Posted on 04/24/2011 6:41:21 PM PDT by KantianBurke
Possible presidential candidate Rick Santorum conceded Sunday that he made a "mistake" in voting for the Medicare prescription drug benefit back in 2003, as he tried to bolster his fiscal credentials.
Santorum, a former Republican Pennsylvania senator, told "Fox News Sunday" that there were two things wrong with the bill creating the program, which is now estimated to cost about $60 billion a year, contributing to the country's out-of-control deficit. Santorum said Congress should not have made the program universal and should have found a mechanism with which to pay for it.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
How about repealing it? How about repealing or seriously cutting back any program? Just saying. I think medications for the elderly is a great idea. But we couldn’t afford it then or now. When does reality come into play?
I find it refreshing a politician coming clean and telling the truth. I’ve always been impressed with Santorum, and wish we had more like him.
Yep, economic damage from an improper program can be undone. You're right, repeal speaks volumes, mitigation even more.
Who's sincere? Show me the legislation.
Crickets.
Lots of people were compromised by their support of Bush and his RINO spend and brrow policies.
“His political career has expired.”
Yep. He got blown out in a general election by a fern.
Amen to your Post #1. May I add: Rick Santorum’s biggest mistake was throwing a good Conservative, Pat Toomey, under the bus with encouragement from George W. and Fatboy Rove, and endorsing the despicable Arlen Specter. In the Election 2 years later, he got his butt handed to him because true Conservatives refused to hold their nose and vote for a traitor. He lost to Bob Casey Jr. by 18 percentage points.
We Conservatives can be vindictive bastards; but we’ve been forced to be so.
BLA-BLA-BLA.
In the same interview he also claimed he would block the debt limit over Obama-care if he had the power. Pretty tough talk when he is off the hook now just looking for Republican support, but when he was on the hook to PA voters for something easier he voted for a spending/new entitlement vote purely for Republican political power (GWB Medicare drugs unpaid for.)
Not impressed.
This.
The Toomey affair was mind-boggling.
Spiritual forgiveness is one thing, but giving a proven serial compromiser a second chance to screw you (even harder as POTUS) is another.
Rick was part of the old-school problem.
Rick you voted for socialism and supported Spector, go home.
Santorum, a former Republican Pennsylvania senator, told "Fox News Sunday" that there were two things wrong with the bill creating the program, which is now estimated to cost about $60 billion a year, contributing to the country's out-of-control deficit. Santorum said Congress should not have made the program universal and should have found a mechanism with which to pay for it.
No sh**, Dick. But you voted for it anyway without worrying about that pesky 'how are we going to pay for it' question. Did you think we were going to borrow the cash from the Chinese forever you frigging idiot?
You call this coming clean?
Did Bill Clinton come clean and tell the truth when he said he made a mistake by raising taxes too high?
Bush wanted a Drug Benefit for POOR Seniors, not ALL Seniors. The Democrats would not agree, so the Bill that passed Congress ended up covering ALL Seniors on Medicare.
If Bush vetoed the Bill, he hates Seniors and didn’t fulfill his Campaign Promise. He signed the Bill, even if it wasn’t what he really wanted.
In the end, the Democrats blame the Republicans for doing what the Democrats wanted. In other words, the usual.
I would at least give you a shout out.
What’s that saying, a few years late and a $trillion short.
At least he should have the decency to shut up now.
I had hoped back then that Specter would lose to Toomey in that primary like you, but in regard to Santorum - that’s an incorrect analysis. He lost because it was a bad year for Republicans and he lost independent voters by a huge margin and in a Democrat leaning state. Specter had strongly backed Santorum in his previous elections and likely would not have won without that support - it would have been throwing Specter under the bus, not Toomey. You use the analogy incorrectly. Toomey himself was mature enough to understand that and strongly backed Santorum in 2006. The overwhelming majority of the ‘true conservatives’ also supported Santorum in that election - if they could make it to the polls and hold their nose for Specter in 2004 in the general election then it sure would not have been problematic to do so for Santorum in 2006. Santorum was one of the most conservative members of the Senate and certainly one of the few actual conservative Senators from the northeast. Anyone who says otherwise is in error. It would have demostrated a lack of personal integrity if he had abandoned Specter when Specter did not abandon him when he was in a tight spot. Him winning and continuing to be in the Senate would have allowed for enough votes to block a lot of the legislation that are now law.
Of course in the end Specter ended up stabbing everyone in the back and then he politically collapsed...although, ironically enough, his poisoning of the Democrat side of the isle helped Toomey get elected.
I wasn’t aware of that. Thanks. I have only looked at his post-elective office stances. Do you think Santorum had an ideological adjustment after seeing the name brand GOP no longer offers political protection, or is he one that will do and say anything for higher office?
To be clear, I don’t think he is fit for higher office, but I like his current positions on the economy. I’d like more like him, but without the damaged goods.
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