Santorum Socks Heilemann: MSM's Job To Defend Obama, Not Mine

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Rick Santorum to John Heilemann [and by extension to MSM at large] on today's Morning Joe: "it's your responsibility to defend the president, not mine." Ouch! If Newt's deft dicing of John King and Juan Williams paid huge electoral dividends, Santorum might anticipate a much-needed bump after running roughshod over the New York mag reporter.

Heilemann had called on Santorum to explain his failure to correct a woman at a town hall meeting in Florida yesterday who said President Obama was an "avowed Muslim" and legally unqualified to be president. After noting that he has repeatedly been on the record saying that he doesn't believe PBO is a Muslim and recognizes that he is legally qualified to be president, Santorum said that he chose not to chastise an elderly and infirm lady. Then came Santorum's grand slam, as set forth above. Heilemann only dug himself deeper when he responded by saying that prez candidate McCain had always defended Obama on the campaign trail.

View the video here.

[Slump Tester]

"Lesson from Newt: people want a candidate who will fight back, not some one with a s$@# eating grin who will take it."

Kind of like the one Newt had when he was sitting on that couch with Pelosi, huh? I can't understand why Santorum is still down so far, but hopefully that will change!

[MrB]

And the fact that there is no fatwa issued for the beheading of the apostate means that he is assumed to be exercising taqiyya and furthering the cause of Islam.

[MrB]

I’d like to see one of these candidates retort with

“if only the press were as interested in 0bama’s past as they were in digging through Sarah Palin’s garbage, maybe we’d know for sure who this guy is”

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I’ll assume you’re correct. In such case, it would be accurate to say that under Islam, Obama is considered a Muslim. But wouldn’t you agree that every person has a right to define his religion for himself? Isn’t that the point of missionary work, to invite people to change their religion?

I’m sure you’re aware that Mormons have a practice of converting people posthumously to their church. If such were done to, say, a Baptist, would a Baptist family be unable to claim that their loved one who passed away was a Baptist, simply because the Mormon church claims him as one of theirs?

[MrB]

But wouldn’t you agree that every person has a right to define his religion for himself?

Yep.

Point - Baptists and Mormons are honest about their religious affiliation.

[Cinnamontea]

Lesson from Newt: people want a candidate who will fight back

This is what a lot of left wingers (and Fox News pundits) don't get. It isn't that Newt is fighting back against the media, it's that he's fighting back. Period. It doesn't have to be about the media -- though they're a justifiable target -- we just want a candidate who will flipping fight back.

Newt doesn't accept the premise of leftist questions, doesn't apologize for conservatism, doesn't operate from a defensive position, and can articulate conservative values. The party base hasn't had a candidate who can do those things in a long time.

[BenLurkin]

Exactly, how could anyone know other than those closest to Hussein.

The Republicans should stick to the truth on Hussein’s religion (if any) “You’re asking the wrong person. Only he and God know.”

[GBA]

he is legally qualified to be president

Sorry Ricky. Someone who, by his own admission, has a foreign national father is not Constitutionally eligible to be President.

Didn't you swear an oath when you took office as a Senator?

[kcvl]

jheil John Heilemann

Brian: Sen Santorum, wld you like to take the opportunity to kick Gov Romney in the nuts? Santorum: Why yes, Brian, how nice of you to ask.
12 hours ago

Here

[kcvl]

@jheil
John Heilemann Speak for yrself, toots @mharvey816: We’d all be happier, frankly. RT @jheil If GOP nom doesn’t work out, Newt could be President of Pluto
12 hours ago via TweetDeck

dancoopermedia Dan Cooper
@ @jheil Mitt caught me playing with my private sector
12 hours ago

Retweeted by mharvey816

http://twitter.com/jheil

[kcvl]

CLASSY guy ..../s

@jheil
John Heilemann More fucking mangey mouses (like Tom Cruise) RT @dancoopermedia: @jheil Wait! What about Scientology HQ!
12 hours ago via TweetDeck

ebbitt Robert
@ @jheil @dancoopermedia - This is like watching the smartest moron contest; they’re all morons. #nbcdebate
12 hours ago

Retweeted by RobynJLeader

http://twitter.com/jheil

******

@jheil
John Heilemann Mitt is saying that NASA should the new Bridge to Nowhere.
12 hours ago via TweetDeck

