I listened to Gingrich on Hannity’s radio show the other day. He kept pointing out that he had “big ideas”, that he was the candidate who thought “big”, etc.
He hasn’t figured out that we’re plenty sick of new “big ideas.” The original “big ideas” were framed in our Constitution over two centuries ago. We need a President who recognizes that and leads us back to them, not to some Newt world filled with new ones.
Every time he used the word “big”, it grated on me and reminded be of “BIG Government.” If he’s got that much of a tin ear, he’d have trouble in the general election, and it would also explain why he has so little support from those who had to work with him when he was Speaker.
That said, I’d support him over Romney, but Santorum is looking like the better choice for now.
■FACT: Santorum was a prolific supporter of earmarks, having requested billions of dollars for pork projects in Pennsylvania while he was in Congress. (Club for Growth, 2012 Presidential White Paper #4, Rick Santorum)
■FACT: The announcements flowed out of Rick Santorums Senate office: a $3.5 million federal grant to Piasecki Aircraft to help it test a new helicopter propeller technology; another $3.5 million to JLG Industries to bolster its bid to build all-terrain forklifts for the military; $1.4 million to Medico Industries to upgrade equipment for its munitions work. But an examination of Mr. Santorums earmark record sheds light on another aspect of his political personality, one that is at odds with the reformer image he has tried to convey on the trail: his prowess as a Washington insider. A review of some of his earmarks, viewed alongside his political donations, suggests that the river of federal money Mr. Santorum helped direct to Pennsylvania paid off handsomely in the form of campaign cash. (Michael Luo and Mike McIntire, The New York Times, 1/15/12)
■FACT: Santorum voted for the 2005 highway bill, which included hundreds of earmarks, including the bridge to nowhere, a teapot museum. (H.R. 3, Roll Call Vote #220, 7/29/05)
■FACT: Santorum supported the Bridge to Nowhere twice. Santorum voted for the 2005 highway bill that included thousands of wasteful earmarks, including the Bridge to Nowhere. In fact, in a separate vote, Santorum had the audacity to vote to continue funding the Bridge to Nowhere rather than send the money to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. (Club for Growth, 2012 Presidential White Paper #4, Rick Santorum)
■FACT: Santorum admitted he voted for bridge, and defended vote: People say that I voted for The Bridge to Nowhere. I did. I went with the federalist argument, which is, Who am I in Pennsylvania to tell Alaska what their highway priorities should be? (William Petroski, Des Moines Register, 12/29/11) In a single session, Rick Santorum co-sponsored 51 bills to increase spending And zero to cut spending.
■FACT: In the 2003-2004 session of Congress, Santorum sponsored or cosponsored 51 bills to increase spending, and failed to sponsor or co-sponsor even one spending cut proposal. (Club for Growth, 2012 Presidential White Paper #4, Former Senator Rick Santorum) Rick Santorum even voted to raise his own pay.
■FACT: Santorum also supported raising congressional pay at least three times, in 2001, 2002, and 2003. (Club for Growth, 2012 Presidential White Paper #4, Former Senator Rick Santorum)
■FACT: Santorum voted three times in 2001, 2002 and 2003 to preserve Congressional pay increases. (Roll Call Vote #360, 12/7/01; Roll Call Vote #242, 11/13/02; Roll Call Vote #406, 10/23/03) Rick Santorum joined Hillary Clinton to let convicted felons vote.
■FACT: In 2002, Santorum voted to secure the Federal voting rights of certain qualified persons who have served their sentences. Santorum was one of only three Republican senators to vote with Sen. Hillary Clinton for the measure, which failed in the Senate. (S. 565, Roll Call Vote #31, 2/14/02)
■FACT: Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who sponsored the measure, on the purpose of his amendment: Basically what this amendment does is ensure that ex-felons, people who have fully served their sentences, have completed their probation, have completed their parole, should not be denied their right to vote. (Sen. Harry Reid, Remarks on the Senate Floor, 2/14/02)