Posted on 03/19/2012 7:03:28 PM PDT by Josh Painter
Rick Santorum is coming under fire for saying that the unemployment rate and economic growth are secondary issues to that of freedom in his campaign, a statement that rival Mitt Romney's campaign quickly seized on as being tone-deaf to the plight of out-of-work Americans.
"We need a candidate who's going to be a fighter for freedom. Who's going to get up and make that the central theme in this race because it is the central theme in this race," Santorum told a crowd of about 200 voters during a rally here on Monday. "I don't care what the unemployment rate's going to be. Doesn't matter to me. My campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. It's something more foundational that's going on."
The event had barely ended when Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul e-mailed reporters to offer up the statement as evidence of Santorum being an "economic lightweight," a charge that Romney has been making in recent days. The former Massachusetts governor gave a speech in Chicago on Monday attacking President Obama's stewardship of the economy.
"Wow. Sen. Santorum may not care about the unemployment rate in this country or the nearly 24 million Americans struggling for work, but Mitt Romney does and is running to get people back to work," Saul said. "If anyone needed evidence that Rick Santorum is an economic lightweight, they needn't look any further than his various statements today. We're not going to turn around this economy by replacing one former senator with zero job-creating experience with another senator with zero job-creating experience. He has proven it once again," she wrote.
Romney himself, in a subsequent appearance at Bradley University, reaffirmed his concern for unemployment.
[...]
Santorum sought to clarify his comments to reporters after the event...
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Correct link: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57400375-503544/santorum-says-i-dont-care-what-the-unemployment-rates-going-to-be/
Screw jobs, let’s talk about porn!
Correct title: Santorum says “I don’t care what the unemployment rate’s going to be”
Porn is a screw job of sorts...
agreed. LOL. Saint Rick is imploding.
We got the two worst of the eight who started out on top of the charts now. Congrats America.
I agree with that statement. I also think the country is too far gone. Most people are concerned with making their car and cable payment, the hell with freedom.
I dont care either because the hussein numbers are all lies.
Santorum doesn’t care about the unemployment rate, Romney isn’t worried about the poor. What a bunch of knuckleheads. We’re gonna get killed in November...
Big “Political” mistake!
This guy was/is nothing without NEWT GINGRICH, who once tried to make something out of RICKY. Ricks failure is self inflicted.
I agree, and think of the idiots who are going to vote for this dork.
Santorum needs duck tape ASAP!
What a coincidence, I don’t really care what the media thinks. He’s head and shoulders above Obamney and that’s a;ll that matters.
Same as his lawyer comrade MYTH ROMNEY, whom he endorsed for POTUS in 2008, and who's supporters money he is using to run this very day.
Except Romney and his entire family are cowards who have avoided military service going back generations, while sweater vest idiot man's family are GIGANTIC ITALIAN COMMUNISTS.
Not sure if they are cowards,but they are definitely RED.
santo meant to say who cares about the unemployment rate if we are all communists.
There goes Illinois. If he doesn’t care about the unemployment rate, he’s the only one.
Yeah lets talk about the Jolly green Gingrich shall we?
Continues to support ethanol subsidies, just like Obama. Wants to incentivize green vehicles, just like Obama. Wants to create whole new federal agencies, just like Obama.
Unlike Obama, he’ll never be president.
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