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STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Facing newfound scrutiny as a frontrunner in the Republican presidential race, Rick Santorum today fired back at national media who he says have given undue attention to comments he made this weekend questioning the president's theology. He also defended comments about World War Two that some saw as linking Hitler and President Obama.
On Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, Santorum told a Tea Party crowd, "It's not about you. It's not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your job. It's about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology, but no less a theology."
But in front of a crowd of more than 500 people here on Monday, he said the comments were not meant to question the president's religious beliefs, rather a critique of what he called the "extreme" environmental regulations of the Obama administration.
"I referred to it the other day,” he said, “and I got criticized by some of our less than erudite members of the national press corps.”
When pressed by reporters after Saturday's comments, the former Pennsylvania senator maintained he did not mean to suggest that the president is not a Christian. But he did say the president is trumping religious freedoms.
"You may want to call it a theology; you may want to call it secular values,” Santorum said. “Whatever you want to call it, it’s a different moral values. And the president of the United States is exercising his values and trumping the values of the church.”
Today, Santorum did not use the word "theology," instead attacking the president's "ideology."
He was also asked about comments made last night in Georgia that compared America now to Europe during World War Two.
“I’m sure some of you have ancestors who were part of the Greatest Generation,” Santorum said last night. “Why were they the Greatest Generation -- because they were better than we were? Smarter? More courageous? They were they greatest generation, because when their country needed them, at a time of great peril, they met the challenge. Your country needs you. It’s not as clear a challenge. Obviously, World War Two was pretty obvious. But at some point, they knew. Remember, the greatest generation for a year and a half, sat on the sidelines while Europe was under darkness.
“While our closest ally Britain was being bombed and leveled, while Japan was spreading its cancer all throughout Southeast Asia … America sat in 1940 when France fell, December of 1941…Because we’re a hopeful people. We think, well, you know it’ll get better. Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I mean, it won’t be near as bad as what we think. This will be okay. I mean, yeah, maybe he’s not the best guy after a while, after a while you find out some things about this guy over in Europe who’s not so good of a guy after all. You know what … we’ll just take care of our own problems. We’ll just get our families off to work and our kids off to school and we’ll be okay. So with the optimistic spirit of America, sometimes, sometimes it’s not okay. It’ll be harder for this generation to figure it out. There’s no cataclysmic event.”
Santorum defended the comments today. "It’s a World War Two metaphor,” Santorum said. “It's one I've used 100 times."
In response to whether he meant to compare the president to Hitler, Santorum said, "No, of course not."
Those comments were not the only ones from the weekend that the former Pennsylvania senator found himself explaining. In front of the Ohio Christian Alliance, he said the 2010 health-care bill signed by the president encourages aborting children with disabilities by requiring prenatal testing that can detect if a child will not be born healthy. It is an assertion he did not back down from.
"I was criticized for making the comment about prenatal testing when it came to amniocentesis,” he said. “Amniocenteses are done by and large later in pregnancy whether the child in the womb has a disability.” And he claimed, “[A]s we all know, 90 percent of Down Syndrome children in this country are aborted once the mother and father find out that that child is going to be less than what they wanted it to be.”
The candidate, now surging in the polls, has focused almost all his attention on the White House and not so much as mentioning chief rival Mitt Romney. Stumping in Rust Belt states like Michigan and Ohio, Santorum has focused his message on manufacturing and environmental issues like hydrofracking and the Keystone pipeline. Both are issues in which Santorum argues the president has ceded to environmentalists, costing the country jobs.
Just 40 miles outside his hometown of Pittsburgh today, Santorum played up his blue-collar roots growing up as the grandson of a coal miner.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we need someone who understands, who comes from the coal fields, who comes from the steel mills, who understands what average working people in America need to be able to provide for themselves and their families,” he said.
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I blame the news media too. You know he means that Obama follows the words of the liberals before he follows the Good Book.
Lol...yep, that would make it all their fault whatever book Obama decided to "follow" anyway.
Arrogant, whiny, rather creepy, constantly BSing, trying to shove theocracy down our throats, WAIT...maybe its just Wailin' Palin in drag!
Do Mitt and Santorum think their invisible they stand there and say the stupidest crap and the next day claim they didn't.every minute your in public someone has a camera on you.I guess when all you have to say is stupid crap thats all you can say.
Isn't it funny how FOX news has created the terms liberal media and class warfare. There are so many news outlets now that if anyone does not get the true facts of an event then it is their own fault because they have just been too lazy to do the research.
libuhruhl mediah: anything that says anything contrary to what they think they think- libuhruhl mediah.
I don't want to defend or condemn all his comments - I didn't really hear them in context. However, he is correct about one thing - amniocentesis is a tool to primarily detect elevated levels of Cerebospinal fluids, and the end-game of that, is to decide to terminate a fetus that has a birth defect. Mr Santorum may be right or wrong on many things, but on this point, it's simply a fact.
When we had our first child, he was born with Myelomeningocele (Spina bifida) which had not been detected on the ultrasounds. When we were pregnant for the second time, we were put though amniocentesis. We would young and naive and it was explained as a 'normal precaution', so we went through with the procedure.
