Casey vs Santorum

Observer-Reporter - Casey Washington County Democratic Committee banquet Speech a SELLOUT

2005-10-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Observer-Reporter: "Casey keynote speaker at Dem banquet

State Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., a potential challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in next year's election, will be the keynote speaker Sunday at the Washington County Democratic Committee banquet.

Casey is the son of the late governor Robert P. Casey and served as state auditor general from 1997 to 2005.

The banquet will be held at the Holiday Inn, Meadow Lands, and the sold-out event is expected to draw about 350 Democratic committeemen and supporters.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7:30 p.m. Casey is expected to speak about 8:30 p.m.

Also speaking will be Democratic candidates for Washington County judge, sheriff, recorder of deeds and controller."

The Sentinel Online : Santorum Fights to KILL SOCIAL SECURITY

2005-10-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Sentinel Online : Local News: "Santorum’s popularity nosedived after he went on a state speaking tour in support of Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security — an unpopular plan that appears dead.

A Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University poll last week had Santorum, a two-term incumbent, lagging 18 points behind Casey, the son of the popular late governor."

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Santorum's New Girl 27 - Year Old Virginia Davis

2005-10-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Shelby, Sessions voted against raise: "Shelby lost his press spokeswoman, Virginia Davis, to Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.

Davis, 27, is going to work on Santorum's 2006 re-election campaign. He is expected to be in a bruising race against Democrat Bob Casey, Pennsylvania state treasurer.

Moving from the Alabama senator's Washington office to Pennsylvania is not a stretch for Davis, who is from Bethlehem, Pa.

"As a native Pennsylvanian, I look forward to getting home and serving in this capacity on (Santorum's) re-election campaign," she said.

Shelby replaced Davis with Alabama native Katie Boyd, his former deputy press secretary. Boyd, 23, grew up in Enterprise and graduated from the University of Alabama."

The Citizens Voice - News - 10/21/2005 - Scandal Plagued Cheney Draws Very Small Crowd for Santorum

2005-10-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Citizens Voice - News - 10/21/2005 - Cheney stumping for Santorum: "You're out of luck if you want to lunch with Vice President Dick Cheney today.

The reservation should have been in the mail already, the guest list was quite small, and Cheney has no other stops planned in the region.
Cheney is appearing at a private campaign fundraiser in Jackson Township for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum. Cost to attend is $1,000 per person, while supporters who contribute $5,000 can get their picture taken with the vice president.
"The vice president looks forward to visiting Pennsylvania," said Jennifer Mayfield, deputy press security for the vice president's office. "He is pleased to support Sen. Santorum's re-election campaign."
Few others would comment about Cheney's visit, citing security concerns. Details of his schedule in Northeastern Pennsylvania also were kept under wraps.
A source within the Luzerne County Republican Party, who only spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vice president was scheduled to meet with a group of about 30 community and business leaders before his fundraising luncheon at the Jackson Township home of Ron and Rhea Simms. About 70 to 100 people are expected to attend.
Santorum's press secretary Robert Traynham would only confirm a fundraiser is being held today. He couldn't say if Cheney would be there.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Director Barry Centini didn't know when the vice president would arrive at the airport but said a member of his staff was in communication with the Secret Service. The airport was not expected to close, but Centini said there could be some airspace restrictions.
Jackson Township police are assisting with security but are not allowed to comment, directing inquiries to state police at Wyoming. A spokesman for the Wyoming Barracks was unavailable Thursday.
Neither Ron Simms, chief executive officer of Petroleum Service Co. in Wilkes-Barre, nor Rhea Simms, president of Lewith & Freeman Real Estate, returned calls for comment about their involvement in the luncheon.
Wilkes-Barre Attorney Greg Fellerman, chairman of the Luzerne County Democratic Party's Sixth District, isn't on the guest list but appreciates all of the security and precautions that are taken when high-ranking official travel.
Fellerman's office played host to vice presidential candidate John Edwards during a Kerry/Edwards campaign stop before the November 2004 presidential election.
"It was insane," Fellerman said.
Secret Service agents were scouring his office days before the event, checking out all of his employees and anyone who planned to come into the office during Edwards' brief stay there.
"They literally staged it minute by minute what was going to happen," he said. "In essence, they shut my office down for two days."
He wouldn't have traded the experience, though.
"From my standpoint, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a national candidate in our office a few weeks before the election."
Santorum's fundraiser reportedly is one of two on Cheney's list today. A published report indicated Cheney would be attending a dinner fundraiser for Missouri Sen. Jim Talent tonight.
Though Santorum is not up for re-election until next year, he's expected to face a stiff challenge from state Treasurer Robert Casey Jr. of Scranton.

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James Conmy and Elizabeth Skrapits, staff writers, contributed to this report.

tgulla@citizensvoice.com"

Casey Says NO to Pay Grab - Santorum Votes YES Not Once but 3 Times - PittsburghLIVE.com

2005-10-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pay hike tendrils reach U.S. Senate - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Pay hike tendrils reach U.S. Senate

By Eric Heyl
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, October 21, 2005
You plant a seed, you watch it sprout, you eventually shake your head in amazement at how far the vines have spread.
Pennsylvania lawmakers who toiled some richly contaminated soil in July had every right to be flabbergasted this week. They watched the reverberations from the irresponsible, underhanded pay raises they awarded themselves spread all the way to a U.S. Senate race.

Senators on Tuesday decided to forgo a 2006 annual cost-of-living increase they would have received automatically had they not voted against taking it. Instead of making $165,200 next year, their salaries will hold steady at a still-livable $162,100.

Among those spearheading the move to reject the compensation increase was Rick Santorum, R-Occasionally in Pennsylvania, the Senate's third-ranking GOP member.

"In light of the mounting budget deficits, paying for the reconstruction costs following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and rising energy costs, I do not think that it is acceptable for members of Congress to receive a pay raise," Santorum said in a release.

Who am I to suggest that political self-preservation also might have played a role in Santorum's stand-up behavior? Especially when The Washington Post beat me to it.

The newspaper reported that Santorum blames his poor poll numbers in Pennsylvania partly on public outrage over state legislators approving raises for themselves of up to 54 percent. In the dead of night, no less, with no prior warning before delivering the financial sucker punch.

In recent polls, Santorum trails his presumptive Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Robert Casey Jr., by about a quadrillion percentage points. (For those who never had reason to contemplate such a staggeringly large number, a quadrillion is a 1 followed by 15 zeroes.)

Santorum having voted three times previously against giving up the cost-of-living adjustment, the Casey camp also suggested Santorum had an ulterior motive.

In contrast, "Bob Casey has taken a stand. For the record, Casey has said repeatedly he opposes pay raises state legislators gave themselves and other state officials," according to a release from the Casey campaign.

In what might constitute a slight oversight, the release didn't mention that Casey continues to issue the paychecks of lawmakers who decided to take their raises immediately in the form of "unvouchered expenses." Such chicanery is a blatant violation of the state Constitution.

In fact, the "stand" Casey has taken against the pay hike has resulted in his being named a defendant in a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of the unvouchered expenses he cheerfully continues to distribute.

All state lawmakers wanted to do in July was line their pockets.

When they planted this seed, they probably had no idea their untoward efforts eventually would provide evidence that an incumbent senator and his ambitious challenger are expert at political posturing.

How far the vines can spread. Nature's something, isn't it?

Eric Heyl is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer. He can be reached at eheyl@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7857."

No Quorum For Santorum

2005-10-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Fresh Intelligence October 20 2005 : Radar Online: "No Quorum For Santorum
Poor Rick Santorum. A few months ago, he was being hailed by his GOP brethren as a leading White House contender. Now it looks like the gay-bashing golden boy, who is running for a third term in Pennsylvania, may not even make it back to the Senate. According to a poll published yesterday in The Hill, the devoutly Catholic candidate is now trailing Democrat Bob Casey by 16 points. But as Santorum’s campaign has lost steam, Capital Hill sources say his support from RNC heavies has also evaporated. The blow-dried bible-thumper, who launched his campaign with a giant war chest, is also being deserted by the party’s major moneymen, who are focusing their largesse on more competitive candidates.

“This is how the Republicans operate,” sighs a veteran GOP campaign manager close to Santorum. “Even if you agree with their agenda, they’ll abandon you if you’re behind in the polls and move on to the next-most important race.”

Increasingly dubious about Santorum’s chances, Capitol Hill sources report GOP powerbrokers have refocused their attentions—and dollars—on Doug Forrester, a little-known party hack who’s currently embroiled in a dead heat race with multi-millionaire Democrat Jon Corzine for New Jersey’s governorship.

“The party is pouring millions of dollars in PAC money into Forrester’s coffers, but most of that money was previously earmarked for Rick,” reports a well-placed Republican senate staffer. “It’s disgusting. Rick used to be Bush’s biggest booster on issues like stem-cell research, Social Security, and the Iraq war. Now the White House won’t even take his phone calls.”"

Bono Winces at Santorum's Dirty Dealing, DECEPTIVE FUNDRAISING SCAM - The Hill Newpaper

2005-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Bono winces, but money chase goes on: "Bono winces, but money chase goes on
By Jonathan E. Kaplan

The Irish rock band U2 is doing its best to disassociate itself from members of Congress’s plans to use the group’s 2005 world tour to raise money, but the band remains a political cash cow.

Debt AIDs Trade Africa (DATA), an advocacy group founded by U2’s lead singer, Bono, issued a statement last week separating the band from any political activity that might take place at its concerts after some media outlets continued misreporting a story that Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and U2 had teamed up for a $1,000-a-seat concert in Philadelphia on Sunday. The stories reported that Santorum and others were buying private skyboxes and selling the seats to donors.

“Those are privately held boxes and nothing to do with DATA or the band. We often have no idea what [lawmakers are] doing. … This is not anything that DATA is involved in, and it’s not an issue for DATA,” said Tom Hart, the director of government affairs for Bono’s advocacy group in response to questions about lawmakers’ using U2’s concerts to raise money for their reelection campaigns even though they might disagree with Bono’s policy positions.

Santorum’s reelection campaign had purchased 66 seats and sold them to donors for $1,000 apiece, said spokesman Robert Traynham, adding that Santorum attended the concert in Philadelphia and may attend U2’s performance here Thursday."

Abramoff and Santorum Linked to Murder of Greek financier Gus Boulis

2005-10-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Abramoff investigation has GOP holding its breath: "Abramoff investigation has GOP holding its breath
CIA leak probe may be getting more attention, but troubles surrounding former lobbyist worry Republicans more.
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Dennis Cook/ASSOCIATED PRESS
(enlarge photo)
Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, right, with lawyer Abbe Lowe on Capitol Hill, is being investigated by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee for his past lobbying activities on behalf of Indian casinos.

By Scott Shepard

WASHINGTON BUREAU

Sunday, October 16, 2005

WASHINGTON — A grand jury investigating the White House leak of a CIA agent's name is expected to wrap up its work in the next couple of weeks, but it is another investigation — of former Republican superstar lobbyist Jack Abramoff — that has the Republican political establishment holding its breath.

Abramoff is at the center of ever more complicated inquiries that touch on subjects as wide-ranging as allegations of influ- ence-peddling in Congress and the White House, a gangland-style slaying in Florida and political shenanigans in Guam.

And while the CIA leak investigation by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, now in its second year, has yet to yield indictments, the investigations of Abramoff have resulted, so far, in bank fraud charges against him; obstruction charges against David Safavian, the Bush administration's former chief procurement official; and the withdrawal of President Bush's nomination of Timothy Flanigan, a onetime associate of Abramoff, to be the No. 2 official at the Justice Department.

Abramoff has had close connections with leading Republicans, including Bush; U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Sugar Land, the former House majority leader; Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania; party strategist Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform; and strategist Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition executive director and Bush campaign official who is now running for lieutenant governor of Georgia.

Ethical 'linchpin'

Karl Rove, Bush's longtime senior political strategist and the White House deputy chief of staff, testified before Fitzgerald's grand jury for a fourth time Friday.

Rove "has some serious problems," said Naomi Seligman, spokeswoman for the watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "But while most of Washington is focused on Mr. Rove, we know that the linchpin to the ethical downfall of the White House and some members of Congress is the Abramoff investigation."

Charlie Cook, publisher of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report newsletter, agreed that the Abramoff investigation is "the one that they (Republicans) are really worried about" because it has the potential of tarring the party.

"This is a real one," Cook said. "It has the potential to take the scandal issue to the next level."

Republicans are clearly nervous. Two prominent GOP figures, Santorum and Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, have returned campaign donations that they received from Safavian.

"We just felt, with so many unanswered questions, that was in the best interest," Santorum media consultant John Brabender said.

A federal multiagency task force and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee are investigating Abramoff's past lobbying activities on behalf of Indian casinos, which reportedly netted him as much as $82 million in fees, and his golfing trips for members of Congress and other Republican luminaries.

Congressional Democrats have called for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether Abramoff played a role in the demotion of a federal prosecutor in Guam in 2002 after the prosecutor started investigating a lobbying deal between Abramoff and Guam court officials. Their actions were prompted by an article in the Los Angeles Times this month suggesting that Rove might have been involved in the demotion.

Abramoff also is slated to stand trial in Florida in January on bank fraud charges in connection with his 2000 purchase, with partner Adam Kidan, of the SunCruz gambling ships from Greek financier Gus Boulis. They are accused of defrauding lenders in the $147 million purchase.

In an unusual twist of events, Boulis was shot to death at the wheel of his BMW sedan shortly after leaving his office one evening in February 2001, about a month after he had filed suit against Abramoff and Kidan, accusing them of failing to pay him $23 million in connection with the SunCruz sale.

Throughout the investigation, lawyers for Abramoff and Kidan repeatedly have said their clients know nothing about the circumstances of Boulis' death, and last month two men from Florida and a third from New York, none of whom have any known ties to Abramoff, were charged in the slaying.

Abramoff's lawyer, Neal Sonnett of Miami, did not respond to requests for comment.

Consequences

Safavian's lawyer, Barbara Van Gelder, said federal officials are pressuring her client, who once worked in a lobbying firm with Abramoff, to cooperate in their investigation of Abramoff. She accused the officials of "a creative use of the criminal code to secure his cooperation."

Safavian became the first government official charged in the corruption inquiry related to Abramoff's activities in Washington when, in a complaint filed by the FBI in mid-September, he was accused of making repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a congressional golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002 and of concealing his efforts to help Abramoff acquire federally managed property in Washing- ton.

The 2002 golf trip has attracted a lot of attention because it included not only Abramoff and Safavian, then the chief of staff of the General Services Administration, but also Reed and Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Administration Committee. It was similar to a 2000 trip that DeLay made to England and Scotland for which part of the expenses were charged to a credit card of Abramoff's.

House ethics rules bar lawmakers from accepting travel and related expenses from registered lobbyists, but DeLay and Ney have both said they thought the trips were financed through a conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research, whose board of directors included Abramoff.

Flanigan, a former deputy counsel for Bush, had his Justice Department nomination withdrawn this month, the day after the Senate Judiciary Committee decided to question him further about his ties to Abramoff. Before joining the Bush administration, Flanigan worked for Tyco International Ltd. as a lawyer, a position in which he oversaw Abramoff's lobbying efforts for the Bermuda-based company.

From 2002 to 2004, Tyco paid Abramoff's firm $2.1 million to stop congressional efforts to deny federal contracts to companies that moved offshore to save on U.S. taxes.

The Judiciary Committee's action was prompted by a written response from Flanigan in which the Bush nominee said that Abramoff, one of the elite "Pioneer" fundraisers for the Bush presidential campaign, had boasted of his contacts with Rove.

The committee's chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said the questions raised about Flanigan's ties to Abramoff "merit answers."

'Exploitation, deceit'

Abramoff has largely avoided public events since he and onetime partner Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay aide, endured blistering attacks from members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigating the fees that they received for lobbying on behalf of six casino-operating tribes.

The committee released hundreds of e-mails that Abramoff and Scanlon exchanged during their representation of the tribes, some of which referred to their clients as "idiots" and "troglodytes" and celebrated the hefty fees that they received. "Is life great or what!" Abramoff wrote in one.

While "every kind of charlatan and every type of crook" has exploited American Indians since the sale of Manhattan Island, said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the committee chairman, "what sets this tale apart, what makes it truly extraordinary, is the extent and degree of the apparent exploitation and deceit.""

Philadelphia Inquirer | John Brabender's POLITICAL FRAUD U2 distances self from Santorum

2005-10-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/16/2005 | U2 distances self from Santorum: "Posted on Sun, Oct. 16, 2005

U2 distances self from Santorum
By Michael Klein
Inquirer Columnist
Political circles and bloggers buzzed the other day about a $1,000-a-seat fund-raiser for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) to be held during tonight's U2 concert at the Wachovia Center.

Some readers of the Web site NewsMax.com misread the report and came away thinking that U2 supported Santorum's campaign.

Lead singer Bono's people quickly issued a statement distancing the socially conscious Irish rocker from the fund-raiser, organized by Sean Wolfington of Malvern.

What's behind it? Wolfington, 34, an owner of the technology company BZResults.com, says he wanted to think outside the box when he rented two luxury suites and bought additional tickets to accommodate 60 people.

Santorum is expected to show up, campaign spokesman John Brabender says, adding that the senator and Bono have a "close personal relationship" based on their work on AIDS and poverty. Brabender cautioned that this relationship did not imply U2's endorsement of the fund-raiser.

"A lot of us who love U2 and love Bono and also love Rick can get together for an evening that's a little less stuffy [than the usual fund-raiser] and a little more fun," says Wolfington, who will be host with his wife, Ana, who is weeks from delivering their second child.

Bono and Santorum appeal to Wolfington because, he says, "I like people who blaze their own trail and are not about winning a popularity contest.""

Tricky Ricky Santorum Caught In Deceptive FundRaiser - U2 Complains About Concerts As Fund-Raisers

2005-10-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

U2 Complains About Concerts As Fund-Raisers: "U2 Complains About Concerts As Fund-Raisers

Thursday, October 13, 2005
(10-13) 10:36 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The Irish rock band U2 is complaining about U.S. lawmakers using its concerts to raise campaign money.

Politicians, including Rick Santorum, a powerful Senate Republican, have scheduled fund-raising events in arena skyboxes during shows for the band's North American Vertigo tour, which runs through the end of December.

Jamie Drummond, executive director of DATA, an Africa advocacy group co-founded by U2 singer Bono, said in a message posted on the band's Web site: "Neither DATA nor Bono are involved in these (fund-raisers), and they cannot be controlled. The U2 concerts are categorically not fund-raisers for any politician — they are rock concerts for U2 fans."

Bono is a dedicated lobbyist for the world's poor and AIDS-stricken.

Santorum's press secretary, Robert Traynham, said Thursday that the Pennsylvania senator's decision to hold a fund-raiser during Sunday's Philadelphia show is based on his "deep respect and admiration for Bono and their work together over the last few years to fight the global spread of HIV-AIDS."

Traynham said Santorum's office hasn't spoken with Bono about the issue, but that it's routine for elected officials to host such fund-raisers at sporting and cultural events.

The fund-raiser will go ahead as planned, Traynham said.

Santorum, a two-term incumbent and ally of U.S. President George W. Bush, has about $6.6 million (Â€5.5 million) cash on hand for next year's election, his office said."

PennLive.com: NewsFlash - Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fund-raising

2005-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

PennLive.com: NewsFlash - Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fund-raising: "Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fund-raising
10/10/2005, 6:34 p.m. ET
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Rick Santorum's leading Democratic challenger raised thousands more than him for the three-month quarter that ended Friday.

Santorum's campaign spokesman said the senator lost about $1 million in contributions by canceling fund-raisers after Hurricane Katrina.

Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican, raised more than $1.7 million for the period, while Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. raised more than $2 million, their respective campaign spokesmen said Monday.

The new dollars give Santorum, a two-term incumbent, about $6.6 million cash on hand, and Casey about $3 million cash on hand, their campaigns said. The candidates' quarterly fund-raising totals are due by the end of the week to the Federal Election Commission, and neither spokesmen said he had exact figures available.

The news comes just days after the Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University poll had Santorum lagging 18 points behind Casey in the 2006 election.

John Brabender, spokesman for Santorum, said Santorum lost fund-raising dollars after Katrina because he canceled fund-raisers scheduled in New Orleans, Austin and Houston out of respect for the victims. A fund raiser scheduled in Pennsylvania with Vice President Dick Cheney was also canceled, he said.

Brabender accused Casey, the son of a popular late governor, of taking "tainted" money because he did not cancel fund-raisers in Austin and Houston after Katrina.

"It's unfortunate they chose to put politics ahead of people," Brabender said.

But Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manger, said Santorum had a golf fund-raiser in Pittsburgh that raised about $225,000 within days of the hurricane. He accused Brabender of trying to change the subject from Santorum's comment during a television interview that people who don't heed future evacuation warnings may need to be penalized.

Reiff said Casey raised about $500,000 during a Sept. 12 event in Philadelphia with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and nearly $350,000 was raised at a Pittsburgh event Sept. 24 with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Brabender said Santorum did not have one big event during the period, but that money raised came from a culmination of events. Santorum has said he expects to raise $25 million for the campaign.

Reiff said Monday he does not think Casey will be able to match Santorum in fund-raising.

"We don't need to win," Reiff said. "We need to be competitive, and we believe we have the resources to beat Rick Santorum.""

Post-Gazette: Bad news piles up on GOP, Santorum

2005-10-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Bad news piles up on GOP, Santorum: "Bad news piles up on GOP, Santorum
Should he distance himself from Bush or stay loyal?
Sunday, October 09, 2005

By Maeve Reston, Post-Gazette National Bureau

WASHINGTON -- At the end of a long stretch of bad news for Republicans, approval ratings for both President Bush and Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., plunged to new lows among Pennsylvania voters this past week -- spelling out new warning signs for Mr. Santorum that winning re-election in 2006 may be a far steeper climb than it seemed even a few months ago.

It has been an unquestionably brutal summer for the president -- from waning support for the Iraq war, to the slow and almost certain death of his plan to restructure the Social Security system, to criticism over his handling of Hurricane Katrina, to concern about gas prices and the economy. If those trends continue, a looming question for candidates like Mr. Santorum is to what extent the public's dissatisfaction with the administration will spill over into the midterm elections in 2006.

Though much could change, a number of political analysts have begun to note similarities between the 2006 election and 1994, when Republicans capitalized on the failure of President Bill Clinton's health care plan, among other initiatives, as well as scandals within the Democratic Party, and swept into power with 54 new House seats.

Thomas E. Mann, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, points out that the second midterm election in a president's tenure tends to produce the steepest losses, though Mr. Clinton defied that pattern in 1998.

"Midterm elections tend to be referendums on the current administration and they are more easily made referendums when the president's party is in control of Congress," Mr. Mann said. "It's shaping up to be an unfortunate time for [Mr. Santorum] to run for re-election; it would have been easier in 2004 or 2002."

Some candidates have addressed second midterm vulnerability by distancing themselves ideologically from the president, but Mr. Santorum faces a special challenge: He is in a position of power in the Republican Party and his agenda has been closely aligned with that of the president on most major issues. In fact, in 2004, Mr. Santorum was one of a handful of senators who voted with the president 100 percent of the time.

As chairman of the Senate's Republican Conference, Mr. Santorum was a firm defender of the president's decision to invade Iraq, he pressed even harder than the administration on issues such as a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage last session, and earlier this year he was the most visible Senate advocate for the president's Social Security push.

"When you consider where [Mr. Santorum] was even a few months ago when Bush was in stronger shape, and when Republicans were much more united, you've got to say that he is probably in a worse position now than almost any other incumbent running for re-election," said Norman J. Ornstein, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

And though it is more than a year until the election, campaign officials for Mr. Santorum's challenger, state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., clearly plan to play up the parallels in the agendas of Mr. Bush and Mr. Santorum.

"Rick Santorum has been in lockstep with the president, and as a result, out of step with Pennsylvania," Mr. Casey's campaign manager Jay Reiff said in an interview.

But in recent weeks, Mr. Santorum has begun to show more willingness to distance himself -- at least tactically -- from Mr. Bush.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette several weeks ago, Mr. Santorum said for the first time that the White House had stumbled badly in its handling of the Social Security issue, and compared Mr. Bush's decision to demand a restructuring of the Social Security system immediately after the contentious 2004 election as "taking a 3-iron to a beehive."

Two weeks ago, Mr. Santorum startled some conservatives and tax lobbyists when he said the costs of Hurricane Katrina had made it necessary for Republicans to reconsider whether they should extend some of the president's tax cuts -- such as the lower rate on capital gains and dividends passed in 2003.

"There's a chance we may not extend some of those provisions this year," Santorum told radio host Don Imus, adding that Congress might not do "as much in the way of tax relief as we had originally scheduled or target some of that tax relief to the affected areas."

After the President's speech on terrorism and the Iraq war at the National Endowment for Democracy on Thursday, Santorum told reporters the speech was "one he should've made a few years ago" and added that he had "been saying for a long time the president needs to better define this war."

His spokesman said the senator has expressed those sentiments in private meetings with constituents, as well as at recent town hall meetings, when he has tried to address public frustration with the war and its costs.

When 46 Republican senators defied the threat of a presidential veto last week by voting for a measure sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would standardize the treatment of prisoners in the wake of torture scandals at the Abu Ghraib prison, Mr. Santorum was among them.

And most notably, he was virtually silent on the president's nomination early last week of Harriet E. Miers to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Conservatives' concern about the high court has been such a big issue in recent elections that the selection of Ms. Miers could have major consequences for candidates like Mr. Santorum if conservatives are still angry enough next year to stay home.

Mr. Santorum has little patience for questions about poll numbers or what his strategy is nearly a year before the election. And when asked about the correlation between the president's job ratings and his own, he said: "I think voters are going to look at my performance, at my opponent's competency and record ... The president's job performance will have little to no effect on the outcome of my race."

But it is notable that some of the senator's most high-profile crusades -- from an $85 billion tax break for charitable giving, to the constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, to Social Security reform -- were all big-ticket items that the White House embraced but did not carry through to completion. That means they are unlikely to be on Mr. Santorum's list of accomplishments during the race next year.

In the case of Social Security, some have suggested that could be a blessing. But in the case of charitable giving, Mr. Santorum has continued to push for those tax breaks long after Mr. Bush dropped his 2001 goal of passing an $85 billion tax break for Americans who make charitable contributions. He recently reintroduced the Charitable Aid Recovery and Empowerment Act, which was passed by both houses last year, but then derailed from final passage by a power struggle between Democrats and Republicans.

Mr. Santorum has been more successful working around the White House on goals such as increasing America's multi-lateral funding for AIDS, which is separate from the president's $15 billion bi-lateral commitment to stopping AIDS over five years.

Mr. Santorum has teamed up with Democrats to boost the amount of money the United States has pledged to the Global Fund -- where America's funding for the disease, as well as for malaria and tuberculosis -- is matched by other nations.

This year, for example, when the president set aside $200 million as America's contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in his budget and the congressional budget committees upped that amount $400 million, Mr. Santorum joined forces with Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant minority leader, to add another $100 million to the contribution. The allotment is now under discussion by House and Senate negotiators.

If Mr. Santorum does distance himself from White House policies over the next year -- one area where he is certain to retain their help is in fund raising. Just two weeks from now, Vice President Dick Cheney will hold another fundraiser for Mr. Santorum in Shavertown, Pa..

"It's a delicate balancing act," said Carroll J. Doherty, associate director of Pew Research Center for People and the Press. "This president, he's had a rough stretch, but he still commands loyalty from around 80 percent of Republicans, which is not inconsiderable. ... He has enormous assets to bring to the table.""

Poll: Casey strengthens lead over Santorum (phillyBurbs.com) | Pennsylvania News

2005-10-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Poll: Casey strengthens lead over Santorum (phillyBurbs.com) | Pennsylvania News: "Poll: Casey strengthens lead over Santorum

By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey Jr.'s already big lead over Sen. Rick Santorum has grown, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,530 Pennsylvania voters showed Casey leading the two-term Republican incumbent by 52 to 34 percent - an 18 point lead - in his 2006 bid. That compares to a 50-to-39 percent lead in July by the same pollster.

Santorum is in trouble, said Clay Richards, assistant director of the Hamden, Conn., university's polling institute.

"He has suffered a lot of bad PR in the last two months," Richards said. "That, plus the president's weakening support in Pennsylvania have combined to give him some real bad numbers."

Those polled disapproved 61-to-37 percent of the job President Bush is doing, his lowest score on the poll, down from a 53-to-44 percent disapproval in July.

Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican, spent part of the summer promoting his new book, "It Takes a Family," on television talk shows. The book compares abortion to slavery and accuses feminists of undermining motherhood.

Casey, a Democrat and the son of a popular late governor, has maintained a low profile and done a limited number of media interviews.

"He's apparently gained a lot by just letting Santorum damage himself," Richards said.

Richards said the only good news for Santorum from the poll is that he has 14 months until the election.

Spokesmen noted the election is still far off.

John Brabender, Santorum's campaign spokesman, said many voters likely will not begin watching the campaign closely for another year, and will be learning more about both candidates as the campaign heats up in upcoming months.

"It's difficult to look at the polls and think it has any real relevance to what is going on in this particular race when you're this far away," Brabender said.

Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager, said the only poll that counts is on Election Day.

"This race will get closer, but voters clearly understand that Rick Santorum is out-of-step with Pennsylvania," Reiff said.

The poll found Santorum's job approval rating was split, with 43 percent approving and 41 disapproving, down from 51 percent approval and 35 percent disapproval in July.

Santorum was viewed favorably by 33 percent of the electorate, and Casey was viewed favorably by 38 percent, the poll found. But 33 percent said they did not yet know enough about Casey, the poll found.

Casey was viewed unfavorably by 9 percent of those polled compared to 30 percent who viewed Santorum unfavorably.

Casey is widely considered the Democratic front-runner in the race. Those polled were not asked about any other Democrats running against Casey in the primary.

The telephone survey, conducted from Sept. 27 to Monday, had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points."

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: SANTORUM Financial Backer INDICTED for lying

2005-10-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Procurement chief indicted for lying: "Nation Digest

Procurement chief indicted for lying

David Safavian, former chief of White House procurement policy, was indicted yesterday on five counts of lying about his dealings with former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and impeding a Senate investigation of him.
The indictment accuses Safavian, who previously served as chief of staff for the General Services Administration (GSA), of falsely telling GSA officials Abramoff had no dealings with the agency at a time in 2002, the government alleges, that Abramoff was seeking to obtain use of two GSA properties with Safavian's assistance.

It also accuses Safavian of repeatedly making false statements to investigators about a golf trip he took with Abramoff to Scotland the same year. GSA rules prohibited receiving gifts from anyone seeking an official action by the agency."

The Observer | Santorum and Tom Delay and the "The K Street Project"

2005-10-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Observer | Comment | Something stinks in America: "The K Street Project is little known outside the Washington beltway and its effectiveness as a political stratagem is only possible because of the unique importance of campaign finance to American politics. DeLay, together with Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and some conservative activists, notably the ubiquitous Grover Norquist who runs the anti-state, anti-tax lobby group 'Americans for Tax Reform', conceived the notion 10 years ago that they should use the Republican majority in the House as a lever to ensure that the lobbyists, law firms and trade associations that inhabit Washington's K Street, heart of the industry, should only employ Republicans or sympathisers. To be a Democrat was to bear the mark of Cain; K Street was to be a Democrat-free zone."

Santorum Attacks Bush For Not Doing Enough to DESTROY SOCIAL SECURITY - Los Angeles Times

2005-10-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

GOP's Unified Front Is Reduced to a Veneer - Los Angeles Times: "October 2, 2005 latimes.com :

NEWS ANALYSIS
GOP's Unified Front Is Reduced to a Veneer
Those in Congress are increasingly inclined to openly disagree with Bush -- and each other.

By Janet Hook, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — In the disciplined world of George W. Bush's presidency, Republicans for years have shunned open criticism of the White House, fearful of a call to the woodshed from an administration that prizes loyalty.

