Posted on 04/12/2005 3:25:13 PM PDT by hipaatwo
In an otherwise fair assessment of Tom DeLay, USA Today makes a mistake virtually all mainstream media outlets have fallen prey to these past two days.
On ABC’s “This Week,” Rick Santorum said DeLay must answer ethics allegations made against him by the media and partisans. The media has taken Santorum’s comment to mean he is now critical of DeLay’s leadership. However, looking at the full quote given by Santorum shows he was simply advising DeLay on the best way to alleviate the negative coverage. Here’s the full quote:
“I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves, but from everything I’ve heard, again, from the comments and responding to those, is everything he’s done was according to the law.”
“When you have a leader of Tom DeLay's passion and Tom DeLay's effectiveness, you have a media that's very much going after him and tracking him and dogging him and trying to find what they can about him.”
Santorum's left himself a wee bit too much wiggle room for this to be considered a supportive statement.
Santorum must be in trouble in PA.
Why didn't he do it personally on the phone instead of blabbing it in front of the MSM??
Santorum must be in trouble in PA.
He is. Rendell handpicked a Pro-Life Democrat to run against him, Casey. His father was a 2 term governor here. He stunk, and so does his son.
Shays on the other hand is an a$$ki$$ing jackass.
I agree. Santorum was set up and badly misquoted. His position in Pennsylvania has nothing to do with it. Santorum has been reliably conservative and reliably conservative. The one thing I would fault him for was allowing Bush to persuade him to endorse Specter. That was very unfortunate, but it was his single real mistake. Otherwise, he's one of the best guys in the Senate.
I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves
This is the qualifier before the rest quoted. This leaves doubt. This says to people Delay has to give an accounting. He didn't say this behind closed doors. He said this on the MSM.
I haven't stated it's Santorum's belief Delay is guilty. I've stated his response is cowardly since he inserted that qualifier. This is why people are furious.
We're all aware he's insecure about his '06 race but to meet that challenge you don't allow the MSM a foothold against a staunch conservative to appease Penn Liberals. They will not be appeased and it only telgraphs to the opposition he is vulnerable. Just as his legislation to raise the minimum wage did. Santorum has one chance to win in '06 and that is being himself. Unapologetic about conservatism AND play up his proven pro-Life credentials. To do as he is chosen is guarenteeing an election loss next year. People respond to Leaders. he is not leading but insecurely straddling the fence.
We barely had the majority and Specter was always the one who could NOT be counted on.
I agree with what you said. My gut feeling is he is going to be even more centrist because of his fear of Casey.
That's for posting, this. I'm convinced the attacks have been formented by divide & conquer types.
ping
And that could well lead to his loss in '06.
Penn voters know Santorum. They have developed a relationship with him. I acknowledge the race will be tough, but he should give them credit. Trust in that relationship. Play on his strengths. Stress his shared commonalities with them. Cite that he not claims to be pro-Life but has the undisputed record to back it up. Alert voters to the fact the last casey was run out of the party for being pro-Life. Stress there is a strong possibility that will either happen to the son, or that the son will betray pro-Lifers as all other Dem representatives do once in Congress. Stress his unique position to stand for a state that Republicans would otherwise ignore since Spectre and their current Governor are hardly beloved by the GOP. Casey is not going to be able to deliver attention to their state in the same way a Blue state conservative could do in a GOP Majority.
I guess I'm just growing increasingly frustrated that he cannot see, that the Reps cannot see, it is their fear standing in the way of what they seek. Advancement of good Legislation AND re-election. Common sense states you do the right thing without doubt, stand for what is right unafraid, and most of the time you'll win. Heck, the Dems stand for what is wrong 9 out of 10 and win just because they are confidant. Santorum needs to snap out of it fast and lose this Fear grounding him.
I know this state well. He's going to lose Philadelphia and probably Pittsburgh. The Jewish vote Bush got will now go to Casey (being of the Jewish faith I'm pretty confident of that)since his being Catholic will not be an issue. They will go back to being liberals again. I would love to be proven wrong. And the pro-life Catholic vote? Casey is a Pro-Life Catholic and I'm not sure how they will vote. I'm really considering moving down south if Rendell gets a second term and Casey becomes our senator. My best friend moved to N.C. and I may just go.
Here is an excerpt from my column today addressing this very issue. The media was intentionally misrepresenting what Santorum said about Delay. It has become a relentless assault by the media on conservatives since the election.
[This is how a recent Associated Press news release started, “The No. 3 Republican in the Senate said Sunday that embattled House Majority Leader Tom Delay needs to answer questions about his ethics and ‘let the people then judge for themselves’.”
There’s just one problem with the assertion made by the Associated Press. Senator Rick Santorum didn't say anything about Congressman Delay answering questions about his ‘ethics’.
“I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it,” Santorum said. “And let the people then judge for themselves.” Where is all this talk about Delay ‘answering questions about his ethics’?
That’s just one example of media elitists interjecting their own bias and attacks on Congressman Delay or any other Conservative for that matter into what they disguise as news. Another problem with this attempted ‘bait and switch’ story is that wasn't all Senator Santorum said.
“But from everything I’ve heard, again, from the comments and responding to those,” Santorum elaborated, “is everything he’s done was according to the law.” If Senator Santorum believes everything Congressman Delay has done ‘was according to the law’, how could the media make the accusation that he was claiming Delay needed ‘to answer questions about his ethics’ and it not be a liberal attack by media elitists?]
Bravo! That column deserves its own post here!
It is. Here's the title: Will The Republican Momentum Flourish Or Will It Be Delayed?
Does Harry Reid really want the American electorate to know how many of his family members and how much money they were paid and where the money came from to do jobs that were garnered based on his position in the Senate? If you live in a glass house...
How will the American electorate ever find out with ABCNBCCBSCNNNYTIMES ETC. covering his butt.
I read the whole article and bookmarked it and will be e-mailing it out.
Casey is in trouble with the pro-lifers. He is accepting money from Soros, Schumer, etc. and the democratic platform, with pro-choice and abortion. How do you think that will sit with the Catholic pro-lifers?
Casey is in trouble with the pro-lifers. He is accepting money from Soros, Schumer, etc. and the democratic platform, with pro-choice and abortion. How do you think that will sit with the Catholic pro-lifers?
This is the first time I've heard any of him getting money from Soros. As I'm not Catholic I can't answer that question but logically I don't think it's going to sit very well.
/ sarcasm>
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