Posted on 09/13/2009 2:33:46 PM PDT by NYer
ORLANDO, FL, September 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Speaking to a room full of prominent US Catholic leaders Friday night, Senator Rick Santorum was challenged to run for the Republican Presidential nominaion. Responding to a room already thick with applause, Santorum revealed that he was indeed "thinking about it" but asked for prayers and detailed his thinking on the matter.
His remarks came after his address to the closing dinner of the 12th annual Catholic Leadership Conference - an invite-only gathering of Catholic leaders from academia, law, media, medicine, and politics, as well as leaders of movements within the Church such as pro-life, pro-family and evangelization. Posing the challenge was long-time legal, political, and media activist Keith Fournier.
Santorum is not only a Catholic in name but a faithful one who is noted for his strong pro-life activism and work to bring decency back to America. He revealed that he has seven children, with one in college. The reason why the sixth is not college-bound is the fact that his 16-month-old 'Bella' was born with Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder which is fatal before birth in 90 per cent of cases.
Santorum referred to Bella as "our angel" marveling at how she changed his life, and that of his family for the better. Speaking of children like Bella, he said, "They teach you things you can't even imagine."
Here Santorum turned to abortion describing his reason for fighting against it politically saying, "I think of we treat these people in society and how we destroy them. 86% of Down syndrome children are aborted - killed. And Down syndrome is 5 times better than what Bella has."
Considering how his children may themselves be the targets of nasty politics, as has happened in the recent past, gives Santorum pause. "That weighs on me," he said. "When you stand up for the things I do and say the things I say, they brutalize you and they won't stop at you."
Those are the things, he explained that "as a father I've got to think about."
"On the other side," he added, "as a father, I've got to think about whether they are going to have a country to live in … Are they going to be able to practice their faith in a way that's consistent with what the Church teaches."
The last consideration in favor of his run was on the practical level. He said: "Six months ago I would not have spent ten seconds on your question, but it's not six months ago. I see that, I hate to be calculating, but I see that 2012 is not just throwing somebody out to be eaten, but it's a real opportunity for success."
In closing he said that while he was "thinking about it", it is the first time his ambition which is, as he said, "in his DNA" was checked by a resistance saying, "no, I'm not sure."
Ending the session, Catholic political powerhouse Deal Hudson (President George W. Bush's Catholic advisor for a period of time) cited Plato's famous saying that the best governors are those who do not wish to govern.
That list includes just about all of our very worst Presidents, plus a couple of mediocre ones.
Do you want to finish your thought before I respond?
I would give serious consideration to supporting Santorum!
I WILL NEVER TRUST SANTORUM AGAIN!
NO MORE COMPROMISED POLS! I WANT A TRUE PATRIOT!
HELL NO TO SANTORUM!!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1273280/posts
The Pennsylvania Treason (Arlen Specter)
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Posted: May 1, 2004 | By Mark Crutcher
Posted on Saturday, November 06, 2004 11:45:55 PM by vannrox
I have often asserted that, for the pro-life movement, the only practical distinction between the Democrat and Republican parties is that one is an enemy who will stab us in the chest and the other is a friend who will stab us in the back.
Tuesday's Republican primary in Pennsylvania proved my point. Hard-core abortion enthusiast Republican Arlen Specter was being challenged by pro-lifer Pat Toomey for the U.S. Senate. As the incumbent, Specter was predicted to win easily. But as Election Day approached, the polls clearly showed that Toomey was closing in fast and had a legitimate shot to pull off an upset.
That's when the GOP’s power brokers pulled out the heavy guns. President George W. Bush personally rushed to Pennsylvania and implored Republicans to get behind the candidacy of ... Arlen Specter. Equally amazing, Pennsylvania's other senator, Rick Santorum, also chose to walk away from his long-espoused pro-life principles. He joined Bush on the campaign trail and urged voters to defeat the pro-life challenger.
The fact that Specter's eventual margin of victory was so razor-thin made one thing absolutely undeniable. Without the influence and treachery of Bush and Santorum, we would have seen a raging pro-abort who has always been viciously hostile toward anything that the pro-life movement does replaced with a pro-lifer. It is laughable to suggest that the combined efforts of a Republican president and a Republican senator can't influence even 2 percent of the votes in a Republican primary. Given that, it is simply a fact that Bush and Santorum cost the pro-life movement this election.
One of the things that made this particular election so crucial for the pro-life movement is that, if re-elected, Specter's seniority will give him the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Pro-lifers often say that we must support the Republicans and George Bush because of Supreme Court appointments. However, that is now a dead issue given that no pro-life nominee to the Supreme Court is going to get past Specter.
If George Bush didn't know this when he used his influence to get Specter re-elected, then he really is as stupid as the Democrats say he is.