So it was a striking departure when Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania — a high-ranking party official and a stalwart Bush ally — recently lambasted the administration's handling of this year's Social Security debate. It was even more striking that his office e-mailed the news far and wide with a subject line boasting: "Santorum takes Bush to task over Social Security strategy.""

Ricky Santorum's Reckless NAZI Comments

2005-10-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

http://newsbusters.org/node/1752
MSNBC's Countdown has been a lot more interested in Nazi comparisons by Republicans than Democrats. In May, Keith Olbermann castigated Republican Senator Rick Santorum for criticizing another Senator's Nazi reference and dug out video from 2003 of Santorum "comparing the New York Times to Nazis,"

Santorum Ignores Trinity parents - PittsburghLIVE.com

2005-09-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Mold upsets Trinity parents - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Mold upsets Trinity parents

By Craig Smith
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, September 30, 2005

Parents who say the Trinity Area School District in Washington County isn't doing enough to clean up a mold problem at two elementary schools are pushing beyond the school board for action.
They have contacted U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's office, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Parents said they are growing frustrated trying to get the school board to address the problem at Trinity West and Trinity North elementary schools.

"We can't seem to get them to realize this is a problem," parent Cindy Shaw said.

The air conditioning systems at the schools have been turned off since August because school officials believe moisture in the buildings is being caused by condensation, the parents said.

Superintendent Dr. Thomas Turnbaugh acknowledged problems at the schools and said the district undertook a temporary fix, pending a permanent solution to be completed next year.

The school district hired a contractor that used an asbestos sealant to contain mold on air conditioning pipes at the schools. A permanent fix could cost between $50,000 and $100,000.

"The mold count is higher on the playground than in the buildings," Turnbaugh said.

Shaw took her daughter, Samantha, 10, to two doctors after the girl developed a rash several days after she started school.

"No doctor will say it's caused by mold, but she's fine all summer long," said Shaw, of Trinity Park, Franklin Township.

Her daughter was diagnosed with pityriasis rosea, a viral infection.

Parent Colleen Interval said she took a ceiling tile that contained mold to a school board meeting. Interval said Turnbaugh wanted to press charges against her for "disrupting a public meeting."

Turnbaugh would not discuss the incident.

Leslie Alexas has two children attending Trinity West, Stavros, 6, and Kaity, 9, who she said have been afflicted by various ailments. She said the school board has wasted opportunities to correct the problem.

The manufacturer of the asbestos sealant said in a letter to Alexas that the product "has not been tested for microbial resistance or its ability to encapsulate mold" and the company would not be able to warrant such an application.

Alexas received a letter from Santorum, a Penn Hills Republican, which said he asked the state health department for an explanation about the mold problem.

State Health Department spokesman Richard McGarvey said yesterday that mold is a common problem in schools.

"We get notified pretty often," he said in an interview.

The health department has no regulatory oversight of schools, but does offer schools suggestions on ways to mediate the problem.

The Moss Side Elementary School in Monroeville was closed for almost a year in 2002 because mold was found in the building. During the initial cleanup, asbestos was also found.

More than 300 students were moved to other schools during the cleanup, which ultimately cost more than $850,000.

Craig Smith can be reached at csmith@tribweb.com or (724) 850-1217."

Santorum Scared That His Credit Report Will Get Out -------WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

GOP senators seeking Schumer's guarantee: "GOP senators seeking Schumer's guarantee
By Peter Savodnik

Republican senators seeking reelection in 2006 are sending Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), a letter asking him to guarantee that Democratic campaign aides will not access their credit reports.

It is unclear who first drafted the letter, but Republican sources on Capitol Hill said all 13 GOP senators who face reelection battles this cycle were asked to lend their support.

“While the DSCC press secretary and counsel have publicly denied that the DSCC accessed the personal credit reports of any other Republican senators or candidates, the security of our families’ finances is too important to rely on the assurances of professional political staff and consultants whose primary focus is defeating us next November,” a copy of the letter circulated yesterday morning at a meeting of Republican press secretaries states.

“Therefore, we are seeking your personal assurance, as a colleague, that employees or agents of the DSCC did not access our personal credit history or the personal credit history of any of our family members.”

The original version of the letter also included this sentence: “In fact, we must confess our personal disappointment that we are forced to reach out to you on this matter and that you did not contact us and offer such assurances on your own volition.” That sentence was stricken from a later draft.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said the senator would sign the letter. Santorum, who has lost ground to his Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Bob Casey, in recent months, is one of the Democrats’ top targets next year.

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who is unlikely to face a serious challenge, also plans to sign the letter, a spokeswoman said.

Other senators up for reelection who Republican sources say support the letter include Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and Olympia Snowe (Me.). Chafee faces a tough campaign; Snowe does not look to be in danger.

Several GOP senators, including Snowe and Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), declined to discuss the letter.

At least one Republican senator, Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), has opted not to sign the letter. He will “wait and see whether or not his records have been accessed, and if they have, then we’ll deal with it,” said Burns spokesman Grant Toomey.

In a letter of response to the senators, Schumer wrote: “This was a single incident and no other senator or candidate’s credit report was accessed. This has been stated repeatedly by the DSCC.”

NRSC spokesman Brian Nick reiterated Republican requests that Schumer guarantee there will be no future violations of anyone’s privacy.

The letter stems from allegations that a DSCC official illegally obtained Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele’s credit report. Steele (R) is running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.). The FBI is investigating.

One Republican official said the investigation is particularly serious because it involves an African-American, Steele.

Republican campaign officials in the past week have sought to capitalize on the DSCC investigation, saying this should neutralize ethics attacks on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

Talking points circulated by Republicans lambaste Schumer for, they say, ducking responsibility, and contend a senior DSCC official, not a junior staffer, as Democrats insist, was to blame.

In a Senate Banking Committee hearing last week, Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), who is also chairwoman of the NRSC, made identity theft and the security of financial records the centerpiece of her remarks.

Lindsay Taylor Mabry, a spokeswoman for Dole, said that the senator made the comments as a member of the Banking Committee and that there was no connection between the hearing and political activities at the DSCC or NRSC.

Mabry added that the timing of the remarks, in the immediate wake of the credit-report allegations, was coincidental. “The hearing was delayed by Shelby because of Hurricane Katrina,” she said, referring to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

The DSCC investigation, and the Republican response to it, comes at the same time that many Senate races are beginning to take shape: In West Virginia, Sen. Robert Byrd (D) is widely expected to announce today that he will seek reelection. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is likely to announce within weeks whether she will challenge him. In Florida, Rep. Katherine Harris (R) looks to be her party’s presumptive nominee to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson (D)."

Millions of Retirees May Lose Social Security Benefits Under Santorum Plan

2005-09-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Guaranteeing Retirees' Social Security Benefits: An Important First Step Toward Reform: "Guaranteeing Retirees' Social Security Benefits: An Important First Step Toward Reform
by David C. John
WebMemo #864

September 27, 2005 | |

One of the most troubling aspects of the current debate about fixing Social Security has been reform opponents’ attempts to scare senior citizens into believing that their benefits will be cut. Despite President George W. Bush’s promise that the benefits of both current retirees and workers born before 1950 will not be changed, polls show that seniors are worried.

The fact is that fixing Social Security will not affect today's senior citizens. The program has more than enough resources to pay them full benefits for the rest of their lives. Congress can and should provide senior citizens with the assurance that they have nothing to fear from efforts to fix Social Security by guaranteeing their benefits in writing.

Legislation That Would Create a Guarantee

Legislation now before Congress would establish such written guarantees. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has introduced S. 1750, which would create a legal right for current retirees and workers born before 1950 to receive their monthly Social Security benefit. This is the same age groups that President Bush has promised to protect from any benefit cuts in his Social Security reform effort.

The Santorum bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to issue certificates to all current recipients of Social Security retirement benefits guaranteeing that they will continue to receive their monthly benefit and annual cost-of-living increases for the rest of their lives. Workers and retirees who are already receiving benefits would receive a certificate soon after the legislation is signed. And upon being approved to receive benefits, new retirees born before 1950 would receive certificates guaranteeing the benefits that were in effect at the time they retired, plus the annual cost-of-living adjustment.

Is This a Real Guarantee?

The guarantees would be real and legally binding: Congress will not reduce retirees' benefits. While current law states that anyone who meets the requirements to receive Social Security benefits has a legal right to the level of benefits for which he or she qualifies, the 1960 Supreme Court decision Flemming v. Nestor makes it clear that Congress can change anyone’s benefit at any time. This guarantee would make that much harder to do. Congress has never before explicitly guaranteed each recipient's exact benefit level. Its failure to do so has made it easier in the past for Congress to erode the value of benefits paid to the elderly.

A written guarantee of benefits would encourage accountability and make it much harder for a future Congress to reduce retirees' benefits. Guarantees will allow retirees to compare the amount on their certificates with their monthly checks and be alerted to subtle changes in their benefits. While guarantees would not eliminate the possibility that a future Congress might pass legislation to reduce the Social Security benefits of those who have already retired, the explicit written nature of the guarantee would ensure that such a move would have severe political implications.

No Substitute for Fixing Social Security

While the Santorum legislation would help to ease the fears of senior citizens, it is not a substitute for fixing Social Security. The guarantees would not affect the trust funds, but they wouldn’t make fixing the system more expensive, either. They would also not do anything to protect the benefits of younger workers. If the Santorum bill passes, Social Security benefits would continue to be paid through the trust funds, just as they are today. Once those trust funds run out in 2041, the benefits of today’s younger workers would automatically be cut by roughly 30 percent. The only way to avoid these cuts would be for Congress to sharply raise taxes or increase borrowing. Since the youngest people eligible for guarantees will be 91 at that point, they would not be affected.

In addition to guaranteeing the benefits of workers born before 1950, Congress needs to consider soon legislation that will fix Social Security for younger workers. Today’s Social Security has promised younger workers much higher benefits than it will be able to pay. The only way for these younger workers to achieve the same retirement security as their parents and grandparents would be to allow them to invest part of their Social Security taxes in an account that they could own. If Congress fails to take this step or others that will substantially improve Social Security, no options will remain other than reducing younger workers’ Social Security benefits and raising taxes to backbreaking levels. For every year that Congress delays serious Social Security reform, the cost of fixing Social Security will climb by about $600 billion and the task of finding ways to keep the system’s promises to future retirees will become harder.

Why Retirees and Those Born Before 1950?

Social Security is different from other government programs in that it promises workers an explicit level of monthly benefits upon retirement in return for their payment of a specific tax. The exact amount of benefits payable can be calculated only when a retiree's earnings record is complete and he or she has actually applied for benefits. Before then, any benefit predictions are only estimates. Actual benefit levels could change as the worker's annual earnings rise and fall. For this reason, guarantees cannot be offered to workers who are still in the labor force. However, workers approaching retirement age need not be worried if they do not receive the guarantees until they decide to retire. Those older workers would continue to receive an annual “Your Social Security Statement” that projects the benefits they could expect based on their earnings record up until that point.

The Santorum bill only covers current retirees and those born before 1950 because it would be extremely unfair to change benefits for workers who are already so close to retirement that they have little flexibility in planning their futures. This also mirrors President Bush’s commitment to hold those workers harmless in his plans to deal with Social Security’s coming fiscal problems.

Nevertheless, the proposed guarantees are not a substitute for fixing Social Security. They do not create assets that would be available to pay retirement benefits to younger workers. If a Member of Congress were to propose extending guarantees to all workers, including those born after 1950, it would be his or her responsibility to include a way to pay for those benefits in the same bill.

Conclusion

The current Social Security debate is not about today’s retirees. Their benefits are assured. The people who need to be worried are the millions of younger workers whose benefits are guaranteed to be cut if nothing is done to fix Social Security. Still, opponents of fixing the program are quite willing to scare senior citizens as part of their efforts to block the kind of changes that would ensure that younger workers’ retirement benefits are as secure as their parents’ and grandparents’ benefits. Congress faces a critical choice. It can assure the elderly that they have nothing to fear from Social Security reform by establishing written guarantees that their benefits will be paid, or it can allow them to be vulnerable to groundless worries. America's senior citizens deserve the peace of mind that a guarantee will provide.

David C. John is Research Fellow in Social Security and Financial Institutions in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation."

Party of choice? - The Boston Globe

2005-09-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

Party of choice? - The Boston Globe: "But the final straw came when Senate Democrats acted on this advice and recruited pro-life Democrat Bob Casey to run against Rick Santorum for Pennsylvania's Senate seat in 2006.

Pro-choice advocates lashed out. National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy called out Kerry and Dean by name, and declared: ''If that's what it means to have a big tent, if it means abandoning the core principles of our party, if it means throwing women's rights overboard like so much ballast...then I say let's keep the skunk out of the tent." The political director of Emily's List, the fundraising group that has been one of the biggest sources of support for many Democratic candidates, complained, ''We fought like mad to beat back the Republicans. Little did we know that we would have just as much to fear from some within the Democratic Party."

The word soon went out that Casey would get no support from women's groups, and powerful donors were encouraged to refrain from giving to his campaign. The race appears to have become a test case for many in the pro-choice community. They would rather see Casey lose than defeat Santorum, perhaps the Senate's most vociferous abortion opponent."

Group reports Ricky Santorum 'most corrupt' in Congress - World News - Webindia123.com

2005-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Group reports 'most corrupt' in Congress - World News - Webindia123.com: "Group reports 'most corrupt' in Congress
WASHINGTON | September 25, 2005 9:12:08 PM IST

A political watchdog group plans to publish a list of what it calls the 13 most corrupt members of Congress.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says the bi-partisan list, to be published Monday, is made up of members of Congress that may have violated congressional ethics rules.

The 13 members recommended for investigation are: Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Sen Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Ca.), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Ca.), Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Rep. Randy Duke Cunnigham (R-Ca.), Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-Ca.), Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.), Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave (R-Colo.), and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.).

They all violated ethics rules, Melanie Sloan, the group's executive director told the Los Angeles Times. The report calls for the House and Senate to act to investigate and take appropriate action against them for these violations of the rules.

A spokesman for one senator denied any wrongdoing, and said the report is pure politics."

P U L S E | The "Blame Black People First" crowd (Rick Santorum Racist)

2005-09-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

P U L S E | The "Blame Black People First" crowd: "Sen. Rick Santorum suggests that the government fine hurricane victims. In an interview over the weekend about Hurricane Katrina, the Republican from Pennsylvania said: “You have people who don’t heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” (After he was criticized for his remarks, Santorum said that he actually didn’t mean to include people who lacked cars among those who should be fined. They, instead, would get a tax credit on the purchase of a new hybrid car.)"

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/24/2005 - Santorum seems unruffled by deficit in early poll

2005-09-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/24/2005 - Santorum seems unruffled by deficit in early poll: "Santorum seems unruffled by deficit in early poll
BY RODERICK RANDOM 09/24/2005

For someone trailing in one recent poll by 14 percentage points, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum seems unworried about winning re-election next year.

“Until the campaign really starts (and) the people get to see both candidates, hear what they have to say . . . up until that time my feeling is, I’m just going to keep doing my job and we’re trying to build as strong of a campaign as we can so we’re ready for next year,” the Repubilcan senator from Penn Hills in Allegheny County told The Associated Press last week.

Although there are two other Democrats and one other Republican interested in being senator, the candidate Mr. Santorum was referring to is, of course, state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., the native Scrantonian who’s the heavy favorite to win the Democrat Senate primary next year.

In a telephone poll of 1,200 registered Pennsylvania voters between Sept. 10 and 12, Strategic Vision, an Atlanta-based polling and political consulting firm, found Mr. Casey had the support of 52 percent to 38 percent for Mr. Santorum. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. (Notice that the poll was of registered voters, not likely voters. Registered voters don’t always vote.)

That was only the latest bad polling news for Mr. Santorum, who was only 1 percentage point behind about the time Mr. Casey announced his candidacy.

For those already reducing the Republican Senate majority, remember this: it’s way early. Voters aren’t really paying attention yet, although the polls seem to indicate Mr. Santorum hasn’t helped himself with the outspokenness of his family values book or his push for President Bush’s Social Security reform plan. His Social Security push might be one reason he introduced a bill that he says would guarantee benefits and cost-of-living adjustments from the nation’s premier pension plan to people older than 55.

Remember this, too: In an early poll before their tough primary fight for governor in 2002, Mr. Casey led Ed Rendell by 20 points. Then, Mr. Rendell ratcheted up his campaign. When it was over, Mr. Rendell had won by 13 points.

Mr. Santorum complains that Mr. Casey hasn’t let voters know where he stands on issues and thinks that when the treasurer does, they’ll stick with the proven incumbent. Mr. Casey’s camp disputes that he has been silent.

Then again, it seems like every time Mr. Santorum opens his mouth, he says something controversial and his polling numbers drop. Maybe that’s why Mr. Casey is letting Mr. Santorum do most of the talking."

The Times-Tribune - News - 09/24/2005 - Santorum Begins Tricky New Attack on Social Security

2005-09-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Times-Tribune - News - 09/24/2005 - Santorum: Bill ensures SS benefits: "Santorum: Bill ensures SS benefits
BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK STAFF WRITER 09/24/2005
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has introduced a bill that he said will guarantee Social Security benefits to people at or near retirement age so the debate on reforming the nation’s retirement plan can focus on younger people.

From town meetings across Pennsylvania earlier this year, Mr. Santorum said he heard concerns that President Bush’s plan to reform Social Security through personal retirement accounts might reduce benefits for people receiving or about to receive them.

“I think that (bill), hopefully, will reduce anxiety and get politicians to focus on where the real problem is instead of trying to play politics with this issue,” said Mr. Santorum, who introduced the bill Thursday.

Mr. Santorum spoke after an appearance Friday at a Dunmore nursing home.

Democrats and many senior citizens have criticized personal retirement accounts as too risky. Critics, who refer to them as “private” instead of personal accounts, say it will require massive borrowing that an already deficit-plagued nation cannot afford and will funnel hefty fees to Wall Street account managers.

Most experts acknowledge some borrowing will be necessary to pay current benefits as workers shift part of their Social Security payroll taxes into private retirement accounts rather than let that money be used to pay the benefits of current retirees.

The issue is likely to be a focus of next year’s mid-term elections when Mr. Santorum, a Republican and a major supporter of the president’s plan, is up for re-election.

A spokesman for Democratic state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr.’s Senate campaign called Mr. Santorum’s bill “a farce” and “a publicity stunt.”

The spokesman, Jay Reiff, said the bill is designed to provide Mr. Santorum political cover next year because personal retirement accounts have proved so unpopular as Mr. Santorum, the president and other Republicans stumped for them.

“He wants to take a guarantee benefit for seniors and exchange it for guaranteed fees for Wall Street. Bob Casey wants to save Social Security, Rick Santorum wants to kill it,” Mr. Reiff said.

Mr. Santorum call that “trite political discourse” and said he’s anxious to hear Mr. Casey’s solution.

“What we see from the other is simply just more of the same, more pointing the fingers as opposed to offering up solid solutions,” he said.

Mr. Santorum said his bill, if adopted, would overrule a 1960 Supreme Court ruling that said a Social Security benefit isn’t guaranteed just because someone has contributed payroll taxes to the system. Mr. Santorum said the benefit guarantee would be important at the point when Social Security doesn’t have enough money to pay all benefits.

“The administration so far has not been friendly to (his) idea,” Mr. Santorum said.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com "

::.Angus Reid Consultants.:: Casey Could Beat Santorum in Pennsylvania

2005-09-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

::.Angus Reid Consultants.::: "Casey Could Beat Santorum in Pennsylvania

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many voters in Pennsylvania would elect Bob Casey to the United States Senate, according to a poll by Strategic Vision. 52 per cent of respondents in the Keystone State would vote for the Democrat in a head-to-head contest against Republican incumbent Rick Santorum.

Casey has been Pennsylvania’s state treasurer since January 2005, and previously served as the state auditor general for eight years. Casey is the son of former Pennsylvania governor Robert P. Casey, and lost the 2002 Democratic primary to current governor Ed Rendell.

Support for Santorum is at 38 per cent. Three per cent of respondents would vote for other contenders, and seven per cent are undecided.

Santorum was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, and earned a second term in 2000, defeating Democrat Ron Klink with 53 per cent of all cast ballots. He had previously served for two consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Earlier this month, Santorum answered a question on whether of U.S. president George W. Bush was a factor in his poll numbers, saying, "That may be."

Polling Data

If the election for United States Senate were held today, and the choice was between Bob Casey, Jr., the Democrat and Rick Santorum, the Republican, whom would you vote for?

Sept. 2005
Jul. 2005

Bob Casey, Jr. (D)
52%
51%

Rick Santorum (R)
38%
40%

Other
3%
2%

Undecided
7%
7%

Source: Strategic Vision
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,200 registered Pennsylvania voters, conducted from Sept. 10 to Sept. 12, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent."

Santurum Blasts Bush For Not Doing Enough To Destroy Sicial Security - Tom Curry - MSNBC.com

2005-09-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hurricanes turn Capitol's politics topsy-turvy - Tom Curry - MSNBC.com: "Santorum blamed Bush’s aides (and thus Bush ultimately) for bungling the Social Security redesign campaign to enact private accounts.

Santorum said he still “absolutely” supports the idea of private accounts for younger workers as part of Social Security, a contrarian view in Congress these days. But much beleaguered in his re-election bid, Santorum went in front of TV cameras to push his bill to guarantee Social Security benefits to workers born before 1950.

Blame for bungled campaign
“I’ve been very concerned from the very beginning that the administration led with the issue of Social Security immediately after the election, but then took a three-month hiatus before they launched the effort,” he said. “In the meantime these who were opposed … did not miss a beat and immediately began running a full-fledged campaign.”"

Santorum's flips - PittsburghLIVE.com

2005-09-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Santorum's flips - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Santorum's flips

Friday, September 23, 2005

In David M. Brown's "Kerrys to host picnic for Casey" (Aug. 31), Rick Santorum ally and political consultant John Brabender labeled Bob Casey a "flip-flopper."
The truth is, however, that Santorum is the only flip-flopper in the 2006 Senate race. He professes to be a pro-life conservative, but he supported Arlen Specter (a pro-choice liberal) over Pat Toomey (a pro-life conservative) in last year's senatorial primary.

In 1992, Sen. Santorum attacked his first political opponent, Congressman Doug Walgren, for living in Virginia; now Santorum lives in a $700,000 house. Where? That's right, in Virginia.

When Bill Clinton was president, Santorum was a balanced budget and deficit hawk. What happened? Since President Bush was elected, Santorum has not found a pork-laden bill that he did not love.

Year after year, Santorum votes for budgets that add to the nation's debt. Before Brabender looks outward and attacks anyone for being a "flip-flopper," maybe he should look inward to his client, Sen. Santorum.

Doris J. Hoffman
Greensburg "

Santorum Seeks to restrict Academic Freedom of Speech with Neo-Fascist Bill

2005-09-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Concerning Academic Ignorance [CW responds to William Polk] - Campus Watch: ""Similar to the way that the McCarthyites attacked specialists on China who (correctly) predicted the fall of Chiang Kai-shek, Martin Kramer has attacked specialists on the Middle East in the Department of State (in Ivory Towers in the Sand, Washington: Washington Institute for Near East Policy) while Daniel Pipes, astonishingly recently appointed to the board of the United States Institute of Peace, has orchestrated campaigns against professors in American universities who have been critical of American and Israeli policy in the Middle East. Inspired by Pipes and Kramer, Senator Rick Santorum has written a bill which only George Orwell could have imagined, entitled "Ideological Diversity" to cut federal funding from colleges and universities that permit teachers and students from criticizing Israeli policies. Santorum's colleague Sam Brownback wants to go even further, to create what would amount to an ideological police force. (Michael C. Piper, www.americanfreepress.net April 21, 2003)."

The State | 09/21/2005 | Sen. DeMint R-S.C., has high praise for Weather Service - Rejects Santorum's Dumb Idea

2005-09-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

The State | 09/21/2005 | DeMint has high praise for Weather Service: "DeMint has high praise for Weather Service

Senator from S.C. says predictions about Katrina were extremely accurate, saved many lives
By LAUREN MARKOE
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Amid the torrent of criticism swirling around the federal government in the wake of deadly Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint has singled out one agency for praise.

DeMint , R-S.C., held a Senate hearing Tuesday to spotlight the National Weather Service and what it “did right” in predicting the hurricane that killed almost 1,000 people along the U.S. Gulf Coast, submerged New Orleans and leveled communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

DeMint opened the hearing of the Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction, which he chairs, by reading the dire warnings about Katrina issued from the Weather Service’s New Orleans office — predictions of massive storm surges, power outages and destroyed communities.

“This wasn’t a last-minute plea issued by emergency managers Monday morning (when Katrina hit), DeMint said. “This is the verbatim announcement from the New Orleans Weather Forecast Office 20 hours before the storm hit the city.”

And DeMint, who toured the stricken region Sept. 9, thanked Weather Service staff for a prediction that likely saved thousands of lives.

Meteorologists seem to support DeMint’s assessment of the agency, which includes the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where much of the actual predicting happens.

“They did a pretty good job,” said Cary Mock, a USC geology professor who studies hurricanes. “The track was good,” he said, referring to the predicted path of the storm — a Category 5, the most severe.

A well-predicted track is one that comes within 50 to 100 miles of the actual track, as it did with Katrina, Mock said. Katrina’s predicted track lined up nearly directly with the path the hurricane ultimately took.

And as far as timing goes, the Hurricane Center was only about six hours off, which Mock also considered impressive.

What took more time was an accurate prediction of the intensity of the hurricane. But Mock does not blame the Hurricane Center. Intensity is inherently more difficult to gauge, he said.

Scientists use their knowledge of the physics of the atmosphere, paired with computers, to predict hurricanes.

In the past five to 10 years, the science behind hurricane prediction — which once relied more on statistics from past hurricanes — has improved, Mock said.

At the hearing, National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield explained how his agency tracked the storm from the time it was detected Aug. 23 as a tropical depression in the Bahamas to the hour it hit New Orleans on Aug. 29 as a Category 5 hurricane.

“The catastrophic devastation along the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina is like nothing I have witnessed before,” he said. But without the Weather Service warnings, “the loss of life would have been far greater.”

The applause DeMint gives the National Weather Service follows some sharp criticism of the agency from a usual DeMint ally — U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership.

After Katrina struck, Santorum questioned whether the agency provided “sufficient warning” of the hurricane and said it might have done a better job if Congress had passed his bill to limit the agency’s powers.

Santorum’s proposed legislation, introduced in April, would limit the scope of the Weather Service’s mission to services that cannot be offered by private firms — except for severe weather warnings or if the free market does not want to offer a service.

He reasons that this will keep the agency more focused on its “core” missions — including predicting major storms.

Union officials representing Weather Service employees have said they believe the bill’s purpose is to weaken the agency and drum up business for weather-related companies in Santorum’s home state.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., also a member of the subcommittee, slammed Santorum’s bill, offering an example of a private weather service that wrongly predicted that Hurricane Dennis earlier this year would hit New Orleans. It hit near Pensacola, Fla.

“We’re not going to let people monkey around by taking you off the air,” he said to Mayfield.

Reach Markoe at (202) 383-6023 or lmarkoe@krwashington.com"

Modbee.com | Santorum For Pres - young, good-looking, hysterically conservative and as dumb as a bag of hammers.

2005-09-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pa. Politics: Under Santorum Gay Bars Fare Better Than Senion Citizens

2005-09-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Pa. Politics: Under Santorum Gay Bars Fare Better Than Senion Citizens: "Under Santorum Gay Bars Fare Better Than Senion Citizens

Pa. Politics: York Pa's Premier Gay Club Got 9/11 Federal Loan - Santorum supports Snowe's efforts: "Local 9/11 loans: $1.3M - York Daily Record: 'It's not apparent how the Velvet Rope, which markets itself as York's 'premier gay club,' was affected by the terrorist attacks or how it used the money. The nightclub was approved for a $410,000 STAR loan.

Chuck Lambert, the Velvet Rope's owner, declined to comment.

The SBA would not answer any questions concerning why the Velvet Rope was approved for a STAR loan.""

Santorum Can't Raise Money So Casey Shouldn't... WHAT??????

2005-09-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tommy the Bulldozer - PittsburghLIVE.com: "NASTY WEATHER. Hurricane Katrina last week became a campaign issue in the already heated Senate race between Republican incumbent Rick Santorum and Democratic challenger and state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr.

Santorum accused Casey of attempting to raise money "on the backs of hurricane victims," according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In an e-mail sent to about 15,000 campaign supporters, Casey asked Santorum to explain his suggestion that people who ignore evacuation warnings should face strict penalties. Casey's e-mail also contained a link to an Internet donation site for his campaign.

Casey declined to back down from his e-mail when Santorum made his charge and said Santorum was attempting to "change the subject" from his "outrageous statement."

Santorum countered by noting Casey did not follow the lead of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Two weeks ago, the committee removed a contribution request box from a Web page for an online petition to fire the Federal Emergency Management Agency's director."

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/17/2005 - Leslie Gromis Baker Backs Pa Heathen Bill Scranton

2005-09-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/17/2005 - Raise lights fuse under challengers as pair ponder run against Belardi: "Former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton has officially landed a big-name political strategist and fundraiser for his campaign. Last week, he named Leslie Gromis Baker as his campaign co-chairwoman. She was instrumental in Gov. Tom Ridge’s re-election campaign and ran his political action committee. His other co-chairman is Glen T. Meakem, the founder and former chief executive officer of FreeMarkets, an Internet auction company that catered to businesses before merging with another company last year.

Choosing sides

Mr. Scranton also picked up the endorsements of Republican U.S. Reps. Don Sherwood, Phil English and John Peterson and former state Rep. Jeff Coleman. Mr. Peterson represents the congressional district west of Mr. Sherwood’s; Mr. English represents north of Allegheny County, including Erie.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver and current ABC college football sideline reporter Lynn Swann has picked up the support of former state Republican Party chairman Alan Novak, Pennsylvania’s Republican national committeewoman Christine Toretti Olson and U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, whose district includes Lancaster. "

Rescuers Find 76-Year-Old Man in Big Easy - Yahoo! News - Santorum Wants Him Arrested

2005-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Rescuers Find 76-Year-Old Man in Big Easy - Yahoo! News:

Ricky Santorum has publicly called for the prosecution of the people who failed to evacuate. This 76 year old man is one of the people Santorum was describing. JBOC
"Rescuers Find 76-Year-Old Man in Big Easy By DAVID CRARY and ROSE HANSON, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 4 minutes ago

NEW ORLEANS - Day after day, for more than two weeks, the 76-year-old man sat trapped and alone in his attic, sipping from a dwindling supply of water until it ran out. No food. No way out of a house ringed by foul floodwaters.

Without ever leaving home, Gerald Martin lived out one of the most remarkable survival stories of Hurricane Katrina. Rescuers who found him Friday, as they searched his neighborhood by boat, were astounded at his good spirits and resiliency after 18 days without food or human contact.

"It's an incredible story of survival," said Louie Fernandez, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency search unit that carried out the rescue.

In recent days, search crews have been finding corpses by the dozens in the still-flooded neighborhoods of New Orleans, but not trapped survivors. The FEMA search-and-rescue boat navigating through the Eighth Ward didn't expect to find anyone alive at 6010 Painters St., but they planned to search the premises of a one-story wood house.

As the motor idled and the boat glided forward, they heard a voice.

"Hey, over here."

Using a sledgehammer, a FEMA rescuer broke down the front door and went inside with another team member, struggling through a living room jumbled with overturned, sodden furniture.

They found Martin sitting in a chair in the sludge-covered kitchen, partially undressed in an effort to keep cool. After 16 days in his attic, he had descended to the ground floor two days earlier when the floodwaters — once up to the ceiling — finally drained, even though the house remained surrounded by several feet of water.

Incredibly, Martin — who ran out of his gallon-and-a-half water supply on Thursday — was able to walk out of the house with just a bit of assistance.

"He was weak, very tired, but he was able to speak, able to stand," Fernandez said. "He was very relieved. He was very thirsty. He was in good spirits."

