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AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum waves as he leaves after speaking to supporters at Westminster Christian Academy Saturday, March 17, 2012, in Town and Country, Mo.
EFFINGHAM, Ill. -- Rick Santorum on Saturday guaranteed that a win in the Illinois primary will result in his nomination as the Republican presidential nominee.
"This is a primary, and turnout is everything. You do your job, you do your job, then this is the pledge," Santorum said. "If we're able to come out of Illinois with a huge or surprise win, I guarantee you, I guarantee you that we will win this nomination."
Illinois has largely been predicted to favor Mitt Romney for Tuesday's primary. The vote is expected to be driven by Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, pegged as unfavorable territory for the former Pennsylvania senator's brand of conservatism. But in areas like Effingham, hours south of the Windy City, Santorum hopes to fire up a Republican base that is often overshadowed by its Democratic counterparts to the north.
"You know you don't get a chance to out-vote your friends up in the Chicago-land area very often, but this is a primary and turnout is everything," he said, standing in a warehouse of a local business specializing in kitchen equipment.
While stumping in the Land of Lincoln, Santorum said he feels like he's already running in the general election.
“People ask me why I’m the best candidate to run against Barack Obama," said Santorum. "It’s because I feel like, in many respects, I am running against Barack Obama here in this primary because Mitt Romney has the same positions as Barack Obama in this primary.”
The health care bill that Romney signed as governor of Massachusetts is the issue Santorum has been hammering him on most frequently.
Santorum says the legislation laid the groundwork for the health care bill Obama signed in 2010, and therefore a Romney nomination would prohibit him from successfully running on a platform of repealing it.
Energy is another issue Santorum claims his Republican rival shares with Obama. “Why, with sky rocketing gas prices, would we nominate someone who had the same position as President Obama with respect to fossil fuels?" he asked.
Santorum began his day stumping in neighboring Missouri, a state that held a non-binding primary that he won last month, but today is holding caucuses. During a visit to a caucus site in Hazelwood, Santorum claimed dominance: "If you look at the Midwest, all of the Midwest is one color. It’s our color. We’ve won every state in the Midwest."
That statement dismisses Ohio and Michigan, two states Romney won, as part of the Midwest. Asked about it later in the day, Santorum said, "Well, I meant the heartland."
But even in the Show Me State, it was clear how important the primary happening happening across the Mississippi River will be to the Santorum campaign. “When you leave here, go home, sign up on our website, start calling folks in Illinois. Because we’ve got a big election coming up in a couple days in Illinois," he pleaded. "Please help us out there. If you’ve got friends over there, make sure they get out and help us out."
And even with an aggressive campaign schedule in two states today, the Italian American still found time to show his St. Patrick's Day spirit. On the stump he wore a green boutineer and his campaign manager tweeted out a picture of him enjoying a Guinness at an Irish pub between stops.
"I usually get there in the morning so I felt a little bad I didn’t get there until lunch time," he said of his March 17 traditional pilgrimage to the pub.
Update: In response to Santorum's comments on Saturday, Romney campaign spokesperson Ryan Williams had this to say:
"Senator Santorum is an economic lightweight who has precisely zero job creating experience. He ought to scare every conservative when it comes to his economic record. We won't get the economy going again by replacing one senator with no job creating experience with another with no job creating experience."
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These people are so out of touch with life and the true American. We do need another Party with some common sense people and not giving advice on sex, how to work or when to go to war! Just lead and keep America safe.
I can't understand why any of these 4 clowns would want to receive a public spanking for the whole world to see from President Obama and sent home crying in the general elections.
It's scary that in this day and age there is a solid and significant percentage of the people who are so convinced that their religious and moral views, applied in a Draconian fashion, are summarily decided to be the law of the land, and sad that the politics of hate and claimed rightousness are being used by a person trying to become leader of this country in these complex times. It's likely irrelevant, because the corporate overseers of the Republican party will be certain to spend enough to get their man, the corporate drone, on the ticket eventually. Santorum will excite the zealots and get some of them to vote Repub even after ol' Mitt gets the nomination, so he's got a strategic purpose, but the Repub money men like Mitt.
Both are bad candidates.
Not one of the Republicans have got a Clue about what your Average American has to do just to survive another day, especially after the Last Republican Administration.
They are all insulated from Reality by their Wealthy Backers who expect a return on their Investment.
Case in Point- Sarah Palin, Failed Governor of Alaska who makes the Big Time on Reality T.V., Speaker Fees and Book deals worth Millions...