But of course, Bush is not stupid. He knew that by insuring Specter's victory he was ending any chance of putting a pro-lifer on the Supreme Court. That may not have been his goal; it was simply the price he was willing to pay to support an incumbent Republican.
Moreover, Specter's term is six years, which means that even if Bush wins in November, Specter will be in place for Bush's entire second term and beyond. With that reality in place, the practical difference between who John Kerry might get confirmed to the Supreme Court and who Bush might get confirmed becomes zero.
Bush and Santorum defenders will claim that if Toomey had won he might turn around and lose in the general election and, thereby, turn control of the Senate over to the Democrats.
That's garbage. First, upon what do these people base the assumption that Toomey could somehow beat the senior incumbent United States senator in his state, but then not be able to beat a non-incumbent Democrat? If their claim is that Toomey’s advocacy for the right-to-life makes him unelectable in a Pennsylvania general election, how do they explain Santorum’s election?
Second, from a pro-life perspective, who cares if the Democrats win if the alternative is a pro-abortion Republican? Are we supposed to believe that the unborn are better off with their fate is in the hands of pro-abortion Republicans than pro-abortion Democrats?
Third, what happened to principle? Regardless of political considerations, if Bush and Santorum were more than just rhetorically committed to the pro-life cause they would have never come to the aid of a pro-abortion candidate who was about to lose to a pro-life one. In fact, when they saw that Toomey actually had a chance, their response should have been to do what they could to secure the victory not work against it.
While we're on the subject of principle, there are going to be those who try to dismiss what these two did by regurgitating that old chin drivel about abortion being just one issue, and the GOP has to look at “other issues” as well. It's the same old worn-out “no litmus test” nonsense that we hear ad nauseam.
I'm always curious about this particular argument. I wonder whether the people who make it are willing to apply it across the board, or if it's just a convenient way to dodge the abortion issue. For example, if it were discovered that Specter was secretly a member of the Ku Klux Klan, would that be a litmus test? Would Bush and Santorum still campaign for him saying that they disagreed with him on this one issue but that they have to look at all these “other issues” as well?
I think not, and that points out the abysmal dishonesty of what they did in Pennsylvania. If a Republican candidate was a Klansman who openly espoused racism, neither of these guys would be caught in the same county with him. You can also bet that this Klansman's position on “other issues” would never even come up.
So despite all their beautiful rhetoric about the humanity of the unborn child, the fact that they will also work to elect politicians who say unborn children should be legally butchered by the millions speaks much louder. Their message is that when the subject is racism nothing else matters, but when the subject is baby killing there are “other issues” to consider. If you believe those are the actions of people who are truly committed to the pro-life cause, then you are in desperate need of a reality check.
In the final analysis, the Bush/Santorum betrayal was obviously the result of party politics. These guys sold the unborn down the river for political reasons, and they felt comfortable doing so primarily because the pro-life movement has always let them get away with it. For 30 years we have shown the Republican Party that whatever they do we'll stick with them, and as long as we keep sending that message we are fools to think they will ever change.
That is the bottom line, and while the American pro-life establishment is so enamored with having a seat at the Republican table that they will never say this, I will:
Through their participation in The Pennsylvania Treason, the Republican Party, George Bush and Rick Santorum have lost the right to ever again ask for the support of pro-lifers.
By the way, in a speech he gave to a Catholic prayer breakfast less than a week after the election, Rick Santorum told the audience that they should “... get closer to God to hear what He wants done ... God speaks in whispers and you will not know His will unless you are close (to Him). He is calling, let me assure you, He is calling.”
Apparently, Santorum believes that God called him to work for baby killers.
I'm skeptical.
Mark Crutcher is president of Life Dynamics Incorporated of Denton, Texas.
From Fox news:
Sorry,might get pissed off LATER.:)
IIRC, the only real running Casey did in that campaign was away from the media. Sadly, the tactic worked, and a big reason behind that was because Santorum's base was demoralized.
Facts are stubborn things. Too bad you don’t like them.
Sorry, I like my candidates to be at least minimally competent on the issues. It appears that your standards aren’t so high, apparently you only require that the candidate be attractive and personable...knowledge is optional...like Barack Obama, eh?
Pretty sick post from you cpforlife.org.” Apparently, Santorum believes that God called him to work for baby killers.”You back this.?
How dare I? How dare I? What? Is Rick one of the chosen elite to reign over us mere conservatives? How dare I.
As Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) settles into life as a Democrat, a 2004 campaign ad that features then Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) advocating for Specter is making the rounds in Washington.
Remember Fatima, Rick is proud to endorse Arlen Specter. Now he wants to be President. That's a flag that should be torn down with thousands watching as quickly as it can be.
TS
I don't like him or his attitude and remember the phony ban on partial birth abortion law that he co-wrote where partial birth abortion still exists providing the navel is inside the birth-canal.Santorum as well as Chris Smith (R-NJ)voted for HR 3010 which funds Title X and family-planning programs. It is this bill that funds planned parenthood the enemy of the unborn and pro-life movement. Santorum loses my vote.
