Posted on 11/12/2005 5:16:19 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Santorum Critical Of Bush, War In Iraq
(AP) PHILADELPHIA Sen. Rick Santorum took a rare swing at President Bush, saying the war in Iraq has been less than optimal and that some blame for that lies with the White House.
Santorum, a conservative Republican and usually a strong Bush ally, said the unpopularity of the war should be shared between the White House and the media.
Certainly, mistakes were made, Santorum said of the wars conduct. But thats a criticism you can make of every conflict.
The comments, made after a Veterans Day speech at the Union League in Philadelphia on Friday, came at the same time the Pennsylvania senator stressed he wasnt trying to distance himself from the president, who spoke moments earlier about 80 miles away at the Tobyhanna Army Depot.
Bushs poll numbers are the lowest of any time during his presidency, in part due to the climbing death toll in Iraq. He is also blamed by some for the loss of the Virginia governors race, in which he appeared with Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore the day before the election. Kilgore lost.
(Excerpt) Read more at kyw.com ...
and
I have problems with such issues as immigration reform, campaign finance reform, and prescription drugs
are taken by some as mutually exclusive positions.
His positions on SS reform, tax reduction, and PBA may pan out to be good, but non-implemented intentions. With respect to "Kyoto," President Bush is advancing a modified version of that - good modifications, IMO, in the form of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
He is still on the Conservative end of the political spectrum.
The political spectrum defies simple definition. I see President Bush as a big government guy. But he is compassionate.
Are you in favor of CAFTA?
The MSM's brainwashing of the public continues. There is not a more (socially)conservative member of congress than Rick Santorum.
The fact that the light minded among us are ready to throw Rick overboard is proof that the barrage is working.
For those who think Casey is unbeatable, does anybody remember the campaign against Rendell?
When Mr. Casey wasn't slinging bushels of mud he sounded like a sociology 101 Community College Professor who was also an officer in the local service employees union. Sit back, don't vote. It can't get any worse. Right?
Note that they took one sentence of his speach, presented it out of context, and drew their own headline.
This piece of propaganda has little to do with Santorum other than to demonstrate the media's willingness to spin anything a republican says to try to damage the republicans.
[My guess is this quote is taken wildly out of context. The MSM has no lovbe of Santorum and will do everything to defeat him.]
Beginning to see that the liberal left news print media is not only using propaganda, but changes the meaning of a man's words and intentions; EVEN THE HEADLINE IS AN ATTEMPT TO MISQUOTE A CONSERVATIVE POLITICIAN.
Thanks for posting. After reading the responses it looks like half of FR is still stuck on stupid.
Gee Rick .. not pointing any fingers at your fellow members of Congress, huh??
Dumb move Rick for these comments
Again!!!! The MSM slanting news. And how many will read the headline and take it at face value. It happened right here on FR -- and we are pretty hip to such stuff.
A former Santorum worker and voter
>>Certainly, mistakes were made, <<
Maybe the "little general" can enlighten us on those mistakes.
And without giving us his buddy "her field marshal crash plane" mccain's analysis.
The some are wrong. No political leader is perfect nor do I support someone in lockstep regardless of what they do. I voted for GWB twice, contributed monetarily to his campaigns, and worked as a volunteer. On balance, I am very happy with Bush's performance, especially on the big issue of national security and the WOT.
His positions on SS reform, tax reduction, and PBA may pan out to be good, but non-implemented intentions.
Bush has not been afraid to tackle the hard issues, like SS reform, the so-called "third rail" of American politics. The dialogue has begun in earnest. The status quo is not an option. I just hope that Bush or the next President doesn't arrive at the same kind of solution that Reagan accepted in 1983. Bush has already reduced the tax rates, now we have to make them permanent. If you mean by PBA, partial birth abortions, then Bush has started down the right road signing a bill in 2003 baning them, but there are legal obstacles to overcome.
With respect to "Kyoto," President Bush is advancing a modified version of that - good modifications, IMO, in the form of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
Bush was right on Kyoto and now the UK and the rest of Europe are coming to that conclusion based on data demonstrating the ecomonic affects on their countries. Leaving India and China out of such an agreement was nonsense and so is the global warming assumption that man can control the climate cycles. The Asia-Pacific Partnership is more political than anything else. The GOP must come up with something to show that it has an alternative to Kyoto. The 2006 elections are coming up. A number of Reps feel vulnerable on the environment, which is why Anwar was recently pulled from the budget bill.
The political spectrum defies simple definition. I see President Bush as a big government guy. But he is compassionate.
Disagree. There are substantive and key issues that define one's standing on the political spectrum. I don't see Bush as a big government guy, but rather, a victim of circumstances.
9/11 prompted a huge surge in spending. Initially, Bush was against the formation of DHS and bringing tens of thousands of airport screeners on to the federal payroll. The invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan prompted major spending overseas as well as building up our defenses at home as part of the WOT. There were also rebuilding costs associated with 9/11.
Bush already had plans to rebuild the US military, which had declined under Clinton and the peace dividend. He also made education and prescription drugs priorities, mainly to take those issues away from the Dems. Those were mistakes in my view, but he was reelected.
The impact of Katrina and Rita will be will us for years to come. It will cost a lot of money. Bush cannot control events like hurricanes. Katrina was the worst natural disaster ever to hit this country. Only "big government" can deal with disasters of this scale.
Bush also had to deal with a recession when he took office, which prompted tax cuts and reduced revenues initially increasing the deficit. That has been turned around.
Are you in favor of CAFTA?
Yes
Santorum is like a duck. He's paddling furiously.
Try to remember that. LOL
If you like communism.
This guy is so transparent, I can't believe you'd fall for his fluff?
The dealings I've had with Santorum's office have always been positive. Of course I wasn't expecting to get my driveway paved or anything like that?
What Santorum DID SAY was this...
As to the the obscure 'mistakes' and 'criticism' blurbs in prosecuting the war, well that could easily be directed at the PENTAGON and or the Commanders in the field.
By this journalist 'standard' (sarcasm) FDR was directly responsible for the screw ups at:Think any of that will fly with the leftist media? Naaah.
- Pearl Harbor
- Wake Island
- Bataan
- Burma
- Operation Torch
- Kasserine Pass
- Anzio
- Battle Of Monte Casino
- D-Day
- Operation Market Garden
- The Battle Of The Bulge
- Not to mention sending our soldiers, sailors and marines into battle under trained and under equipped and in DEATH TRAPS like the LST (Long Slow Target) the Sherman Tank, and the Jeep (no armor, Oh My!).
Is there a good conservative that will oppose him in primaries?
Rick Santorum is one of the best senators we have.
You are weak and stupid.
You are just like the RINO Repubs who abandon their friends at the first bad poll or media hit-job.
Santorum is the good conservative.
It all depends on what Rick thinks what 'mistake' means.
So you're upset because Santorum did what he had to and supported Specter, so now you're going to tech him a lesson and make way for Casey?
Just who is it getting punished here?
You should be ashamed. You are doing a disservice to everyone on this forum. You ought to be banned.
Santorum is a weasel.
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