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Subscribe to RSSLADY LAKE, Fla. -- What started as a strong and well attended Rick Santorum town hall got sidetracked this afternoon as the presidential hopeful faced a questioner who called President Obama an "avowed Muslim" and protesters disrupted the event.
"He is an avowed Muslim and my question is why isn't something being done to get him out of our government. He has no legal right to be calling himself president," a woman asked, referring to President Obama.
Standing in front of a crowd of more than 250 mostly senior citizens, Santorum did not address the incorrect claim about the president's religion.
"Well yeah," said Santorum. "I'm doing my best to get him out of the government right now and she is right that he uniformly ignores the Constitution."
After the event, the former Pennsylvania senator told reporters it is not his job to correct every false claim that comes up during
questions. “Why do you guys ask these ‘Gotcha’ questions like it’s my job to go out and correct everybody who says something I don’t agree with?" Santorum responded to media inquiring about the exchange.
"There are lots of people who get up and say stuff in a town hall meeting and say things that I don’t agree with, but I don’t think it’s my obligation, nor should it be your feeling that it’s my obligation to correct somebody who says something that I don’t agree with.”
But that was not the only hiccup the candidate faced during his town hall here this afternoon. As the event was coming to a close, a
protester charged toward Santorum and attempted to throw a fist full of glitter at Santorum, but was stopped by security beforehand.
Attempts to "glitter bomb" Santorum have become a frequent occurance on the campaign trail as a way to protest his views on homosexuality.
How much time Santorum will spend in the Sunshine State is still in flux. Today, he indicated that how things go on the trail here over the next several days will dictate how hard he makes a push in the state.
But, regardless of how much he campaigns in Florida, Santorum has been clear that his candidacy will not end after the Jan. 31 primary.
"We're going to be in this race for a long time," he said. "We're planning already for Super Tuesday states and investing resources in states there. So this is going to be a long campaign, and we hope to do well here, but we understand this is a very, very expensive state."
While the Santorum campaign has enjoyed a fundraising boost since his Iowa caucus victory, his war chest still pales in comparison with that of rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Today, he tried to qualm fears that his candidacy might not have the ability to compete in the long term.
"Gov. Romney says 'I can win because I have the most money.' Does anyone doubt whoever the Republican nominee is will have all the money they need to run against Barack Obama? They will," Santorum said.
"There's absolutely no doubt that whoever the Republican nominee is will be backed fully, completely, and in our case enthusiastically by the base of the Republican party, the entire base."
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Sorry Rick, you really stepped in it this time. Are you really so desperate at this point in the campaign that you will take any support and negativity concerning your opponents, no matter how patently wrong and false it may be, simply to gain traction with voters? If you won't correct one off the wall woman supporter, how do you expect us to belive you will stand up to a General who wants to bomb Iran? Simply pitiful. Looks like McCain is a better man than you.
Rick has a problem with telling the truth and correcting someone as ignorant and stupid as the woman who posed the question? Jeez! If he can't tell the truth to the ignorant, what lies will he tell any supporters who actually may have any intellgence?
You all are so smart!!! I mean who wouldn't seize an opportunity to belittle a little old woman and put her in her place for being misguided. Santorum really blew that by trying to blow her off rather than publicly humiliating her. Praise Obama! Praise Obama!
Tools!
So it's "belittling" and "humiliating" to correct someone's mistake? I would disagree. I believe it is more caring and kind so they don't make an @ss of themselves repeating false information in another setting.
Santorum not taking the time to correct the women's ignorant statement says a lot about his character. First, doesn't Santorum realize this vitriolic speech breeds hate and possible violence? Two, Santorum being a Catholic, he should stay up for his fellow man and refute these lies.
I think a lot of our polititians today are not very good role models, even though they like to preach from pulpit that they are - for example, Santorum not doing the right thing by correctting the lady in the audience - what's so wrong about that? John McCain corrected a lady over the very same thing during a campaign stop in 2008 and I voted for him for that very reason. The other politician is Gov. Chris Christie, who strike me as a big bullie. He takes a stand of 'my way or the highway' and called a reporter an ignoramus, because the reporter truthly suggested that Christie eat more salads for his weight problems. "Ignoramus" is a harsh word and children or adults don't have no use for it.
Oh boo hoo hoo, Santorum didn't correct the ladies facts... He answered her questions... boo hoo hoo.... Obama says he is a Christian and states that he was also raised in Islam. So I guess the facts are... he is both? It isn't up to Santorum to correct her, she may be right!
