Posted on 12/29/2011 1:36:38 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said Thursday that he's "proud" of the money he brought back to his state by way of earmarks, rebuffing new attacks by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Santorum said that if he were elected president, he would oppose earmarks -- the process by which a lawmaker directs spending to a particular project -- because Congress had placed a temporary moratorium on the practice.
But he didn't back down from new attacks this morning by Perry, who labeled the surging Santorum a "prolific earmarker," and launched a radio ad, to boot, echoing that charge.
"If you look at the Constitution, the Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress; the Congress is the one that's supposed to spend the money," Santorum said on Fox News. "So the idea that earmarks is somehow against the Constitution or something that is illicit, that the congressman can or shouldn't do is simply, factually incorrect."
He was pressed as to whether the practice should still be encouraged, even if it weren't illegal, because of the public's perception that earmarking contributes to corruption in Washington.
"I’ve defended my earmarks in the sense that I'm proud of the money that I did set aside for things that were priorities in my state instead of having bureaucrats do that," Santorum said. "But I've recognized that the American public have sort of seen this as a pox upon the congress and that's where the American public is today and as a president, it's sort of easy for me to say I'll oppose congressional earmarks."
(Excerpt) Read more at firstread.msnbc.msn.com ...
Tweet from ABC reporter:
“Perry radio Ad hitting Santorum features fake gameshow called
“Wheel of Washington,” quizzes people about Santorum’s earmarks
while in Congress.”
https://twitter.com/#!/ArletteSaenz/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2Fk09iBjvX
Slide Show - 3 Perry events today had packed houses
I’m still trying to figure out why I never hear or read about “attacks” on Mittens by all these other candidates.
It really gets my spidey sense tingling.
“I’m sure that Rick Perry is proud of the stimulus bailout money he took from Obama as well.”
Perry should have thought before he spoke. :)
btw, Ron Paul took ear marks for his state, even with all his fiscal conservative “talk.”
Carbon Copies [60 second video campaign ad]
That's -- I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals. [video clip]
And Perry's gone after Mitt (A LOT) on hiding his support for mandated health care (remember the $10,000. bet?).
Gov. Perry didn't make the mess in D.C., then dig the hole deeper with TARP and "stimulus."
Texas sits like a diamond in the "rough" that Obama and the Legislature have created.
Texas used the money better than it would have been used otherwise, so continue your weak attempt to whittle away at the one guy working his job (and being reelected).
The Feds take state dollars and then piddle them back to us -- telling us how to spend them. You might be interested to see how Gov. Perry handles this.
Gov. Perry sued for Texas' money (without Washington telling us how to spend it) -- And won! Promise Kept.
Gov. Perry and the state of Texas have spent over $400 Million Texas tax dollars on trying to secure the INTERNATIONAL border with Mexico. On top of that, Texas is forced by the Feds to pay for illegal incarceration, education, health care, crime and fall out from "funded" and unfunded mandates flowing from the Beltway.
Gov. Perry wants D.C. legislators to go home to their states and districts and live and work under the conditions they've imposed on America.
Video of Rick Santorum defending earmarks on FOX News program in 2009: http://bit.ly/vpccdq
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/12/29/rick-santorum-earmarxists-and-the-pro-life-statist/
[Just like George W. Bush] .......”He sees government as the means to conservative ends. But in using government to get conservative ends he has expanded government and set precedents for liberals to use government in the same ways for more liberal government. Rick Santorum was complicit in making Americans more dependent on government and justified it under the rubric of compassion.”
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2710073/posts
........”Governor Perry let loose the observation that “George” — and the Bushies hate it when Perry calls him “George” in public — “has never been a fiscal conservative.” Never? “Wasn’t when he was in Texas . . . ’95, ’97, ’99, George Bush was spending money.” He also criticized Bush as being limp on immigration.”.........
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On the “Meet the Candidate” [extended] segment of Bret Baier’s Special Report program - Oct 19, 2011 - (guest Rick Santorum) the panel discussed with Rick Santorum his 2008 endorsement of Mitt Romney. (they showed a clip and then discussed it)
That year it was better not to endorse, in my opinion, and just go in the voting booth and hold your nose while voting for any of the choices.
The earmarks issue is not excusable to me...being on the wrong side of it. It’s one thing to say, yes, that was the system and I used it for my consituents, but it’s a terrible system and we must and will change it...entirely a different thing to defend it and praise it because you managed to get in some large chunks of other people’s money for your area’s pet projects.
In regard to Perry attacking Mitt...guess you haven’t listened to Perry either in the debates or in his interviews and campaign speeches.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t condemn Rick Santorum for steering federal dollars to Pennsylvania while giving Rick Perry a pass for doing the exact same thing. I am not at all criticizing Perry here, but his house is made out of glass on this issue, so rock throwing should not be something to engage in.
Seriously ? Santorm is a big government Bush Republican who wastes his political capital on evangelical friendly rhetoric while accomplishing nothing.. If you loved Bush II you probably will like this guy.
The fact remains that Perry DID take stimulus money, while criticizing Santorum for taking earmarks. Personally, I don’t blame either for taking the money, because their states paid federal taxes, and they wanted to get some of it back for their states.
But Perry is hypocritical to bash another candidate, when Perry did something that some would call even worse.
Spin all you want. It doesn’t change the facts.
NO WAY is Santorum like Bush. First of all, Santorum has always been a FIGHTER, and Bush was afraid to use his VETO pen.
And Santorum:
“and you know that I was a leader on welfare reform. I was the guy that led the charge in the US Senate and actually wrote the bill when I was in the House. I was the guy that actually helped end the federal entitlement. I embraced the Ryan plan and said it’s a good first step and frankly I would go even farther than that, ..”
excerpt http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/06/08/the_rick_santorum_interview
Furthermore, the social issues are the most important issues of all, and nobody is more passionate about the life issue than Santorum. We all should be that passionate as we are killing over one million unborn babies each and every year.
“Spin all you want. It doesn’t change the facts.”
No, it doesn’t. Perry happily took Obama stimulus money, but then criticizes Santorum for taking earmarks. DISINGENUOUS to say the least.
According to your own post, so is Mitt Romney. He's never held any elected or appointed office in Washington D.C. So what? Looking at your list, Perry has the longest "career politician" resume. This guy hasn't been in the private sector in decade.s
Likewise, Newt's supporters have been constantly bashing Santorum for endorsing Specter after Rove & GWB twisted his arm, but they have no problem with Newt endorsing the even more liberal Dede Scozzafava on his own accord.
Santorum's rise is really causing the rest of the field to start hurling stones in their glass houses. I guess they're having a rough time finding "dirt" on him that doesn't apply to their own camps.
It’s not for a lack of trying that Romney didn’t get installed in the Capital Hill Club, is it?
Besides, Romney is Obama Lite.
So what other points do you want to make?
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