matter of people picking and choosing what they are willing to overlook in the name of political expediency and being able to lay their head on the pillow at night.

Sometimes the truth is vile.

82 posted on 03/18/2012 5:11:19 AM PDT by j.argese (FR is a Newt-ist Colony, not a Romney Room, Paul Pavillion or Santorum Sanctum)
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To: Lazlo in PA

I don’t get it. They spend a hell of a lot more time going after Rick for being socially conservative than they sepnd going after Romney for being liberal. Santorum is the best chance we have to beat Romney, and people are attacking him. Why? Gingrich? He has only won 2 states and isn’t even competitive in key states we’ll need in November.


83 posted on 03/18/2012 5:32:59 AM PDT by Pinkbell (Rick Santorum For President)
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To: Christie at the beach
I wondered how he could marry someone who lived with a doctor who performed abortions. Evidently, neither he nor his wife were pro-life before his run for Congress.
I think she was a nurse at the time, so she would have to know more about abortions than the average citizen.
84 posted on 03/18/2012 5:59:58 AM PDT by FR_addict
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

So he cut his teeth (politically speaking) after reading Gingrich.

I’d much rather have the guy who literally wrote the book. Go Newt.


85 posted on 03/18/2012 6:06:18 AM PDT by SueRae (Tale of 2 Towers - First, Isengaard (GOP-e), then, the Tower of Sauron on 11.06.2012)
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To: Guenevere
“She has proven herself an exemplary wife and mother.”

Whose taking care of the little girl? Isn't his wife staying on the campaign trail with Rick? This little girl is not expected to live long and it doesn't seem like the little girl sees either of her parents very much.

Rick Santorum once told Sarah Palin to go home and take care of her kids. (That's when Sarah made her Neanderthal comment about Rick). Sarah's children are healthy and she often had them on the campaign trail with her.

86 posted on 03/18/2012 6:08:34 AM PDT by FR_addict
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To: onyx
Abortion was specifically condemned in one of the earliest Catholic documents, the Didache, circa 100 AD.

The Lord's Teaching to the Heathen by the Twelve Apostles:

1 There are two ways, one of life and one of death; and between the two ways there is a great difference.

2 Now, this is the way of life:…

...do not practice magic; do not go in for sorcery; do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant. "


87 posted on 03/18/2012 6:17:00 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Mit brennender Sorge)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Thanks for posting this 1995 article. I had heard about his pro-choice stance, but hadn’t seen any articles to prove it. Anyone who doesn’t think this will be all over the media if Rick wins the nomination is fooling themselves.

That his wife lived with an abortionist before Rick is also not well-known.

I’ll take Newt’s warts.


88 posted on 03/18/2012 6:19:25 AM PDT by FR_addict
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To: onyx
I read the entire article. There is utterly no mention of where and when Santorum said the money quote: "I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life, Until I Ran for Congress"

One would think if this had veracity, the source - such as an interview with an editorial board - would be mentioned. I didn't see it. And given the clear disdain implied for Santorum's methods in working at Newt's direction, it's pretty clear that the author has his own agenda here.

Philly liberals loathe Santorum. They are not above twisting facts or even making them up wholesale to attack him.

89 posted on 03/18/2012 6:24:27 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: FR_addict
Bella----Isabella Maria--- is her name and she is well taken care of and much loved.

They have round the clock care for her & have since her birth, paid from their own pockets.

Reporters have noticed and mentioned that Karen Santorum hasn't been on the trail like Mrs.Romney, who has grown children or Mrs.Gingrich, who has no children.

Mrs. Santorum is supportive of her husband and does her part whenever she can.---She also homeschools her other children.
..the oldest child is taking a year from college to help her dad.

Elizabeth Santorum is a tribute to her family....gracious, articulate and when filling in, can give voice to her dad's policies.

The children are well behaved and supportive.

Excuse me....what was your gripe again?

90 posted on 03/18/2012 6:24:49 AM PDT by Guenevere (....Whom God calls,... He equips......Press On Santorum!)
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To: onyx

Yes, we know, Santorum has......Tantrums”.....


91 posted on 03/18/2012 6:25:27 AM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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To: FR_addict
I had heard about his pro-choice stance, but hadn’t seen any articles to prove it. Anyone who doesn’t think this will be all over the media if Rick wins the nomination is fooling themselves.

Read the article. There is no source stated for the money quote.

And that's the point of a hatchet job. Most folks read the headline, maybe a couple of paragraphs, and the desired impression is made to undermine the politician among his base. The headline quote isn't mentioned until deep in the article. I saw nothing in there that indicated, with a hard source, that Santorum was pro-choice. He didn't raise abortion as a campaign issue when he ran for the House, but it wouldn't be the first time that social issues took a back seat in a given campaign.

I look instead at Santorum's voting and legislative record regarding fighting abortion and those are stellar. I think it is absurd for FReepers to swallow this liberal hatchet job because of a sense of giving partisan advantage.

92 posted on 03/18/2012 6:29:28 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: Gene Eric
No, the point is, your side, has condemned Gingrich for his past ruthlessly and relentlessly, with out impunity, when Santorum has done and can do no wrong what so ever.

Newt has asked forgiveness for all his past transgressions, which were not that bad in the first place, but your side has refused to grant him that respect. This double standard is why this election has become such an out of control, mess.

93 posted on 03/18/2012 6:33:07 AM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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To: caww
Oh wow...just finished reading that and so glad to see what I’ve been saying about Santorum was certainly expressed there.

OK, now, in the article, show us the source for the quote that became the headline.

94 posted on 03/18/2012 6:33:17 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

"I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life, Until I Ran for Congress" (1995)

Well, that's certainly a...

Nixon:  Jeeeesus Christ.

...moment in the 2012 race to gOpieville.

95 posted on 03/18/2012 6:33:27 AM PDT by LomanBill (Animals! The DemocRats blew up the windmill with an Acorn!)
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP
No, the point is, your side, has condemned Gingrich for his past ruthlessly and relentlessly, with out impunity, when Santorum has done and can do no wrong what so ever.

You are hardly the one to lecture the Santorum camp about fairness.

96 posted on 03/18/2012 6:34:19 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: LomanBill

OK, you’ve read the headline. Now find the source for that quote in the article.


97 posted on 03/18/2012 6:35:06 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: Guenevere

LOL! You forgot to mention that they heal the sick, raise the dead and walk on water! But then, you must have been a bit rushed on that one.


98 posted on 03/18/2012 6:36:41 AM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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To: caww
a powerful Republican who has worked for Heinz, Thornburgh and Governor Tom Ridge.

My goodness, man, you are drawn to a quote for a guy who worked for three of the biggest GOP-E members in PA? The GOP-E had issues with Santorum because he showed a conservative could win statewide in PA.

99 posted on 03/18/2012 6:38:07 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP

Quit being such a jerk.


100 posted on 03/18/2012 6:38:59 AM PDT by dirtboy
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