Martin was given water to drink, then taken to Ochsner Foundation Hospital, where nurse Jinny Resor said he was treated for dehydration. She said Martin had taken medication while he was trapped, but she wasn't sure what it was for.

In a brief telephone interview with The Associated Press late Friday night, Martin said he was feeling fine.

"So far, so good," he said.

As for his ordeal, his description was concise: "I was living in the attic for 16 days, and I was living off water."

The two rescuers who retrieved him are firefighters with a California-based FEMA team — J.D. Madden of Santa Clara and Eric Mijangos of Menlo Park.

"I don't know how much longer he could have went on without water," said Madden, 29.

Martin's family left before the storm, but he stayed to attend church, later took a nap and woke up to find that his home was filling with water, Madden said.

Martin only had time to grab some water and get to his attic, which he described as feeling like an oven during day-after-day of mid-90-degree heat that followed the storm. Madden said the heat in the attic might have been even worse, perhaps fatal, except for shade provided by a fallen tree.

Staff Sgt. Jason Randor, a military police officer with the Massachusetts National Guard, watched the rescue from another boat that was helping provide security for the search team. He recalled jubilant yells from the firefighters when they realized someone alive was inside.

Martin emerged, wearing jeans and a shirt.

"While they were putting him in the chopper, he asked if they could stop on the way at Taco Bell to get something to eat," Randor said.

Fernandez, of FEMA, was on scene when Martin arrived at a FEMA base camp before going to the hospital.

"He had lost a lot of weight," Fernandez said. "He definitely had to hold his pants up with his hands."

Martin was the first trapped person found alive by Madden's California Task Force Three team in its 12 days of calling out to homes from the boat and peering into windows.

"We've been in the rescue mode the whole time and haven't given up hope that there was someone out there alive," he said.

But officials overseeing the search effort said the discovery of corpses and the dwindling number of rescues has been taking an emotional toll on search units.

"Our squad members are getting access to trauma and grief counselors," said FEMA rescue squad liaison Charles Hood. "It's becoming a very difficult task."

Fernandez said Saturday that Martin's rescue was a welcome morale boost for his colleagues.

"Little victories like we saw yesterday help motivate people, who are facing one of the toughest jobs they've ever faced," he said."

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate

2005-09-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate: "Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President William George today announced the AFL-CIO's endorsement of Pennsylvania State Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr. for United States Senate. The early endorsement was made by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council, meeting in Harrisburg. "We are headed in the wrong direction," George declared. "President Bush and his allies in the Congress, led by Senator Rick Santorum, are rolling back decades of progress for working families. Their proposal to privatize social security jeopardizes the retirement and economic security of millions of working families. Recent passage of CAFTA will result in the loss of thousands of more good jobs and lower living standards for Pennsylvania's working families. Every day more workers lose their health care and sink into poverty, while President Bush and Senator Rick Santorum continue attacking good jobs, decent wages, and benefits of hardworking men and women," George said. "It's time to set a new direction for the nation and it begins in Pennsylvania by electing Bob Casey to the U.S. Senate and sending Rick Santorum back to his home in Virginia," George emphasized.

"Bob Casey is committed to setting a new agenda in Washington, which addresses the needs and concerns of working families. As Auditor General and State Treasurer, he has built a solid record of support and leadership on behalf of working families. Bob Casey believes, as we do, that government's purpose is to promote the well-being of all citizens, and not more giveaways and favors to big corporations and the well-connected," George said. "It is for these reasons, as well as many more, that I am proud to announce that the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, representing over 800,000 working men and women, endorse Bob Casey, Jr. for United States Senate," George concluded. "Bob Casey is committed to fighting for working families by addressing our issues and concerns in the U.S. Senate: the nation's health care crisis, strengthening social security, raising the minimum wage, and opposing unfair trade deals that destroy our jobs and living standards," Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Bloomingdale declared.

"The early endorsement gives the Labor Movement the best opportunity to mobilize volunteers and resources to help elect Bob Casey to the U.S. Senate," Bloomingdale declared. "Our goal is to educate and mobilize even more union households than in 2004 when union members and volunteers helped John Kerry win Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Bob Casey will have the full support of the Labor Movement because he has actively supported AFL-CIO members and their families and we know he is a leader we can count on," Bloomingdale said. Nanci Mulzet, a member of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council and President of IBEW Local 1522, representing workers in the Lehigh Valley, said she supports Bob Casey's commitment to solving the nation's health care crisis. "What a great opportunity to be able to elect a man like Bob Casey who recognizes the health care problems we face and offers solutions, not lip service," Mulzet said. Norma Braidigan, a member of the Executive Council and Director of District Council 86 of AFSCME, said she is "very proud to support the endorsement of Bob Casey because he will be a strong advocate for the working people of Pennsylvania."

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO also endorsed State Supreme Court Justice Sandra Schultz Newman and State Supreme Court Justice Russell M. Nigro for retention in the November General Election on November 5, 2005.

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is the largest labor organization in Pennsylvania, representing over 800,000 workers.

Santorum's Record Opposing Working Men and Women
-- Rick Santorum has earned miserable vote ratings on issues important to working men and women. In the Senate, he has only voted with the AFL- CIO 12% of the time. AFSCME gives Santorum an even lower 2% lifetime Senate vote rating. (AFL-CIO 2004 Scorecard, AFSCME 2004 Scorecard)

-- Santorum introduced legislation to eliminate the 40-hour workweek and overtime pay. Santorum's amendment would have also prevented states from raising the minimum wage for restaurant employees. (S.AMDT.128 introduced on 3-7-05)

-- In the Senate, Santorum has voted against increasing the minimum wage 12 times. (#344 on 7-1-95, #519 on 10-27-95, #54 on 3-27-96, #183 on 7-9-96, #184 on 7-9-96, #278 on 9-22-98, #77 on 3-25-99, #94 on 4-28- 99, #239 on 7-30-99, #76 on 4-7-00, #26 on 3-07-05)

-- Shortly after he introduced his amendment to block a minimum wage increase for restaurant workers, executives for Outback Steakhouse held a fundraiser for Santorum. Outback was one of the biggest supporters of Santorum's amendment. Incidentally, Santorum flew to the fundraiser on the Wal-Mart corporate jet. Wal-Mart has a long history of anti-union activities and many allegations of questionable labor practices. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4-22-05)

-- Before introducing his own legislation to eliminate the 40-hour workweek, Santorum voted for "Flex Time" legislation that would abolish the forty-hour workweek. This ill-conceived legislation would allow employers to avoid paying overtime. (#68 on 5-15-97, #393 on 6- 4-97)

-- Santorum twice voted against attempts to block new Labor Department regulations that overhaul longstanding overtime laws. Under these new rules implemented in 2004, millions of workers could lose their overtime benefits. (#79 on 5-4-04, #334 on 10-10-03)

-- Santorum voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has helped more than 50 million Americans take time off from their jobs to care for an ailing family member, including spouses, parents, and children. Santorum even voted to uphold the first President Bush's veto of the Family and Medical Leave Act. (#393 on 11-13-91; #22 on 2- 3-93; #443 on 9-30-92)

-- Santorum voted for Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority legislation that allows the President to negotiate trade agreements without requiring the enforcement of even the most basic labor and environmental standards such as bans on child labor and on forced labor. (#207 on 8-1-02, #294 on 11-5-97)

-- Santorum voted against ending tax breaks that make it easier for manufacturers to close plants to move the plants and American jobs overseas. (#63 on 3-17-05)

-- When the steel industry was hurting in 2002, Santorum voted against considering an amendment to give steelworkers a 70% tax credit for health insurance costs. Even though the amendment received majority support of 56 votes, Santorum refused to help get the 60 votes necessary to consider the amendment. (#117 on 5-21-02)

-- Santorum voted to repeal ergonomics standards that the Occupations Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued in 2000. These standards would have implemented tougher guidelines to reduce repetitive stress injuries in the workplace. (#15 on 3-6-01)

-- Santorum voted against legislation allowing public safety officers to bargain collectively. (#323 on 11-6-01)

-- Santorum voted for "paycheck deception" legislation that would unfairly infringe on the ability of union to communicate with their members. This legislation singled out unions and would have required them to obtain permission from all their members before using their dues for political purposes. Corporations would hot have been subject to the same requirements. (#17 on 2-26-98)

-- Santorum voted for efforts to pass the TEAM Act that would have undermined collective bargaining laws and would have established company unions where employers could handpick employee representatives. (#190 on 7-10-96, #191 on 7-10-96)

-- In 1995, Santorum voted to block President Clinton's executive order barring federal contractors from permanently replacing striking workers. (#102 on 3-9-95, #103 on 3-15-95)

-- Santorum voted to weaken OSHA regulations designed to protect workers and to cut OSHA funding. (#307 on 7-14-95, #304 on 9-30-99) Santorum also voted to slash $25.5 million in funding for the National Labor Relations Board. The motion to save the NLRB funding was offered by Senator Specter. (#300 on 9-30-99)

-- Rick Santorum has shown his contempt for labor unions by lobbing verbal attacks against unions. Santorum called union leaders "toothless tigers." (Philadelphia Daily News, 7-10-96) Following a 2004 meeting with the U.S. Airways CEO, Santorum blamed unions for the airline's financial troubles. In his tirade Santorum said unions "got their pound of flesh" and that "what we're seeing is the worst of the old Pennsylvania." (Associated Press, 9-15-04; Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-14-04)

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate

2005-09-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate: "Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President
William George today announced the AFL-CIO's endorsement of Pennsylvania State
Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr. for United States Senate. The early endorsement
was made by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council, meeting in Harrisburg.
"We are headed in the wrong direction," George declared. "President Bush
and his allies in the Congress, led by Senator Rick Santorum, are rolling back
decades of progress for working families. Their proposal to privatize social
security jeopardizes the retirement and economic security of millions of
working families. Recent passage of CAFTA will result in the loss of thousands
of more good jobs and lower living standards for Pennsylvania's working
families. Every day more workers lose their health care and sink into poverty,
while President Bush and Senator Rick Santorum continue attacking good jobs,
decent wages, and benefits of hardworking men and women," George said.
"It's time to set a new direction for the nation and it begins in
Pennsylvania by electing Bob Casey to the U.S. Senate and sending Rick
Santorum back to his home in Virginia," George emphasized.
"Bob Casey is committed to setting a new agenda in Washington, which
addresses the needs and concerns of working families. As Auditor General and
State Treasurer, he has built a solid record of support and leadership on
behalf of working families. Bob Casey believes, as we do, that government's
purpose is to promote the well-being of all citizens, and not more giveaways
and favors to big corporations and the well-connected," George said.
"It is for these reasons, as well as many more, that I am proud to
announce that the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, representing over 800,000 working men
and women, endorse Bob Casey, Jr. for United States Senate," George concluded.
"Bob Casey is committed to fighting for working families by addressing our
issues and concerns in the U.S. Senate: the nation's health care crisis,
strengthening social security, raising the minimum wage, and opposing unfair
trade deals that destroy our jobs and living standards," Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
Secretary-Treasurer Richard Bloomingdale declared.
"The early endorsement gives the Labor Movement the best opportunity to
mobilize volunteers and resources to help elect Bob Casey to the U.S. Senate,"
Bloomingdale declared. "Our goal is to educate and mobilize even more union
households than in 2004 when union members and volunteers helped John Kerry
win Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Bob Casey will have the full support of
the Labor Movement because he has actively supported AFL-CIO members and their
families and we know he is a leader we can count on," Bloomingdale said.
Nanci Mulzet, a member of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council and
President of IBEW Local 1522, representing workers in the Lehigh Valley, said
she supports Bob Casey's commitment to solving the nation's health care
crisis. "What a great opportunity to be able to elect a man like Bob Casey who
recognizes the health care problems we face and offers solutions, not lip
service," Mulzet said.
Norma Braidigan, a member of the Executive Council and Director of
District Council 86 of AFSCME, said she is "very proud to support the
endorsement of Bob Casey because he will be a strong advocate for the working
people of Pennsylvania."
The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO also endorsed State Supreme Court Justice Sandra
Schultz Newman and State Supreme Court Justice Russell M. Nigro for retention
in the November General Election on November 5, 2005.
The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is the largest labor organization in
Pennsylvania, representing over 800,000 workers.

Santorum's Record Opposing Working Men and Women

-- Rick Santorum has earned miserable vote ratings on issues important to
working men and women. In the Senate, he has only voted with the AFL-
CIO 12% of the time. AFSCME gives Santorum an even lower 2% lifetime
Senate vote rating. (AFL-CIO 2004 Scorecard, AFSCME 2004 Scorecard)

-- Santorum introduced legislation to eliminate the 40-hour workweek and
overtime pay. Santorum's amendment would have also prevented states
from raising the minimum wage for restaurant employees. (S.AMDT.128
introduced on 3-7-05)

-- In the Senate, Santorum has voted against increasing the minimum wage
12 times. (#344 on 7-1-95, #519 on 10-27-95, #54 on 3-27-96, #183 on
7-9-96, #184 on 7-9-96, #278 on 9-22-98, #77 on 3-25-99, #94 on 4-28-
99, #239 on 7-30-99, #76 on 4-7-00, #26 on 3-07-05)

-- Shortly after he introduced his amendment to block a minimum wage
increase for restaurant workers, executives for Outback Steakhouse
held a fundraiser for Santorum. Outback was one of the biggest
supporters of Santorum's amendment. Incidentally, Santorum flew to the
fundraiser on the Wal-Mart corporate jet. Wal-Mart has a long history
of anti-union activities and many allegations of questionable labor
practices. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4-22-05)

-- Before introducing his own legislation to eliminate the 40-hour
workweek, Santorum voted for "Flex Time" legislation that would
abolish the forty-hour workweek. This ill-conceived legislation would
allow employers to avoid paying overtime. (#68 on 5-15-97, #393 on 6-
4-97)

-- Santorum twice voted against attempts to block new Labor Department
regulations that overhaul longstanding overtime laws. Under these new
rules implemented in 2004, millions of workers could lose their
overtime benefits. (#79 on 5-4-04, #334 on 10-10-03)

-- Santorum voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has
helped more than 50 million Americans take time off from their jobs to
care for an ailing family member, including spouses, parents, and
children. Santorum even voted to uphold the first President Bush's
veto of the Family and Medical Leave Act. (#393 on 11-13-91; #22 on 2-
3-93; #443 on 9-30-92)

-- Santorum voted for Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority legislation
that allows the President to negotiate trade agreements without
requiring the enforcement of even the most basic labor and
environmental standards such as bans on child labor and on forced
labor. (#207 on 8-1-02, #294 on 11-5-97)

-- Santorum voted against ending tax breaks that make it easier for
manufacturers to close plants to move the plants and American jobs
overseas. (#63 on 3-17-05)

-- When the steel industry was hurting in 2002, Santorum voted against
considering an amendment to give steelworkers a 70% tax credit for
health insurance costs. Even though the amendment received majority
support of 56 votes, Santorum refused to help get the 60 votes
necessary to consider the amendment. (#117 on 5-21-02)

-- Santorum voted to repeal ergonomics standards that the Occupations
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued in 2000. These
standards would have implemented tougher guidelines to reduce
repetitive stress injuries in the workplace. (#15 on 3-6-01)

-- Santorum voted against legislation allowing public safety officers to
bargain collectively. (#323 on 11-6-01)

-- Santorum voted for "paycheck deception" legislation that would
unfairly infringe on the ability of union to communicate with their
members. This legislation singled out unions and would have required
them to obtain permission from all their members before using their
dues for political purposes. Corporations would hot have been subject
to the same requirements. (#17 on 2-26-98)

-- Santorum voted for efforts to pass the TEAM Act that would have
undermined collective bargaining laws and would have established
company unions where employers could handpick employee
representatives. (#190 on 7-10-96, #191 on 7-10-96)

-- In 1995, Santorum voted to block President Clinton's executive order
barring federal contractors from permanently replacing striking
workers. (#102 on 3-9-95, #103 on 3-15-95)

-- Santorum voted to weaken OSHA regulations designed to protect workers
and to cut OSHA funding. (#307 on 7-14-95, #304 on 9-30-99) Santorum
also voted to slash $25.5 million in funding for the National Labor
Relations Board. The motion to save the NLRB funding was offered by
Senator Specter. (#300 on 9-30-99)

-- Rick Santorum has shown his contempt for labor unions by lobbing
verbal attacks against unions. Santorum called union leaders
"toothless tigers." (Philadelphia Daily News, 7-10-96) Following a
2004 meeting with the U.S. Airways CEO, Santorum blamed unions for the
airline's financial troubles. In his tirade Santorum said unions "got
their pound of flesh" and that "what we're seeing is the worst of the
old Pennsylvania." (Associated Press, 9-15-04; Philadelphia Inquirer,
9-14-04)"

AP Interview: Santorum Tries to Put Positive Spin on Devestating Poll Numbers (phillyBurbs.com)

2005-09-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

AP Interview: Santorum not discouraged by poll numbers (phillyBurbs.com): "AP Interview: Santorum not discouraged by poll numbers

By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Sen. Rick Santorum said Friday he is not discouraged by poll numbers that show him trailing state Treasurer Robert Casey Jr. in his 2006 Senate bid, and he expects to remain behind until early next year.

Casey, the son of late governor Robert Casey who is widely considered the Democratic front-runner, is running on name recognition and has offered few clues as to what he stands for and what he would do if elected, Santorum said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"Until the campaign really starts (and) the people get to see both candidates, hear what they have to say ... up until that time my feeling is, I'm just going to keep doing my job and we're trying to build as strong of a campaign as we can so we're ready for next year," said Santorum, R-Pa.

A Keystone Poll released Friday showed Casey with 50 percent - a gain of 6 percentage points since a similar poll in June - and Santorum unchanged at 37 percent. The survey had a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

The poll was commissioned by several news organizations.

The race is on the national radar, and is expected to be one the closest Senate races in 2006. The two candidates expect to raise a combined $50 million.

Santorum, who is the third-ranking Senate GOP leader, emphasized during the hour-long interview that he has proven he can deliver for Pennsylvania and that he will accomplish even more in a third term because of his prominence in the national party.

Casey "happens to have a name that's a fairly popular name here, and he is someone who has taken very few positions on issues, does very few public appearances," Santorum said. "Most people don't know where he stands or why he stands there."

Casey's campaign manager, Jay Reiff, called Santorum's comments a lie. He said Casey has raised questions about the Iraq war and offered plans on issues such as health care.

"The real reason Rick Santorum is behind is because voters are getting to know what he's really about, and he's starting to be held accountable by our campaign for his words and actions," Reiff said.

Even with President Bush's approval rating at the lowest point of his administration, Santorum said he would invite him to Pennsylvania to do more fund-raisers for his campaign.

"I think this campaign will be a high enough visibility campaign that who supports me or who supports my opponent is not going to make any difference," Santorum said.

The senator continued to defend the war in Iraq and push for Social Security reforms - two issues on which he has supported the president. He acknowledged the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina was lacking and should be reviewed, but he cautioned against overreacting because of the unique nature of the situation in Louisiana.

Santorum, whose book "It Takes a Family" was criticized by Democrats because it compares abortion rights to slaveholder rights and blames feminists for undermining motherhood, said he does not make apologies for his personal style.

"If `outrageous' means I say what I believe, and I try to be accountable to the people of Pennsylvania, guilty," Santorum said. "I think it's a sad commentary that being accountable, forthright and honest with your constituents is considered controversial."

Casey, 45, faces two lesser-known opponents in next spring's Democratic primary - University of the Arts professor Chuck Pennacchio and Philadelphia pension lawyer Alan Sandals.

In the GOP primary, Santorum faces opposition from Philadelphia real-estate broker John Featherman, who was the Libertarian Party's nominee against Santorum in 2000.

Casey has run in four statewide elections since 1996 and lost one, the 2002 gubernatorial primary.

On Friday, nearly 500 unionized health care workers rallied outside Santorum's Harrisburg office, urging him to help working families by making health care more affordable and increasing the minimum wage.

Casey, who has enjoyed strong support from organized labor in his past campaigns, also picked up an endorsement from the state AFL-CIO.

----

Associated Press Writers Peter Jackson, Mark Scolforo and Martha Raffaele contributed to this report.

September 16, 2005 2:50 PM"

Philadelphia Daily News | Piccola Stronger than Scranton in Latest Poll

2005-09-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Daily News | 09/16/2005 | Disapproving state: "The poll finds Pennsylvanians increasingly pessimistic about the condition of the state, as well as their own economic circumstances and future.

Thirty-six percent of households said they were financially worse off than a year ago, up from 24 percent in June.

The poll found Rendell still leads handily over any of his potential Republican rivals, though most of them remain relatively unknown to voters.

Among Republican voters who had an opinion about the candidates, former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann held a lead over his rivals.

Swan pulled 25 percent in the poll compared to 18 percent for former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton, 5 percent for state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola and 0 percent for Jim Panyard, former head of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association. Fifty-two percent had no opinion.

In head-to-head comparisons with Rendell, only Piccola got within 10 points of the governor, trailing 46 to 37 percent."

Casey Tells The Truth About Ricky Santorum

2005-09-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Southern Voice Online: "“They’re really sick and tired of what they hear out of Washington — the harsh partisanship they hear every day, especially from the Republican side. And unfortunately Senator Santorum has been a leader in that by being very aggressive and determined, it seems, to divide people and sometimes to demonize people.”

Senate candidate Bob Casey, a Democrat, on Rick Santorum, the GOP incumbent in Pennsylvania, who Casey claims has used wedge issues like gay rights to divide America (Associated Press, Aug. 29)"

Santorum criticizes Weather Service

2005-09-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

Santorum criticizes Weather Service: "Santorum criticizes Weather Service
Has sponsored bill to prevent government weather notices, to benefit private companies, including donor
Saturday, September 10, 2005

By Maeve Reston, Post-Gazette National Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Rick Santorum, who has sponsored legislation to limit the information that the National Weather Service can provide to the public, told radio reporters this week that Congress should investigate whether the federal agency's initial warnings on the severity of Hurricane Katrina were adequate.

The Pennsylvania Republican's remarks drew fire from a union representing employees of the National Weather Service, which is a subsidiary of the U.S. Commerce Department's National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. They also were closely scrutinized by Democrats, who have contended that his legislation is intended to benefit private weather companies, at least one of which has contributed to his campaign.

During a conference call that Santorum conducted with Pennsylvania radio reporters Thursday, a public radio correspondent asked him about the weather service's performance in preparing Gulf Coast residents for Hurricane Katrina and whether the rescue and recovery response could have been improved if his legislation had been law.

Santorum said he didn't think the weather service had given "sufficient warning" initially about the hurricane's path or what its impact would be when it hit Florida. He said he was "not going to suggest there were any major errors," but that the adequacy of the warnings should to be investigated along with other aspects of how government agencies have dealt with Katrina.

"The expectation was that [the hurricane] was not going to hit Florida with much fury, and it ended up being a Category 1 hurricane and did a lot more damage than I think was ever anticipated," Santorum said in the recorded radio interview.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who heads the Senate Commerce Committee's Disaster Prediction and Prevention Subcommittee, yesterday praised the National Weather Service. "After reviewing the actions taken by the National Weather Service, I am convinced that this was one of the most accurate hurricane predictions we have ever seen," he said in a statement.

"As early as Friday night [Aug. 26], almost 60 hours before Katrina made landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned the region with reliable data showing the largest storm since Camille landing squarely between Louisiana and Mississippi. By Saturday night, over 30 hours before landfall, they issued a specific warning to the city of New Orleans, predicting storm surge flooding of up to 25 feet. These early and accurate forecasts saved countless lives along the Gulf Coast," DeMint said.

But Santorum stood his ground. "I continue to believe that we need a robust National Weather Service that is focused on its core mission and committed to getting it right," he said in a statement yesterday. "There are serious consequences for everyone when that is not the case, so I hope that, as we go forward to review the various aspects related to Hurricane Katrina, that we also look at whether the forecasts and warnings provided the necessary information to preserve lives and property."

Santorum's legislation, Senate Bill 786, would forbid the commerce secretary from allowing the weather service to offer a public product or service that could be provided by the private sector, except in the case of severe weather warnings, or if the private sector doesn't want to offer the service, or if the service is required under international aviation agreements.

Santorum has acknowledged that his legislation could help protect jobs at private weather firms -- including at least 14 in Pennsylvania, according to his staff -- but said its larger purpose was to make sure that the weather service focused on its key mission of warning citizens about the most severe weather.

Santorum has received at least $7,000 from employees of AccuWeather, based in State College, Pa., according to Federal Election Commission reports. AccuWeather provides weather data to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and post-gazette.com.

The senator's remarks Thursday, also circulated by a Democratic Party official, drew fire from the National Weather Service Employees Organization, whose Web site has urged members to oppose Santorum's legislation.

In a statement, union President Paul T. Greaves defended the performance of weather service employees and said Santorum was merely continuing his "misguided crusade" against the agency. Greaves said it was unfortunate that the senator "would try to use this tragedy to push his own agenda."

Earlier this week, Santorum was criticized by officials from the campaign of his likely 2006 Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., for comments he had made about New Orleans residents who did not follow instructions to evacuate. In a WTAE-TV interview about Hurricane Katrina last weekend, Santorum said there "may be a need to look at tougher penalties" for those who fail to heed evacuation warnings.

Casey's campaign manager said the senator's comments showed "an incredible amount of insensitivity" toward poor people who were caught in the hurricane zone without transportation. Santorum later said his remark was not aimed at those without means to evacuate, as was the case with many low-income New Orleans residents.

(Maeve Reston can be reached at 202-488-3479 in mreston@nationalpress.com.)"

Santorum Scrambles to Creat Katrina Cover-up - Blame the Victims and Protect Bush Cronies - PittsburghLIVE.com

2005-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Santorum suggests Katrina panel - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Santorum suggests Katrina panel"

By David M. Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, September 10, 2005

President Bush is weighing a proposal to create a temporary federal commission with its own director to coordinate reconstruction efforts in Gulf Coast states devastated by Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said Friday.
Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, said he spoke with Bush about the concept on Thursday at the White House.

"I referred to it as 'The Marshall Plan for the Gulf Coast.' He seemed to like the idea," the Penn Hills Republican said in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Ideally, this would be a presidential initiative with a presidential appointee."

The Marshall Plan was the U.S.-led program established for rebuilding western Europe following World War II.

A spokesman for the White House did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

The scope of the Katrina disaster across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama "far exceeds anything" previously handled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Santorum said. "So that's why I think it requires a lot more special attention."

The worst previous disaster in terms of people put out of their homes resulted from the Northridge earthquake that struck near Los Angeles in 1994, displacing about 30,000 families. In Katrina's wake, reports indicate at least 400,000 families were displaced, Santorum said.

"We need some federal organization that cuts through the red tape, that puts together a plan, and that works on all levels of government to be able to deal with this issue," he said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who oversees FEMA, "can't spend the next two years in the Gulf trying to help the recovery of that region," he said. "It's not his job. He has national responsibilities."

Also, FEMA's proper role is providing immediate relief to disaster victims, not overseeing a lengthy recovery plan, he said.

"We need to get the regular team out of there, and someone who is going to be there for the long term, in there. (That person) would most likely be head of this new organization that would be set up to help the recovery effort," Santorum said.

FEMA has been criticized for its slow response to the disaster. Friday, Chertoff relieved FEMA Director Michael Brown of on-site command of rescue and recovery efforts and called him back to Washington, D.C. Chertoff avoided questions about whether the move was the first step toward Brown's departure from the agency.

Santorum noted there are precedents for his plan to create a new agency to oversee reconstruction of the area. For example, the Hoover Commission helped reorganize the executive branch after World War II and the Korean War, he said.

Santorum couldn't say what his plan might cost.

Mary Comerio, an authority on post-disaster reconstruction and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, called the proposal "an interesting idea for the public sector -- for roads, schools and levees," but "a terrible idea for private property and homeowners."

A new federal agency dealing with housing assistance "will get in the way and slow it down," said Comerio, author of the 1998 book, "Disaster Hits Home: New Policy for Urban Housing Recovery."

"I do think there needs to be some targeted investment in low-income and affordable housing," she said. "We have a government agency that provides that kind of funding -- (the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development). Rather than creating an alternative, we should use people who actually know something about housing."

On Thursday, Congress approved $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Katrina, after earlier approving $10.5 billion in federal aid.

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, said yesterday that members of Congress are discussing ways to monitor the spending.

"Although no one hesitated to send the money, leadership wants to set up a mechanism to track the money," he said."

Katrina Comments Reinforce Santorum's Image as a Fool and a Bumbler

2005-09-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Some GOP Legislators Hit Jarring Notes in Addressing Katrina: "Some GOP Legislators Hit Jarring Notes in Addressing Katrina

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 10, 2005; Page A04

Some lawmakers are still struggling to find the sympathetic but diligent tone that a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina -- and the lagging government response to its victims -- would seem to call for.

The latest elected official to step into the swamp was Rep. Richard H. Baker, a 10-term Republican from Baton Rouge. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that he was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

Rep. Richard H. Baker's quote created a furor. (Ray Lustig - Ray Lustig)

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Democrats, of course, gleefully disseminated the report, saying they detected a GOP pattern. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) recently spoke of bulldozing part of New Orleans, they reminded everyone, and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) suggested punishing people who had ignored pre-storm evacuation orders.

Baker issued a lengthy statement saying he was "taken aback" by the Journal's brief item. "What I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it,' " Baker wrote. "Obviously I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state."

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Santorum was drawing a second round of fire, this time for saying the National Weather Service's forecasts and warnings about Katrina's path were "not sufficient." Democrats e-mailed audio links to a radio interview in which Santorum said that "we need a robust National Weather Service" that focuses on severe weather predictions. "Obviously the consequences are incredibly severe, as we've seen here in the last couple of weeks, if we don't get it right and don't properly prepare," Santorum said.

In fact, many people think the Weather Service got the Katrina prediction exactly right. They include GOP Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.), who chairs the Senate Commerce subcommittee on disaster prediction and prevention. He issued a statement headlined "DeMint Gives National Weather Service 'A' Grade for Katrina Prediction."

Santorum, long at odds with the federal agency, is pushing a bill that would require it to surrender some of its duties to private businesses, some of them located in his state. The National Weather Service Employees Organization said in a statement: "We did our job well and everyone knows it. By falsely claiming that we got it wrong, Rick Santorum is continuing his misguided crusade against the National Weather Service."

Santorum's office issued a statement yesterday repeating the concern that "there are serious consequences" when the Weather Service falls short of "getting it right."

These days it seems that no Republican remark is too small or ambiguous to trigger a Democratic mass mailing. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee yesterday sent links to a Houston Chronicle blogger who had watched House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) tour the Astrodome, where children evacuated from New Orleans were playing. The blog reported that DeLay "likened their stay to being at camp and asked, 'Now, tell me the truth, boys, is this kind of fun?' " The blogger said the youngsters "nodded yes, but looked perplexed.""

Father Richard P. McBrien of Notre Dame Univ Says Ricky Santorum is Mistaken and Unaware

2005-09-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Church and change | The-Tidings.com: "The Church and change

By Father Richard P. McBrien
A few months ago, The New York Times Magazine published a cover-story on Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. The article focused on various aspects of his life and political career, including his religious affiliation and convictions.

Senator Santorum is a Catholic, albeit of a particular kind. He attends Sunday Mass along with Justice Antonin Scalia and other prominent Catholics of similar orientation at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Great Falls, Va., where the liturgy is in Latin and the priest prays with his back to the congregation, just like it was in the days before the Second Vatican Council.

However, at 47 years of age today, Senator Santorum was only four years old when the Second Vatican Council opened in October, 1962, and only seven when it adjourned in December, 1965.

Blessed John XXIII reminded us in his opening address to the Second Vatican Council that history is "the teacher of life." Without a sense of history, one is always vulnerable to the temptation of accepting and repeating generalities that are without factual basis or, more specifically, are contradicted by the facts of history.

He never attended a Catholic college or university, having received a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State in 1980, an M.B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

One of his fellow Catholic senators, Susan Collins of Maine, has referred to him as a Catholic missionary in the Senate. She occasionally attends the study group he organized to promote more knowledge of the Catholic faith. Only Republicans are invited.

