Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Rick Santorum Can Be Beaten


The November '06 Senate and Congressional mid-term elections will be upon us in a heartbeat. While many including myself have been discussing the '08 presidential election with great excitement and passion, the first order of business is to defeat dangerous, ideological brutes like Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok). Santorum in particular is extremely vulnerable. He's being challenged by state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., a pro-death penalty, pro-life, anti-gun control Democrat who's maintained a steady 13-15 point lead over Santorum in the polls. Another, less likely choice for the Democrats in the primary is Dr. Chuck Pennacchio , a solid progressive who's been active in the party and who, as a history professor, has a strong command of both national and international issues. But Casey's the man to beat. And don't let his stand on abortion scare you. Let's remember that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV) is also a pro-lifer, and has not let this personal view (key point here) influence his voting. Neither will Casey. As a Democrat, he is sure to support the overall party platform, and will almost certainly vote against extremist judges just as Reid has with John Roberts Jr. His personal views on abortion pose no threat to women and women's rights.

Casey shares most standard Democratic views on the key issues. He's pro-labor, pro-environment and anti-deficit, and has fought hard for the middle class, seniors, children, veterans, improved healthcare, childcare, public education. He's the right guy at the right time.

Getting rid of Santorum is a dream for Democrats and will be in the country's best interest. He's been front and center in dividing the nation along religious and party lines. His recent book, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good,", is chock full of derisive attacks on women, mothers, the poor, teachers, the media, liberals and anyone else he can think of who disagrees with his extremely myopic and ultra-conservative views. In the past, he's also compared homosexuality with pedophilia and bestiality.

To our Pennsylvania readers out there, let's do whatever we can to defeat Rick Santorum. He can beat beaten. Visit Casey's website and donate your time and money. To our readers across the country, Casey will gladly accept your dollars as well. Democrats everywhere must recognize the extreme vulnerability of our inept Republican leaders. Our day of reckoning is here. Together, state-by-state, we can change America. Andy

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be great if the election laws allowed us to vote for Dr. Pennacchio as our FIRST choice...and Casey as a fall-back candidate, so we could be assured that the monstrous Mr. Santorum could be easily defeated by ALL sensible voters? Well...if we would get out from under the grip of the 'two'-party system, it WOULD be possible to vote for Pennacchio (who is the better man) without assuring Santorum of election by a fractured electorate.

We SHOULD be working for Instant Run-Off voting, Proportional Representation, etc.--in short, we should be reforming the elctoral system rather than just tinkering around the edges as both the Republican and Democratic Parties would like.

Anonymous said...

Bob Casey's website is actually:
http://www.bobcaseyforpa.com/

All_I_Can_Stands said...

josephhill, don't you think the "monstrous" label is a bit much. What is your big beef against Santorum anyway? If it is just that he is GOP and breaths - ok, but monstrous? It is pretty tough to look at his squeaky clean face and convince anyone to think monstrous.

Re: your statements on electoral reform, give it up. As we saw with campaign finance reform, any change will be gotten around one way or another. Now if you are suggesting reform to shamelessly stack the deck in democrats favor, what can one say to that?

Gouda said...

I agree with josephhill up there. Run-off voting. Way to go.

Speaking of going, I'm hoping that Santorum does. I heard an interview with him on public radio discussing his "It Takes a Family". He inferred that (I haven't read the book) one must believe in a creator to act in a moral way. Of course, people called in to say they were very moral, and also atheist.

One more thing, I prefer the term pro-choice to pro-life. (Who isn't pro-life? I mean, if you're not for life, are you pro-death? I think you can be pro-life and also believe in a woman's right to choose.)

Joe Smoe: American Citizen said...

Whatever page that has to be taken from the Rove playbook to take this double dealing Sanctimonious Hypocrite down should be used.

He is one of the key figures on the front line that wants to change this country into a Theocracy not unlike the ones were fighting now. I don't need this guy any other Bible banger trying to legislate their view of MORALITY as law.

Anonymous said...

The key to beating Santorum is getting out the Philly vote. It worked to elect Gov Rendell and can rid the civilized world of Santorum.