I COULD SAY "I'm sorry" but it wouldn't be REAL. There is NONE of those RETHUG "contenders" with 3/4 of a BRAIN (Willard comes closest). Every one of them is as dumb as a FUC KING SACK OF ROCKS. I'm essentially CONVINCED that the RETHUG "leadership" recognized that Obama would be re-elected and CHOSE to throw a NOBODY under the bus. The "best" nobody would be santorum - no loss anyway he can entirely LEAVE politics and the result would be people asking "who was he?"
santorum-bachman 2012 "If we're going to have a loser, let's make it MEMORABLE and the worst GOTP defeat in HISTORY!!"
(Obama 2012 4 more years)
Your paragraph of nothing is about as exciting as the GOP race for the Republican Presidential nominee....zzzzz.
What an ass clown. In reality I really do hope he does win...Obama will eat him alive.
I don't know what Ricky is smoking or drinking, but whatever it is, I sure would like to have some.
belonged below
Isn't that special, Ricky? You go ahead and have your fantasies. Soon you'll be seeing unicorns and fairies.
He's a catholic - I suspect that he does see things now - it goes with the territory and belief structure. "holey moley, rolly poley, mother of pearl"
How Ironic. Obama has nothing to run on (bad economy,unwanted Obama care) and the Republicans have nobody to run with. Sad and pathetic too.
Obama/Biden 2012
Myself/Family 2012
Obama 2012. The RETHUGS are FUC KING IDIOTS - every single one of them
I think he's smoking crack with Rush
Ricky is obsessed with gov't control of cracks.
particularly the crack of his A$$
Disagree, Gator. I think he is doing oxycontin with Rush with maybe a little ED on the side. Sorry, that was crass, but I am so tired of these hypocrites.
The smoke's coming from the overheated tinfoil helmet, keeping the alien thought waves out.
What he doesn't know, is that he thinks god is telling him to run...and she's just f***ing with him.
Oh yeah, he's officially lost it. But then again, he never had it did he?
he's a paradigm shift..or is that a pair-a-dime shift? or maybe it's a plugged NICKEL but he isn't worth a CENT - a bad penny that keeps coming back. frothy was kicked out of Pennsylvania in 2005 by 18% for being worth LESS than tits on a boar hog. He apparently has these delusions of grandeur and thinks that the whole country would consider him a suitable president - well, I'd suggest that it's more like
PRAY-SEE-DUNCE - he belongs in a corner with a cone on his head
Oh great, next it's the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials followed by the reinactment of the Colonial Wars with live ammunition and invasions by the West. Or is that already happening?
He sucks at math and now he is delusional too. Looney tunes is right.
Yeah Rick go for it
A a deep Chicagoian, I'll vote for you too (in this primary if I can)
Obama 2012
good point - everybody needs to vote for this NITWIT in the primaries
Ricky--go back to Pennsylvania , nobody in Illinois wants you. Maybe you can go to Alaska and be Sarah Palin's boy toy...
Does that mean if he loses Illinois he'll lose the nomination? Maybe it will at least make him shut the hell up.
I'm a Republican, but if Santorum wins the nomination, I'm voting for Obama.
And if Santorum wins the nomination, almost Republican I know will vote against him.
I'll vote for Obama, and I detest Obama.
Obama is the greatest president of our life time. If he was white he would already be on Rushmore.
Please name one REAL great thing Oboma has accommplished besides getting elected.
He saved the economy, he reformed health care, he ended the war in Iraq, he kill bin laden, he extended tax cuts for the middle class, he extended unemployment after the biggest depression since you know the last one. The rest of what he tried to do was filibustered by the republicans. He represented all americans not just the elitist pigs. Did he fix the world with his magic wand no sorry. Did you forget the mess the republicans and Bush left? It was a big one, do you remember.
Ok I meant here on planet EARTH!! The economy isnt saved, the end of Iraq war was Bush timeline,The SEALs killed Bin Laden etc... LOL
If President Obama is so bad in your mind, just which of the fine republicans do you want?
Romney who has brought most of bush advisers back to bring our country back to where bush left it.
Or Santorum who wants to run American like he was the priest of a Catholic church controlling even women's birth control.
Or Gingrich who is was brought up on charges of lying to congress. Now he just lies to the people.
You must be proud. Let's let the republicans destroy America for the rich 1%.
For the America you have grown to love....VOTE.....Obama/Biden 2012
"I guarantee I will win the nomination" Oh Please Oh Please Oh Please
I still have hope that there are more of us. Normal proud Americans that do not buy into the right wing conspiracy. In November we will come out and vote! We will get the majority in congress, Obama will win, and we can get down to business. So get out and vote all you normal people, we are going to smack down the republicans like never before. The wars will be over and we can have peace.
