Rick Santorum's strongest calling card in his effort to portray himself as the most consistent conservative in the race for the nomination is the perception that he opposes abortion in all circumstances. His campaign website states that he has "steadfastly opposed the federal funding of abortions."
Rick Santorum is lying.
The last time Santorum ran for the US Senate in Pennsylvania, he lost to Senator Bob Casey by 18 percentage points. A complete rejection by the people who knew him best.
With about 2 months remaining before that election, Santorum and Casey debated on Meet the Press, moderated, at that time, by the late, great, Tim Russert.
The debate turned to the legislation that authorizes and funds the Medicaid program. The legislation being addressed permitted government funding of abortion in the case of rape, incest, and, when necessary, to protect the life of the mother.
The following exchange is quoted verbatim from the Meet the Press transcript:
MR. RUSSERT: Senator, if you believe that life begins at conception, then why do you support exceptions for rape, incest, and life of mother?
SEN. SANTORUM: What I said is — yeah. What I said is that I would vote for things like that. I think that, that…
MR. RUSSERT: But it's the taking of a life.
SEN. SANTORUM: I, I said I would, but so does the Hyde Amendment allows rape, incest, life of mother. That's what I talked about is that if, if that is the common ground we could get, I would support that.
MR. RUSSERT: But by your standards, it's the taking of a life.
SEN. SANTORUM: It is, there's no question it's the taking of a life. But if it — it is an attempt for me to try to see if we can find common ground …. So yes, that's what I would do.
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At the time of the debate, Santorum's campaign was in trouble. He was leaking oil, badly, especially with Independents and moderate Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs.
If Santorum was true to his stated convictions, he could have gone to the Senate floor and said something like: I oppose this legislation because I oppose abortion in any and all circumstances, and because I oppose federal funding for abortions in any and all circumstances.
If Santorum had made that speech and voted no on the federal funding of abortions, he would be entitled to call himself a principled, consistent conservative. The point is, he didn't. He was not principled. He was not consistent. He was not conservative.
Santorum Caves
Rick Santorum caved on his signature issue … right to life … so he could find "common ground" and just possibly save his hide in an election that was slipping away.
So my question to Mr. Santorum is: In view of the fact that you have deserted your most sacred principles and lied about it, why do you persist with this sickeningly sweet, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou attitude that permeates everything you say and do?
Actually, Rick, the question sort of answers itself, doesn't it?