Posted on 09/18/2015 5:29:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (CNN) -- Sen. Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum on Friday refused to condemn Donald Trump for not taking issue with a man who, during a campaign event, called President Barack Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are "a problem in this country."
The two candidates instead slammed reporters for asking about the controversy.
The Texas senator refused to say whether he believes Obama is a Muslim, insisting instead that "President Obama's faith is between him and God."
Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, simply said "the President says he's a Christian" when asked the same question.
"Look, ladies and gentlemen I'm not playing this ... game that you want to play," a visibly aggravated Santorum said. "The President can defend himself. He doesn't need Rick Santorum to defend him. He's got you doing that very, very well. So cut it out."
Cruz accused the press of trying to goad candidates into a "foodfight" and refused to say how he would have handled the same question about Muslims in American and Obama's faith.
Instead, Cruz accused the media of trying to "stir up controversy," repeatedly refusing to address the merits of the questioner's comments about Obama and Muslims in America or whether Trump should have handled the interaction differently.
"You know, my focus is on my campaign," Cruz said. "I understand the press wants to get Republicans throwing rocks at each other. How about we talk about the challenges facing this country?"
Santorum insisted he wouldn't correct an event attendee's questions or statements, even if they were controversial or offensive, a response that echoed his comments following a similar exchange with a supporter in 2012.
"The questioner can say whatever he wants. It's a free country. He's allowed to say whatever he wants,"(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at nbc-2.com ...
Good, Trump has NOTHING to apologize for. IMO the questioner was a plant anyways to stir up a distraction for Hillary to campaign on...anything but EMAILS!!!
Another fake outrage from the media and the white house to deflect the divider in chiefs failed policies, especially overseas as Europe gets invaded and not a shot fired.
The candidate who seriously discusses BHO’s Islamic orientation will score big time. This subject needs resolution.
That was an excellent response from Santorum.
I particularly like the dig at the press.
The response from the media was pitiful but expected.
Especially if said candidate brings up Stephanopolus correcting Obola about his muslim faith.
Good. Cruz is making it so Trump can’t back down.
After President Osama apologizes for throwing Christians in jail....
That’s a great zinger from Santorum.
It is not Trumps’ job to defend Barack Obama from his detractors. It is also not Trump’s job to attempt to suppress the 1st Amendment free speech of a growed azz adult American.
What has become of the questioner? Was he on GMA and the Today show today? Interviewed by anyone? Or has he disappeared?
Early today a FReeper said maybe Trump stepped aside to let Cruz shine at this gathering. Whether or not that’s true... it’s certainly true that Cruz rose to the occasion.
Cruz isn’t taking the bait and calls the media on their lame attempt to start another fight.
Good for Senator Cruz and Rick Santorum for refusing to take the bait by the Lamestream!
Reporter: “But... but... don’t you know there’s a media narrative?”
And they wonder why the people approve of Trump treating them like idiot children!
I just watched a Fox news video clip of a panel discussion about this and none of them, not even the most reasonable of them asked the question “why is it so wrong to call Obama a Muslim?” I thought being a Muslim is a GOOD thing! What are all these media creeps... a bunch of ISLAMOPHOBES???
Nobody should have to answer for the behavior of an audience member and other candidates sure as hell shouldn’t have to answer for somebody else’s audience member.
When are the democrats going to apologize for the raping murdering scumbags that support them?
CNN, today, was saying that Obama was definitely born in Hawaii because he DID finally provide his birth certificate....
If you remember, that certificate was found to have a type of font that wasn’t around in 1961...
Not only that, it had his mother’s race as “Caucasian” and his father’s race as “African”...
There is no race “African”...In 1961, the birth certificate would’ve read race of father being “Negroid”...
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