What is Richard Santorum About?

Straight and Narrow
Ricky Santorum

In response to the emailer who wanted to know why  I wrote about Romney, Gingrich, Perry, Cain and Rubio, but I ignored Ricky Santorum: I apologize. It never occurred to me that the Republican Party was so far out there that he would be a factor at this stage of the primaries. I am not sure whether that makes me an idiot or  that the Republicans are still searching for some one else other than Willy Mitt Romney. Whatever, I was wrong and Richard John Santorum  is a serious contender in this year's bizarre primary. That being the case, I must ask: "Who is this guy and what does he want?" (I will not comment on another Republican politician choosing not to use his given first name. I guess it is a Republican thing. Or maybe it's that they don't want to be a Dick.)


Richard Santorum, born in 1958,  is the son of an clinical psychologist who immigrated from Italy and an administrative nurse. (It would be interesting to know who the coal miners were that he claims.) He was born in Virginia and grew up in West Virginia and Butler County, PA. where he was known as "Rooster." (Don't know whether he wore Jim Tressel sweater vests back then.)  He attended Pennsylvania State (BA), the University of Pittsburgh (MBA) and received his law degree from Dickinson School of Law. He married in 1990 and fathered 8 children, one of which died shortly after birth.


As he is quick to remind you, Rick is a Roman Catholic and supports the church's stand on contraception, abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and cloning.. Since the church opposes capital punishment, he is reluctant to address that issue, but has indicated he has fears about people being wrongfully executed.


As an associate in a law firm, he successfully lobbied  for the World Wrestling Federation to deregulate pro wrestling, arguing it should be exempt from the federal anabolic steroid regulations since it was not a sport, but entertainment.


In 1990 he was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of "The Gang of Seven." He also served in the Senate for two terms. He lost his senate seat in 2006 by 18 percentage points,  perhaps because of his close ties with George W. Bush. "I agree with George W. Bush 98% of the time, but I say when I don't."


In 2002 he traveled to Rome to speak at a celebration honoring Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the controversial Opus Dei.. In 2004, he and his wife were invested as Knight and Dame of Magistral Grace of the Knights of Malta, a group with its origins in the First Crusade.


Mr. Santorum has espoused some unusual positions over the years, some of which sound more like that of a TV evangelist than that of a politician. In 2008 he lectured a college audience about the U.S. being under attack from Satan and has suggested that mainline Protestantism is "gone from the world of Christianity."


Mr. Santorum tells us that John F. Kennedy's famous speech about the separation of church and state made him "want to throw up." Apparently Rick would like to blow some big holes in the wall that separates the two, although he does not go so far as to advocate a total christian theocracy or persecution of non-Christians..


The Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal, according to Santorum,  occurred in Boston because it is "a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America." Quite convenient; shift the blame to geography and the liberals.


In spite of his Christian faith, he supports the use of torture. "I mean the fact that some of this information that we found out that led to Osama bin Laden came from these enhanced interrogation techniques." Unfortunately, the U.S. intelligence organizations point out that none of the information leading to bin Laden came from prisoners, not to mention, "interrogated" prisoners.


And, of course, Rick is a historian. "The idea that the Crusades and the fight of Christendom against Islam is somehow an aggression on our part is absolutely anti-historical." This is the same guy who now is talking about religious liberty, and he thinks attacking people because of their beliefs was the right thing to do.


He has an interesting take on history in the case of Iraq. "You know we have a game plan. We need to go out there and continue to fight this war on Islamic fascism." An inconvenient truth is that Iraq was a secular nation before we invaded. Now it is a country of religious sectarian conflicts.


Recently, Rick appears to be obsessed about sex and particularly gay sex. Gay marriage, he said, "threatens my marriage. It threatens all marriages. It threatens the values of this country." I am not sure how that works. Frankly, gay marriage does not threaten my marriage. Why does it threaten his? On another occasion, he compared gay marriage to bestiality. I certainly don't want to hear his explanation of that.


Even Homeland Security comes down to marriage and sex. "Isn't the ultimate Homeland Security standing up and defending marriage?" I don't get the connection, but that would cost much less than defending the country from real terrorists.


Of course, he considers climate change to be "junk science," wants to privatize Social Security, and thinks schools should  teach creationism.


On the campaign trail Santorum attacks President Obama on his energy and environmentalist policies referring to "radical environmentalists" and a "phony theology," but on his 2009 tax return, he claimed $3,151 for energy saving improvements to his home as a tax credit which resulted in a $945 savings on his taxes. Apparently it's easier to talk the talk than walk the walk.


Since he was voted out of the Senate, he has done well. He has been a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, commentator on Fox News, and a think-tank leader. When he left the senate in 2007 his income was $259,000 and in 2009 it was $1.1 million. He acquired a $2 million home in Great Falls, Virginia, for $0 and "no consideration" from a wealthy supporter, James Sack.


Mr Santorum claims to "home school" his children, but he charged Pennsylvania for their "cyber schooling." Apparently he considers cyber school the same as a parent actually teaching his children himself.


Writing of Rick Santorum's presidential bid, the conservative columnist for the Washington Post, George F. Will,  wrote: "Santorum is repelling people who want politics unmediated by theology." (2/24/2012)


Some think Rick is confused; he really doesn't want to be president; he wants to be either Pope or Grand Inquisitor.


( The above biographical material was derived from Wikipedia. The quotes, position statements and tax information have been previously published in a variety of media outlets.)