One is tempted to ask if this is one of those cases of the blind leading the blind (with apologies to anyone offended by the politically incorrect usage). Indeed, there is a book, Catholicism for Dummies, co-authored by two priests who also lack theological credentials. But they are "safe" enough to have a regular program on Mother Angelica's Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

In the Times Magazine article, Senator Santorum is portrayed as exuberant over the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as the new pope.

"What you saw," he claimed, "is an affirmation by the cardinals that the church is not going to change, even though maybe Europe and North America want it to. It is going to stay the way it has been for 2,000 years." A remarkable statement indeed from someone who has never had a graduate-level course in church history.

Blessed John XXIII reminded us in his opening address to the Second Vatican Council that history is "the teacher of life." Without a sense of history, one is always vulnerable to the temptation of accepting and repeating generalities that are without factual basis or, more specifically, are contradicted by the facts of history.

Many Catholics believe, for example, that only the pope can appoint bishops. But the pope has only exercised that prerogative for the universal Church since the 19th century. Before that, bishops were selected by various processes, the most common of which during the First Christian Millennium was election by the clergy and laity of the diocese in which they would serve.

Catholics today take for granted that bishops can be transferred from smaller dioceses to larger dioceses when they are deemed suitable for greater pastoral responsibilities. But in the early Church that was not only uncommon; it was absolutely prohibited - and by no less than the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the same council that defined the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.

Indeed, the body of a deceased pope, Formosus (891-896), was dug up and placed on trial because he had accepted election as Bishop of Rome when he was already the bishop of another diocese in Italy (Porto).

A few months ago many people both inside and outside the Catholic Church speculated about whether the new pope would come from Latin America or perhaps from Africa. Throughout the First Millennium, this would have been unthinkable. Bishops were elected from the local diocesan clergy, and once in office they remained in the same diocese until death.

But these are only a few examples of changes that have occurred in the Catholic Church. There are countless others in the realm of doctrine (the Church once approved of slavery, while condemning the taking of interest on loans), liturgy (the Mass was originally in Greek, then Latin, and then in many other languages), and even the making of saints (it was not until the year 993 that a saint was canonized by a pope; before then it was a matter of acclamation by the people).

Senator Santorum is surely not the only Catholic who is unaware of the lessons of church history. Nor is he alone in mistakenly believing that "the church is not going to change," that it is "going to stay the way it has been for 2,000 years."

But if history is "the teacher of life," we need to learn from it.

Father Richard P. McBrien is the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame."

Senate hopeful stresses health care, education BY KATHIE O. WARCO

2005-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Observer-Reporter: "Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Senate hopeful stresses health care, education
BY KATHIE O. WARCO, Staff writer

kwarco@observer-reporter.com
From teachers to steelworkers to government employees, the work of labor unions was recognized Monday during the annual picnic hosted by the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council.

State treasurer and U.S. Senate hopeful Robert P. Casey told the workers and their families that their labor and the dignity of their work is something we celebrate.

"We take one day out of the year to recognize the accomplishments," Casey said. "And Western Pennsylvania is known for its work ethic."

Casey announced in March his intentions to seek the Democratic nomination, and a possible battle with incumbent Republican Rick Santorum, next year.

Casey said it's unfortunate that many people still do not have affordable health care.

"I made the decision to run for Senate because I care about people in Pennsylvania and what they need, not partisanship," Casey said. "Affordable health care, educating our children and making sure our home land is secure are all important. As a senator, I want to focus on those priorities."

The celebration is tempered by the challenges and sobering reality of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina.

"So many have made contributions to the relief effort," Casey said. "But at the federal level, there were a lot of failures along the way. The response was unacceptable. In the short run, every possible resource should have been committed."

Casey also reminded the group to remember those serving in Iraq. Pennsylvania, he said, has the highest number of national guard troops in Iraq. The state also has suffered the fourth highest loss of troops since the conflict began.

Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll also spoke to the group."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/07/2005 | Santorum Advocates Jailing Hurricane Victims

2005-09-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/07/2005 | Candidates sling barbs over hurricane remark: "Posted on Wed, Sep. 07, 2005

Candidates sling barbs over hurricane remark
By Carrie Budoff
Inquirer Staff Writer

Robert P. Casey Jr.'s campaign criticized U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum yesterday for making "insensitive" remarks about last week's hurricane victims when he suggested in a television interview that people who ignore evacuation warnings should face tough penalties.

But in an interview yesterday, Santorum said his comments, which aired Sunday on WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, were not aimed at those who could not escape the hurricane. And an aide to the Pennsylvania Republican criticized Casey for raising the issue in an e-mail that included a link to donate to the Democrat's campaign to unseat Santorum in 2006.

In the TV clip, Santorum said: "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving."

The Casey campaign highlighted the remarks in the e-mail yesterday to 15,000 supporters.

"Tougher penalties!? At a time when our country should be coming together, is this another example of Santorum making statements that are inappropriate or out of the mainstream? We deserve an explanation," the e-mail said.

Santorum said he was faulting people who could have left areas hit by the hurricane but did not. As a result, he said, emergency responders were spread thin.

"I criticized the mayor, the governor, the President, FEMA," he said. "And I criticized those who should have left and could have left and didn't, and that is a problem. For the people who couldn't leave, we let them down."

Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager, said Santorum was backtracking. "Rick Santorum was caught saying something completely inappropriate, and now he is trying to dig himself out of that hole," Reiff said.

The Santorum campaign took issue with the Casey e-mail because it included the link "Contribute to Bob's Campaign."

"Bobby Casey has just reached a new low in politics by trying to raise money off the misfortunes of the people of Louisiana," said John Brabender, Santorum's media consultant. "He is now the undisputed negative campaigner of the world."

Reiff said that the fund-raising link is attached to every e-mail and that yesterday's e-mail was not meant as a fund-raising appeal."

Salt Lake Tribune - Santorum in-your-face religious, hyperpartisan and anti-intellectual.

2005-09-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake Tribune - Opinion: "Santorum at 47 represents the new breed of archconservative: in-your-face religious, hyperpartisan and anti-intellectual. To Santorum, politics is a back-to-the-future crusade. The father of six home-schooled children has carved out a political niche that includes raising doubts about the validity of evolution and blocking the scientific exploration of stem cells. (Gee, I hope his kids don't want careers in science.)
One of Santorum's recent maelstroms is a newly discovered column he wrote in July 2002 for the Web site Catholic Online. In it, Santorum blamed the ''sick'' culture of Boston for causing priests to molest children.

''(I)t is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm,'' Santorum wrote - and reiterated recently.
Meanwhile, dioceses in the Republican strongholds of Covington, Ky., and Orange County, Calif., have paid out more in settlement money to victims than ''liberal'' Boston. But facts are irrelevant to the man who went loony over Terri Schiavo, made a pilgrimage to her deathbed, and claimed that she was ''executed'' when an end was put to her persistent vegetative state.
If you want to read something frightening (can something be scary and boring at the same time?), try Santorum's new book, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good, which is a puffed-up rebuttal to Sen. Hillary Clinton's It Takes a Village. Here, in 400 prosaic pages, Santorum indicts liberalism as a disease that has infected our nation - a country that he claims the founders had intended for the ''moral and religious.''
Targeted for a special thrashing are couples that choose to live together before marriage and women who work rather than stay home with their children. Other tidbits include the suggestion that condom distribution in Africa does little to prevent the spread of HIV and that the poor in this country have no problem finding good day care. (Probably news to them.) According to Santorum, pretty much every social problem can be solved by returning to the ''bread-winning dad, homemaker mom'' model and giving gobs of tax money to churches and religiously affiliated social services.
As much as Santorum throws around the word ''virtue,'' he misunderstands the definition. It is Specter, not Santorum, who possesses public virtue. Specter has a sense of fair play and is trusted by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Santorum is considered a dangerous jerk. His kind will hopefully be a flash in the pan - just today's political flavor: vanilla with nuts.
---
Tribune Media Services "

Santorum Slip Cost Pa the Willow Grove Jobs

2005-08-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

Analysis: Jury out on who won, lost politically on military bases: "Analysis: Jury out on who won, lost politically on military bases
Monday, August 29, 2005

By Maeve Reston, Post-Gazette National Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Few events in Washington can send lawmakers into a frenzy of lobbying like the release of Pentagon plans to close military bases in their states or districts.

Pennsylvania's lawmakers fared better than many last week when the independent Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted on Defense Department proposals to shut or shrink 800 bases across the country, especially when the BRAC decided to spare the 911th Airlift Wing at Pittsburgh International Airport and make it part of a new homeland security and emergency medical response center.

The main disappointment was the decision on Friday to close the Willow Grove Naval Station north of Philadelphia, even as a federal judge ruled that the Pentagon couldn't shut down the Air National Guard unit there without the state's agreement.

This largely positive but mixed success in preserving Pennsylvania military facilities makes it unclear whether the commission's decisions will significantly affect the 2006 re-election campaigns of three of the most visible players in the fight -- Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair, and especially Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who was initially criticized by state Democrats when Willow Grove was put on the list because he had made comments about the base's vulnerabilities.

But the issue is sure to come up in Santorum's race against state Treasurer Robert P. Casey, a Democrat, which may be the most closely watched election in the country next year and already is drawing national attention and money. And it might play a role in the Murphy and Rendell campaigns, as well.

Murphy is likely to face a strong challenge from former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer in a congressional district that includes the 911th and other military operations at the Pittsburgh airport, while recent polls suggest Rendell is potentially vulnerable. Slightly more than 40 percent of Pennsylvanians surveyed in a recent Keystone State poll said Rendell and Santorum were doing a good or excellent job.

All three incumbents could have enhanced their prospects, however, by appearing to have fought hard to preserve Pennsylvania military facilities during the BRAC process, said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College. Even the Willow Grove closing is unlikely to substantially hurt any of them, he said.

"Both Santorum and Rendell appeared at these facilities and argued they were going to fight to the very last man," Madonna said. "They even took the federal government to court. ... If voters are convinced they're working hard, I think it helps them."

Republican consultant Bill Green said the decision to keep the 911th open in Pittsburgh might help Murphy and Santorum in particular next year, although mainly because they avoided a base closure that would have given ammunition to their opponents.

"I don't think there are any losers or winners in this," Green said.

"The state basically had a lot of success [last week] and a whole bunch of other states didn't."

The stakes for Pennsylvania politicians were certainly less than for colleagues like Republican freshman Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who campaigned last year against then-Minority Leader Tom Daschle on the promise that his ties to the Bush administration would keep open Ellsworth Air Force Base. The base commission spared the facility, which is the state's second largest employer.

Nor would the impact of any set of decisions about Pennsylvania's bases have been as great as in Maine, where Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia J, Snowe fought against Pentagon proposals to move 7,000 jobs out of the state. The commission agreed to save Maine's largest base, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, but it voted to shrink others.

Thune, Snowe, Collins and other lawmakers went so far as to file a bill to delay the entire BRAC process, which they no doubt would have been pressing hard if they had lost more facilities last week at the hands of the BRAC commissioners.

Despite facing less significant consequences, Pennsylvania officials from both political parties nevertheless contend that they lobbied with just as much ferocity.

Rendell, Santorum and Republican Sen. Arlen Specter even took the rare step of suing the defense secretary for trying to deactivate Willow Grove's Air National Guard unit without the governor's consent. As a result, the loss of the overall Willow Grove facility on Friday was sweetened by their winning the first round in federal court with a ruling that for now will keep open the guard unit.

At the moment, even those Pennsylvania politicians who are likely to become vociferous adversaries as the campaign season advances -- such as Rendell and Santorum -- are complimenting one another's work in helping to preserve at least some of the state military installations that the Pentagon wanted to close.

This wasn't the case back in May when the Pentagon disclosed that Willow Grove was marked for closure. At that time, Democrats attacked Santorum for stating in April during a visit to a Pennsylvania Army Depot that "Willow Grove has an encroachment problem [with its neighboring community], which puts them in the firing line."

The day the Pentagon's hit list was released, Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney said the "responsibility for Willow Grove Naval Station lies squarely at the feet of Rick Santorum" and that Santorum's "negative comments about Willow Grove ... gave political cover to the people deciding whether it should be shut down." Santorum and other Republicans described the charge as ridiculous.

Rooney could not be reached for comment during the weekend, but Rendell praised Santorum's work in a telephone interview Friday and said he did not think the BRAC decisions should become part of any political campaigns next year.

"I'm a good Democrat and a strong supporter of [Santorum challenger] Bob Casey" Rendell said. "But let me say that all of the delegation, and that includes both senators, did everything possible. ... They couldn't have done a better job."

Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, made it clear that Democrats are likely to raise the closure of Willow Grove in the Santorum-Casey race, anyway.

"Santorum made comments that a number of people consider to have undermined the delegation's efforts to save Willow Grove," Singer said. "What he was doing [in recent months] was playing a game of political catch up... . A last minute scramble to cover up for a glaring error of judgment doesn't fix the problem."

Santorum maintains that he always has devoted his efforts to keeping Willow Grove open and dismissed his opponents' interpretation of his April comments about the base.

"All the elected officials did everything we could, and then some, to try to represent the state as best we could," Santorum said Friday. "I'm not going to be contributing to any potshots against any of my colleagues on either side of the aisle, but that doesn't mean my opponent won't use it."

Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager, said in an e-mail response over the weekend that "now is not the time to comment on the individual performances of elected officials, but instead to stand "united behind Gov. Rendell's efforts."

Madonna said Santorum could improve his chances against Casey if he continues to emphasize local bread-and-butter issues, such as working to prevent the base closures.

(Maeve Reston can be reached at mreston@nationalpress.com or 202-488-3479)"

Santorum Slip Cost Pa the Willow Grove Jobs

2005-08-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

State GOP says 'Bite me' - PittsburghLIVE.com

2005-08-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

State GOP says 'Bite me' - PittsburghLIVE.com: "State GOP says 'Bite me'

By Colin McNickle
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, August 28, 2005

The Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania already is on a slippery slope for allowing its silence to endorse the legislative pay-jacking and the GOP smear campaign against raise opponents. Now it has broken out the hose to water another slope.
Thursday last, the GOP filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. (Apropos to the blinders it wears, it couldn't even get the name right, calling it the Federal Election Committee in a news release.) The state GOP committee questions the legality of an advertising campaign being used to promote the merger of Scranton's daily newspapers, The Times and The Tribune.

Republican leaders say the ads promote something far more nefarious.

Knicker-knotted Republicans are upset over a mock headline used on a mock newspaper in a TV, billboard and bus placard campaign. Since the mock headline -- "Casey to run for Senate" -- never appeared in the newspapers, the GOP sees this as a violation of federal campaign finance laws that prohibit corporate donations.

Goodness knows this newspaper is no big fan of Bobby Casey Jr. He's a decent enough fella who's the son of a decent enough late governor. But not only does Junior hang too far left for our senatorial tastes, he's too much of a Freddie Mercury (you know, the late lead singer of the band Queen) in a pinstripe suit. That is, he looks like he can rock but once he opens his mouth, he rolls around rather aimlessly.

But the GOP complaint is idiocy incarnate. And should the FEC side with such addlepated anoesis, three constitutional freedoms -- press, association and speech -- will be seriously undermined.

"What we are taking issue with is the fact that the (newspaper) used corporate dollars to promote a candidate," a state committee official says.

And even though these political-legal wunderkinds say the GOP fight is not about articles, editorials or columns -- just advertising -- it's hilariously naive, or just plain stupid, to think that such a line is not in danger of obliteration. When bottom lines are calculated, by the way, articles, editorials and columns also are underwritten by "corporate dollars."

Extrapolating the kind of logic that the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania employs, expect Democrats to soon file a complaint with the FEC asking it to rule on whether "The Scranton Times-Tribune" flag atop each and every daily paper is an illegal corporate campaign contribution -- to the prospective gubernatorial candidacy of Bill Scranton.

And what about this: If this newspaper had run a similar ad campaign headlining a fact about Rick Santorum -- say, "Santorum to seek re-election" -- would the altruistic GOP committee have filed a complaint with the FEC against us? Don't bet on it.

And another thing: This election is 15 months away.

Among the rationales the state Republican committee cites in defense of its FEC complaint is that the Scranton newspaper "never ran the headline it's using in the advertising campaign."

So what? It's advertising. And we all know faithful representation and advertising aren't exactly twin sisters.

The newspaper "has admitted that the headline is a fake," the GOP says. A "fake" headline in an advertising campaign? God forbid that Madison Avenue employs artistic license, eh?

And then there's this "indisputable fact" from the state committee: The Scranton newspaper purchased these advertisements "to promote ... Bobby Casey's candidacy."

Sorry, gang, but this "fact" is disputable: the newspaper's executives say it's simply not true. There's no evidence to suggest otherwise. And even the same high-ranking GOP official who's squawking "Illegal! Illegal!" over the ad admits the "aid" to the Casey campaign could be "unintentional."

The real clincher for the Republicans' FEC complaint is that the Scranton newspaper's publishers have given more than $100,000 to Casey family campaign causes over the years.

Well, by golly, there you have it. Let's string 'em up, why don't we, for perfectly legal political speech that has nothing to do with promoting its product by exploiting a hometown name.

How the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania makes the leap from that to "illegal corporate campaign contribution" is a study in a committee with either too little real work to do or a complete lack of understanding about what its work is.

From this scrivener's vantage point -- with this silly FEC complaint and the committee's tacit support of GOP pay-jackers and henchmen seeking to smear the pay-jackers' critics -- it's both.

The real kicker here is that GOP-types insist they are "not attacking free speech." But that's exactly what they're doing. And it will come back to bite them.

Colin McNickle is the Trib's director of editorial pages. Ring him at (412) 320-7836. E-mail him at: cmcnickle@tribweb.com."

HoustonChronicle.com - Hines: "Santorum is down in blip territory"

2005-08-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

HoustonChronicle.com - Hines:Yet more politicians learn what familiarity can breed: "Another Republican presidential prospect, Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, is already in a helluva re-election contest and uniformly, even in Republican polling, trails his Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Robert Casey Jr. (son of a former governor).

"He's been behind all year," said G. Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College. "He's got a serious re-election problem." A defeat at home would ice even Santorum's most ardent supporters nationally in the conservative "values" cohort. At any rate, Santorum is down in blip territory in most presidential polls."

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Leesburg Va.Welcomes Risky Biochemical Weapons To Pittsburgh Area

2005-08-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

Pa. Politics: Pa. Politics: Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Leesburg Va.Welcomes Risky Biochemical Weapons To Pittsburgh Area: "Pa. Politics: Mixed news on 911th - Pittsburgh Area Loses Jobs and Santorum Powerless To Help:

Sen. Rick Santorum who lives in Leesburg Va. has trade Pa jobs for highly dangerous Biochemical Weapons for the Pittsburgh Area. A minor spill has the potential to Kill 435,000 people in Pennsylvania.

"Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn Hills, said he was disappointed with the vote to close Willow Grove but said the new mission at Moon holds growth potential, given the biochemical technology in the area.

"I'm not at all disappointed with this recommendation," Santorum said. "In my mind, it's almost a best-case scenario because it gives us a new mission that can grow.""

Pennsylvania Candidate Lies Low in Race (While Santorum Founders)

2005-08-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania Candidate Lies Low in Race: "Pennsylvania Candidate Lies Low in Race

By KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 24, 2005; 7:32 PM

ASPINWALL, Pa. -- Determined to take down conservative Sen. Rick Santorum, Democrats recruited a candidate who resembles him in many ways.

Like Santorum, Bob Casey Jr. is Roman Catholic, fortysomething and opposed to abortion.

Bob Casey Jr. campaigns for the U.S. Senate in Johnstown, Pa. in a Thursday Aug. 18, 2005 photo. Determined to take down conservative Sen. Rick Santorum, Democrats recruited a candidate who resembles him in many ways. Like Santorum, Bob Casey Jr. is Roman Catholic, fortysomething and opposed to abortion. (AP Photo/ J.D. Cavrich) (J D Cavrich - AP)
But Casey is nowhere near as outspoken as Santorum, and that appears to be helping him the most in a race that is sure to be one of the most expensive and hard-fought elections in 2006.

Casey has produced better early poll numbers by largely remaining out of the spotlight this summer, leaving Santorum to do the talking _ and writing.

He left Santorum to pitch President Bush's Social Security proposals that have received a lukewarm response and later to talk up his new book, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good," on one talk show after another. Casey even put a video clip of one of Santorum's TV appearances on his Web site.

Santorum has been expounding on everything from feminists (he says they undervalue motherhood) to public school classrooms (he says grouping kids all of the same age with a single adult produces a "weird socialization.") His book compares abortion rights to slaveholder rights.

Santorum, one of Bush's foot soldiers and the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said people might not support him on every issue, but they know exactly where he stands.

"People know what I stand for and why I stand for it," Santorum said during a break from his book appearance here outside Pittsburgh. "I don't think that's the case with my opponent."

Casey, the son of a former governor, served eight years as state auditor general before getting elected treasurer last year.

But despite his overwhelming success in November, Casey will have to overcome his reputation as a lackluster campaigner to beat Santorum. He suffered a tough loss in 2002 in the gubernatorial primary to Ed Rendell, now governor _ a race that analysts say showed him to be a less-than-dynamic campaigner.

"That's why Rendell mopped up the floor with him," said Robert Maranto, a political science professor at Villanova University. "He's charisma-challenged. He's not as quick-witted as Santorum. He doesn't come off as well."

In a recent phone interview from his car on the way to a picnic, Casey briefly discussed his strategy for a race that could cost a combined $50 million.

"I'm going to be focused on Pennsylvania's priorities, not Washington politics and the scorched-earth partisanship and the intolerant ideology that you see too much of in Washington," he said. "Frankly, Sen. Santorum's been a big part of that, and it's all about divide and conquer and pulling people apart instead of bringing them together."

Santorum has been busy this summer honing his skills while making the rounds on TV, from C-SPAN to "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

Santorum wrote his book as a counterpoint to Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1996 book, "It Takes a Village." It has sold more than 40,000 copies, according to the publisher, ISI Books.

"What happened in America so that mothers and fathers who leave their children in the care of someone else ... find themselves more affirmed by society?" Santorum wrote. "Here, we can thank the influence of radical feminism, one of the core philosophies of the village elders."

The book also delves into a topic Santorum never shies away from _ abortion.

"This was tried once before in America, when the liberty and happiness rights of the slaveholder were put over the life and liberty rights of the slave. But unlike abortion today, in most states even the slaveholder did not have unlimited right to kill his slave," Santorum wrote.

Pennsylvania has about 500,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans but has been a tough state to master politically. It has a Democratic governor and voted for John Kerry last year. But a majority of its national elected officials are Republican, and it has some of the most conservative abortion laws in the country.

Casey's opposition to abortion strips Santorum of the monopoly he has had on the issue; polls show Pennsylvania is about evenly divided on whether abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Another key issue in the campaign could be Iraq _ more than 90 Pennsylvanians have been killed in the war.

Neil Cohen, 62, a law firm employee, said he worked on Santorum's last campaign, but on a day the senator was in this Pittsburgh suburb to sign copies of his book, Cohen said he could no longer back him.

"This nation was founded on religion, but it's not run on religion and I believe he's attempting to now and he will attempt to run this nation on a religious basis," Cohen said.

Ken Heiss, 64, who came out for one of Santorum's book-signings, said he likes the fact that Santorum makes his positions clear.

"I know what he prefers for himself, but he doesn't go around telling other people they have to be that way," said Heiss, president of a computer firm."

Black Entertainment | Santorum Gay? Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2005-08-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Black Entertainment | Black News | Urban News: "JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Gay Bullies
By Joseph C. Phillips

(August 18, 2005)
Last week, gay activist Mike Rogers, the editor of pageoneQ.com, reported that Robert Traynham, Deputy Chief of Staff for conservative senator Rick Santorum, confirmed that he was in fact a homosexual. Santorum, the third ranking Republican in the senate, is known for his staunch pro-family views. Rogers defended his actions explaining that he is “only interested in exposing people, regardless of party, who are gay and enabling anti-gay politicians to deny us basic civil rights.” What remains unclear is who appointed Rogers the arbiter of what is or is not in the gay and lesbian community’s best interest.

The idea of “outing” or disclosing personal information for political gain is little more than cheap gangsterism. Rogers and those who support his methods seek to extort through fear what they cannot win through reason. They demonize those who disagree with them and impugn the characters of those who will not fall into ideological step all the while turning bigotry on its’ head.

Santorum, a devout Catholic, is not anti-gay nor is he attempting to deny “basic civil rights” to homosexuals. He, along with an overwhelming majority of Americans, simply believes in the primacy of traditional marriage and does not believe homosexuality should be preached in our schools. Rogers and other gay activists are free to disagree with this view, but it hardly amounts to denying anyone their civil rights.

Oddly enough, if anyone is guilty of a transgression of rights it is Rogers who violated Mr. Traynham’s right to privacy and moreover feels he has the right to violate anyone’s private life with impunity.

There is also a lack of compassion and outright intolerance on the part of Rogers and his supporters that is disturbing. Rick Santorum is accused of being anti-gay, but it is not the senator who is consumed with Traynham’s sexual orientation. That distinction belongs to Mike Rogers.

Santorum views Traynham as a man and has judged him purely on the merits of his work and character, which by all accounts have been exemplary. In the eight years Traynham has worked for the senator, he has enjoyed the confidence of his employer and the respect of his coworkers. He has been promoted up the ladder and is currently the number two staffer in the office. Furthermore, he has been effective at giving the senator a different perspective on issues relating to the gay community and in many instances, caused the senator to rethink a position. In effect, he is enjoying the kind of life gay activists claim is being denied them.

Rogers on the other hand sees Traynham only through the lens of his sexual orientation and color. No matter that Traynham was named one of the 50 most powerful staffers on Capital hill; no matter that he is involved in his community or dedicated to his family. No matter what he accomplishes through hard work and perseverance, in the eyes of the radical gay left he will never be anything else, but a homosexual. That seems a fairly accurate definition of bigotry.

Rogers and the gay left live by the creed that harassment, prejudice and intimidation are acceptable so long as it is for the noble cause of the furtherance of their agenda. That is not the creed of a lover of tolerance and brotherhood. It is a bully’s credo and has no place in our public debate.

Funny thing is Traynham has been “out” since he was 20-years-old. He didn’t hide it but nor did he shout it from the rooftops. His co-workers knew he was gay, his friends and family knew he was gay. In other words he was “out” on his terms in the same way most heterosexuals are “out” about their personal lives. And isn’t that the way it outta be?

Joseph C. Phillips is an actor/writer with a conservative bent based in Los Angeles. His column appears regularly in several newspapers and he is a regular commentator on News and Notes with Ed Gordon on NPR and has a book due out from Running Press next October. Contact him at: Joseph@josephcphillips.com"

"unlike Santorum... Casey is "the most decent man I know." - Los Angeles Times

2005-08-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Santorum, Casey Race in National Spotlight - Los Angeles Times: "Casey received the most votes of any candidate in state history in the treasurer's race in November. But he's also had some tough defeats, such as his 2002 loss to Gov. Ed Rendell in the gubernatorial primary.

"Casey is not a good campaigner. That's why Rendell mopped up the floor with him. He's charisma challenged. He's not as quick witted as Santorum. He doesn't come off as well," Maranto said.

But unlike Santorum, whom former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, called arrogant, Hoeffel said Casey is "the most decent man I know."

"He's very down to earth. He's very direct. He does not have an overpowering ego," said Hoeffel, a Democrat who considered challenging Santorum.

Pennsylvania, with a mix of urban and rural demographics, has proven a tough state to master politically. There are about 500,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.

The state has a Democratic governor and went for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election, but a majority of its national elected officials are Republican. It has some of the most conservative abortion laws in the country.

Like Santorum, Casey is Catholic. He has four children; Santorum has six. According to a Quinnipiac University poll from July 13, 53 percent of Pennsylvanians said abortion should be legal in either all or most cases.

By selecting a candidate who is against abortion, Santorum does not have an advantage by saying he supports family values, said Randall Miller, professor of history at St. Joseph's University.

"The monopoly that Republicans have been able to claim on some of these issues that seem to mobilize voters over the last several elections, that monopoly does not exist in Pennsylvania with Bob Casey Jr.," Miller said."

Casey Rejects Santorum's "scorched earth partisanship and the intolerant ideology "- Los Angeles Times

2005-08-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Santorum, Casey Race in National Spotlight - Los Angeles Times: "Casey, who served two four-year terms as state auditor general, said he offers a different approach for Pennsylvania.

"I'm going to be focused on Pennsylvania's priorities, not Washington politics and the scorched earth partisanship and the intolerant ideology that you see too much of in Washington," Casey told the AP in a phone interview from his car. "Frankly, Sen. Santorum's been a big part of that, and it's all about divide and conquer and pulling people apart instead of bringing them together.""

Attacks Trail Sen. Rick Santorum As Democratic Challenger Robert Casey Jr. Advances in Polls

2005-08-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Santorum, Casey race in national spotlight: "Attacks Trail Sen. Rick Santorum As Democratic Challenger Robert Casey Jr. Advances in Polls
Sunday, August 14, 2005 12:42:27 PM
Sen. Rick Santorum is a rising Republican star Democrats desperately want to take down in 2006. So far, they say he is making their job easy.

Santorum, a conservative from Pennsylvania who is chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, can't seem to avoid negative attacks even as he promotes his new book, "It Takes a Family."

State treasurer Robert Casey Jr., his likely Democratic opponent, is ahead in state polls. He's quietly raising millions for what is expected to be the closest Senate race in 2006.

Casey, like Santorum, opposes abortion, and he has name recognition from his late father, Gov. Robert P. Casey. He was recruited to run by national party leaders seeking to take out a Republican Party leader.

"This is going to be a race that's going to be viewed as a national referendum. This is a nationalized Senate race," said David Thornburgh, executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Santorum, an energetic and tenacious politician, in recent weeks has earned the ire of liberals for comments in his book, which criticizes feminism for instilling in women that it is more gratifying to work outside the home than stay home with children. It also compares abortion to slavery.

The book is ranked 13th on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 40,000 copies, according to the publisher, ISI Books.

Democrats accused him of flip-flopping recently when he said he had no intention of running for president in 2008; then, two days later, he said he was going to leave open the possibility.

Earlier this summer, he was criticized for meeting with Terri Schiavo's parents in Florida before her death. And, in a rare attack on the Senate floor, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy lashed out on Santorum for a column he wrote three years ago linking Boston's liberalism to the sex abuse scandal in its Catholic diocese.

Santorum's rhetoric has alienated some voters like Neil Cohen, 62, of Pittsburgh, a conservative who worked on Santorum's last campaign, who says he'll vote against him next year.

"This nation was founded on religion, but it's not run on religion and I believe he's attempting to now and he will attempt to run this nation on a religious basis," said Cohen, who works at a law firm.

Santorum said people might not support him on every issue, but he's a known quantity who delivers for Pennsylvania.

"People know what I stand for and why I stand for it," Santorum told The Associated Press recently in an interview at the Aspinwall Bookstore outside Pittsburgh where he was promoting his book. "I don't think that's the case with my opponent."

Casey, who served two four-year terms as state auditor general, said he offers a different approach for Pennsylvania.

"I'm going to be focused on Pennsylvania's priorities, not Washington politics and the scorched earth partisanship and the intolerant ideology that you see too much of in Washington," Casey told the AP in a phone interview from his car. "Frankly, Sen. Santorum's been a big part of that, and it's all about divide and conquer and pulling people apart instead of bringing them together."

Santorum has said he expects to raise $25 million for the campaign. Between April and June, he raised $3.6 million and reported $5.7 million cash on hand. Casey reported raising $1.9 million in the period, and had $1.6 million cash on hand.

People who have written Santorum off underestimate what a tough campaigner he is, said Robert Maranto, a political science professor at Villanova University

"It's funny how many people have told me the race is over. It's a year out. It's way out," Maranto said. "Santorum is one of those guys like Bill Clinton, like Richard Nixon, who will do anything to win."