All_I_Can_Stands said...

Joe Smoe: What laws has Santorum introduced where he is legislating his morality? Like I said, if he is GOP and breathes and you can't deal with that fine. Otherwise I don't know what he has done to warrant this vitriol.

Anonymous said...

Santorum is toast. Burnt, charred, carcinogenic toast.
My state will be liberated soon!

Anonymous said...

>>>>
...What is your big beef against Santorum anyway? If it is just that he is GOP and breaths - ok, but monstrous? It is pretty tough to look at his squeaky clean face and convince anyone to think monstrous.
>>>>

I suggest you do some homework on Mr. Santorum and his bizarre perspective on issues ranging from abortion to gay rights. If you are virulently homophobic, anti-feminist and a religious bigot, by all means support Mr. Santorum. [I suggest that, lest you be accused of being a homosexual, you cool it on your observations about his good looks...Mr. Santorum has demonstrated his fear and distaste for 'f_gs'; which is only ONE of MANY 'beefs' I have against Mr. Santorum's politics]

>>>>
...Now if you are suggesting reform to shamelessly stack the deck in democrats favor, what can one say to that?
>>>>>

Again, I suggest you do some research before writing things that expose your ignorance. Do you have ANY idea of what the reforms I mentioned are? If you did--and if you paid any attention to what I wrote--you would realize that, contrary to favoring Democrats, these reforms would open up the political landscape to a multitude of voices (both progressive ones and, regrettably, reactionary ones...but, hey, that's the price we pay for having a genuine democracy!)

Get out from under the lazy dichotomous thinking that narrows the political field to only 2 'opposing' parties (which actually have more in common than they have in contrast).

There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your limited political philosophy. I say, a plague on both the parties...it's time Americans grew up and expanded their options.

Anonymous said...

"And don't let his stand on abortion scare you. Let's remember that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV) is also a pro-lifer, and has not let this personal view (key point here) influence his voting. Neither will Casey. As a Democrat, he is sure to support the overall party platform,..."

Haven't you been paying attention? To me, "as a Democrat" these days means that he'll hold up his end of his indentured servitude contract with the military industrial complex, just a little less flamboyantly than do his Republican counterparts.
Progressives need to oppose the Republican facsist usurpation of this country with candidates that represent honest, coherent opposition to the oppressive class structure and voluntary systemic ignorance that stain American society, not with bible-hugging, war-mongering, line-toeing "liberals".

Anonymous said...

Hey "all I can stands", take another look at proportional representation and instant run-off voting. There's no "shameless stacking" involved in these systems. They are fair procedural strategies for ensuring the protection of minority rights and liberties, as our constitution emphatically prescribes.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to give you that impression, All I can Stands. In fact, I uniformly extend to all proscribed sets of religious belief the same esteem I give leprechaun fetishism and germaphobia. Its all counter-intuitive, anti-scientific, and willfully irrational.

Now as philosophy, sure...many religious systems contain germs of truly profound humanistic perspective. But philosophy is the antithesis of dogma, and dogma is what religious leaders - as opposed to seminal prophets - are typically selling.

All_I_Can_Stands said...

joseph, there is a big difference between "squeaky clean" looks and good looking. You talked about Santorum's beliefs , but did not answer my question about which laws he has introduced that you don't like. Once again there is inconsistency. You folks hold up Harry Reid being pro-life but it does not sway his voting. Santorum may have his own beliefs too, but which bills has he introduced representing pushing his beliefs on others.

Anonymous said...

"which bills has he introduced representing pushing his beliefs on others?"

Let's see: the Santorum Amendment, which inserts government funded religious discrimination in the Social Services Block Grant Program (1994). If this isn't pushing his beliefs on others, I'm not sure what is.

All_I_Can_Stands said...

Santorum will win by 2% points.

Anonymous said...

Sir Loin of Beef
>>>>>
Haven't you been paying attention? To me, "as a Democrat" these days means that he'll hold up his end of his indentured servitude contract with the military industrial complex, just a little less flamboyantly than do his Republican counterparts.
>>>>>>

Thanks for expressing it so well...but I can almost guarantee you that 'A.I.C.S.' (and several others on this board) will still not 'get the concept'. Thinking 'outside the box' is not the forte of those who can't get beyond "Republican=Good...Democrat=Bad" (OR vice versa!)

