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Santorum is out
My apologies for abandoning this site on Aug 1, but there were some House races
that I wanted to win in NJ and unforunately, we didn't win them. But Santorum is out, and as a progressive, pro-choice
woman, I'm hoping Casey will support us when the time comes for Supreme Court appointments.
I resented all along Barbara Hafer being pushed out of the race after she declared in March of last year (she was a pro-choice,
former treasurer, former Republican).
I thought the Democratic primary voters should have decided whether to go for the 'big tent' strategy.
I hope Bob Casey Jr will take into consideration the exceptionally high murder rate in Philadelphia when he votes on gun
issues. And I pray for my Catholic cousin with MS when he votes on stem cell research.
Women's issues have been jettisoned by this race, and I hope women will not rue the day.
To Senator Reid, Speaker of the House Pelosi, Chairman Dean, speaking from PA and NJ: women and minorities are
the backbone of the Dem party, don't abandon us. I plead for no more votes like the torture vote, for no more
funding of the war and to put corporate interests on the back burner for the benefit of average Americans.
I pulled my weight for a year and a half...
"Congressman Hoekstra and I are here today to say that we have found weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq, chemical weapons. … Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions
which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq’s pre-Gulf War
chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist."
--Santorum
"Rolling out some old fairly toxic stuff sounds to me life a desperate claim by those who wish that we could
find some new way to rationalize the ongoing devastation in Iraq." -- Rep. Jane Harman, ranking Dem on the House Intelligence
Committee
Santorum votes with the environmental group only 10% of the time and has taken $463,578
from oil and gas companies over his career. He voted 6 times against raising fuel efficiency standards and now the
average price at the pump for gasoline in PA is $2.91. Every river and stream in PA is under a fish advisory for mercury.
Santorum voted to allow a 20 year delay in reduction of mercury emissions. Though he was defeated, he tried to oppose
the 'sense of the Senate' resolution acknowledging that global warming is real and mandatory limits on greenhouse gases are
necessary.
Some of the questions for Santorum, other senators supporting the marriage amendment
and staff answering the phone: ... Has the senator ever had sex before marriage? Have you? What about
adultery and prostitution? Will they swear never to have been involved, and never to be involved, in either? Will the senator
promise never to divorce? And finally, if the senator is married, do they have children, and if not, why not?
The intrusion on privacy of the Senators and staff members answering the phone is meant
to serve as a reminder of how far Santorum is willing to go in denying privacy rights to uphold state laws against sodomy,
etc.
| Arlington North, Memorial Day, 2006 |
|
| Independence Mall, Philadelphia, photo - M. Frugier |
May 27, 2006
Gen. Hayden's nomination drew fire from some Democrats and civil liberties
groups because he headed the National Security Agency when it began conducting warrantless wiretaps of Americans' international
phone calls in a bid to find possible terrorists.
Before every election, the Post-Gazette routinely sends letters to the candidates seeking material for the Voters Guide.
Back in March, as part of that process for the primary, the newspaper sent a letter to Rick Santorum at his home address,
at least the one that he claims. Back from Penn Hills came the letter with a sticker from the U.S. Postal Service checked
as
"Not Deliverable As Addressed -- Unable To Forward."
The whole thing is rooted in one inconvenient fact for Sen. Santorum:
He doesn't live here anymore...
So what we have is the senator making untrue and outrageous comments while seeking to hide behind his wife and kids in
order to get around an inconvenient fact. We have a feeling that those who do live here may have something to say about
this cowardly tactic at the November polls. Pittsburgh Post Gazette
People do not have a right to know the government is collecting information on their phone calls,
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said during a Friday visit to Shippensburg. Santorum said the ability of
the National Security Agency to track phone calls is just another tool in the government's war against terrorism and not something
that should have been made public. "Obviously there are things the general public doesn't know .
.. and shouldn't know," he told a (Chambersburg) Public Opinion reporter during a question-and-answer session... "I don't think it is an invasion of privacy."
Senate passes supplemental spending bill on Iraq with Biden amendment preventing any of the money
from being spent on 'permanent' bases [vote #112] Amendment passed on a voice vote, so we don't know how Santorum voted. He voted for the $109 billion supplemental
spending bill, including $66 billion for war. The president has threatened to veto, since he wanted a $92 billion bill.
| OCCUPATION WILL END WHEN CONGRESS STOPS FUNDING |
|
| EASTER Sunday outside Specter's house, photo - M. Frugier |
| Message to the GOP: Stop the Politics of Hate |
|
| Philadelphia, Apr 10, 2006, photo - M. Frugier |
Court papers say Bush approved leaking Iraq intelligence, Apr 6, 2006
Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide,
I. Lewis Libby, told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according
to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.