Santorum's style appeals to some voters who like that he's a straight shooter. Ken Heiss, 64, of Mount Washington, said Santorum is misunderstood.

"I know what he prefers for himself, but he doesn't go around telling other people they have to be that way," said Heiss, president of Spectrum Computer Inc., who stood in line to have Santorum sign his book.

Casey received the most votes of any candidate in state history in the treasurer's race in November. But he's also had some tough defeats, such as his 2002 loss to Gov. Ed Rendell in the gubernatorial primary.

"Casey is not a good campaigner. That's why Rendell mopped up the floor with him. He's charisma challenged. He's not as quick witted as Santorum. He doesn't come off as well," Maranto said.

But unlike Santorum, whom former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, called arrogant, Hoeffel said Casey is "the most decent man I know."

"He's very down to earth. He's very direct. He does not have an overpowering ego," said Hoeffel, a Democrat who considered challenging Santorum.

Pennsylvania, with a mix of urban and rural demographics, has proven a tough state to master politically. There are about 500,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.

The state has a Democratic governor and went for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election, but a majority of its national elected officials are Republican. It has some of the most conservative abortion laws in the country.

Like Santorum, Casey is Catholic. He has four children; Santorum has six. According to a Quinnipiac University poll from July 13, 53 percent of Pennsylvanians said abortion should be legal in either all or most cases.

By selecting a candidate who is against abortion, Santorum does not have an advantage by saying he supports family values, said Randall Miller, professor of history at St. Joseph's University.

"The monopoly that Republicans have been able to claim on some of these issues that seem to mobilize voters over the last several elections, that monopoly does not exist in Pennsylvania with Bob Casey Jr.," Miller said."

Del. state trooper helps enforce Rick Santorum's 'family' values - Barnes and Noble has Coed's Arrested

2005-08-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

www.delawareonline.com � The News Journal � Del. state trooper helps enforce Rick Santorum's 'family' values: "Del. state trooper helps enforce Rick Santorum's 'family' values
08/14/2005U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, the Republican from Pennsylvania, espouses many controversial views -- that women shouldn't work outside the home, that legalizing gay marriage would lead to legalizing polygamy and bestiality, that government should discourage birth control.

He's even written a book, "It Takes a Family," to spread his viewpoint.

Understandably, people who disagree would like to tell him so. But, as several teenagers and some of their parents found out last week, trying to do that in Delaware could land you in jail. Santorum appeared at the Barnes & Noble bookstore adjacent to Concord Mall on U.S. 202 Wednesday night for what was billed as a book signing and discussion. College students Stacey Galperin and Miriam Rocek of Newark decided to attend to hear what he had to say.

"I knew about him from his promotion of the federal marriage amendment," said Rocek, 19. "I thought I would go and just talk to him during the book signing, tell him I disagreed with a lot of his policies, just engage him in dialogue."

Hannah Shaffer, an 18-year-old from Glen Mills, Pa., who graduated in June from Garnet Valley High School, and several friends had the same idea.

"When I got there about 6 o'clock, a group of young people had congregated," Shaffer said. The handful of Garnet Valley students and the girls from Newark started talking about the event, and someone joked about having Santorum sign a book by a gay author.

That drew the attention of someone on Santorum's advance team.

According to Shaffer, the woman "called them shameful and said she was disgusted by the reasons they were there, that they should be there to support [Santorum]."

"Rick Santorum's security team felt they were going to be a security threat and asked them to leave," said Amanda Winnington, the community relations manager for the Barnes & Noble store.

The security, however, wasn't provided by a private guard, but by off-duty Delaware State Police Sgt. Michael DiJiacomo, who was hired for the occasion through a private security service. No official report of the incident was filed because no arrests were made, but state police spokesman Lt. Joe Aviola said, "As I understand it, they actually were being disorderly within the store. Someone overheard them saying they were going to cause a disruption."

That's not quite the version the teens related. "I heard [DiJiacomo] ask the woman, 'Do you want me to get rid of them,?' " Galperin said. "I went to tell the kids the cop was going to kick them out, and he was very pushy. He came up to us and said, 'If you don't leave you'll be arrested, and if you can't post bail you'll be put in prison.' He said it was private property and we would be arrested for trespassing."

When the girls protested that they hadn't done anything, DiJiacomo told them they were under arrest. After taking them from the store, Galperin said, "He told Miriam to put her hands on the car and kept telling us, 'You're going to embarrass your family, you won't get into college with this on your record.' "

After checking their identification, though, DiJiacomo let the two college students leave.

The younger teens, meanwhile, had gone to Concord Mall to call their parents to pick them up. When Hannah's mother, Heidi Shaffer, arrived, DiJiacomo had told the teens they were banned indefinitely not only from the bookstore but the entire mall next door.

"He told me this wasn't the time or place for these kids to protest," Heidi Shaffer said. "He [also] told me if any of the children was arrested I would have to appear in court, and that I could not take any of the kids into the store unless I wanted to be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. I said I wanted to talk to the Barnes & Noble management, and he said it's not up to the management, that Barnes & Noble had no authority.

"What he told me was, 'They don't want you there,' that it was all under the direction of Santorum. Maybe he was making it up, because I called Santorum's people and they've denied it to me, but I got the impression they didn't want anyone there who didn't agree with him."

Barnes & Noble's Winnington confirmed that only customers who had a receipt for Santorum's book were allowed near him.

Officials of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Greenville, which published Santorum's book, did not return calls for comment.

"These are all honor students," Heidi Shaffer said. "It was unconscionable. I don't know when they passed a law in Delaware that said you can't have a cup of coffee and discuss your opposition to a book."

They haven't yet, but give them time.

Al Mascitti's weblog, First Statements, appears at www.delawareonline.com. Contact him at 324-2866 or amascitti@delawareonline.com."

Santorum Henchmen Play Dirty With The Scranton Times (Shame on you Rick!)

2005-08-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/13/2005 | GOP accuses newspaper of boosting Casey with ad blitz: "Posted on Sat, Aug. 13, 2005

GOP accuses newspaper of boosting Casey with ad blitz

The Democrat's name appears in headlines on mock front pages of the Scranton Times-Tribune on buses and billboards.

By Carrie Budoff

Inquirer Staff Writer

It might just have faded like any other promotional campaign.

The newly merged Scranton Times-Tribune wanted to call attention to itself with advertisements that appear this summer on TV, billboards and buses. The ads featured a mock newspaper with a banner headline: "Casey to run for Senate."

But at issue now - unfolding against the backdrop of a high-profile U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey Jr. - is whether the ads are a harmless promotion for a business or a possible campaign-finance violation.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee said yesterday that the ads could be illegal corporate contributions that unfairly benefit the Democrat. They also called Casey's ties to the publisher's family troubling because family members have donated more than $120,000 to Casey and his brother, Pat.

Lawrence K. Beaupre, the newspaper's managing editor, who said he came up with the promotion, rejected the Republicans' charge. And Casey's campaign manager, Jay Reiff, said the GOP was "chasing conspiracy theories."

The conflict reflects the early intensity of the 2006 Senate race, which will be one of the most watched in the nation. Although the election is 15 months away and the newspaper's promotional ad campaign will end later this month, any perceived leg-up for either side is not going unchallenged.

Northeastern Pennsylvania went for Santorum in 1994 and 2000, but next year could be tougher for him. The Casey name is a brand in the region, home to the family for decades.

"Everything we are seeing about this is very troubling," said Dan Ronayne, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "We are looking into what appears to be a very serious federal election-law issue for the newspaper and the Casey campaign."

The committee is considering filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, possibly asking for the Casey campaign to pay the cost of the ads.

The Federal Election Commission declined to comment on the dispute.

Campaign-finance experts say, in general, media companies enjoy a broad exemption under federal finance law, which otherwise prohibits corporate contributions or spending that benefit candidates. The media are permitted to publish or broadcast material about political campaigns without being subject to the same restrictions as other corporations.

The question, experts say, is whether the company crossed the line when it created a headline that was different from the one the newspaper used March 5 to report that Casey decided to enter the race for Senate. The headline that day said "Casey In, Hafer Out."

"With the headline being made up, it increases the likely criticism that they are not operating within the scope of their normal press and journalistic activities," said Jan Baran, a Republican election lawyer who is not involved in the matter.

Also at issue is whether the headline advocates Casey.

Republicans say yes. The newspaper says no.

"I don't see how a story announcing the candidacy of someone so well known here could influence someone's vote," Beaupre said. "It simply says he is going to run, which is something everyone here knows. It is a red herring."

Beaupre said he came up with the front-page prototype, which pulled together stories published on different days. He said he chose the Casey story because it was an "important local news story." He said he wrote a new headline to avoid using the original, which could have been confusing because it referred to another possible candidate, Barbara Hafer.

"The publisher had nothing to do with the prototype," he said. "I did it. They looked at it."

Publisher George V. Lynett and his family have donated at least $85,000 to Casey's state campaigns, according to finance records. The publisher's sister, Cecelia Haggerty, and her husband gave $4,200 to Casey's Senate campaign in March, according to federal records.

Casey's brother, Pat, received more than $40,000 during his two unsuccessful bids for a Scranton-area congressional seat.

The family's political contributions have been largely limited to the Casey family, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party ($15,000), and past Democratic opponents of Santorum's.

In 1989 and 1990, Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. wrote college letters of recommendation for Lynett and Haggerty children, according to the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission Web site.

Reiff said the family members were "great supporters."

"I hope they give us more" money, he said.

Reiff and Beaupre said they never discussed the promotion. Beaupre could not provide a cost estimate of the advertising, and a phone call to the paper's marketing department was not returned yesterday.

The Lynett family's company, Times-Shamrock Group, also owns the daily Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice. It is a direct competitor of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, which is owned by Knight Ridder, the parent company of The Inquirer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Carrie Budoff at 610-313-8211 or cbudoff@phillynews.com."

National Ledger - Rick Santorum in Trouble - By Robert Novak

2005-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

National Ledger - Rick Santorum in Trouble: "SANTORUM IN TROUBLE

Republican insiders in Washington fear that Sen. Rick Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, is in serious danger of losing his seat next year to his Democratic challenger, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob Casey, because of a poorly planned and ill-conceived campaign.

Grievances by Pennsylvania Republicans are piling up. One banking industry CEO in Pennsylvania offered Santorum a chance to visit his more than 3,000 employees. But the senator's campaign staff declined to immediately accept the invitation, explaining this group was not a "priority." Santorum is accused of not making sure to minimize the negative political fallout from his new book ("It Takes a Family"). A current Republican poll shows Casey 9 percentage points ahead of Santorum.

A footnote: Democratic consultant Paul Begala, who worked on the successful campaign for governor of Pennsylvania by the late Robert Casey Sr., may join the younger Casey's campaign for the Senate."

(DV) Goldsmith: Santorum accused of "Pervrsion"

2005-08-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

(DV) Goldsmith: Focus on the Father, Part Three -- Scapegoat: "Focus on the Father
Part Three: Scapegoat
by Patricia Goldsmith
www.dissidentvoice.org
August 10, 2005

Democrats seem only to believe in means -- policies, tactics, rules. This would include the Democratic Leadership Council’s fixation on triangulation; only last week Al From insisted that there has never been a liberal majority in this country.

Delicacy prevented him from adding the understood “and there never will be.” The problem is, the words liberal and conservative no longer have any intelligible meaning whatsoever, just as the concept of compromise no longer has any meaning. If liberals are those who believe in means, above all -- and there is no shame in it; democracy is, after all, a process, and progressives know you have to start wherever you are -- we are in big trouble right now. Because a rule-based attitude will not work against a powerful, wealthy movement that firmly believes that the ends justify the means.

One of those means is scapegoating. Rush Limbaugh detected kindred spirits in the gang at Abu Ghraib -- those frat house pranksters who just needed to “blow off a little steam.” Like a lot of people, he really seemed to enjoy their practical jokes. But since the so-called torture really was just pranks, it also stands to reason that no one else in the chain of command was involved. One wonders how Lynndie England had the prescience to bring so many black hoods and dog leashes with her to Iraq.

Here at home, in the Culture War, the scapegoating started immediately after September 11, when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell blamed the catastrophe on “the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, the gays and the lesbians . . . the ACLU, People for the American way,” etc. Courts and judges are also very much to blame: “Modern US Supreme Courts have raped the Constitution and raped the Christian faith,” Falwell believes. And the right, despite some superficial denials, has pretty much stuck with that analysis.

Scapegoating is, in origin, a religious ritual. The children of Israel would put heavy packs on the back of a goat and chase it out into the wilderness, where it would die under the burden of the community’s sins. The purpose of the ritual was to provide a catharsis for the people, as they whipped the poor animal and themselves into a frenzy, and, more importantly, to allow them to continue on doing whatever it was that made them feel so guilty with a light heart. A more modern word for scapegoating might be projection.

People like Senator Rick Santorum, for example, are projecting their own perversions onto the gay population. Santorum believes that -- let me get this exactly right, now --people have no more right to gay sex than they do to bestiality and incest. There can be no right to privacy where crimes are concerned. Period. Homosexuality is a crime to those who believe in Santorum’s version of Biblical law, and the theocracy based on that law. Most Americans really have no idea what Biblical law is all about, and we ought to help them start thinking about it. We could start by thinking about Senator Rick Santorum. When Santorum’s wife suffered a miscarriage, they took the fetus home to introduce to its brothers and sisters, before the burial. He has written a highly instructive book called It Takes a Family.

That is why it is extremely disturbing to read in an article in The Nation called “Beyond Gay Marriage” that authors Richard Kim and Lisa Duggan believe that by engaging in the marriage debate only in terms of “gay rights,” both the gay movement and the Democratic Party have put themselves in a compromised and losing position. Faced with an aggressive marriage movement that has skillfully stoked and manipulated anxiety about same-sex marriage, progressive Democrats and gays must come together to reframe the issue as part of a larger campaign for household democracy and security, a campaign that responds to the diverse ways Americans actually structure their intimate lives.

It is hard to believe that there are still those on the left who believe they can wonk their way out of the Culture War.

Duggan and Kim go on to analyze exactly why, when everything else is trending in favor of gay rights, gay marriage is such a winning issue for Bush Republicans. They cite neoliberal economic policies, which have strained families. Gay marriage, then, is put forward as a proxy for the security of the family, which is many people’s last economic resort. Therefore, QED, people saw these anti-gay-marriage amendments as referenda on the issue of “household security.”

I find that analysis strained. It is true that families are under attack. It is also true that marriage is a very powerful icon, one that easily arouses strong emotions -- and the easiness of the emotion has a lot to do with the fact that referenda on things like marriage and the flag seem, to the vast majority of voters, to be entirely without cost, beyond the emotion. Nevertheless, isn’t it clear that at a point in time when everything is rapidly changing beyond understanding or comprehension, that marriage, one of the oldest of human traditions, is a powerful magnet for the fantasy of going back in time? Back to a simpler era when problems, no matter how bad, could be identified and resolved. Gay people become icons of hostility toward household security, yes, but the intermediate step is that we are icons of rapid, uncontrollable change.

Which is just a polite way of saying that Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell have found a way to blame 9/11 on the pagans and the abortionists and the gays and the lesbians. The marriage amendments, brilliantly, put whole electorates into an us-versus-them position, simply by virtue of the fact that Republican legislatures across the country, acting in lock-step, passed the initiatives to be put on ballots. The initiatives were presented to the electorate as purely symbolic, but immediately afterward Republican attorneys-general moved, again in lock-step, to use these initiatives to roll back decades of rights, and not just for gay people. The very act of taking away basic rights implicates all those who voted for the initiatives, conditioning and desensitizing them to the harm that is being done. That’s a lot of people who’ve already taken one step in a very bad direction.

What we are fighting here is fundamentalist religion. In political terms, religion is an emotion, an authentic, deep emotion. You cannot fight it with “rational” belief systems, science or fact, which is one reason why Republicans have become the anti-science party. Under the tutelage of Bill Kristol, conservatives re-framed creationism and made it something called Intelligent Design. They have done nothing less than reverse the Scopes trial defeat of 80 years ago. They’re re-writing history, and this time the Bible wins! George Bush went on the campaign trail to spread the good news right before he went on his five-week summer vacation.

You certainly cannot fight this with policy. The only way the left can fight this emerging proto-fascist theocracy is with emotion. Real emotion.

The emotional tone people respond to in Bush Republicanism is sadism. Right now, that passes for courage. Moreover, George Bush doesn’t advocate that sadism; he embodies it. Whatever lies he may tell, whatever twists his “policies” may take, the characteristic cruelty is always there, palpable in every twitch of his eyes and roll of his shoulders. The fact that two-thirds of the American people recently said they find him “strong and likable” is profoundly disturbing.

Paul Hackett obviously embodied something real in the recent special election in Ohio: the authentic position of the American soldier in Iraq. From a policy perspective, it is impossible to understand how an anti-war position could lead to a man signing on for another tour of duty in Iraq. But it is surely obvious to the least empathetic among us that the people who are actually fighting this war are in an emotionally conflicted position. They are committed, but to each other, not to the war itself.

The worry is that the DLC and the congressional Democratic leadership will take their lesson from Hackett’s confused policies rather than from his passionate advocacy for American troops, and thereby, once again, manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. “Too much, too fast, too soon,” Dianne Feinstein clucked about gay marriage (The Nation, above) in a formulation whose cadence is oddly reminiscent of “wrong war, wrong place, wrong time.”

Because the Democratic Party has abandoned vulnerable constituencies, because it refuses even to acknowledge the need for strident political opposition, right now Republicans are on a shopping spree buying up tokens from traditionally Democratic groups. That is exactly what Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman went to the NAACP conference to do. I don’t know whether he apologized for George W. Bush’s absence -- that might be an unacceptable show of weakness -- but he did sincerely apologize for Republicans’ racist southern strategy before pitching good old fashioned homophobia to a welcoming black audience. Mehlman not only made the pitch, he embodied it: as a gay man, he showed just how far a token can go under George Bush.

Tokenism is one of the most effective tactics the Grand Old Party has going for it. When people start to get a little bit uncomfortable, they can always think about a Mehlman, or Santorum’s chief of staff, or Condi Rice, or Karen Hughes, and think, how bad could it be?

It was the Terri Schiavo affair, and the spectacle of the rightwing openly stirring up hatred and interfering in very private family matters, that started to make the masses queasy. It also highlighted the extreme disproportion between the roiling rage of the right and the virtual non-response of the left.

Events on so-called Justice Sunday revealed to many mainstream Americans for the first time the murderous hatred fueling this very real war. With respect to “activist liberal judges,” there was even approving talk about “no man, no problem.” The Stalin solution. Just kill them. And let us never forget, all this animosity is directed toward judges only because judges stand between the wingnuts and their most hated enemies, the lesbians, the feminists, the pagans, etc. The end result of this violent campaign was that a group of the most unqualified, Constitution-hating radicals you could ever imagine now have lifetime seats on key federal benches. And the left found a way to save the filibuster.

In this context, reframing is just another excuse for not fighting.

What we can do, without recourse to our entrenched and self-defeating leadership, is take up our own causes as vehemently as the right has taken up theirs, including constitutional amendment initiatives. Jesse Jackson, Jr., has three such proposals that should be front and center right now. One guarantees an equal right to a high quality public education for all. When divorce rates are climbing because of lack of education, this is a pro-marriage position. Another amendment concerns the right to vote, which is not mandated in our Constitution, as the Supreme Court kindly pointed out when they decided Bush v. Gore in Mr. Bush’s favor. The right to vote is under attack, and we need to yell that from every main street in America. And, finally, Jackson proposes to make access to high quality health care a constitutional guarantee, a move that would rescue the working and middle classes from extinction.

These are amendments that would not shame the Bill of Rights. Jackson’s theme is, Toward a more perfect union: Abe Lincoln would be proud.

Jackson argues that we must focus on rights, because what we’re building is not one candidate, or campaign, or even a coherent, long-term policy platform. We are building a grassroots movement. Jackson knows that gay people, black people, people who believe in peace and justice and the environment, true Christians and all those who live by the Golden Rule, are eager to be in the forefront of this fight. We know we have no choice. We only demand that there be a fight.

Patricia Goldsmith is a member of Long Island Media Watch, a grassroots free media and democracy watchdog group. She can be reached at: plgoldsmith@optonline.net.

"

BBC NEWS | Santorum Picks Evolution over Biblical View - Rebukes "intelligent design"

2005-08-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush weighs into evolution debate: "Bush weighs into evolution debate
By Jonathan Beale
BBC News, Washington

Bush said students ought to hear different schools of thought
President George Bush has started a national debate in the US over the teaching of evolution in school.
The president has suggested that a theory known as "intelligent design" should be taught in the classroom.

It proposes that life is too complex to have developed through evolution, and an unseen power must have had a hand.

President Bush's championing of intelligent design will be interpreted as further evidence of the growing influence of the religious right.

The US president told newspaper reporters in Texas that children should be taught about intelligent design so they could better understand the debate about the origins of the universe.

Intelligent design differs from biblical creationism in that it is not tied to a literal interpretation of the biblical book of Genesis.

Nevertheless, intelligent design points to the role of a creator, and it has become increasingly influential in Christian circles.

Scientific arguments

Yet even those on the religious right, such as Republican Senator Rick Santorum, are cautious as to how it should be taught.

"I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom," he says.

"What we should be teaching are the problems and holes, and I think there are legitimate problems and holes in the theory of evolution."

There is no science to intelligent design, it's not even a scientifically answerable question

Alan Leshner
AAAS

The debate, though, is already having a real impact.

In Kansas, the board of education has been re-evaluating the way evolution is taught - a sign that more conservative politicians and officials want to reflect the theory of intelligent design.

Many scientists insist, though, it is just that - a theory.

Alan Leshner, the chief executive of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says that the proponents of intelligent design are "trying to cloak a religious concept in the mantle of science".

"There is no science to intelligent design, it's not even a scientifically answerable question," he says.

In 1925, the Scopes trial marked a defeat for creationists and opened the way for evolution to be taught in US classrooms.

Eighty years on, intelligent design is offering the creationists new comfort.

Once again, they are putting evolution on trial."

WJACTV.com - News - Santorum Supports Iraqi War to the Last Pa. Soldier

2005-08-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

WJACTV.com - News - Santorum Speaks About Recent Deaths In Iraq: "Santorum Speaks About Recent Deaths In Iraq

POSTED: 6:25 p.m. EDT August 9, 2005

PENNSYLVANIA -- Combined that with there are mixed messages from Washington about how long troops will be deployed. Support is mixed among Americans. Recent polls show that support for the President's Iraq policy has started to dip below 40-percent.

Senator Rick Santorum says we have to carry on, well obviously the casualties continue to mount and thats a concern but the bottom line is that we have to finish this war in way that would make that sacrifice a worthy sacrifice.

The number of troops from Pennsylvania killed in Iraq is closing in on 90.

Copyright 2005 by WJACTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/07/2005 | Santorum too Conservatives for the 'burbs

2005-08-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/07/2005 | A tougher battle for the 'burbs: "Posted on Sun, Aug. 07, 2005

A tougher battle for the 'burbs
Santorum easily carried the counties outside Phila. before. But voters are shifting to the left.
By Thomas Fitzgerald
Inquirer Staff Writer

On Paoli Pike one night last week, dozens of protesters jeered, waved signs and banged pots as an SUV carried Republican Sen. Rick Santorum to an appearance touting It Takes a Family, his book of conservative thought.

Inside Chester County Books & Music Co., about 150 people lined up to have Santorum sign their copies with a Sharpie. Several said they were praying for him.

The competing scenes, replayed the next night in Bryn Mawr, offered a hint of the coming battle for the coveted voters of the Philadelphia suburbs as Santorum heads into a difficult 2006 reelection campaign.

Although he carried the four suburban counties comfortably in 1994 and 2000, analysts say his controversial book has helped raise Santorum's right-wing profile at a time when voters there are drifting leftward.

So has his outspoken leadership on other causes: opposing stem-cell research as the destruction of human life, fighting gay marriage, and advocating intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

In early polls, Santorum trails his likely Democratic opponent, State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., and regional breakdowns show that the percentage of voters saying the senator deserves reelection is lower in the Philadelphia suburbs than elsewhere.

Both sides recognize the importance of the region and are targeting Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties, where registered Republicans still outnumber Democrats - but by a margin that has narrowed in recent years.

The key, they say, is moderate Republicans who have proved willing to split their tickets, supporting GOP candidates for local offices and the state legislature while voting Democratic in presidential and statewide contests. Years of polls show the moderates are discomfited by the national GOP's stance on social issues such as abortion.

"Santorum was able to win his two elections because he carried the southeast, so this is the place," said Berwood Yost, a pollster at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster.

Santorum, the Senate's third-ranking Republican leader and a favorite of conservative Christian groups, has already drawn fire from Democrats for pushing Congress' intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, his unwavering support for President Bush, and, now, the book.

In it, Santorum blames liberal "elites" for problems besetting families. In one passage, Santorum questions why women find careers more gratifying and socially rewarding than staying home with children. "We can thank the influence of radical feminism," he writes.

"He's in a bit of a dream world," said Ellen O'Shea of Willistown, a mother of two who was wearing an apron and patrolling the road with a sign.

"I didn't realize I brought down Western civilization," said O'Shea, a customer representative. "I work out of necessity; there's only four short years till college."

Her sister Andrea Lynch of Malvern, in an apron and a pair of holly-wreath oven mitts, said she found Santorum offensive and judgmental. A registered Democrat, Lynch said she had voted Republican and is a fan of Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Santorum supporters said he was voicing uncomfortable truths about the strain popular culture puts on families.

"He's bringing up the questions people are dealing with in their everyday lives," said Katie Buonanno, 34, of East Goshen. "We need to talk about where the country is going, and it's good to be challenged. We don't get that kind of leadership."

At the book-signing, Santorum said he called the traditional family "ideal" for raising children but did not advocate "being intolerant" of others.

Santorum said he knew snippets of his 449-page book would come back to bite him as ads aimed at moderate suburban women. He argued that attacks would actually help his reelection by making his opponents look "cynical and negative." He said he hoped he would get credit for courage.

"In a world of sound bites, it's risky," Santorum acknowledged. "The cynical attitude of Washington is you can fool all the people all the time and all you need to do is the political dance. I don't play that game."

When he was first elected in 1994, Santorum benefited from national trends in what became a referendum on anger over "big government" and President Bill Clinton's failed health-care plan. Santorum narrowly beat Sen. Harris Wofford.

Six years later, he ran against former Rep. Ron Klink, an antiabortion and pro-gun Democrat who was making his first statewide race and had little money. Analysts say that with social issues neutralized, suburbia's moderate Republicans honored their roots.

"That was before Rick Santorum decided to be the hero of the 'I'm right, you're wrong' wing of the Republican Party," said Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager.

Now, Santorum will likely face Casey, who, along with his namesake father, the late governor, has always run well in southwestern Pennsylvania, the other major swing area in the state. That region is dominated by conservative Democrats who split their tickets.

Pollster Yost said Santorum also had the burden of Bush's sagging popularity in the state, especially over Iraq and the proposal to partially privatize Social Security. "Essentially Casey can do to Santorum what he did to Wofford," Yost said.

John Brabender, Santorum's strategist, said that Casey's support from trial lawyers and opposition to caps on medical malpractice suits and to making the Bush tax cuts permanent are powerful messages. "Rick has a great story to tell in the southeast," Brabender said.

And he's the incumbent. Just a few hours before another book signing in Bryn Mawr on Thursday, Santorum visited Valley Forge National Historical Park to pass out more than $24 million in federal funding for three projects, the bulk of it for improvements to Route 422 near the park.

To Democratic consultant Larry Ceisler, that's a smart move. "What's happened so far is Santorum is running a national race," Ceisler said. "He should run a local race talking about all he's done for Pennsylvania."

Post a comment or question for Thomas Fitzgerald at http://go.philly.com/askfitzgerald."

PHXnews.com | Santorum believes people are uninsured because, "some people don't want [insurance] - like the Amish."

2005-08-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

PHXnews.com | Re-Election in 2006, The Fight Starts Now - By U.S. Sen. John Kerry: "* Santorum believes millions of people are uninsured because, "some people don't want [insurance] - like the Amish." [Harrisburg Patriot, 6/10/97] * Santorum believes child care is a "Washington" issue that ordinary Americans don't care about. [Congressional Quarterly, 3/9/05] * He said that the environmental movement's days are numbered and that environmentalism is against nature. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/24/95] * He believes in privatizing Social Security. [Congressional Record, S3231, 4/5/05] * Santorum thinks it's wrong to help single mothers earn a college degree. In his book, It Takes a Family, Santorum said that "The notion that college education is a cost-effective way to help poor, low-skill, unmarried mothers with high school diplomas or GEDs move up the economic ladder is just wrong." [It Takes a Family, pg. 138]"

Santorum Says intelligent design lacks scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes

2005-08-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

|| RedState.org: "Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a possible 2008 presidential contender who faces a tough re-election fight next year in Pennsylvania, said intelligent design, which is backed by many religious conservatives, lacked scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes.
Bush told reporters from Texas on Monday that "both sides" in the debate over intelligent design and evolution should be taught in schools "so people can understand what the debate is about.""

Philadelphia Daily News | 08/05/2005 BELIEVE ME, SEN. SANTORUM IS NO HARRY TRUMAN

2005-08-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Daily News | 08/05/2005 | Letters | BELIEVE ME, SEN. SANTORUM IS NO HARRY TRUMAN: "BELIEVE ME, SEN. SANTORUM IS NO HARRY TRUMAN

LETTER-WRITER Jim Foster compares Rick Santorum to Harry S. Truman. I knew Mr. Truman, and they do not compare. Mr. Truman never wore his religion on his sleeve, he viewed it as a private matter. He had a genuine reverence for other religions. He had a deep respect for the moral life of others.

Most important, Mr. Truman was not one who muddied political dialogue with theological pronouncements. Mr. Foster should read some history to cure himself of his misconceptions.

Harry E. Adamson, Philadelphia"

U.S. announces indictment of two senior AIPAC officials - Santorum Not Mentioned in Indictment

2005-08-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Haaretz - Israel News - U.S. announces indictment of two senior AIPAC officials: "
Last update - 02:37 05/08/2005

U.S. announces indictment of two senior AIPAC officials

By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters

WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on charges they received classified national defense information from a Pentagon analyst, court documents show.

The indictment charges Steve Rosen, the lobby's former foreign policy director, with receiving classified information from analyst Lawrence Franklin and helping Franklin pass on written classified information.

AIPAC's former senior Middle East analyst, Keith Weissman, also was charged with receiving classified information.

Franklin, who worked on the Iran desk within the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the time the government says he disclosed the information, had already been charged with disclosing top-secret information about potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq to the two AIPAC employees.

Thursday's indictment also charges him with giving the information to an unidentified diplomat and to Rosen and Weissman, whom AIPAC fired in April.

It accuses Franklin of disclosing to a foreign diplomat classified information about a Middle Eastern country's activities in Iraq. Sources familiar with the investigation
have said the diplomat was an Israeli.

Franklin pleaded not guilty to the original charges.

While a large part of the indictment deals with information passed by AIPAC officials to Israeli embassy officials in Washington, the charge sheet does not mention any names of embassy officials, nor does it mention Israel by name.

Haaretz has learned that in recent weeks negotiations have been underway between Israeli Foreign Ministry officials and their American counterparts in an effort to establish ground rules whereby embassy officials, who enjoy diplomatic immunity, will be able to assist the FBI in its investigation and answer questions.

Haaretz has also learned that FBI investigators are interested in questioning more than one embassy worker (Naor Gilon, whose name was already mentioned in the early stages of the probe), and that they also apparently wish to present ambassador Danny Ayalon with questions.

According to one American source, Israel's position is that the questionnaire should be of a general, not a personal, nature and that it will not be presented directly to those people being investigated, but will be answered by the members of the foreign ministry's legal department.

Abbe Lowell, attorney for Rosen, said the charges were unjustified. "We expect that the trial will show that this prosecution represents a misguided attempt to criminalize the public's right to participate in the political process," Lowell said.