As it was being done, I was trying to put 2 and 2 together in my mind, and just as we were finishing up, it finally clicked - 'precaution' against what? How would it help prevent a problem? How would it help fix a problem? The fact is (as the doctor then explained) that amniocentesis really couldn't prevent or fix any problems, BUT if our second child had Spina bifida, we would know and choose to abort. For us, personally, that would have been totally off the table anyway. For me, the idea of our first child being terminated because of his Spina bifida is pretty bizarre. Sure, he has some challenges - they are really minor in the grand scheme of things.
So, Mr Santorum may be wierd and wacky in many ways - I don't really know - but he is correct that amniocentesis is a tool used to detect defects and terminate pregnancies.
Todd- Where have you been? The point being that finding defects, have lead to surgery that fix problems in the womb , and saved the fetus, so it can be brought to full term. Have prepared people to have specialist's standing by, to treat the baby as soon as it's born.
I respect you for your opinion; however, on the other side of the coin there are couples who cannot deal with the concept of bringing a child into the world with birth defects. Abortion should be a personal decision made by each individual family. A congress where 85% are men should not be making laws that interfere with a woman making decisions about her own body.
But you are wrong, Todd. Amniocentesis is used for several reasons, and many of them aren't related to abortion at all. You may have put 2 and 2 together and come up with what you thought was them wanting you to abort if there was a problem, but amnio is used to help everyone to be ready for a birth of a child with problems that need correction or special help at birth. And by the way, you aren't everyone and just because you wouldn't choose it doesn't mean no one else should not get one.
So how about before you decide all of someone's motive go research things a bit more. I'm sorry your child has challenges, but really, your situation doesn't make you an expert on amnio by itself.
knowing whether or not there may be something the matter with your child or not is NOT synonmous with "getting an abortion!"
its not his call or his choice what people want to have done or to know about their kids. maybe they want to find out so they can be prepared to have a child with disabilities? get support? find out if there is medically something they can do?
he just wants to use it as another religious wedge tool, even though he knows damn wll the constitution says there will be no state religion or religious test.
another republican abortion wedge tool. its NONE OF HIS BUSINESS what tests people want done! not every single test turns into an abortion which is deliberately what he is trying to imply. he has NO IDEA. all he knows is if he says "abortion" he'll trick and "win over" a bunch of evangeleicals. and that is ALL he cares to do.
why does he even feel entitled to comment on things like this? why are ANYBODY ELSES REPRODUCTIVE CHOICES his business?
this from the guy who took his dead baby home. he is a sick, sick man.
Todd - first, I'm sorry for the what happened to you and your wife but didn't it occur to the either of you to get a 2nd opinion? I work in the medical field and it's amazes me how few people even today ask questions of their doctor's and when people don't do that they are not participating in their own medical care nor their children's. When they don't understand something the doctor has said it's like they're too embarassed to say to the doctor : I didn't understand that... so that the doctor has a chance to try again.
Wrong Todd, amnio is used for many things. I had one. And it had nothing to do with checking for birth defects. It was done to see if my baby's lungs were developed enough to survive outside the womb. I was hemorrhaging and he needed to be born early. I guess you would be ok with a) allow me to bleed to death which would kill me and the baby or b) just flip a coin, deliver the baby and just hope all ends well. And excuse me for saying this, but there is just no other way to say it, you say you and your wife had a baby with spinabifida then had another baby, but the defect with the first one apparently didn't motivate you to do any research or gain any knowledge of risks, tests or any medical advancements when you got pregnant the second time. Instead you just rocked along and assumed. Clearly you are still assuming. There in lies the problem with men trying to involve themselves into matters they clearly don't understand. And it appears that you still have made no effort to even try and understand.
These guys are making it real hard to be a right-leaning independent. VERY HARD. I'm starting to believe in this Obama derangement stuff. I've never heard nonsense like this in my life. Are they TRYING to get Barack Obama re-elected? Does it seem like that to anyone else?
MSNBC wont let you hear the full remark from Santorum. Go watch the complete video. Your liberal media is lying to you.
DD did you try going to You Tube or some other site? Also on Andrea Mitchell's show his campaign manager "misspoke she called in AFTER when it was too late, foot was in mouth.
Don't you just love when these guys call the President UnChristian, compare him to Hitler, it's always someone elses fault, the media, or left leaning reporters, or the dog ate my homework, if you don't have the kahonnas to stand behind what you say then don't say it!!!
Conservatives really amaze me because they believe that you can't be a Christian if you are a liberal. Well my friends there are just as many conservatives going to hell as there are liberals.
Hey news flash Rick, if you say it they will report it.
Lets blame the media because you're true feelings are being reported,,,,,
You sir are a moron and deserve everything you get .
This is just another dumb example of things getting interpreted by the media. He was not attacking Obama's theology, he was comparing his ideals to the belief in a theology. Just like Mitt did not say he did not care about the poor. So many good things to attack these guys on they should be happy when its crap like this, keeps the media away from their real dirt.