Anonymous said...

>>>>
Sir Loin of Beef said...
Hey "all I can stands", take another look at proportional representation and instant run-off voting. There's no "shameless stacking" involved in these systems. They are fair procedural strategies for ensuring the protection of minority rights and liberties, as our constitution emphatically prescribes.
>>>>>>>

< sigh >....I think I'm in love!

Anonymous said...

>>>>>
All_I_Can_Stands said...
joseph, there is a big difference between "squeaky clean" looks and good looking. You talked about Santorum's beliefs , but did not answer my question about which laws he has introduced that you don't like. Once again there is inconsistency. You folks hold up Harry Reid being pro-life but it does not sway his voting. Santorum may have his own beliefs too, but which bills has he introduced representing pushing his beliefs on others.
>>>>>>>>>>>

As for which bills, I refer you to what Dave In Los Angeles pointed out so emphatically. As for your reference to Harry Reid and his stand on 'choice', I must reiterate the point Sir Loin of Beef (among others) has articulated so well, but which you still seem incapable of grasping. I'm sure none of us is so wedded to the Democratic Party as you seem to be to the Republican Cult. In fact, I'd venture to say a number of us take umbrage at being lumped in with that Party; so when you suggest that 'you folks' walk in lock-step along some party line, you prove yourself entirely clueless as to the nuances of political theory and practice.

BTW, have you read that idiot's book ('It Takes a Family' or something). The blueprint he endorses for America's cultural/political future sounds more like that of the Inquisition. Lest you single me out as being 'Anti-Christian' for making such a statement, go back and read Sir Loin of Beef's attitude toward religions (of ALL stripes). It pretty much sums up my own attitude toward the subject.

In sum, I am VERY skeptical of ANYONE who is so intellectually lazy as to 'buy' his entire political or religious dogma 'off the rack'. You ought to learn to think for yourself.

Anonymous said...

Josephhill,

I notice that "All I Can Stands" is a typical right-wing forum-troll. Above, in minisule scale, he exercises the neocon postmodern art of being "unstuck" (to paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse Five")in reality or procedure. The do it in casual conversation, and they do it in national policy.

For instance; you graciously commented on two of my statements which you correctly interpreted as representing the central points of my posts - points which were relevant to the subjects of the discussions into which I interjected them. Conversely, AICS jumps on a gratuitous jab at mainstream Christianity that I added tangential to my argument, while ignoring totally the germane elements of my posts. One can only assume that he could muster no response or critique and abandoned the field of battle in favor of waging an "asymmetrical" guerrilla resistence.

I've found this elusive rhetorical strategy to be ubiquitous among the most stalwart rightwing yeomen of cyberspace. Experience tells me that it doesn't get better - once they start taking shelter in their existential neocon hideout (I like to call it "Crawford")they become quite comfortable, and refuse to be tied to any train of logic or recognized process of debate.

All_I_Can_Stands said...

Beef and Joseph, I choose to respond to what interests me. If I have ignored a fabulous point of yours I either have no interest in it or realize nothing I say will change your mind. Ok, nothing at all I say will likely change your mind so maybe that is a weak point. The fact is I am time challenged and can't spend all day at this, so I pick and choose. That is my right. There are dozens of fabulous points I have made "trolling" in lefty blogs that nobody answers. I guess I could flatter myself as you have into thinking it was so good, they have no answer. Really, is your ego that big?

As for trolling, what is the fun in merely reading stuff I agree with. Where is the interest in writing a post that says "Right on!", or "You are so right", or "Boy you nailed it"?

You folks are admittedly blind to the flaws (and criminals) on the left, completely unobjective (and proud of it), have no desire to play by any fair rules, want to have your cake and eat it too, and when all else fails attack grammar (you do that alot) and resort to name-calling. You balk when I lump you all together with the Democrats, yet have no problem lumping me as an indentured servant of the GOP and the neo-cons. But in spite of all that, I like you guys.