Weissman's attorney, John Nissikas, said in a statement, "We are disappointed that the government has decided to pursue these charges, which Mr. Weissman strongly denies."

The Israeli diplomat in Washington who met several times with Franklin has been identified as Naor Gilon, head of the political department at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and a specialist on proliferation issues.

Gilon returned to Israel a few days ago as part of a long-scheduled rotation, according to an Israeli official in Washington.

U.S. investigators want to question Gilon and other Israeli diplomats about their contacts with Franklin, officials said."

Tahlequah Daily Press: Editorial - Santorum has guts but not much sense

2005-08-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Tahlequah Daily Press: "Tahlequah Daily Press: "Editorial - Santorum has guts but not much sense

Thursday, August 4, 2005 1:10 PM CDT

One thing must be said for Rick Santorum: At least he's got the intestinal fortitude to face his detractors.

The Republican senator from Pennsylvania has expanded his horizons as a neo-conservative politician to author a book. In a parody to the earlier tome by nemesis Hillary Rodham Clinton, "It Takes a Village," Santorum calls his work "It Takes a Family." But if key excerpts and the substance of a few TV interviews are any indication, Santorum's book is merely another bound volume of rhetoric for which politicians, both left and right, have become notorious.

You can't promote a book without a tour, so Santorum last week found himself seated across from formidable interviewers such as George Stephanopolous. The ABC host asked questions Santorum struggled to answer, and he pointed out glaring inconsistencies in the plank the senator has been trying to develop.

Santorum deserves credit for the courage to subject himself to grilling before TV audiences. Unfortunately, the dialogue suggests his book presents personal opinion as proven fact. His ultra-liberal detractors will flatly accuse him of lying or holding firm to discredited stereotypes, but Santorum doesn't come off as devious. Instead, he just seems sadly out of touch with reality.

Santorum will strike many people as a man living in what he perceives to be a perfect world, with his perfect homemaker wife and six perfect home-schooled kids. These eight perfect people have clearly had little contact with the less-than-perfect "outside" world, where hoodlums knock off rivals in drive-by shootings, single moms struggle to make ends meet behind fast-food cash registers, or homeless men pass wine bottles with the same indifference as they pass gas. But his family's disconnect with the larger world doesn't impede Santorum from passing judgment on the rest of us, and rendering verdicts on how things "should" be.

Particularly offensive are his assertions on the role of women. Santorum claims "radical feminists" have engaged in a campaign to discredit homemakers, but when asked by Stephanopolous to identify those leading the charge, he could only utter the old stand-by - "Gloria Steinem" - and mutter about a "what's-her-name" whose identify eluded him. Nor could he point to any credible media source that has systematically demeaned housewives - indeed, the opposite is true. Unable to defend his position, Santorum is inadvertently conceding that a tiny, nameless, nebulous lunatic fringe element has manipulated millions of gullible American women into selfishly taking up family-eroding careers and disdaining their stay-at-home sisters!

Then Santorum proceeds to do the same thing for which he condemns the "feminists," but in reverse: He takes a series of subtle potshots at working moms.

"What happened in America so that mothers and fathers who leave their children in the care of someone else ... find themselves more affirmed by society? Here, we can thank the influence of radical feminism," Santorum writes. Then, later: "In far too many families with young children, both parents are working, when, if they really took an honest look at the budget, they might confess that both of them really don't need to, or at least may not need to work as much as they do... And for some parents, the purported need to provide things for their children simply provides a convenient rationalization for pursuing a gratifying career outside the home."

First, on the subject of budgets, let's take a look at Santorum's. His Senate salary is $162,000, nearly five times what his average constituent makes. But Karen Santorum also has an "income"; she has written a couple of books, for which she presumably receives royalties. Add to that whatever Santorum picks up from speaking engagements and his book, and it makes for an enviable financial package. Why should other couples settle for lifestyles less comfortable than Santorum's just to avoid being labeled "greedy" by him?

Although Santorum (or an astute editor) tosses in a few "...and fathers" to make his statements more gender-neutral, his tone implies a belief that only men are entitled to satisfying jobs or careers. After all, he doesn't appear poised to relinquish his career in the Senate to wash clothes, mop floors and change dirty diapers.

Santorum doesn't seem to comprehend many women don't need to be brainwashed to seek fulfillment through "professional accomplishments." Some women are better mothers precisely because they don't stay home with their kids all day. For decades, women have been a berth in the workplace, if they so choose. And these days, most churches (even the Roman Catholic, to which Santorum belongs) affirm this right.

Santorum is correct when he bemoans the erosion of the family, but the problem is too complex for someone of his limited expertise to analyze, much less solve. He also fails to accept part of the blame, though the onus should also fall on elected officials, most of whom have exacerbated society's ills with unworkable policies (like No Child Left Behind) or by refusing to acknowledge the "elephant in the corner" (like the AIDS epidemic in the '80s or today's abuses at Gitmo).

In America, individual "choice" is sacrosanct - and we're not talking about abortion here. If Mrs. Santorum chooses (or is compelled) to stay home with her kids, more power to her; everyone knows the job inside the home, if done correctly, is far more difficult than any job outside it. But she and her husband need to respect the rights of other women to choose a different path.""

Rick Santorum caught in a Exageration/Fabrication (Lie) on ABC’s This Week

2005-08-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Now What: A daily blog on choice issues: "Santorum also appeared yesterday on the Sunday morning talk show, ABC’s This Week, where he offered a glimpse of his anti-woman agenda:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: …radical feminists, second quote from the book, you say, "Respect for stay at home mothers has been poisoned by a toxic combination of the village elders' war on the traditional family and radical feminism's misogynistic crusade to make working outside the home the only marker of social value and self-respect." Let's get specific here. Name one or two of these radical feminists who are on this crusade.

SENATOR RICK SANTORUM: Well, I mean, uh, you know, you have, you go back to, uh, um, uh, what's her name — uh, well, Gloria Steinem. But I'm trying to remember, uh, uh, I can't remember the woman's name. It's terrible. Anyway, uh, uh ...

GS: Well, but it's kind of an important because you have, you paint this broad brush. Radical feminists. Village elders. Name one.

RS: There's lots of, no, well, Gloria Steinem, there's one. I mean, there's, there's lots of writings out there.

GS: She's been on a crusade against stay at home moms?

RS: There's lots, there's lots of writings out there."

Santorum Plays Politics With Catholic Church Scandal - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News

2005-08-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Santorum blasts Mass. senators over church scandal - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News: "Santorum blasts Mass. senators over church scandal
Kennedy, Kerry 'did nothing,' he contends
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | August 1, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Senator Rick Santorum, Republican of Pennsylvania, yesterday alleged that Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts ''did nothing" about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in 2002.

Kennedy and Kerry blasted Santorum's comments in statements issued by their aides. Santorum's comments yesterday escalated the controversy about a 2002 article he wrote saying it was ''no surprise" that the abuse scandal occurred in what he called the liberal bastion of Boston.

''Senator Santorum's partisan, hate-filled comments do a disservice to the victims of abuse," said Kerry spokeswoman April Boyd. ''He's never failed to inject politics into these deeply personal and trying issues for Catholics everywhere. He owes an apology to the families of abuse victims and to the faithful who fill the pews of Massachusetts churches every Sunday."

Kennedy spokeswoman Laura Capps said of Santorum: ''First, he blames the people of Boston, and now he blames the senators from Massachusetts. When is he going to realize that while attempting to score political points, he causes further damage to the thousands of families across the country who have suffered enough from these tragic crimes?"

The spokeswomen for Kennedy and Kerry said the senators would not go beyond their prepared statements in responding to Santorum's accusation that they ''did nothing."

Newspapers stories from the time show a reluctance by members of Congress to involve themselves in matters regarding the church and law enforcement; a front-page article published in The Boston Globe on May 6, 2002, said that ''the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has generated a startlingly unusual reaction: dead silence." It quoted lawmakers from both parties as saying it was a matter for the church to resolve. Senator Pete V. Domenici, a New Mexico Republican, was quoted as saying: ''Congress has no role in this. We can't do anything. It's the Catholic Church." The article quoted Kennedy as saying, ''We're not the ones to do it."

Still, Kennedy and Kerry were quoted about the scandal during 2002. Kennedy was quoted in the Globe in April 2002 as saying, ''I urge the cardinal and the church to reflect on the situation and to take the necessary steps to heal the wounds of the victims and the church to allow all of us to move forward." A December 2002 article in the Globe quoted Kerry on his reaction to Cardinal Bernard F. Law's resignation as Boston's archbishop, saying: ''While obviously a difficult decision for his eminence, I believe this is the right decision to begin a healing process in the church long overdue."

Santorum, appearing yesterday on ABC's ''This Week with George Stephanopoulos," was asked to explain his comment about Boston. He said: ''I singled out Boston in 2002. In July of 2002, that was the epicenter. We did not know -- "

Stephanopoulos cut off Santorum, saying, ''That simply is not true," noting that stories about abuse in many places had been printed at the time of Santorum's article. ''Well, at the time, we did not know it was in every city of the country," Santorum responded.

Santorum said that in 2002: ''The senators from Massachusetts did nothing. They spoke nothing. They sat by and let this happen."

Santorum, Kennedy, and Kerry are Catholic. Massachusetts officials have noted that the priest abuse scandal, while receiving much initial publicity in the Bay State, occurred in many other places, including Pennsylvania.

In his July 2002 article, Santorum did not mention that the abuse scandal had affected his home state. An Associated Press article published in April 2002 said that 58 priests in Pennsylvania had faced what it called ''credible accusations" of abuse during a period of several decades and that an undisclosed number had been removed from active duty. The article said the publicity about the Massachusetts scandal spurred the examination of Pennsylvania priests.

Michael Kranish can be reached at kranish@globe.com."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/31/2005 | Pa. Unions Stand United Behind Casey

2005-07-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/31/2005 | Pa. unions unsure over AFL-CIO ties: " Posted on Sun, Jul. 31, 2005

Pa. unions unsure over AFL-CIO ties
By Carrie Budoff
Inquirer Staff Writer
The labor movement might be breaking apart nationally, but in Pennsylvania, leaders of two unions that bolted the AFL-CIO say they do not intend to sever ties with the state-level federation.

The leaders of the Service Employees International Union Pennsylvania State Council and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 said Friday that they hope to continue as paying members of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, working jointly on political campaigns and legislative issues.

"There is no intent, from my perspective, to have that relationship change. I don't want it to change," said Eileen Connelly, executive director of the state SEIU. "We need to be one labor movement in Pennsylvania."

William M. George, the state AFL-CIO president, said that he, too, hoped to maintain the alliance.

The question is whether the national AFL-CIO will allow it. Its constitution prohibits nonaffiliated unions from participating in the state groups. The executive council might "revisit" the issue in the next few weeks, said Lane Windham, an AFL-CIO spokeswoman.

"But for right now, they are out," she said.

The decision last week by the SEIU, the Teamsters, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to leave the AFL-CIO - a move that drains millions of dollars and members from the national umbrella group - has been cast as devastating to Democrats because it splinters a constituency on which the party relies heavily for campaign money and organizing.

But the desire among state union leaders to continue working together - even if the national AFL-CIO prohibits a formal relationship - is an indication that the split might not be as disruptive in Pennsylvania as some anticipate.

"A lot of us have worked together for a long time, and you will see that same cooperative effort," said Wendell Young IV, president of the UFCW's largest Pennsylvania local, based in Plymouth Meeting.

Local labor leaders say the cooperation will be especially evident in high-profile contests, such as Pennsylvania's 2006 U.S. Senate race, which is likely to pit a labor favorite, Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr., against Republican incumbent Rick Santorum.

"This spat on the national level will not at all interfere with the effort to elect Bob Casey," Young said.

Although national SEIU leaders have indicated a desire to shift resources into membership recruitment, Connelly said that she expects to continue pouring money and manpower into state campaigns.

The SEIU has already endorsed Casey and contributed $10,000 to his campaign, the maximum amount allowed under federal finance laws. In 2002, Casey received $1 million from the SEIU for his unsuccessful Democratic primary bid for governor. (State races, unlike federal races, are not bound by contribution limits.)

The state AFL-CIO is aiming to give Casey an unusually early endorsement, possibly within the next 60 days, George said. Santorum, for his part, is not giving up on labor support, laying out his record to some unions in recent weeks.

The SEIU has not made an endorsement in the 2006 governor's race, though Democrat Gov. Rendell got $25,000 from the group in April.

Patrick Eiding, head of the Philadelphia Central Labor Council, the local AFL-CIO umbrella group, said he hopes that the national executive council allows the dissident unions to remain part of the state-level operations - and he told them that during last week's national convention in Chicago.

"What we have said is this is what the local people want to do. This is what we would like to do, but you tell us what we have to do," Eiding said.

The alternative means the loss of membership dues accounting for 18 percent of Eiding's $850,000 annual budget, which could force cuts in political operations, he said.

"My goal is to keep the labor movement together as best we can," Eiding said.

The Teamsters, aside from three small locals in Western Pennsylvania, are largely unaffiliated with the state AFL-CIO, George said.

Despite the assurances of unity from state and local labor leaders, some Democrats remain concerned.

"This is a hard enough business as it is," said Alan Kessler, a fund-raiser for Rendell and other Democrats. "Anything that complicates it makes it that much more difficult. How it all settles out at this point is anybody's guess."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Carrie Budoff at 610-313-8211 or cbudoff@phillynews.com."

Santorum Staff Desperate to Shut Up Rick and Engage Casey as the poll numbers worsen for Santorum

2005-07-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tactics differ in Senate matchup: Santorum's everywhere, Casey's quiet: "Tactics differ in Senate matchup: Santorum's everywhere, Casey's quiet
Sunday, July 31, 2005

By James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For television news aficionados last week, it was all Rick, all the time.

U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., was on the "Today Show," "Hardball," "The Daily Show," Fox, CNN -- not to mention the KD/PG Sunday Edition.

The chief public appearance for his anticipated challenger, Democratic Treasurer Bob Casey, was an unpublicized stop at a picnic in Erie.

What gives? Why this disparate approach from two members of a profession where publicity is normally valued just behind votes?

The straightforward answer is that Santorum had a book to sell, as he hit the electronic hustings for his newly published polemic, "It Takes a Family.'' But Casey didn't even try to take the spotlight away from his rival. For this, the two sides in what may be the most closely watched Senate race in the nation next year offered competing analyses.

The Casey camp, GOP advisers claim, is trying to hide its candidate, who, while a proven vote-getter, is new to federal issues. His early promising poll numbers, Republicans argue, will wilt as public scrutiny shifts to him from the incumbent.

"I think the motive is obvious,'' said John Brabender, Santorum's media strategist, "I think no one will be in disagreement; they know that the less they take positions on issues, the less they will offend people.''

Casey partisans argue that a better explanation of the current campaign dynamic is that the Democrats see no reason to take the spotlight away from an incumbent who has made a series of polarizing statements in his new book as well as in a three-year-old article on the role of liberal Boston in creating a climate for sexual abuse.

In their view, the failure to compete for the spotlight is in keeping with the political maxim that when your opponent is digging a hole, you should be careful not to take his shovel away.

"I'm sure they'd like to change the subject,'' said Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager. "I'm sure they want to talk about anything but the fact that he's writing a book that says that most working moms are self-centered. But we're going to run our campaign our way, we're not going to run it the way they might want.''

This sniping illustrates what promises to be a continuing tactical tension in an unusually intense contest. Elections involving sitting officials are typically referendums on the incumbent. This one, involving a Republican with a national reputation, will be no exception. Throughout the next year and a half, as he did in a concentrated spate of television appearances last week, Santorum will be defending his record. But, taking a page from GOP tactics in the 2004 presidential race, the Santorum campaign is intent on making the contest a referendum on the challenger as well.

In a clear attempt to shape early perceptions on the race, Brabender has peppered reporters in recent weeks with a variation of the question, why is Casey hiding?

Casey, who won his current post with a record number of votes, laughs off the suggestion.

"I don't accept the premise, and I've heard some people advance it, some people from the Santorum camp,'' Casey said as he headed toward the Erie event. "When you've written some of the things that [Santorum's] written, I'm not surprised that they want to change the subject.''

Casey acknowledged that he has not yet issued detailed white papers on a litany of federal issues but says that he's been speaking to those issues since he declared his candidacy in March.

"It's 15 months out; from 18 months out I've been answering questions on the public record. I can't ever remember a candidate, a candidate that wasn't already in the office, answering as many questions as early,'' he said.

Casey said that, even aside from the focus generated by Santorum's book promotion, the nature of their respective offices made it natural for the incumbent to be in a brighter spotlight.

"I'm the state treasurer; I've got work there,'' he said. "He's in the office, the Senate is in session; it's natural that that would drive more coverage.''

"Voters aren't coming up to me and saying, 'Hey you're not answering questions.' '' Casey added. "There's one party running everything in Washington; they have no answers on health care, on the deficit, on a lot of these issues. All they want to talk about is Social Security privatization.''

Previewing some of the issues voters can anticipate hearing more of in coming months, Casey faulted Santorum for what he characterized as a passive attitude toward oversight of the war in Iraq.

"What a lot of Americans want is a whole lot more information than they are getting. They want a senator who is willing to ask tough questions. They want to know where we are on training Iraqi forces, where we are on making sure there is going to be a democracy, on whether our troops have enough armor and the right equipment. I don't think he's asking the tough questions,'' Casey said of the incumbent.

One part of the reason that senior Democrats coalesced behind Casey is that he, like Santorum, opposes abortion, thus negating some of the Republican's potential appeal to socially conservative Democrats. At the time of the Terry Schiavo case, Casey said that he, like Santorum, would have voted for the measure that mandated extraordinary judicial review of whether her feeding tube could be disconnected.

In the interview, however, he signaled that he would not hesitate to criticize Santorum's overall involvement in the case.

"Where there's doubt, you should err on the side of life,'' Casey said, "[but] one thing I would never do, and I don't think any senator should ever have done, is go to that hospice. It was a big mistake. The last thing that site needed, with so much sadness, so much grief, so much, sometimes, hostility, the last thing that site needed was a politician.''

"Let's be clear,'' Brabender said, defending Santorum's widely publicized visit to the Florida hospice. "Nobody sent out a press release saying he was going to visit the Schiavos. Rick went there to say a prayer with them for their daughter. I don't think there's an inappropriate time to pray for a dying family member as Bob Casey evidently does.''

Incumbents often try to ignore their opponents. Challengers, in particular, are typically the supplicants in seeking the joint spotlight of political debates. But Brabender illustrated his intent on switching the focus to this challenger with the unusual suggestion of commencing debates more than a year before the election.

"If Bob Casey has such strong disagreements, how would he feel about starting to debate this fall?'' Brabender said. "If he says that he's not hiding, and he's willing to discuss the issues, let's do two things. Let's start holding debates as early as this fall and let's ask Casey, any time a vote comes up in the U.S. Senate, let's ask him how he would have voted.''

Reiff, the Democrat's campaign manager, professed amusement at his rival's unusual proposal.

"There's a high level of irony here,'' Reiff said, maintaining that Santorum had ducked debates with his 2000 opponent, former Rep. Ron Klink. Actually Klink and Santorum agreed to three debates, but Klink insisted the Republican had spurned his request for still more face-offs.

"Bob Casey will debate, let's be clear.'' Reiff said. "But the fact that an incumbent senator is challenging his opponent to debate 15 months before the election is a sure sign that his campaign is in trouble.''

The proposal comes not only 15 months before the November election, but nearly a year before either figure is the official candidate of his party. While that appears a foregone conclusion for both, it is less of an absolute certaintly for the Democrat.

Last Sunday, about two dozen Democrats and at least one Republican gathered in a condominium on the South Side Slopes to hear Chuck Pennacchio, a history professor at Philadelphia's College of the Arts, make his case for the Democratic nomination. Pennacchio argued that rank-and-file Democrats, particularly those who disagree with Casey on social issues such as abortion and stem cell research, will rebel at the decisions of party leaders to anoint Casey as their candidate.

Alan Sandals, a Philadelphia attorney who similarly favors abortion rights, also has declared his intent to challenge Casey for the party's nomination.

Several of the guests at the Pennacchio reception said they disagreed with Casey's conservative positions on social issues. For similar reasons, many more liberal Democrats had bemoaned former Treasurer Barbara Hafer's decision not to seek the Senate nomination against Casey.

But other Democrats believe the desire to defeat Santorum will outweigh any intra-party disagreements with Casey on individual issues such as abortion.

Marcel Groen, the Democratic chairman of Montgomery County, just outside Philadelphia, said, "The desire to beat Santorum is so great among moderates, that it's not a close call at all. I think the voters in the suburbs realize that. They may disagree with Casey on choice, but they agree on virtually everything else.''

Casey said the preliminary skirmishes of this race reflect the accelerated pace of campaigning in general, but also an unusual degree of national and statewide interest in its outcome.

"We'll both be talking about issues down the road ... I think there's a high degree of interest in this race, an intensity that is rare and a sense that there is so much at stake,'' Casey said. "That's a good thing.''"

projo.com | Providence, R.I. | Santorum Insults The Roman Catholic Church and Casts Doubt on Catholic Orthodoxy

2005-07-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

projo.com | Providence, R.I. | Opinion: Columnists: "Froma Harrop: Santorum! or, Banned in Boston?

01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 31, 2005
SOMETIMES THE WRONG people take offense. Take Sen. Rick Santorum's remarks blaming the Catholic Church's sex-abuse scandal on liberal attitudes in Boston.

"When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected," the Pennsylvania Republican wrote in a column for Catholic Online three years ago. "While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

While promoting his new book, It Takes a Family, Santorum was asked about this weird essay. He did not recant any of it. Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy blew up and demanded an apology. Barney Frank, an openly gay congressman from the Boston suburbs, was more succinct, calling Santorum "a jerk."

With all due respect to Boston liberals, they aren't the ones who should be hopping mad. The party most entitled to feel insulted is the Catholic Church itself. Though almost no one noticed it, the implications of Santorum's argument are dreadful -- that the church takes its moral cues from below rather than above. This is a devastating commentary.

The discovery of pedophilic priests traumatized church leaders and parishioners. The least damaging (and also best) explanation for this tragedy was that some corrupt priests had preyed on children, and a passive hierarchy did not stop them. If that was the problem, then the solution is clear: Weed out the bad actors, and tighten oversight. But if the broader culture caused the sex abuse, then there's nothing the church can do to fix what's wrong. It's better to admit that some church leaders failed as moral guides than to argue that they're not guides anyway, but followers of the depraved public.

So, Bostonians should shape up so that they can be better role models for the clergy. That's what Santorum was saying, and he wasn't joking. Walk his argument to the logical conclusion, and you end up with: No HBO for priests.

Massachusetts, of course, is the only state that has legalized gay marriage. Santorum's obsession with homosexuality might help explain why he lands on gay-friendly Boston as the epicenter of permissiveness. Let it be noted, for the record, that the scandal was nationwide -- and that the highest percentage of predator priests was in the diocese of Covington, Ky.

Massachusetts as the liberal capital of anything-goes remains a constant in the conservative imagination. But what's going on in these conservatives' heads is a lot more exciting than anything going on in Massachusetts. In real life, the place is almost oppressively prudish. The cheerleaders are prim. No Miss Massachusetts has ever become Miss America, because she is too modest to strut properly in the bathing-suit contest.

According to the big social indicators, Massachusetts is actually one of the more conservative states. For one thing, it has the nation's lowest divorce rate. That traditional families thrive in the land of gay marriage is not an inexplicable paradox. The two are related. Husbands and wives who have strong domestic bonds are less likely to feel threatened by same-sex marriage.

Ask heterosexuals in Massachusetts whether marriage should be between a man and a woman, and most would probably say yes. But then ask them whether letting gays tie the knot somehow weakens their own unions, and they'd laugh at you.

In Massachusetts, gay marriage is seen as a way to formalize longstanding relationships. It's about licenses, not licentiousness. The culture likes order and loves privacy. Of what possible interest is the love life of the people next door, as long as they mow the lawn? Since gay marriage became legal, a year ago, the sky has not fallen. Polls show fewer Massachusetts residents objecting to the idea than before.

Reasons given for low divorce rates in Massachusetts, and the Northeast generally, include later marriages and more education. But another is a high proportion of Roman Catholic residents. The church does not recognize divorce.

If Santorum wants to score points with conservative Catholics, he'd do better citing their admirably low divorce rates. Blaming liberals for misbehaving priests flies off the charts. Not everyone could twist a defense of the church into a dismissal of its moral power. It takes a Rick Santorum.

Froma Harrop is a Journal editorial writer and syndicated columnist. She may be reached by e-mail at: fharrop [at] projo.com."

July 20th Rasmussen Poll Sows Casey lead Growing Over Santorum

2005-07-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

::.Angus Reid Consultants.::: "Casey Leads Santorum by 11 Points in Pennsylvania

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many voters in Pennsylvania would vote for Bob Casey in the next election to the United States Senate, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 50 per cent of respondents in the Keystone State would support the Democrat in a head-to-head contest against Republican incumbent Rick Santorum.

Casey has been Pennsylvania’s state treasurer since January 2005, and previously served as the state auditor general for eight years. Casey is the son of former Pennsylvania governor Robert P. Casey, and lost the 2002 Democratic primary to current governor Ed Rendell.

Santorum was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, and earned a second term in 2000, defeating Democrat Ron Klink with 53 per cent of all cast ballots. He had previously served for two consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

On Jul. 25, Santorum ruled out a bid for the White House in 2008, saying, "I can’t speak for other politicians but I can speak for me, and my intention is not to run."

Polling Data

Which candidate would you support in Pennsylvania’s senatorial election?

Bob Casey, Jr. (D)
52%

Rick Santorum (R)
41%

Other
4%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 500 Pennsylvania adults, conducted on Jul. 20, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent."

Transportation bill Net Loss for Pa. Under Santorum but his home state of Virginia is a big winner

2005-07-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Transportation bill brings bad news for state - PittsburghLIVE.com:

Under the new Transportation Bill Pa. will pay more then it receives in Federal Highway Assistance. Rick Santorum may be the #3 Republican in the Senate but he cannot bring home the bacon for Pennsylvania Taxpayers. Interesting to note that Santorum lives in Leesburg Virginia. Under the new Transportation Bill Virginia is a big winner.
Barry O’Connell
Former Republican State Committeeman Lycoming County
Pro-God, Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Family, Pro-Casey

"Transportation bill brings bad news for state

By Chris Buckley
VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Saturday, July 30, 2005

Pennsylvania will likely be a big loser when federal transportation funding authorized Friday is divided up over the next five years.
Although Congress approved legislation authorizing more than $284 billion in highway and mass transit funding, Pennsylvania is expected to receive far less than it did when similar legislation was last passed in the 1998.

By 2010, Pennsylvania may receive less back in federal funding than it sends to Washington, D.C., in gas tax revenue.

Joe Kirk, executive director of the Mon/Fayette and Southern Beltway Alliance, said during a recent meeting with U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (D-Pa.), officials from a national contractor's association told his group Pennsylvania would become a "donor state" by the end of the transportation bill if it were funded at the $284 billion level.

A donor state receives less in federal funding than it sends to the federal government in gas taxes.

Pennsylvania has remained a "donee state," in recent transportation bills, receiving far more in federal funding for transportation needs than it has collected in gas tax.

In a statement, President Bush promised to sign the bill that "will strengthen and modernize the transportation networks vital to America's continued economic growth."

Still, Kirk noted, the construction industry had sought $375 billion in the bill just to keep up with needs. And that estimate was made before the recent spike in gasoline prices, Kirk said.

Ironically, Pennsylvania's needs top that list. For example, a state report released last year detailed the large number of aging bridges in the Commonwealth.

"Without a doubt, Pennsylvania loses proportionally in this bill," Kirk said. It will have less money, especially at the time when Pennsylvania's needs are great. There are significant unmet needs in the Commonwealth that will have to be addressed."

The bill, though, does have some positives for the area.

Included in the legislation is $4 million for the Uniontown-to-Brownsville section of the Mon/Fayette Expressway,

"The Mon-Fayette Expressway has been the top priority for the area, which has suffered economically from poor access," U.S. Rep. John Murtha said in a released statement late Friday. "This project will provide the much-needed linkage both north to the Pittsburgh area and south to Interstate 68, so it'll be a tremendous economic generator."

Also included is $4 million the Maglev project at California University of Pennsylvania.

"The university is excited to receive this federal funding," said spokeswoman Michele McCoy said. "We're excited about the opportunity to create a safe mode of transportation between the upper and lower sections of the campus."

The Maglev project is currently in preliminary design phase, aimed at trying to locate the right corridor.

"This project offers a trio of benefits for Cal U and western Pennsylvania," Murtha said. "It will provide environmentally friendly transportation, eliminate some serious safety and parking problems, and potentially generate hundreds of jobs in the region if it becomes the standard for improvements to urban mass transit systems in the U.S."

While Maglev will be the future of transportation for Cal U, Kirk said expressway proponents will plan for the next transportation bill. If approved on time, it will come as construction is underway on the final piece of the highway into Pittsburgh and Monroeville.

A provision of the initial bill -- ultimately cut from the spending plan -- would have provided special funding for high ticket price highway projects such as the expressway.

Approved initially by the House, that provision was cut in the Senate. Kirk said expressway proponents will meet with Pennsylvania's two U.S. senators, Arlen Specter and Santorum, to discuss reintroducing that provision in the next transportation bill.

Chris Buckley can be reached at cbuckley@tribweb.com or (724) 684-2642."

Rick Santorum - How does a guy this shameless, irritating and loathesome get elected?

2005-07-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

TPMCafe || Politics, Ideas & Lots Of Caffeine: "the animus toward Rick Santorum is justified. Anyone who's ever watched more than 3 sessions from the senate floor on C-Span, or the hearings on social security can verify this. We all know where Ricky stands on social issues. As for where he stands on other issues, actions (or votes) speak louder than words, (like the ones in his book)

Rated 25% rating by the ACLU
Rated 100% by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Rated 27% by the NEA
Rated 0% by the League of Conservation Voters
Rated 100% by the CATO institute
Rated 0% by the American Public Health Association
Rated 0% by the AFL-CIO
Rated 10% by the ARA

In summary; Rick Santorum is your average garden variety conservative reeper; except he has the added dressing of being a careless political bomb thrower & agitator. Of all the republicans we could sentimentalise, why on earth do we pick this man.
When I first familiarized myself with Rick Santorum (mostly from yelling at my television during senate sessions) I asked myself, "How does a guy this shameless, irritating and loathesome get elected twice in a state like Pennsylvania?" I think I know why. Please don't fall for the attempts by Santorum to soften himself up during re-election year; it's only to secure his ability to be his normal abhorrent, revolting, bomb throwing asshole self for the remaining five"

American Prospect Online - "It Takes a Democrat"

2005-07-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

American Prospect Online - ViewWeb: "It Takes a Democrat
Rick Santorum's new book steals some good liberal ideas and ignores the hole dug by Republican policies.
By Mark Schmitt
Web Exclusive: 07.29.05

Print Friendly | Email Article

Most liberals will open Senator Rick Santorum's new book, It Takes a Family, in the same spirit that we approach Dianetics or The Washingtonienne: looking for the outrageous parts. And while there’s no entry for “man-on-dog” sex in the index -- apparently Santorum has thought better of his assertion last year that if the Supreme Court permitted overturned sodomy laws, such cross-species partnerships would be the next innovation in The New York Times’ wedding pages -- there is enough to keep the opposition researchers at the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee busy faxing material to reporters in anticipation of Santorum's difficult race for re-election next year.

But there's more to this book than material to be mined for campaign ads and dirty jokes. It Takes a Family begs to be taken seriously -- perhaps a little too seriously, with its references to Immanuel Kant, Robert Putnam, Blackstone’s Commentaries, and the films of Whit Stillman. (This last raises the intriguing prospect that there is only one degree of separation between Santorum and actress Chloë Sevigny, star of Stillman's The Last Days of Disco as well as some much racier movies. Sadly, this is more likely a ghostwriter's fingerprint; Mark Henrie, whom Santorum credits as the editor of the book, also put together a well-received collection of essays hailing Stillman as an auteur of traditionalist conservatism.)