Santorum is continuing to experience "cranial-rectal" impaction.
He is in desperate need of a plexidectomy! That is where they insert a pane of plexi glass in your abdomen so you can see where you are going when you have your head up your ass!
Santorum was right. The man made global warming religion of the left is a made up religion. Obama being a christian should know this.
And yours is real I assume?
For thousands of years
So that makes Amen Ra real according to years.
DD-Republican, I assume you are pretending to be f--ing idiot, because after all, the basis for the right's denial of man's involvement in global warming was debunked a few years ago.
Look at the liberal filth coming out of you. You are irrelevant.
What don't you like, DD? The part that there is scientific proof that your contention is wrong?
I have no doubt that Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney will be our next President.
Are you eating too many of those wild mushrooms again???
LMAO
If you live in Alabama it would seem that way.
Santorum doesn't have a chance. Romney possibly could win but even that is doubtful.
Oh Chris, not everyone here thinks that...but your point is taken.
hihihi LOL
Rick, just go with "I was possesed by Satan" its worked for many others in the past.
The 3-ring GOP-clown circus is taking an even more ridiculous turn now... abortion, pre-natal testing, giving up on public education -- the man is a full-blown, religious-right nutcase.
santorum is a character who needs his head to be twisted off his neck, and sent back to some old uterous for a total overhaul, a completely new brain, minimally.
Listening to his "national campaign spokes-woman had to be the most nauseating republican interview I've ever heard... these clown-people are not only scary, they really are sick.
The three stooges &bc,cb$ and @bc the liberal news media is really oDUMBo's voice. Have all you libtards ever figured out why they never question are twist oDUMBO's words when he screws up. MMMMMMMM obama
marco, what have you to say regarding Santorum's remark's anything at all?
I certainly wouldn't want to be unfair to Santorum, so I'll just assume he doesn't really know the meaning of the word 'theology'. Yeah, that's it...he doesn't know the meaning.
How can anyone forget Santorum. Charging PA tax-payers to cyber school his kids that didn't live in PA. Once called out, he immediately stopped billing PA tax-payers for his kids schooling(over $100,000 dolaars.
Santorum slipped an amendment into the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act handcuffing how the VA home could cash in on 49 acres. The admenment forced the VA home to sell. Ultimately, the Catholic Church bought 46 acres for 22 million with the land value at 83 million. The VA group were ticked big time. Just shows Santorum primary concerns are the interest of his Church instead of interest of the people who served the Nation by putting their lives on the line for this Nation.
This Dude is a scum.
President Obama--2012
This guy is scary. Why does he think it's up the President to judge anyone's morals? He needs to stick to the economy and world issues.
Karen I whole heartedly agree with you, don't you think that he's too young to have "senior moments"?
Start with the fact that this guy, Rick Santorum, kept a dead fetus in his bed for two days, then move on to ... well, there's really no need to move on past that; Santorum is an unbalanced, deranged Tali-Catholic who has very little grasp of history or medicine, much less reality, and barely fit to be out in the company of adults.
If it was his mother instead of his child, they would call him Norman Bates.
Rick, wait a minute what did you say he did, give me details please....
Here's a recent mention of it Allison. Just do a googl search of " Santorum brings dead baby home" and you will get more than you ever wanted to know. In a nutshell they brought their baby that was born at 20 weeks and died 2 hours after birth home to meet the other kids who were 4 3 and 1.5 where they played with it, took photographs and slept with it in their bed.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/320232/
This guy uses words like "erudite" and doesn't know the difference between "theology" and "ideology"? Now he says he was talking about the environmental policies? Where was that mentioned? And he wants to blame the media? I listened to the entire speech and it sounded like someone who's been smoking too much pot babbling away using words that made no sense and that he didn't know the meaning of but thought it made him sound smart to use.. He made no sense. Don't use big words Santorum if you don't know what they mean. How long has he been on the campaign trail and hasn't learned that yet? This guy has two things and only two things going for him, i.e. the compassion he draws from people when he trots out his disabled child (an act that is despicable) and the fact that everybody else the GOP are putting up are crooks, liars, womanizers and idiots.
What a bigoted, unhinged individual - this Santorum. His mother should have done prenatal testing.
what a lying sack of garbage. makes me ashamed to be catholic.
yeah rick, its "the medias fault" you compared him to hitler. you knew what you meant just like you knew exactly what you were implying trying to play your little ignorant muslim card again for the dimwits who lap that crap up. may as well be a birther.
so tired of these phoney whining types who try and cry about the media when their directly intentioned statements bite them in their a$$es.
you know what you meant you coward! man up and admit it at least.
MSNBC is too unprofessional. They engage in political bigotry by firing Pat Buchanon. Stop incrimental communism. Rick Santorum for president USA 2012!!!!
I will take anyone over what is there now!
you probably deserve a RS. Enjoy the 19th century...!
It's always good to have some kind of dream.
I have self respect more than you
Oh seriously. You are right. They should give him bonuses for being racist and nasty. I'm sure he could find a place that would welcome him with open arms.