Yeah! Let's nominate the woman hating bible thumper!!!
santorum--why don't you and your tribe move to Afghanistan...that place suits you perfectly--heck you could become one of their leading mullahs...because dontchano that there's really no diff between the extreme right wing nuts in the US and the Afghani Taliban...really.
After Obama is done with his next term in office, let s elect our First Female American Indian President!
That will really drive the Good Old Boy Club Nuts!
Then we can start converting Santorum and Palin into Indian Religion, LOL!!!
OMMM...OMMM... hey maybe we could convince them to move to India so we could have someone in customer support we could actually UNDERSTAND...
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm one tough Gazookus
Which hates all Palookas
Wot ain't on the up and square.
I biffs 'em and buffs 'em
And always out roughs 'em
But none of 'em gets nowhere.
If anyone dares to risk my "Fisk",
It's "Boff" an' it's "Wham" un'erstan'?
So keep "Good Be-hav-or"
That's your one life saver
With Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
source:
What is it with these canidates? oh yea,
I forgot...we are waaay past the bottom of the barrel.
Lord help us...this country really needs help.
Gingrich should really stay in the race, 'cuz this two-bit bible thumper is going to self-destruct during or right after one of the upcoming races...leaving the lunar lover with a clear lane to a lopsided loss in November, providing he can get past the "debutante at a cow-chip tossing contest" before their convention.
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."
- Mark Twain
unfortunately, willard has it pretty much sewed up...
If there are enough people living off of government handouts to vote Obama in for another four years this nation will deserve the brand of government he is trying to establish! At least we will see and end to this welfare state and those who lived off from it put forceably back into the work force. Just as Russia used reindoctrination camps and work camps so these people to will learn to do new things!
It's to bad the rest of us have to becom
If there are enough people living off of government handouts to vote Obama in for another four years this nation will deserve the brand of government he is trying to establish! At least we will see an end to this welfare state and those who lived off from it put forcibly back into the work force. Just as Russia used indoctrination camps and work camps so these people to will learn to do new things!
It's too bad the rest of us have to become socialist slaves just to reestablish a work ethic into the lazy bastards that are dragging us under!
e socialist slaves just to reestablish a work ethic into the lazy bastard and bitches that are dragging us under!
STFU
Republican Red States use more Government Entitlements then Democratic Blue States.
Here is the Interactive Map courtesy of the N.Y. Times;
Arizona appears to be at the Top of the List. Note Sarah Palins Alaska, Rick Perrys Texas and the other Red Southeastern States.
Click on Link below for the Interactive Map,
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html
butt steve - it's almost entirely due to the policies of the PARTY OF NO! NO! NO!
No JOBS, No COMPROMISE, No COMPASSION - NOTHING worthwhile, just keep saying NO!
The electorate is PISSED OFF and they aren't going to take RETHUG SH IT any more!
Obama 2012 in a RUN AWAY
Steve....your morose, inaccurate, and pessimistic view of our country defines you as one of those about whom you despise. Your self-described distrust and disconnect from the whole of society, like many others, is a substantial part of the problems that surround those who are considered to be unproductive and under-achievers.
The difference is that you don't look in the mirror and see your own lack of spirit and hope in the state and future of this country. Also, you and your ilk bear a a proportionately higher level of blame because you refuse to admit or correct your own shortcomings.
You’re absolutely right! My short comings are that I refuse to tolerate those who find it permissible to live of the sweat of others. It was not enough that we have propagated an ever growing number of home grown welfare rats, we have thrown open our boarders so that we can have illegal welfare rats from all over the world.
You may think that you represent the majority of our society today but you are just delusional. There are plenty of people who are tired of paying more than their fare share of their earning in takes.
As for jobs! Maybe we should put some of those coyotes that smuggle in the illegals to work in the employment offices. That way they can find you all jobs and you would even be legal!
Na! No chance of that!
And one of my faults is intolerance for authoritarian, xenophobic bigots like steve.
To summarize, our problems are all due to illegal aliens and lazy people who should forcibly be herded into the workhouses and debtors prisons of a Dickens tale.
Pretty well sums up the Conservative position, though, I have to admit.
Conservative position? You John B. are an ignorant ass. If you ever open your eyes you would see at the end of the road Obama is taking is the workhouses and debtor prison you talk about!
He must be a conservative in disguise, right
?
And steve responds with more insults, showing us who he really is. My work here is done.