[Cicero]

2006 was a horrible year for all Republicans. Bush was re-elected with a wave of enthusiasm in 2004, and proceeded to fritter it all away.

Two other factors contributed.

1. Casey’s father was a pretty conservative Democrat, with a pro-life record. Casey ran as a blue dog Democrat, said that he was pro-life like his father, and played the Vietnam veteran card. It turned out that he was a liar.

2. Bush and Rove leaned hard on Santorum and demanded that he should endorse Arlen Specter, who was “electable” and whom they needed to get conservative judges nominated. Santorum regretably agreed, partly because Specter had earlier endorsed HIM, so he was repaying a favor. But Snarlin’ Arlen then proceeded to concentrate on his own race, and never endorsed Santorum again in return.

The conservative base was furious about the Specter endorsement, and many refused to vote for Santorum. That, and the very negative feelings about Bush, was enough to sink him, in a state that doesn’t necessarily vote for conservatives anyway.

The people chiefly to blame for this fiasco were Bush and Rove—although Specter did keep his promise to push conservative SCOTUS candidates over the top, before he returned to his usual rotten ways, lost his base, and turned Democrat—which happily finished him off for good.

Maybe Rick made a mistake. But was it worse than Newt endorsing Dede Scozzafava, when there was nothing but personal ambition to motivate this endorsement? Santorum only failed that once, but it really came at a terrible moment and killed his Senate career. And Bush and Rove just shrugged.

[Eccl 10:2]

Excellent synopsis, Cicero. Thank you.

Not that Santorum is my favorite candidate, but I wish people who criticize Santorum for this would use their brain instead of simply reading a bumper sticker / headline / soundbite.

[Joe 6-pack]

People have wiped their 2006 memory files in order to smear Santorum. Schumer, who was head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee at the time went all out to destroy Santorum in that election. Following the 2006 election and all the democrat gains, he (Schumer) had said something to the effect that in spite of the democrat pick ups he would still have considered it something of a loss had they not ousted Santorum.

In being Santorum's #1 target that year, I suspect if there was any thing even remotely suspect in Rick's background, it would have hit the front pages then. Similarly, Rick (and by extension his family) has for well over a decade, been the target of both the pink swastika homo agenda and the pro-death crowds. Rick has withstood their attacks and stood fast.

To say he's not been vetted or is untested is simply false.