Santorum Critical Of Bush, War In Iraq

CBS 3 ^

[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 war’s conduct. “But that’s 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 wasn’t trying to distance himself from the president, who spoke moments earlier about 80 miles away at the Tobyhanna Army Depot.

Bush’s 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 governor’s race, in which he appeared with Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore the day before the election. Kilgore lost.

[cynicom]

In the past I have voted for and worked my butt off for Santorum. When he and Bush shot down Toomey, conservatives dropped Santorum like dirty underwear. I and many others wont vote for Casey but Santorum gets nothing but the back of our hands.

[Dane]

I and many others wont vote for Casey but Santorum gets nothing but the back of our hands

Hillary thanks you.

Bravo, Mr. Cynicom.

[Alissa]

I thought the same thing - the headline is a distortion. You'd think Freepers would finally know by now that you can't believe the MSM!!! One little sentence about mistakes were made (no one denies this) and the headline focuses on the one sentence. It could just as well have said: "Santorum Critical of MSM" and he'd be receiving vast praises. DON'T TRUST THE MEDIA!

[kabar]

Exactly. The MSM no longer just report the facts, they editorize as well, including the headlines. I just received my WP this morning. Above the fold on the right hand side is the headline: Bush Spars with Critics of the War - Exchanges with Democrats take Campaign-Style Tone

Pretty insidious worthy of Goebbels. The substance of the President's remarks are just passed off as more partisan rhetoric. Forget about whether the substance is true or not.

[SandRat]

Oh yeah!.... Now there's someone to really listen to Sen. Rick Self Sanctimonious Sadducee Santorum. He is a defiling Pharisee

[maica]

If Santorum had a brain in his head he would have been in Scranton (Tobeyhanna) at Bush's event and Democratic smack-down.

#####

I agree wholeheartedly. He has shown feet of clay extending up to his brain lately. He may inevitably lose in PA next year if the demographics continue on the same trend, but he will not take one more vote from Casey by showing that he will ignore what he has always said were his principles.

Time for him to go into a consulting business somewhere.

[kabar]

Disagree. Santorum was in a no-win solution. He couldn't back someone else in the party primary against his incumbent colleague from the same state. It is called party loyalty. Moreover, the WH also backed Specter.

Please cite me one example of a sitting Senator backing someone other than the incumbent from his party in a primary election. You are being unreasonable.

[cynicom]

yada yada yada....

When you have nothing to refute the attacks on Santorum with, turn personal. That shows childishness and political bankruptcy.

[counterpunch]

We have basic reading comprehension.
What do you have?

[alnick]

“Certainly, mistakes were made,” Santorum said of the war’s conduct. “But that’s a criticism you can make of every conflict.”

The entire article seems to revolve around the above quote. Much ado about nothing.

[Namyak]

Senator Santorum is at the receiving end of a massive media propaganda campaign to remove him from the Senate. Not a single good word has been printing on him in the past year, and the media has successfully driven a wedge between Santorum and his base, even though he is one of the most conservative members of the Senate; and what's worse is that many so-called "conservatives" are buying into the MSM spin...

[Bigh4u2]

From this quote:

"“Certainly, mistakes were made,” Santorum said of the war’s conduct. “But that’s a criticism you can make of every conflict.”

They got this??:

"Santorum Critical Of Bush, War In Iraq"

And this??

"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."

Either the author is projecting or I'm missing somethng.

[alnick]

This looks to be a perfectly reasonable comment that is being misrepresented by the AP for the sake of manufacturing friction, something that is a favorite pastime of theirs.

True, and yet Freepers who KNOW the media is fond of this tactic, jump right on their bandwagon anyway.

[tapatio]

It looks like the AP is hoping everyone reads just the headline and not the article.

The headline is very misleading!

[kabar]

Read the article, however distorted it may be. I don't have a problem with Santorum speaking to his constituents at a Veterans Day event. It is the MSM trying to infer that Santorum views the President as a political liability and choosing not to appear with him.

"Santorum, facing an uphill re-election fight next year, said missing the president’s appearance was nothing more than a scheduling conflict; he had already committed to the Philadelphia event when the president made plans to speak at Tobyhanna at the same time."

[Kewlhand`tek]

I dont know if they rate presidents but what would Bush's ACU rating be? 35%? btw I checked my state's members there in the ratings....gaaaaaaaaa. the highest one's lifetime was 39% but there is one republican with 96% I am suprised about my congressmens rating of lifetime rating of 14% even tho he is a democrat he seems to do right with soldiers and veterns he is on the armed forces committee. Oh yeah we would have a republican senator if the RNC hadn't left him flapping in the breeze in 2004 he got out spent 7 to 1 by the democrats. and only lost by a few percentage points. thanks RNC

[MadIvan]

I agree with the others saying this is media spin. They're trying to make a mountain out of a mole-hill. Have mistakes been made in this war? Of course! War is an enterprise run by imperfect human beings, it would be insane to expect perfection.

This is a media smear more than anything else.

Regards, Ivan

[kabar]

Well said. Santorum is part of the GOP Senate leadership. The Dems have targeted De Lay, Frist, Santorum, and the rest of the GOP Congressional leadership. It is transparent to most of us.

[alnick]

Conservatives are supposed to be thoughtful people who get the facts before jerking their knees. Please read the article and ask yourself if there's anything at all wrong with a Republican senator, or anyone else for that matter, saying that mistakes are made in every war.

[Awgie]

For those of you who support the "high ground" theory, here is a perfect example of why it has been important for Bush & CO to defend themselves against these hateful and malicious attacks.

Now even a conservative incumbent republican finds it necessary to distance himself from Bush while adding credibility to the democrat talking point that the war has been mis-managed.

The only thing that has been mis-managed is the political war against the libs. Bush and Co. are being B***H slapped all over the place. They are being thrown around like a midget wrestler trying to pin Hulk Hogan.