JHyink Jon Hyink
@ @jheil No, He and Santorum want to re-make Starship Troopers
12 hours ago

[kcvl]

@jheil
John Heilemann “I understand your technique.” Translation: Lying fucker! #FLDebate
13 hours ago via TweetDeck

coreyplis Corey M. Plis
@ @jheil now your translation is funny.
13 hours ago

******

@jheil
John Heilemann “Speaker Gingrich, what will satisfy you?” Ask Marianne.
13 hours ago via TweetDeck

******

@jpodhoretz
John Podhoretz So on stage—a one-term governor; a guy who quit the speakership; a guy who lost by 18 points; and a lunatic.
13 hours ago via web

MichaelLetts MichaelLetts
@ @jpodhoretz In the White House sits a man accused of smoking crack and having a homosexual encounter in a limousine.
13 hours ago

http://twitter.com/jheil

[kcvl]

New Romney press shop email hed: “WE COULD SEE AN OCTOBER SURPRISE A DAY FROM NEWT GINGRICH”
22 hours ago via web

******

@NorahODonnell
Norah O’Donnell Obama in SOTU to highlight Buffett Rule - making sure millionaires/billionaires pay more taxes. Warren Buffett’s secretary sits w Mrs Obama

[kcvl]

@greenfield64
Jeff Greenfield Recycling 3 day old thought: a big Newt win, and Mitch Daniels’ SOTU response turns into an audition tape for GOPers looking for late entry.
21 Jan via web

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NEWT THREAT TO PULL OUT OF DEBATE IF AUDIENCE CAN’T CHEER

[dead]

It was a bit refreshing that Heilemann didn't feign outrage at Santorum's accusation that it is the media's job to protect the president.

It wasn't too long ago that the leftwing media still pretended that they were unbiased. They used to work up a "gambling at Rick's!" facade of shock when you pointed out the undeniable truth that they are unpaid workers for the Democratic party.

Now, you call them Obama's lapdog, and they lick your hand and look for a treat. Good dog.

[Cheerio]

IT IS A FACT THAT IN THE MUSLIM RELIGION IF YOUR FATHER IS MUSLIM - YOU ARE MUSLIM.

Well said. "I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother......Graham further explained: "The confusion is, is because his father was a Muslim, he was born a Muslim. The Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs. That's why Gaddafi calls him 'my son.' They see him as a Muslim. But of course the President says he is a Christian, and we just have to accept it as that."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

“Someone who, by his own admission, has a foreign national father is not Constitutionally eligible to be President.”

With respect, having a foreign national father does not render someone ineligible to be president. The requirement is simply that someone be a natural-born citizen. If Obama was born in Hawaii, that is sufficient even if both his parents were foreign nationals.

[missnry]

I’ll assume you’re correct. In such case, it would be accurate to say that under Islam, Obama is considered a Muslim. But wouldn’t you agree that every person has a right to define his religion for himself?

I agree that a person has a "right" to define it himself. BUT we have the "right" to discern! Taqiyya in the Muslim religion is the "license" to lie to advance the cause of Islam. Barack Obama is on record as speaking perfect Arabic quoting the Shahada. (In an interview with Nicholas Kristof, published in The New York Times) When I travel to the Middle East it is the Muslims that tell me BO is Muslim and I never argue with them.

My whole point is to frame the Muslim issue where it belongs. It is an issue with Islam that we cannot change. We don't need to tell 1 billion Muslims that BO is NOT Muslim when in their eyes he is! Let the talking media idiots try to take up the argument with a local imam at a nearby mosque!

We don't have to let the lamestream media idiots tell us that we need to "defend" BO! Any time someone calls BO a Muslim in a town hall we should just ignore it. If the media asks why the audience member is not being confronted we need a valid coherent response. That is what I am referring to in my "talking point."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks for clarifying. Having written the original item at NewsBusters, I certainly agree that Santorum was under no obligation to correct the lady at the Florida town hall.

[GBA]

With respect, you are misinformed.

obama may be a citizen thanks to his mother, but he is not a Natural Born Citizen unless both parents were citizens when he was born here, assuming he was born here.

There are numerous threads here documenting NBC in great detail, along with several cases coming before the courts.

You might find what is currently happening in Ga. of interest.