Provided further, That of the funds made available under this heading, $285,963,000 shall be for the program under title X of the Public Health Service Act to provide for voluntary family planning projects:
oh, and these so-called "republicans" increased Title X funding every year during the Bush/Hastert/Frist Administrations. They're all a bunch of losers in my book who spent money than the democrats. I'll pray for a real republican who didn't fund planned parenthood, not santorum.
(((((Hugs))))
“Only in that it would be nice if Republican members of Congress were supportive of our ideals, meaning those of our Founding Fathers. No matter how much we the people move the nation, we will still need to elect representatives to Congress.”
Amen
I don’t agree with 2 and 3 but I will add 4.People out of work and homeless people.Your a joke as a poster and I have seen better.
Excuse me, your “description” of Gov. Palin was incorrect. Your media-inspired aspersion towards her demonstrates you have no clue about the situation. She didn’t run away from her job, as she was no longer able to PERFORM HER DUTIES because the left (that includes both the Democrat party, RINOs and the media) would not permit her to do so, filing frivilous, baseless ethics charges costing the AK taxpayers. This was nothing but a coordinated attempt to prevent her from doing her job, while simultaneously declaring she was “ethically challenged” due to the charges being filed (wholly made up by her leftist opponents) and using that to destroy her for reelection and for 2012. She would not play their game, and in a masterstroke of political genius, passed off her office to her Lieutenant, who would be able to carry out her agenda in a way she was never going to be allowed to do.
So, I’m glad to have the opportunity to set the record straight.
Marcia (sp?) Blackburn & Graves House Rep. from GA were there too - not sure if I missed some others (missed abt 1 hr of rally).
Rick is a good man...but he shouldn’t be throwing his name ‘out’ there now. Or really ever. He carries some pretty hefty baggage. Sorry.
First off, for those who have suggested he run for the PA Governorship...or the Senate (again)...those bridges were pretty much burned when he moved to the Virginia suburbs of DC. He left PA for (understandably) the good of his family (a regular schedule; make big bucks in a Washington ‘ThinkTank.) Good for him...but his departure from office, representing PA was acrimonious to say the least.
When the the chips were down for the Republican Candidate, Benedict Arlen Specter (he was loosing in the Republican primary to Pat Toomey...the same Pat Toomey who is leading in the polls against Specter today!!!) Santorum caved. Party...yes...party trumped principle. Toomey was and is an ideologic twin of Santorum’s stances (Pro-Life; pro-smaller government; pro Second Amendment). But...at the behest of the IDIOTS in the National GOP...Santorum and GWBush campaigned across PA FOR SPECTER. Rick not only threw Toomey under the bus, he ran over him with it and then plastered a Specter bumper sticker on his forehead!!! There is a hideous soundbyte of Santorum being booed, at a rally at the Pittsburgh Internation Airport...and him stating ‘no, no, really...when the chips are down...Sen. Specter comes thru!!!’
Specter won. And in Arlen Specter fashion...IMMEDIATELY stabbed both Santorum and Bush in the back not only with votes...but with political manueverings. It was ugly.
Santorum...then received NO help from Specter in his campaign against the uber empty suit, Bobby Casey, Jr. Many ‘seasoned citizened’ voters thought they were voting for his late father (a prolife, social issue conservative) who bears the same name and was a respected, well liked PA Governor.
Thanks to the interference of the ‘party trumps all bunch’ and I blame GWB as much as I do Santorum...PA now has two liberal democratic Senators (Casey and Specter); instead of two conservatices, Santorum and Toomey. Think about two extra conservative votes on ObamaCare...
Election stump speeches, like elections, have consequences.
Sick? No I’m not sick. A Catholic that supports an infamously wicked pro-abort over a good pro-lifer, THATS SICK.
THAT is what Santorum did.
I did not write the article. I might have used different words.
But the truth is that Rick Santorum made a conscious decision to help elect Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey.
He worked to help reelect a wicked man who is not only pro-abortion but a leftwinger on so much else over A godly pro-life alternative.
Decades ago, a politician was excommunicated for opposing desegregation in Catholic schools http://www.yourcatholicvoice.org/articles.php?article=28
And rightly so.
What Santorum did was FAR worse. He formally cooperated in grave evil. By not only voting for but activly campaiging for Pro-abort specter, Rick Santorum consciously put his politics over his pro-life past. He betrayed his pro-life position and pro-life constituency. And you say I’m pretty sick?
See:
A Brief Catechism for Catholic Voters
http://www.ewtn.com/vote/brief_catechism.htm
Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics
http://www.caaction.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=9
Now, why do you think my post was “Pretty sick”? Did you read the entire article in context? Please explain.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.