Let's grant Santorum the respect of taking his ostentatiously serious book seriously. The title promises a direct hit on Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1995 book, It Takes a Village. “The village,” Santorum argues, is but a euphemism for “big government” run by liberal “village elders.” But beyond that redefinition of terms, Santorum doesn't engage Senator Clinton's book, except to assert that she “sounds like she shares the worries of most Americans about the moral health of the country. But when you actually look at the policies … it's little more than feel-good rhetoric masking a radical left agenda.”

If not a challenge to Clinton, then, what is the book really about? Like most politicians’ manifestos, it’s a jumble of half-rewritten Senate-floor statements, blandly reflective personal anecdotes, and some weak attempts to give the whole thing a theme. But its aspirations lift it above such typical remainder-table fodder. The most interesting subtheme of It Takes a Family is the attempt to work through the central intellectual challenge for modern Republican majority conservatives: how to reconcile laissez-faire economics with social conservatism.

For economic conservatives, it’s not too hard to make accommodations to social conservatism for immediate political purposes. After all, most of today’s ruling class are economic royalists who are willing to adopt whatever positions on abortion and gay marriage are needed to gain (and keep) power. But starting from the point of social conservatism, as Santorum does, it’s much harder to incorporate the argument for economic libertarianism. The socially conservative thinkers that Santorum cites have been as worried about the disruption and moral relativism of the market as of government, as critical of Adam Smith’s Enlightenment as of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s.

Santorum takes two cracks at the problem, neither of which is wholly successful. One is to frame the argument around the word “capital.” There is “moral capital,” which can only be built in a society of “mom and dad families” in which abortion, sodomy, and gay marriage are illegal. There is “social capital” in communities, “cultural capital.” Then there is real capital, and they are all interdependent. But this is pretty much empty rhetoric and is soon abandoned.

The second attempt is to argue that only in a society defined by virtue (again, “mom and dad families,” keep-it-in-your-pants, etc.) can the “freedom” that the economy needs, and that is the basic promise of America, thrive. In other words, if we stray from Santorum’s morality, it will force “big government” to crack down, which in turn will be bad for the dynamic economy. But if we obey the rules, government will stay off our backs and the economy will thrive. Government here plays the role of wrathful god. While this argument apparently goes over well with Santorum's socially tolerant Wall Street campaign contributors, it's got some logical problems. The biggest problem is the strange ability right-wing government officials have to disassociate themselves from the government that pays their salary, and this is especially disconcerting when it is Santorum himself who is working to bring the force of government down on gay marriage, sex other than the mom-and-dad variety, abortion, etc.

In most other respects, Santorum is weirdly blind to the realities of economic life. His discussion of the time pressures on working families and the struggle to find enough real time with your children is quite compelling, the kind of thing that one wishes Democrats could talk more about. But his solution, which is simply that mothers should “look at the family budget” and decide that they can stay home, or even homeschool their kids, is of limited value to those who look at the budget and see two $10-an-hour jobs and a mortgage payment due. And it is particularly out of place following a chapter in which Santorum congratulates himself for his role in the welfare reform of 1996, particularly the provisions requiring poor women, usually without partners, to enter the workforce without excuses.

At various points, Santorum says that he set out to write a book about poverty. A sizable section of the book is about solutions to poverty, and to this liberal, some of them -- those that don't aggressively violate the establishment clause -- seem decidedly familiar: asset-building strategies to help poor families build a base of security; reverse commuting to get urban residents to where the jobs are; community credit unions and microlending programs to help inner-city entrepreneurs. Even the individual activists Santorum cites from his work in Pennsylvania, like Jeremy Nowak of the Reinvestment Fund, are familiar to me as people we championed when I worked for a liberal senator from neighboring New Jersey a decade ago.

Santorum’s typical presentation of one of these ideas goes something like this: “The Village Elders consider a large percentage of our population to be helpless: they're not going to consider how to empower the poor to build wealth,” or “The village elders like to show they care for the poor among us simply by spending more money,” rather than investing strategically to build communities. Such statements are followed by, “that's why Senator John Corzine and I introduced ... ” or “therefore, I co-sponsored Senator Carol Moseley-Braun's amendment that would ... .” If not Corzine and Moseley-Braun, two of the most unabashedly liberal current and former senators, one has to wonder: Just who are these unreconstructed “village elders” after all?

These innovative solutions may have caused liberals some discomfort decades ago, but a dozen years after the passage of federal empowerment zones and Bill Clinton's legislation to support community banks, “empowerment” is now very much the core strategy of modern liberalism. One might be tempted to say, as Santorum does of Senator Clinton, that behind Santorum’s rhetoric is a “left agenda,” but that wouldn't be fair.

That’s because Santorum is prepared for this challenge. In his conclusion, he warns that “some will dismiss my ideas as an extended version of 'compassionate conservatism.'” But it is not, he insists, because of his insistence on “moral capital,” at least as defined by him. In other words, even if liberals advocate some of the same policy solutions, they are doomed simply because they are associated with the moral tolerance of liberals. And so, in the end, it is not as easy as I had hoped it would be to separate Santorum's interesting and laudable ideas on poverty and work-family balance from his mean-spirited and intolerant social views; they are wholly interdependent. Rather than compassionate conservatism, Santorum has fashioned something new: a mean-spirited, intolerant liberalism.

Mark Schmitt is a fellow at the New America Foundation, proprietor of The Decembrist blog, and a contributor to TPM Cafe.

Copyright © 2005 by The American Prospect, Inc. Preferred Citation: Mark Schmitt, "It Takes a Democrat", The American Prospect Online, Jul 29, 2005. This article may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. Direct questions about permissions to permissions@prospect.org."

Rick Santorum's New Book Shows his "whacked-out, nut-case, out-of-the-mainstream right-wing views"

2005-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Democrats Use Santorum's New Book Against Him -- 07/29/2005: "Democrats Use Santorum's New Book Against Him
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
July 29, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Rick Santorum makes fellow his Republican Trent Lott look like left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore, says a group that works to elect Senate Democrats.

In other words, Santorum is so conservative, he's off the charts, the way Democrats view him.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has targeted Santorum (from Pennsylvania) for defeat, and it is using his new book, "It Takes a Family," against him.

"You already know about the whacked-out, nut-case, out-of-the-mainstream right-wing views Rick Santorum spouts in his new book," former Clinton presidential adviser Paul Begala says in an email message to friends of the DSCC.

The DSCC has produced an online video "to expose Santorum's ideology" to the voters of Pennsylvania, and it is asking for contributions to "help up produce more hard-hitting videos like this one, so we can be ready to expose the Republicans every time they pull a stunt like this."

The DSCC said it is releasing the video now, as Santorum makes the talk-show rounds to promote his new book. He's in "maximum pander mode to his right-wing base," the email message said.

According to Begala's message, "Santorum acts, talks, writes -- and votes -- like he's the senior senator from the 13th Century, not the junior senator from Pennsylvania." Begala says Santorum can be beat in 2006 because "he's far too extreme for Pennsylvania."

Santorum faces a tough challenge from the leading Democrat, Bob Casey, Jr.

Among other things, Democrats cite Santorum's support for Social Security privatization, President Bush's conservative judicial nominees, and the federal marriage amendment.

And Democrats took offense at Santorum's recent comments blaming the Catholic Church's sex-abuse scandal on Massachusetts "liberalism." (Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, blasted the remark as "beyond the pale.")

But conservatives appreciate Santorum for his consistency and integrity. Conservative leader Paul Weyrich has described him as "the one person in the Senate leadership who is willing to take courageous stands."

Weyrich, noting that Santorum is a "prayerful man," admitted he "will need prayer for his prolonged, expensive and undoubtedly nasty Senate contest.""

PennLive.com: Presidential bid still possible, Santorum says (Perpetually Running For Office)

2005-07-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

PennLive.com: Presidential bid still possible, Santorum says: "
More From The Patriot-News | Subscribe To The Patriot-News
ANALYSIS
Presidential bid still possible, Santorum says
Thursday, July 28, 2005
BY BRETT LIEBERMAN
Of Our Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Rick San torum is walking a political tight rope, neither in nor out of a 2008 presidential race that could over shadow his re-election campaign next year.

Santorum, who has said he doesn't intend to run for president in 2008, yesterday said he might run.

"The reason I leave this little win dow open is, because I have no idea what's going to happen between now and three and a half years from now, and is there some strange remote set of circumstances that might change that," he said.

Santorum's unwillingness to make a clear decision could have an impact on what is expected to be a difficult campaign next year. Democrats will accuse the Republican senator of using his re-election as a stepping stone for presidential aspirations.

"If people can read that he's leaving an out for himself, you can bet that's a point that's going to be brought up by the Casey campaign, which is that his focus in not on coming back to the Senate for Pennsylvania," said Christopher P. Borick, director of Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion.

"It's a dance that's been done a million times with candidates looking at the next race," Borick said.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is dealing with similar speculation that she plans a White House run after her re-election next year.

But with Republicans trying to label state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., Santorum's likely Democratic opponent, a "perpetual office seeker," Santorum's political aspirations are likely to become an issue.

"Any time somebody is bantering that about, that's fair game politically," Borick said.

While Santorum has provided the standard answer given by public officials in similar situations -- that he has no plans to run at this time -- Borick thinks he's more prone to criticism on the issue than Casey.

Casey has moved up the rung of state row offices after serving his full term, Borick said. The exception was his unsuccessful run for governor in 2002.

"What I've consistently said is I'm making no plans, I don't anticipate making any plans because it's not my intention," Santorum said yesterday during a breakfast with reporters.

"Given the race that I'm in, 15 months before the election, and will be for the next 15 months, and certainly the impact that that has on my family, the idea of turning around and launching into a two-year campaign for the presidency is something that at this point is beyond my ability to fathom."

While not unprecedented, it also would be difficult for Santorum to turn around and raise money and woo the party leaders necessary on the heels of an expensive, hard-fought Senate contest, said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College.

Santorum's refusal to rule out a presidential campaign helps him nationally, where he has strong appeal among conservatives, but could hurt him at home.

Santorum said he's just trying to be honest without closing any option.

Santorum, the Senate Republican Conference chairman, said the only other race he plans now is for Senate GOP whip, which he believes he will win if he's re-elected.

Santorum thinks he can make a powerful case for voters to send him back to Washington for a third term.

Agree with him or not, he said voters know where he stands on issues and why.

"I think I'm effective down here," said Santorum, who will canvass the state talking about "a very good record."

"I can get things done and make things happen for my state; and Pennsylvania is a state that, in fact, needs help and support from the federal government," he said.

While Santorum acknowledged his reputation in Washington as a polarizing figure, he said he's built bridges with local Democrats and union leaders across Pennsylvania as he worked with them.

"Some of my best relationships are with local Democratic officials -- mayors, councilmen, commissioners, supervisors," he said. "That doesn't make for good newsprint but it certainly does make for good relationships that are meaningful come election day and that I think will be helpful."

A split among labor unions this week also could provide some opportunities for Republicans like him to cut into a traditional Democratic base that has supported Casey.

Santorum, noting he received at least 40 percent of the labor vote in 2000, said he has worked closely with labor unions, and "the work I've done in the local communities have made a difference for their jobs."

He cited his work with Teamsters, building trades and others where "I have excellent relationships."

At least one union leader was less enthusiastic.

"It's hard for a union person, even if he's best buddies, to stand up for Rick Santorum. I just can't see that," said Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Bill George, citing Santorum's votes on trade, social issues and transportation as examples that have hurt union members.

BRETT LIEBERMAN: (202)383-7833 or blieberman@patriot-news.com"

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 07/28/2005 - "It takes a village idiot"

2005-07-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 07/28/2005 - Letters to the editor: "It takes a village idiot

Editor: In Pennsylvania we have families, we have villages and we have a village idiot,who would destroy the village in order to save it. He disapproves of the village and nearly everyone in it, every public school-attending, Bible-doubting liberal and money-grubbing working mom, and he is on a tear to refute Hillary’s pinko book that claims it takes a village to raise a child.

Sen. Rick Santorum has been trashing Boston as if he thinks it isn’t worth a hill of beans, and should be fumigated like a crawling nest of bug-on-bug sex-crazed beetles. Boston is so permissive, he says, that it has contaminated the Catholic priesthood.

He had no comment on a Washington Post report that showed the highest percentage of abusive priests was in a red state city, Covington, Ky., and that cities regarded as liberal, such as San Francisco and Boston, had relatively low abuse rates.

Mr. Santorum thinks any idiot knows that it takes a family, not a village, to raise a child — except in Penn Hills, where he used the villagers to pay $100,000 to prop up his kids in cyberspace. Rick has explained that he can’t afford to educate his six children on his $162,000 Senate salary, and since public schools make you crazy, the poor man had little choice but to school his kids in a cyber school and charge it to taxpayers of Penn Hills, where he doesn’t live.

Now Rick’s running down all those working moms who thought they were helping their families. If working moms would get off their Gloria Steinem-inspired ego trips and stay home, the village milieu might become wholesome enough for Rick’s kids to go to public school. If those working moms would just forget education and careers and stay home and have babies, everything would be cool.

For lower-class women, says Rick, it’s not cost-effective to attend college. These women were born into a certain class and gender and they should stay there. Did someone say “sexist” and “elitist”?

Mr. Santorum told Aaron Brown on Nightwatch the other night that states should have the right to ban birth control if they so choose, and couples should have no such thing as constitutional privacy rights.

He’s upset at Hillary Clinton for saying the same thing that most villagers already believe — that abortion should be legal but rare. He asks how liberals can be glad when the abortion rate goes down if “abortion is OK.”

We want divorce to remain legal but rare. We want guns to remain legal, but are glad when they’re rarely used. We want smoking to be legal but rare, and alcohol to be legal but not abused. We want war to be legal but rare. Mr. Santorum is not accustomed to nuance.

Sen. Robert Byrd said that Rick talks like he should be in an ale house. I have news for Mr. Bryd. Rick’s gamesmanship would never play in the ale houses. The people there like to keep it real.

SARAH J. McCARTHY

Pittsburgh"

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 07/28/2005 - Rick Santorum is out of touch with reality

2005-07-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 07/28/2005 - Letters to the editor: "Time for reality check

Editor: Sen. Rick Santorum is a classic case of a legislator being out of touch with reality. In a state that has been devastated with job losses, he has voted against Amtrak funding, which is a major job provider. He supports the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which, like NAFTA, will cost us thousands of jobs.

As a senator from the second largest state of retirees, he opposes strengthening Social Security and favors the risky, White House proposal for privatization. That's a financial affront to senior citizens.

He blames the citizens of Boston for the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. That's bizarre.

And in his new book, he opposes working women, claiming that 'radical feminism' is the reason they want to work. What planet is Rick talking about? Most American women work because they need to supplement their family income. If Mr. Santorum supported legislation that saved jobs and increased wages and benefits, maybe American families could thrive on one family member's income. But the realities of high cost education and medical care during times of falling wages and benefits just doesn't make that a possibility.

Is there a family value any more important than a decent job with benefits? Is there a family value more important than knowing that, should illness or injury befall your family, you don�t have to worry about going bankrupt? Mr. Santorum is out of touch. We should retire him and let him write fiction full time.

ROBERT J. KALASKI

Lakeville, Wayne County"

The frightened world of Rick Santorum by Steve Horowitz

2005-07-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

The frightened world of Rick Santorum by Steve Horowitz: "The frightened world of Rick Santorum

Posted Wed Jul 27,2005 8:46 PM Last Edited: Wed Jul 27,2005 10:50 PM

Paranoiac Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has been making the rounds, promoting his just-published screed, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good." I've seen him on "The Daily Show," where Jon Stewart tried to pin him down -- but failed -- on whether two guys getting married really poses such a threat to the Republic, and, tonight, on "Hardball," where Chris Matthews tossed softballs worthy of Santorum's publisher's publicist.

This is a book you can judge by its cover: It looks like a church window (Santorum adheres to a strict style of Catholicsm), with a stained glass design approximating a cross and a '50s style illustration of a nuclear family at its center. The premise of the book, as described by the Washington Post, is that "the family unit, rather than the federal government, that should make up the foundation of a fair society."

What an astonishing idea.

But so goes the Republican's fear campaign. They work day and night trying to convince Americans that a.) the family is under attack by insidious liberal-minded forces; b.) Christianity is under attack by insidious liberal-minded forces; and c.) government is bad.

Their anxiety seems to stem from the fact that not all Americans agree with them all the time. Sure, we've handed Republicans the keys to all three branches of government (which has grown explosively under their anti-government leadership), but this has done nothing to assuage them. As long as there are gay people who long for recognition of their committed relationships, as long as there are women who wish not to bear children, their way of life is threatened. And they deeply believe that their way of life should be everyone's.

That way of life, by the way, should seem vaguely familiar -- you've seen it on TV. As Rick said in a Washington Post-sponsored online chat:

"Growing up in the 1950's and 1960's was far different from growing up in this decade. The culture, the neighborhoods, the values that were being fed through the popular culture and the educational establishments were far different from now. The world was different and far more nurturing to families. Can you imagine a show today entitled Father Knows Best?"

Never mind that the Father in "Father Knows Best" was an alcoholic who tried to kill himself in his garage. Or that the girl who played the younger daughter became a heroin addict. Conservatives want to return us to those thrilling days of a values-filled yesteryear that never existed, when men were wise, women cooked and cleaned in pearls, mental illness and drug abuse were never discussed and blacks knew their place. Or got lynched.

The good old days.

Sen. Rick, when he's not watching Nick at Night, is deeply fearful of working women. He says that two-parent families with mom staying at home offers kids the best chance of a healthy upbringing. He may be right. But it's irrelevant. As we know, many women have to work if their families are to survive. Rick blames this on taxes. "On average," he said in his online chat, "the second wage earner is working simply to pay the increased burden the federal government has put on the family."

What Rick doesn't explain is how the Bush tax cuts he voted for haven't solved that problem. (Oh, right, those went mainly to the rich, while the middle class got $300 checks.)

Even more perplexing is that Rick thinks stay-at-home moms get no respect in our culture. I would suggest that, these days, they get more than that -- namely, envy.

Another of Rick's pathological phobias: gay marriage, which he describes, as most Republicans do, as a threat to "the traditional family." But I've yet to hear him explain exactly what the threat is. Does Rick think that when a gay couple moves into the neighborhood, a mass epidemic of homosexuality breaks out? That little Johnny and Suzy will quit the football team and cheerleading squad and start antiquing? That Mommy and Daddy will start renting gay pornos instead of the straight kind?

Maybe Rick explains it in his book. Maybe I should read it.

Nah. Everything I need to know about Rick and his hateful, bitter ilk can be summed up in a scene from "Father Knows Best," where knowing father tells dutiful son, "Look, son, let me give you a tip -- cling to your youth. Time has a way of moving forward, never backward -- stay with it as long as you can."

Time moves forward. Society makes progress.

If only conservatives could live with father's advice, and not try to haul us all back to their warped conception of the good old days.

Steve Horowitz is a freelance advertising and political writer in Hollywood, Fla. His website is http://loveamericahatebush.com "

Roberts' wife's Fits The Santorum Profile of a Greedy Feminist - Leaves Children for Career

2005-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Santorum: Roberts' wife's work for anti-abortion group not important in confirmation:

John Robert's makes a good income and his wife still maintains a career. This is exactly the kind of woman Santorum condemns in his new Puff Book, "It takes a Family".
Barry O'Connell
Former elected Republican State Committeeman Lycoming County
Pro-God, Pro-Life, Pro-family, Pro-Gun, Pro-Casey
p

Santorum: Roberts' wife's work for anti-abortion group not important in confirmation

WASHINGTON As the Senate considers the Supreme Court nomination of federal judge John Roberts, a Senate Republican leader says the fact Roberts' wife's performs free legal work for an anti-abortion group shouldn't be an issue.

Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum tells N-B-C he doesn't think a wife's activities would have any impact on what a judge is going to do. Santorum also notes that he and his wife have opinions that differ at times and says he expects most couples are the same way. Santorum an outspoken opponent to abortion.

Jane Roberts is a partner with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, where she specializes in communications and technology law. She also does free legal work for the group Feminists for Life.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/26/2005 | Santorum Plays Politics with the National Weather Service - Trades People's Jobs In Exchange For Donations

2005-07-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/26/2005 | Weather ad blasts Santorum: "Weather ad blasts Santorum

A bill introduced by the senator would privatize the National Weather Service, the group's union says.
By Carrie Budoff
Inquirer Staff Writer
A union representing National Weather Service employees took its case against a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) to the radio this weekend, putting up ads that accuse him of trying to privatize the federal agency.

The commercials extend a debate that began in April when Santorum introduced the bill dealing with the relationship between the weather service and private weather companies.

The conflict stems from differing interpretations of the bill.

In the 60-second ad, a speaker says the weather service would be forced to funnel its data to private companies, which could then "sell the reports for a profit." The 3,700-member National Weather Service Employees Organization, which recently contributed to Santorum's leading 2006 Democratic opponent, alleges the bill curtails the public's access to information.

A Santorum spokesman said yesterday that the public would see no change. Instead, the bill aims to restore the "cooperative relationship" that existed between private companies and the weather service until 2004, said Robert L. Traynham, Santorum's spokesman.

"The taxpayer will receive the same information free of charge," Traynham said.

He added that the original intent was job protection, with the state supporting 14 private companies, including AccuWeather in State College, that rely on data from the weather service.

The $10,000 ad buy was an unusual public relations offensive for a measure that has seen little movement in the Senate. The bill, which sits in a commerce subcommittee, has yet to attract a single cosponsor.

"It is an important public issue, and we want to make sure it goes nowhere," said Richard Hirn, general counsel for the Washington-based union.

Santorum aides see a different motivation: a political smear by a union aligned with Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr.

Casey, who opposes the bill, did receive at least $2,000 from the union's political action committee in the last month, Hirn said.

"We are getting involved ... because of what Santorum is trying to do to the American public. That is the only issue we care about," Hirn said.

John Brabender, Santorum's media consultant, said voters "will see through this Casey sham."

Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manager, said: "The question here is whether taxpayers are going to foot the bill to provide information for private companies."

Contact staff writer Carrie Budoff at 610-313-8211 or cbudoff@phillynews.com."

Senate Republicans Worried About Santorum in Light of Casey Onslaught

2005-07-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

With Santorum out in '08, conservatives up for grabs: "With Santorum out in '08, conservatives up for grabs
By Geoff Earle

Sen. Rick Santorum’s (R-Pa.) announcement that he does not intend to run for president in 2008 has provided an opening for other GOP candidates angling for a piece of the social-conservative vote.

In early polling, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has a considerable lead among top Republican presidential contenders, leaving limited breathing room for lesser-known contenders — including a few of Santorum’s GOP colleagues.

“Rick would’ve been a good candidate,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who noted Santorum’s strength with social conservatives. “He’d have been a very strong candidate in the Republican field.”

But with Santorum out, Brownback said, there are “not as many people lining up the same bloc of votes in a primary. It does open up a bloc of votes that would naturally have tended toward him.”

As for his own plans for 2008, Brownback said he continues to make “early travels” to key primary states, with recent visits to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He said he will “continue to make calls and inquiries.”

But, he noted: “The final decision has not been made yet.”

Santorum, who is facing a tough reelection battle in 2006, wrote in an online chat on The Washington Post’s website Monday: “I have six children ages 4-14. And the idea of coming off a race of the intensity that I am engaged in at this point and turning around and running another two-year campaign for president is not something that I believe is in the best interest of my family.”

“I can’t speak for other politicians but I can speak for me, and my intention is not to run in 2008,” he added.

But Santorum spokesman Robert Traynham said he is not entirely convinced that his boss won’t change his mind, noting that Santorum has never ruled out a run categorically.

Several GOP senators commended Santorum’s move, noting that he has a tough election fight on his hands against state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr.

“I told him that was a good thing to do,” said Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.). “He needs to focus on his leadership here and get reelected.”

In the past month, Santorum has handed Democrats plenty of fodder to use against him in his reelection campaign. He has been forced to defend several passages from his new book, It Takes a Family, which the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has cited in fundraising appeals. The group blasted several of the book’s passages in a recently produced Web video.

DSCC Executive Director J.B. Poersch sent the video to supporters along with a fundraising letter yesterday. In the letter, Poersch said the book “proves that Santorum has a worldview wildly out of step with mainstream America.”

Santorum was also recently forced to defend comments made three years ago on a Catholic website where he wrote that liberal attitudes in Boston contributed to the pedophilia scandal in the Catholic Church.

Santorum, who has trailed Casey by as much as 10 percentage points in some polls in a state carried by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), no doubt would have had trouble explaining a presidential candidacy to voters while simultaneously running for another six-year term in the Senate.

“Generally speaking, people don’t like you to be running for office and looking over their shoulder for the next one,” Lott said.

Santorum’s decision leaves him free to focus on his own reelection and, after that, if he wins, his effort to become party whip.

Of the remaining candidates who may make a run for the White House in 2008, Brownback shares the most similar ideological beliefs with Santorum. Two likely ’08 hopefuls, Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), will each need to make a concerted effort to reach out to socially conservative voters if they want to be competitive.
Brownback noted that a number of people who lacked the visibility of McCain or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) were making trips and appraisals of the 2008 race already.

“You have to come from further back to move forward,” McCain said.

A Zogby poll in June had McCain leading the GOP presidential field with 35 percent of the vote, with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani close behind at 19 percent. Frist took 6 percent, Santorum 2 and Brownback 1.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) noted that Brownback, Frist and Allen had all held fundraisers in South Carolina, a key primary state, although he also hopes to bring Santorum to the state for a fundraiser to help his reelection effort.

“There’s a lot of trial balloons going up,” he said.

Allen declined to talk about any plans he may have regarding an ’08 bid.

“I’m focused on raising money for my own reelection,” he said.

During the recess, Allen plans to travel around Virginia in an RV part of the time and make fundraising trips to Colorado and Delaware.

“I hope he’s still with us in the Senate,” said Allen, who considers Santorum a strong GOP leader and close friend."

Bill Scranton Supporters Reject Santorum - Money Men Want a Winner not an Ideologue

2005-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Republican tech executives keep politics local: "Republican tech executives keep politics local
Saturday, July 23, 2005

By Corilyn Shropshire, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The politics matched the attire on this balmy summer evening, as a crisply suited, closely cropped crowd mingled at Downtown's Euro Cafe.

Glen Meakem
Conservative in mind and appearance, they munched on cheese and cold cuts Wednesday evening while awaiting the arrival of former Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton, who would welcome FreeMarkets Inc. founder and local tech celebrity Glen Meakem as fundraising chair for his gubernatorial campaign.

This bunch of about 50 was eager to talk about Scranton, why he was the better man to run against Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell next year than his perceived closest Republican rival, former Pittsburgh Steeler turned broadcaster Lynn Swann, and why local politics are critical to a business-friendly economy.

What they didn't want to talk about was Sen. Rick Santorum. In fact, the mention of Santorum elicited a game of verbal dodgeball. Asked about the third-highest ranking Republican senator in the country who appears to be in line to confront a strong challenge next year from state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., some local tech executives simply changed the subject or refused to talk on the record.

Santorum's widely publicized social agenda, it seems, is a bit too polarizing for some members of his party. Particularly those in the tech community, who maintain that local politics, not the culture wars, have galvanized them to do more than write checks in support of Republican candidates and causes.

"State and local policies make the difference," said Ed Engler, the chief executive officer of Downtown-based technology firm Summa Technologies, who was among those who collected signatures for the row office reform referendum.

"I care much more about how businesses in town are going to be affected."

Conventional wisdom says that techies aren't the most political bunch. Notoriously nerdy, they are known for preferring chatter about gigabytes and the latest computer code than waxing political.

But beyond clamped lips on the subject of Santorum, some local tech execs are getting their hands dirty, circulating petitions for row office reform or volunteering on the Republican political campaigns.

"A lot of what drives us is frustration," said Pittsburgh attorney Bob Ridge, who helped organize the Scranton/Meakem coming-out party and includes technology firms among his clients. "Your livelihood depends on a vibrant economy, you'll either move or take action to change the status."

Meakem is the second high-profile tech executive to recently jump into the political fray on the Republican side of the fence in a town where Democrats still dominate. Last month, Ariba Inc. President David McCormick, who formerly worked for Meakem, was nominated by President Bush to serve as an undersecretary at the Department of Commerce.

McCormick is unavailable for comment on political matters while his nomination is mulled by a Senate committee, and Meakem, like his tech GOP brethren, didn't have much to say about the upcoming Santorum race.

For him, too, all politics are local. "The big eye-opener for me, was the Pittsburgh fiscal crisis," he said, completely deflecting any questions about Santorum, whose views on gay marriage, stay-at-home parents and abortion fall on the conservative side of the ledger. "A lot of policies start in Harrisburg and we need reform."

Mark Evans, the chief executive officer of North Side-based financial services software firm Confluence and chair of the tech-advocacy nonprofit Pittsburgh Technology Council, is a Republican who says he doesn't care which side of the fence a candidate falls as long as he or she addresses business and technology issues. "The social issues "neb themselves out," he said.

Business is what brought them to the table, politically active tech executives say -- the social agenda is an afterthought. "First and foremost, we care about creating a fertile soil for our business," said Mark Desantis, a former staffer of the late Sen. John Heinz, who is now a tech consultant and fixture in local GOP politics.

Desantis also heads Citizens for Democratic Reform, the group pushing to reduce the number of elected row offices. He is a conservative who, after deciding he had enough of working on the national level, decided that local politics hit both his home and pocketbook. Now he spends 80 percent of his time working on his consulting practice, the other 20 percent doing political work.

Amicus Corp. CEO Ric Castro can't spend that much time being political -- he's too busy building his South Side-based software firm. But that doesn't mean he hasn't scraped out time to work on the issues he cares about -- mainly business and not the cultural issues that have kept Santorum in the news lately.

That many people were unable or unwilling to talk about Santorum's re-election campaign or possible presidential bid didn't surprise John Dick, a former staffer for the senator who now leads his own tech-focused lobbying group.

"I believe that most people choose their partisan affiliation due to their social leanings," he said, but taxes and other business-minded issues are what draws the ire and passion of people in Pittsburgh. "Most people in the technology community vote based on how they perceive the candidate will affect their daily lives."

(Corilyn Shropshire can be reached at cshropshire@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1413."

Republican tech executives reject Rick Santorum - too polarizing to get their Money

2005-07-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Republican tech executives keep politics local: "What they didn't want to talk about was Sen. Rick Santorum. In fact, the mention of Santorum elicited a game of verbal dodgeball. Asked about the third-highest ranking Republican senator in the country who appears to be in line to confront a strong challenge next year from state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., some local tech executives simply changed the subject or refused to talk on the record.

Santorum's widely publicized social agenda, it seems, is a bit too polarizing for some members of his party. Particularly those in the tech community, who maintain that local politics, not the culture wars, have galvanized them to do more than write checks in support of Republican candidates and causes."

KDKA: Santorum: No Intention to Run in 2008

2005-07-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

KDKA: Santorum: No Intention to Run in 2008:

Before Casey Rick Santorum had an easy Senate race planned as a lead up to a run for the presidency. Now he is worried about surviving. Casey has the Positives, The poll numbers, and he is raising far more money than a challenging Democrat can expect to raise. Now beset by scandal, stupidity, and an embarrassing relationship with an openly gay man Rick Santorum is fighting for survival.
Barry O'Connell
Pro-God, Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Casey

"Santorum: No Intention to Run in 2008

Jul 26, 2005 11:04 am US/Eastern
WASHINGTON (KDKA/AP) His name has been mentioned as the next Republican candidate to make a bid for the White House, but US Senator Rick Santorum says he has no intention of running for president in 2008.

Santorum is among several GOP candidates thought possible to seek the presidency.

But Santorum says he can't imagine putting his family through another campaign -- so close to his current re-election bid for Senate.

"I have six children ages 4-14. And the idea of coming off a race of the intensity that I am engaged in at this point and turning around and running another two-year campaign for president is not something that I believe is in the best interest of my family," Santorum said in an online interview with The Washington Post.