I know a whole mess of FOLKS who say they are Christian... and go a Southern Baptist church. Standing in all of his glory on Sunday morning is a man who spout hate filth and prosperity ministry. What's more, is that the "preacher" and his staff are collecting their substantial living on the Sabbath. There is no way on this earth that those two correlate.
BTW I wonder where the woman got her idea. It certainly was not from the Internet. So it must have been from an SBC church or Rush Limburger. They spew lies and blasphemy every day.
Usually the SBC doesn't agree with the prosperity ministry. Though they are somewhat independent.
Other than the fact the SBC left its foundation and followed a different doctrine than they were founded on my complaint with them is the finger pointing.
They like to point to the sins of those in the secular world (something Christians are told NOT to do) while blessing sin in their own churches.
According to the bible if you are divorced and you marry someone you are committing adultery. Southern Baptist churches have no problem marrying divorced people.
RS has said openly that if elected, He would attempt to ban birth control as B/C is murder. That is not a rumor, it is from his mouth. There are not 144,000 REAL Christians in this whole country. I certainly am not. But I know the rules.
The LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil.
The biggest threat to the USA's national security is a visit from Arch-Angel Micheal and his troops. Don't worry about silly Muslims!
Believe me our Government knows that.
Tithe to the poor not to a church
This jackass offends me on so many levels it is hard to know where to start. I was raised a Catholic and have over the years had many issues with RC decisions and policies especially vis a vis those issues pertaining to women and reproductive rights. Santorum either has no understanding of what he claims to be his religion or is choosing to willfully misrepresent it to the world at large. In the Roman Catholic Church the induced delivery of a child at 20 weeks 3 to 4 weeks prior to any chance of viability is an abortion and that is exactly what he and his wife CHOSE to do. He has obviously never read Catholic Social Doctrine starting with Rerum Novarum by Leo XII through Benedict XVIs Caritas en Veritae there are 12 in all none of which remotely line up with his extreme fundamentalism. This most recent occurrence is just one more instance of his smug hypocrit choosing to misrepresent what he supposedly practices. In the Catholic Church there are sins of Omission and Commission and this would be a text book definition of a Sin Of Omission. This sack of offal sullies all that he touches and corrupts the message of Christianity every day that he continues to advance his unwholsome agenda.
jkh
Well stated.
I watched the tape and he just stood there with his head down while the old lady went off. No one who claims to be a true Christian-- the way he does would do that and say "its not my job......" What a big phony.
Right---- its not his job to correct false claims--- now that's a real sign of leadership!!!
copied:
Mitt Romney's problem with evangelical Christian voters has been well documented.
The religious rite is proxy baptism for the dead. According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church, these posthumous "blessings" are intended to "save" ancestors and others who weren't baptized in life or were baptized "without proper authority."
Any Mormon may baptize any person posthumously. Church members have performed the ritual on Buddha, Catholic popes, 9/11 hijackers, William Shakespeare, Joan of Arc, Elvis Presley, President Obama's mother and even reportedly Jesus Christ. In 2002, the managing director of the Mormon's family and church history department told The New Yorker magazine that as many as 200 million dead people had been baptized as Mormons.
Google it
From the Tampa Bay Times
Rev. O’Neal Dozier, the conservative black pastor of Pompano Beach’s Worldwide Christian Center said:
“Blacks are not going to vote for anyone of the Mormon faith,” Dozier said. “The book of Mormon says the Negro skin is cursed.”...
To read whole article enter , Omit the XX ----
www.Xtampabay.Xcom/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/fla-pastor-courted-rick-santorum-derides-mormons -- A must read. !
You all are so smart!!! I mean who wouldn't seize an opportunity to belittle a little old woman and put her in her place for being misguided. Santorum really blew that by trying to blow her off rather than publicly humiliating her. Praise Obama! Praise Obama!
Tools!
I find Ricks response inmature and stupid. What kind of people would actually vote for him to be President of the US? I bet if someone had said Reagan was a trader he would have spoke up..
you sir are a coward and a disgrace. you show you will pander to the devil himself if you thought it would get you elected. correcting ignorance is part of a Presidents job jerko. you sir are not Presidential material.
Politicians should be leaders and need to stand for truth. Remaining silent propagates distrust, fear and hate. It is irresponsible for a politician to remain silent on an issue such as this which is being used to demonize another candidate. Santorum fails miserably to demonstrate courage to lead objectively.