"I can't speak for other politicians but I can speak for me, and my intention is not to run in 2008," he said."

The Sentinel Online - Rick Santorum's dirty Little Secret - The "K Street Project" (As in Rick First, Jesus Second)

2005-07-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Sentinel Online - Editorial: "Santorum has picked a peculiar career path for someone concerned with strengthening our moral fabric. Inside the Beltway, the Ten Commandments play second fiddle to the Seven Deadly Sins on a regular basis.

Ever hear of the "K Street Project?" It's a GOP initiative to strong-arm lobbying firms into firing Democrats and hiring Republicans. Santorum is a big player in this initiative, which reflects no New Testament value I'm familiar with.

You will recall the junior senator voted with the minority to impeach a Democratic president over a sexual peccadillo. Presented with the sorry saga of U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood, R-Wilkes-Barre — he kept a mistress for five years and is accused in a civil suit of assaulting her — Santorum said, "… we should look at the job that Congressman Sherwood is doing and make decisions based on the facts and the work that he's doing."

Like they say on the liberal blogs, IOKIYAR — It's OK If You're A Republican.

And Santorum doesn't do real well as a senator with "culture of life" issues outside of abortion. He's on board with capital punishment and the invasion of Iraq — both of which were condemned by Pope John Paul II, his spiritual leader.

For most people, religion and morals are a means to live a good life and try to make sense of life's big questions. For Santorum, they're a truncheon to pound political opponents with. Unfortunately, there's a big constituency for that, too."

Speculation Continues On Santorum's Close and Personal Relationship with Openly Gay Staffer

2005-07-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

PrideSource:: "The Gay Moralist: Choosing sides
By John Corvino
Originally printed 7/21/2005 (Issue 1329 - Between The Lines News)

Sometimes commenting on current events is just too easy. Take last week's revelation that Robert Traynham, director of communications for gay-baiting Senator Rick Santorum, is (in his own words) an "out gay man who completely supports the senator." So reports Michael Rogers in the online publication PageOneQ, which recorded the staffer's comments in a phone interview.

Santorum, you may recall, has compared homosexuality to incest, adultery, and bestiality. Discussing Texas's sodomy law (which U.S. Supreme Court ultimately struck down), Santorum told the Associated Press two years ago that "if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything." Later in the same interview he compared gay marriage to "man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."

Not exactly a great friend of gay rights, that Santorum.

As the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, Santorum is also a leading proponent of the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment and a darling of the religious right. So offensive are his views that columnist Dan Savage launched a successful campaign to lend his name to a substance so disgusting I won't mention it in this newspaper. (If you must know, do a Google search on "santorum": the slang term actually comes up first, before the senator's own website.)

But enough about Santorum, who (thankfully) may be voted out of office in the midterm election. My beef is with Traynham, who doesn't merely work for the guy, but acts as his director of communications: that is, the one responsible for spreading Santorum's message far and wide. Not his hairdresser (who admittedly deserves ridicule as well). Not his accountant. Traynham is Santorum's communications director: an "out gay man" acting as a senior spokesman for a notorious homophobe.

Can anyone say "cognitive dissonance"?

Asked to explain himself, Traynham responded in the interview that "Senator Santorum is a man of principle, he is a man who sticks up for what he believes in. I strongly do support Senator Santorum."

I don't doubt for a moment that Santorum is a man of principle. But not all principles are created equal, and not all principled commitments are admirable. Traynham's defending Santorum as a "man of principle"--regardless of what those principles are--makes it difficult to blame commentators for accusations of "Uncle Tom-ism."

Facile analogies aside, it's hard to ignore that among the "principles" Santorum holds dear is the pernicious belief that homosexuality is an abomination. Indeed, as his remarks on Texas's ill-fated sodomy statute make clear, Santorum believes that homosexual conduct should be against the law.

Asked how he could support such a person, Traynham told PageOneQ, "Senator Santorum is a family man. I have been with him for eight years and I am very proud to be with him." He then hung up the phone.

Again, there's no doubt that Santorum is a "family man" in one widely understood sense of that term. But Santorum's notion of "family" excludes any family that Traynham might form (and that countless gays and lesbians have formed, no thanks to Traynham's boss). And Traynham's use of "family" rhetoric in supporting such an outspoken opponent of gay and lesbian families is nothing short of disgusting.

What does the good senator think about all of this? Perhaps surprisingly, he released a statement supporting Traynham, stating that "Not only is Mr. Traynham an exemplary staffer, but he is also a trusted friend confidente [sic] to me and my family."

Careful, Senator. Next thing you know, you'll be entrusting your family with bigamists, adulterers, and "man on dog" types. That's the pattern (so we're told).

Mind you, I am not the sort of angry gay man who thinks that one ought never maintain friendly relations with right-wingers (although some days I think I should be). I have an amicable relationship with Glenn Stanton, Director of Social Research and Cultural Affairs at Focus on the Family, and I genuinely look forward to my interactions (both professional and social) with him. But I still pull no punches when attacking his wrongful views. Opposition to gay and lesbian relationships is not merely irrational, it is profoundly harmful--and people of conscience must say so, loudly and frequently. That's something that the director of communications for Senator Rick Santorum simply cannot do.

There's a cultural war going on, Mr. Traynham. Pick sides.

John Corvino's "Gay Moralist" column appears bi-weekly in Between the Lines and occasionally at the Independent Gay Forum (www.indegayforum.org).

Suggested pull quote: "I don't doubt for a moment that Santorum is a man of principle. But not all principles are created equal, and not all principled commitments are admirable.""

Santorum To Push for Federal Probe Of Catholic Church - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - RICO Statute Could be Invoked

2005-07-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Santorum meets with group on clergy sex abuse - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Washington - News: "Santorum meets with group on clergy sex abuse
By Associated Press | July 22, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Senator Rick Santorum assured abuse victims yesterday that he would look into why the Justice Department has yet to respond to their request for an investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Breaking News Alerts The meeting between Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican who is Roman Catholic, and three members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests was scheduled after some of its members expressed outrage over a column he wrote in 2002.

''When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected," Santorum wrote in the column. ''While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political, and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts criticized the column on the Senate floor last week.

The three SNAP members said Santorum stood by his comments, but they were pleased he agreed to contact the Justice Department. ''It's hard to say until we see what happens next," said Peter Isely, a member of the group's national board.

''I'm going to do my best to try to be helpful," Santorum said after the meeting.

The 2003 request that the organization filed with the Justice Department accuses the Catholic Church of ''conspiratorial acts" such as paying for sex offenders to move across state lines and withholding information about sex offenders.

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company."

Santorum Attacks The Vatican as being "Out Of Touch" - Blasts Cardinal Law and Even Attacks Pope John Paul II's Funeral

2005-07-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Santorum rebuts book criticism: "Santorum rebuts book criticism
Senator also stands by his controversial remarks about Boston's sexual abuse scandal
Saturday, July 23, 2005

By James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum yesterday defended the observations on women and work in his new book, and stood by his controversial remarks linking Boston's supposedly liberal climate to the scandal of priests and sexual abuse.

Santorum, R-Pa., who faces a likely challenge next year from Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., revisited those topics, lightning rods for criticism in recent weeks, as he embarked on a series of appearances to promote "It Takes a Family," his newly published work, which combines a critique of liberal orthodoxy with a call for conservative solutions to the challenges of poverty.

On Monday, the senator is scheduled to appear on the "Today" show, Fox News and, perhaps most improbably, "The Daily Show," with Jon Stewart, on Comedy Central.

Yesterday, at a taping of "KD/PG Sunday Edition," Santorum rebutted early criticism of the book, said that it pointed out the failures of both liberalism and conservatives in addressing poverty and expressed confidence in his re-election prospects for next year.

In stressing the importance of parental attention to children, Santorum writes in one widely noted passage, "Many women have told me, and surveys have shown, that they find it easier, more 'professionally' gratifying, and certainly more socially affirming, to work outside the home rather than give up their careers to take care of their children."

Santorum described that view as an unfortunate consequence of "radical feminism."

Asked during the taping if he believed it was acceptable for women to work outside the home, he said, "Sure, absolutely. My mother worked when I was growing up. ... I'm perfectly comfortable with that. All I've said is children need parents and they need parents to be there and help nurture and raise them."

In a brief interview later, Santorum reaffirmed remarks about Boston and the priests' sex scandal that brought a rare rebuke on the Senate floor from Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

In July 2002, Santorum wrote in an article in the journal Catholic Online: "Priests, like all of us, are infected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element of it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

That passage has sparked criticism from politicians of both parties, as well as from victims' support groups, many of whom have pointed out that priests' abuse was by no means confined to Boston, with widespread documented reports from across the United States and other nations.

"People are sort of taking that out of context because in 2002 that was the story; it was Boston," Santorum said yesterday. I mean yes, we found out subsequently that it occurred in a lot of other places."

While Boston was the primary focus of the scandal, particularly in the earlier months of 2002, by the middle the year the widespread nature of the problem was apparent and had been extensively reported.

In June 2002, the month before Santorum's article appeared, the nation's Catholic bishops met in Dallas, painstakingly reviewed the widespread reports and approved strict new guidelines for dealing with instances of abuse.

Santorum expressed reservations about the cover-ups of abuse by Boston's then bishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, and the fact that, although he resigned in disgrace in 2003, Law's colleagues allowed him a position of prominence as celebrant of a Mass prior to the funeral of the late Pope John Paul II.

"Let's put it this way, I didn't go to the Mass," said Santorum, who was among the American politicians who traveled to Rome for the papal funeral. "I think it showed that the Vatican hasn't quite gotten the message on the damage the cardinal did to the church in this country."

On other subjects during the program, which will air at 11:30 tomorrow morning on KDKA-TV, Santorum criticized the Penn Hills school board for appealing a decision that the district could not recover tuition money paid for Santorum's children to attend a cyber charter school.

A hearing officer said the district could not assert its claim because it had waited too long to file its objections.

"The fact that they are continuing to appeal this and pay taxpayers' dollars [is] clearly a political vendetta," said Santorum, who pointed out that the Democratic chair of Penn Hills is a member of the board pressing the appeal.

"...Who's benefiting from this? Certainly my children are not, certainly the children in Penn Hills aren't. Certainly the parents and families in Penn Hills are not."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Politics Editor James O'Toole can be reached at jotoole@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1562.)"

The Observer | International | Santorum Linked To Radical Islamic Criminal

2005-07-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Observer | International | Iran militant is now hero of US right: "He is also on a hunger strike that has lasted more than a month and, according to some reports, left him near death. Ganji's case has been taken up enthusiastically by leading conservatives in America and followed almost daily in such right-wing media outlets as the New York Sun and the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal. Senator Rick Santorum, the leading 2008 presidential hopeful from the evangelical wing of the Republican Party, and several other senators have joined in demanding that Ganji should be released.

Some critics believe that Ganji's popularity has little to do with the merits of his case and much to do with pressuring Iran. Santorum has this year introduced legislation in the Senate that pushes for regime change in Iran. 'The bill also notes the futility of working with the Iranian government,' he said. The move is similar to those used to promote a policy of 'regime change' in Iraq. It would allow the US government to support foreign and domestic groups that are opposed to the Iranian government."

Philadelphia Inquirer | Santorum: Working Mothers Work because of "radical feminism" - Senator Losing Touch with Voters

2005-07-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/24/2005 | Senator's new chapter of political risk: "Posted on Sun, Jul. 24, 2005

Senator's new chapter of political risk
By Carrie Budoff
Inquirer Staff Writer
Advisers to U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) challenged him on the timing. Should he really release It Takes a Family, his new book of prescriptions for curing what he sees as a broken culture, at the outset of a difficult reelection campaign?

Santorum listened, then moved ahead anyway.

The two-term senator seems to thrive on controversy. It's almost a habit for him, talking without a filter and holding firm when his critics start howling. But his latest venture - publishing a book - pushes his political risk-taking to a new level, prompting some allies to question whether it is worth it.

"One of my fellow congressmen from Pennsylvania asked me, 'Why are you doing it now? Why not wait until after the election?' " Santorum said Friday. "Because people will read it now and they won't read it after the election. I really do want people to read this. I believe this."

Although the book outlines his conservative philosophy in detail, attention has focused on excerpts in which he challenges two-income families, and points to "radical feminism" as a reason women feel the need to work outside the home.

Robert P. Casey Jr., Santorum's leading Democratic opponent, and his campaign staff see such assertions as a gift in proving their case in the 2006 election that the senator is out of step with most Pennsylvanians.

Santorum considers his 449-page book a common-sense blueprint for strengthening families.

And there he was Friday, on the first day of a publicity tour - which will bring him to bookstores in the coming weeks, as well as scheduled appearances on the Today show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tomorrow - talking up his ideas and shooing aside any suggestion that he was making trouble for himself.

"My staff says I take a political risk every time I open my mouth and say what is on my mind," Santorum quipped, after signing copies at a suburban Pittsburgh bookstore.

Even so, he added, "my opponent has plenty of ad material. And, you know, I gave them a little more. Nobody has enough money to run all the stuff they'd like to run against me. So my feeling is, I don't worry about it."

His willingness to unload his thoughts comes as no surprise to supporters. But the timing has left some political pragmatists wondering, particularly now as he rebounds from a spate of critical publicity, most notably for his leading role in Congress to prevent the death of Terri Schiavo.

"The frankness with which he lays out his beliefs is sometimes difficult to deal with, with some of my people," said George Bochetto, a Philadelphia lawyer who raises money for Santorum in Southeastern Pennsylvania. "It is going to be tougher and tougher to raise money."

While Bochetto and some of the more than a dozen Santorum allies contacted last week acknowledge feeling consternation, they all end up in the same place, praising the senator for speaking bluntly at a time when politicians poll their favorite color.

"A lot of people find in Sen. Santorum a very refreshing change from the typical political speak," said Charles Gerow, a Harrisburg media consultant and Santorum supporter. "I know there are people who worry about that because there are people... that will pounce on every word that is not in the PC dictionary."

Drawing the most criticism is his suggestion that families of moderate and higher incomes should reconsider whether both parents need to work. Santorum argues that government should make this choice easier by reducing their tax burden. And he goes on to point to feminism as a contributor by making a career seem more socially acceptable.

"I am calling for neutrality," Santorum said. "We should be affirming parents who want to stay home and those who choose to work."

Berwood Yost, a pollster with Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, sees Casey using these excerpts to turn female voters in the Philadelphia suburbs against Santorum.

"I think, is this suicide in Southeast Pennsylvania?" Yost asked. "Politically, it makes the situation much more difficult in a part of the state he needs."

With It Takes a Family, Santorum said, he is trying to focus attention on decades of policies that have undermined families. Liberals get most of the blame, although he does criticize conservatives for their handling of poverty, calling them "cheap liberals" who have not "given a damn from a public policy/government perspective."

His rhetoric, while riling critics, has stirred his supporters, too.

"Oh, gads, yes. I think we need more of this," said Dorothy Murphy, an assistant at the National Character Education Foundation, as she waited in line to get her book signed at the Aspinwall Bookshop. "We need to bring our country back to the idea of family and character.""

More on Santorum's Close Relationship with a Gay Aide

2005-07-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Top Santorum Aide Is Gay: "Volume 75, Number 29 | July 21 - 27 2005

POLITICS
Top Santorum Aide Is Gay
Anti-gay Pennsylvania Republican senator stands by communications chief, charges bigotry
By ANDY HUMM
Pennsylvania’s Republican Sen. Rick Santorum compares homosexuality to bestiality and says preventing gay marriage is the “ultimate homeland security,” but he has rushed to the defense of his openly gay communications director, Robert Traynham, II.

This week, a Washington, D.C-based media activist reported on his Internet news site that Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, known for his conservative views on social issues, including his staunch opposition to same-sex marriage, has a gay communications director.

In a telephone interview this week, Mike Rogers, the editor and publisher of PageOneQ.com explained that he gets hundreds of tips from confidential sources about public officials who are closeted gays and yet work against issues like same-sex marriage or the discussion of homosexuality in public school health classes. Based on multiple tips, Rogers said, he “picked up the phone and called” Robert Traynham, II, Santorum’s senior spokesman.

Rogers played the tape of his two-minute conversation on June 14 with Traynham in which Rogers identified himself as being from PageOneQ.com and Blogactive.com and asked Traynham how he could work for a lawmaker with such a virulently anti-gay record.
Traynham, a Santorum staffer for eight years, called his boss “a man of principle. He is a man who sticks up for what he believes in. I strongly support Sen. Santorum.”

Asked if he were out as a gay man to Santorum, Traynham replied, “I am.” When Rogers pressed Traynham on whether Santorum’s constituents knew one of his senior aides is gay, Traynham said, “I’m not sure that’s relevant.”

He soon refused to answer any more of Rogers’ questions and hung up the phone.

Gay rights groups have long criticized Santorum for his outspoken remarks about gays and lesbians. In June 2003, Santorum attacked the Supreme Court’s Lawrence v. Texas decision decriminalizing adult consensual homosexual relations, saying it could lead to the legalization of bestiality and pedophilia.

More recently, particularly during Pres. George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, Santorum has been a leading voice among Christian conservatives crusading against same-sex marriage. Following Massachusetts’ legalization of same-sex marriage in 2004, Santorum said that reserving the institution of marriage for heterosexuals is “the ultimate homeland security.”

News of Traynham identifying himself as a gay man became a hot topic on the Internet and in the media. In response, Santorum issued a written statement calling the aide “an exemplary staffer” and “a trusted friend confidente [sic] to me and my family.” The senator said, “I regret that this effort on behalf of people who oppose me has made him a target of bigotry in their eyes. It is entirely unacceptable that my staffs’ [sic] personal lives are considered fair game by partisans looking for arguments to bolster my opponent’s campaign,” an apparent reference to the Democrat seeking the two-term senator’s seat in November 2006.

Santorum added that Traynham has “my full support and confidence as well as my prayers as he navigates this rude and mean spirited invasion of his personal life.”

Rogers said that he has evidence that Traynham leads a sexually active gay life, including cruising Gay.com with a screen name related to Brooks Brothers. “He did not say he was a celibate,” Rogers said. “He hangs a rainbow flag outside his house on Pride Day.”

The revelations about Traynham come one week after Santorum, who is a fervent Roman Catholic, reiterated comments he has made in the past, in which he blames the Boston archdiocese’s clergy sexual abuse scandal on that Northeastern city’s “sexual liberalism” and “sexual freedom.”

“If you have a world view that I’m describing [about Boston]… that affirms alternative views of sexuality, that can lead to a lot of people taking it the wrong way,” Santorum told the Boston Globe. When the reporter mentioned that the sex abuse problem was a worldwide, not local, crisis, Santorum replied, “There was an indication that there was more of a problem there” in Boston.

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, a gay Democrat, told the Boston Globe that Santorum is “a jerk.” Frank also said that in the case of Terry Schiavo, the Florida woman in a persistent vegetative state who died after a court-ordered removal of her feeding tube, “This is one of those people who claimed to have had eye contact with a blind woman.”

State Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr., son of former the Democratic Gov. Robert Casey, has led Santorum in several polls of likely voters.

Santorum has been mentioned as a potential White House aspirant in 2008. Another possible Republican contender, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, told the Globe, “I think he has probably written off Massachusetts.”

Traynham was named by Roll Call as one of the “50 Most Powerful Staffers on Capitol Hill.” He is deputy chief of staff and director of communications for the Senate Republican Conference, led by Santorum. Traynham has also served as the political director of Black America’s Political Action Committee, seeking to elect African-American conservatives to national office. He is a graduate of Cheyney College in Pennsylvania, an historically African-American school, and now serves on its board of trustees. His biography on the college’s Web site says he “enjoys reading, cooking, and playing sports.”

Speaking at a 2003 Harvard forum on being a conservative person of color, Traynham said, “Being black has nothing to do with my job—zero.” When confronted about supporting those who display the Confederate battle flag, he said, “Those who are romantic about the Confederate flag, that’s our base. We need their support; this upcoming election is going to be close.”

When asked about gay people in the Republican Party, he said, “I have a lot of friends who happen to be gay.”

Asked about his willingness to divulge the sexual orientation of closeted gay officials, blogger Rogers said, “I’m only interested in exposing people, regardless of party, who are gay and enabling anti-gay politicians to deny us basic civil rights.”

Among the politicians Rogers has exposed include GOP Rep. Ed Schrock of Virginia who announced he would not run for re-election after a tape of him asking for phone sex with men was posted on the Blogactive.com Web site and later plad on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”"

Washington Blade Online: Santorum panders to gay paper

2005-07-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Washington Blade Online: "NATIONAL NEWS

Santorum defends outed gay staffer
Anti-gay senator calls aide ‘a trusted friend and confidante’
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Friday, July 22, 2005
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), considered one of the strongest opponents of gay civil rights in Congress, acknowledged to the media last week that his chief spokesperson is a gay man who he considers an “exemplary” employee and “trusted friend.”

News that Santorum’s communications director, Robert Traynham, is gay and has been open about his sexual orientation to Santorum since he joined the senator’s staff eight years ago stunned gay activists and Pennsylvania’s political establishment.

“It disturbs me that he has a gay person on his staff and yet he is so hostile to the rights of LGBT people,” said Stacey Sobel, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. “If he is open-minded enough to have an openly gay staff member, why is he not open minded about the issues important to his LGBT constituents?”

Traynham’s sexual orientation surfaced in the news media after the Web site PageOneQ.com reported that Traynham had confirmed in a recorded phone conversation that he is gay and out to Santorum.

Nearly all the major press outlets in Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, quickly picked up on Traynham’s status as a gay man. Santorum and some of his supporters charged that the outing was aimed at hurting Santorum’s re-election bid next year, where he trails in the polls to Democrat Robert Casey, Jr., the state treasurer.

In a statement released by his office, Santorum said Traynham has worked for him for eight years. During the past four years, Santorum said, Traynham served as deputy chief of staff for the Senate Republican Conference, which Santorum heads, before returning to Santorum’s personal office to become communications director.

“He is widely respected and admired on Capitol Hill, both among the press corps and among congressional staff, as a communications professional,” Santorum said. “Not only is Mr. Traynham an exemplary staffer, he is also a trusted friend and confidante to me and my family,” Santorum said in his statement.

“It is entirely unacceptable that my staff’s personal lives are considered fair game by partisans looking for arguments to bolster my opponent’s campaign,” Santorum said. “Mr. Traynham continues to have my full support and confidence as well as my prayers as he navigates this rude and mean-spirited invasion of his personal life.”

Aide’s friends step forward

Traynham has declined all requests for interviews by the media. However, he released information to the Blade this week through several intermediaries who know him through his role as a trusted Santorum aide.

“Robert says Sen. Santorum is a great boss, a wonderfully kind, generous, and able person and a caring friend,” said gay Republican activist Jim Driscoll, who has had dealings with Traynham in Driscoll’s role as a Bush appointee on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Bill Reynolds, communications director for Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), said Traynham does not share all of Santorum’s views on homosexuality or gay rights but prefers to “work on the inside” to present differing viewpoints.

“[Traynham] is intelligent and competent,” Reynolds said. “Everybody likes him.”

Reynolds said he did not know Traynham was gay until he learned about it from news media reports last week.

“The issue is this is really not an issue,” Reynolds said. “Whether he is gay or not, nobody cares.”

Erica Wright, who worked as Santorum’s communications director before Traynham, said “everyone” who worked with Traynham on Santorum’s staff knew he is gay.

“Robert is who he is,” she said. “He has been out since he was 20 years old,” she recalled Traynham telling her. “He did not always bring this out, but he did not conceal it.”

A prominent Capitol Hill news reporter, who asked not to be identified, said Traynham “is saddened by what he considers an invasion of his privacy.”

“Robert feels he can be effective inside the system to try to work for change as it relates to gay policy — quietly, behind the scenes,” the reporter said.

The reporter, who knows Traynham from his coverage of the Senate, added, “Robert is a devout Catholic who tries to get to Mass three times a week, usually before work or during lunch. He says he has a strong sense of his faith and struggles just like everyone else about how to deal with these issues.”

Author and gay civil rights activist Keith Boykin reported on his Web site, which focuses on African-American gay issues, that Traynham’s status as a black gay man working for an anti-gay senator considered hostile to civil rights in general came as a shock to many black gays.

“Traynham is not one of those black gay Republicans who is challenging his party on their racism and homophobia,” Boykin wrote. “No, instead he’s defending the party and its most vocal bigots. The only reason we know of Traynham’s sexual orientation is because he was outed.”

Santorum has been one of the leading supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, declaring on the Senate floor last year that legalizing gay marriage would threaten the existence of the traditional family unit of a husband and wife with children.

Shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws making consensual sodomy a crime, Santorum said if the high court says same-sex partners have a right to consensual sex in their homes, “then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything.”

Lou Chibbaro Jr. can be reached at lchibbaro@washblade.com"

Eyewitness News - Santorum Agrees To Seek Federal Prosecution Of Catholic Church Over Priest Abuse

2005-07-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Eyewitness News - Santorum meets with group upset by his comments on priest abuse: "WASHINGTON Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is assuring victims that he'll look into why the Justice Department hasn't responded to their request for an investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Santorum met today (Thursday) with three members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. It was scheduled after some of its members expressed outrage over a column he wrote in 2002.

In that column, Santorum linked Boston's liberalism to the clergy sex abuse scandal.

He wrote in the July 2002 column for Catholic Online that promoting alternative lifestyles feeds such aberrant behavior as priests molesting children.

The three members of SNAP say Santorum stands by his comments, but they were pleased he agreed to contact the Justice Department.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

Casey vs Santorum

Observer-Reporter - Casey Washington County Democratic Committee banquet Speech a SELLOUT

The Sentinel Online : Santorum Fights to KILL SOCIAL SECURITY

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Santorum's New Girl 27 - Year Old Virginia Davis

The Citizens Voice - News - 10/21/2005 - Scandal Plagued Cheney Draws Very Small Crowd for Santorum

Casey Says NO to Pay Grab - Santorum Votes YES Not Once but 3 Times - PittsburghLIVE.com

No Quorum For Santorum

Bono Winces at Santorum's Dirty Dealing, DECEPTIVE FUNDRAISING SCAM - The Hill Newpaper

Abramoff and Santorum Linked to Murder of Greek financier Gus Boulis

Philadelphia Inquirer | **John Brabender's POLITICAL FRAUD** U2 distances self from Santorum

Tricky Ricky Santorum Caught In Deceptive FundRaiser - U2 Complains About Concerts As Fund-Raisers

PennLive.com: NewsFlash - Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fund-raising

Post-Gazette: Bad news piles up on GOP, Santorum

Poll: Casey strengthens lead over Santorum (phillyBurbs.com) | Pennsylvania News

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: SANTORUM Financial Backer INDICTED for lying

The Observer | Santorum and Tom Delay and the "The K Street Project"

Santorum Attacks Bush For Not Doing Enough to DESTROY SOCIAL SECURITY - Los Angeles Times

Ricky Santorum's Reckless NAZI Comments

Santorum Ignores Trinity parents - PittsburghLIVE.com

Santorum Scared That His Credit Report Will Get Out -------WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Millions of Retirees May Lose Social Security Benefits Under Santorum Plan

Party of choice? - The Boston Globe

Group reports Ricky Santorum 'most corrupt' in Congress - World News - Webindia123.com

P U L S E | The "Blame Black People First" crowd (Rick Santorum Racist)

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/24/2005 - Santorum seems unruffled by deficit in early poll

The Times-Tribune - News - 09/24/2005 - Santorum Begins Tricky New Attack on Social Security

::.Angus Reid Consultants.:: Casey Could Beat Santorum in Pennsylvania

Santurum Blasts Bush For Not Doing Enough To Destroy Sicial Security - Tom Curry - MSNBC.com

Santorum's flips - PittsburghLIVE.com

Santorum Seeks to restrict Academic Freedom of Speech with Neo-Fascist Bill

The State | 09/21/2005 | Sen. DeMint R-S.C., has high praise for Weather Service - Rejects Santorum's Dumb Idea

Modbee.com | Santorum For Pres - young, good-looking, hysterically conservative and as dumb as a bag of hammers.

Pa. Politics: Under Santorum Gay Bars Fare Better Than Senion Citizens

Santorum Can't Raise Money So Casey Shouldn't... WHAT??????

The Times-Tribune - Opinion - 09/17/2005 - Leslie Gromis Baker Backs Pa Heathen Bill Scranton

Rescuers Find 76-Year-Old Man in Big Easy - Yahoo! News - Santorum Wants Him Arrested

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Casey for U.S. Senate

AP Interview: Santorum Tries to Put Positive Spin on Devestating Poll Numbers (phillyBurbs.com)

Philadelphia Daily News | Piccola Stronger than Scranton in Latest Poll

Casey Tells The Truth About Ricky Santorum

Santorum criticizes Weather Service

Santorum Scrambles to Creat Katrina Cover-up - Blame the Victims and Protect Bush Cronies - PittsburghLIVE.com

Katrina Comments Reinforce Santorum's Image as a Fool and a Bumbler

Father Richard P. McBrien of Notre Dame Univ Says Ricky Santorum is Mistaken and Unaware

Senate hopeful stresses health care, education BY KATHIE O. WARCO

Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/07/2005 | Santorum Advocates Jailing Hurricane Victims

Salt Lake Tribune - Santorum in-your-face religious, hyperpartisan and anti-intellectual.

Santorum Slip Cost Pa the Willow Grove Jobs

Santorum Slip Cost Pa the Willow Grove Jobs

State GOP says 'Bite me' - PittsburghLIVE.com

HoustonChronicle.com - Hines: "Santorum is down in blip territory"

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Leesburg Va.Welcomes Risky Biochemical Weapons To Pittsburgh Area

Pennsylvania Candidate Lies Low in Race (While Santorum Founders)

Black Entertainment | Santorum Gay? Don't Ask, Don't Tell

"unlike Santorum... Casey is "the most decent man I know." - Los Angeles Times

Casey Rejects Santorum's "scorched earth partisanship and the intolerant ideology "- Los Angeles Times

Attacks Trail Sen. Rick Santorum As Democratic Challenger Robert Casey Jr. Advances in Polls

Del. state trooper helps enforce Rick Santorum's 'family' values - Barnes and Noble has Coed's Arrested

Santorum Henchmen Play Dirty With The Scranton Times (Shame on you Rick!)

National Ledger - Rick Santorum in Trouble - By Robert Novak

(DV) Goldsmith: Santorum accused of "Pervrsion"

BBC NEWS | Santorum Picks Evolution over Biblical View - Rebukes "intelligent design"

WJACTV.com - News - Santorum Supports Iraqi War to the Last Pa. Soldier

Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/07/2005 | Santorum too Conservatives for the 'burbs

PHXnews.com | Santorum believes people are uninsured because, "some people don't want [insurance] - like the Amish."

Santorum Says intelligent design lacks scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes

Philadelphia Daily News | 08/05/2005 BELIEVE ME, SEN. SANTORUM IS NO HARRY TRUMAN

U.S. announces indictment of two senior AIPAC officials - Santorum Not Mentioned in Indictment

Tahlequah Daily Press: Editorial - Santorum has guts but not much sense

Rick Santorum caught in a Exageration/Fabrication (Lie) on ABC’s This Week

Santorum Plays Politics With Catholic Church Scandal - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/31/2005 | Pa. Unions Stand United Behind Casey

Santorum Staff Desperate to Shut Up Rick and Engage Casey as the poll numbers worsen for Santorum

projo.com | Providence, R.I. | Santorum Insults The Roman Catholic Church and Casts Doubt on Catholic Orthodoxy

July 20th Rasmussen Poll Sows Casey lead Growing Over Santorum

Transportation bill Net Loss for Pa. Under Santorum but his home state of Virginia is a big winner

Rick Santorum - How does a guy this shameless, irritating and loathesome get elected?

American Prospect Online - "It Takes a Democrat"

Rick Santorum's New Book Shows his "whacked-out, nut-case, out-of-the-mainstream right-wing views"

Philadelphia Inquirer | John Brabender's POLITICAL FRAUD U2 distances self from Santorum