DeLay to resign from Congress Apr 4, 2006
DeLay"s Political Action Committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, gave
Santorum 2006 $5,000 on Dec 13, 2004
Will Santorum return money he received from Tony Rudy, DeLay's chief of staff who pled guilty to conspiracy last
week after being involved in bribery and fraud?
Rudy pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy,
agreeing to cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into a widespread bribery and fraud scheme spearheaded
by disgraced GOP lobbyist Abramoff... At press time, an aide to Santorum
was looking into the matter.
Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV 4 investigative report on Santorum's charity available on Casey website Santorum denies head of charity, Rob Bickhart, is a lobbyist, even though Bickhart's firm's
website mentions lobbying as one of the services they provide and Specter asked Senate ethics committee to look into whether Specter's aide, who is married to Bickhart, helped
Bickhart get a $50 million contract
Michelman decides against Senate run
| FDA OUT TO LUNCH |
|
Action
Alert: Phone or fax Senator McCain and ask him to call on "Americans for Job
Security" to disclose their donors or call on Santorum to reject their help. Sen. McCain's office: (202) 224-2235,
fax (202) 228-2862
Americans for Job Security is a Republican-leaning, anti-tax group that says its money
comes from 500 individuals, corporations, business groups and other sources... In
spite of its political activity, the IRS has classified the group as a 501-c-6 organization, a nonprofit business association, comparable to a Chamber of Commerce. Under IRS rules, it
is not required to disclose publicly how it raises money.
If the grandfather and grandson walking together in Sen. Rick Santorum's Internet ad
look familiar, it could be because the same two actors are in a TV ad that a third-party group is running in support
of Santorum. A spokeswoman for Santorum has repeatedly denied any
connection between Santorum and the group, Americans for Job Security... Michael
Dubke, president of the Republican-leaning third-party group, and John Brabender, Santorum's media consultant, each denied
that the two sides had collaborated in any way. They each said it was a coincidence they used the same stock footage in their
respective ads. Dec 2, 2005
"The need to reform the
avalanche of soft money in our political system is evident in every competitive race in this country where parties, business
and labor, and ideological groups on all sides are spending hundreds of millions of unlimited, and in some cases, unreported
dollars to influence federal elections," said Senator John McCain, Sep, 2002
|
| Volume 17.3, March 2006 |
The American Prospect Exclusive: An investigation into the private
and public finances of Rick Santorum suggests that the Senate GOP might want to reconsider making him its ethics czar.
-- Will Bunch
Specter denies aide acted improperly, despite assistant's husband who
heads lobbying firm having clients who landed $50 million in contracts
Specter says he'll speak for Santorum early and often, continue to raise money for him and even
put Santorum's name first on joint press releases announcing goodies for the state. Nov 29, 2005
Santorum introduced legislation to protect hunters' privacy, Sportsmens' Privacy Protection Act, repeal
of federal law requiring agencies to collect Social Security numbers on recreational licenses. NRA supports the
bill
Action Alert: Specter believes spy program violates law. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' explanations so far for the Bush administration's failure to obtain warrants for
its domestic surveillance program are "strained" and "unrealistic," according to Sen. Specter. Call Senator
Specter and others on the Judiciary Committee and demand that they do their jobs by protecting us from this abuse
of power and ask that they pass along our sentiments to the Senators on the Judiciary Committee. And you can contact those
Senators directly, e.g. Specter, Leahy, Schumer, Feinstein, Kennedy, Feingold, Brownback, Kyl, Biden, Graham, by calling toll-free
at 800-614-2803. Ask for the appointment of a SPECIAL COUNSEL to independently investigate the
actions of this Administration and prosecute any crimes. CALL NOW.
Santorum says liberals, media are undermining war support, risky if he's perceived as criticizing
Murtha, more on Iraq
Ripon Society is travel agent to lobbyists, "skirting congressional
ethics rules that forbid lobbyists from paying for congressional travel," former head, Michael Dubke, is now president of Americans for Job Security, "non profit business association"
that paid $1 million in TV ads for Santorum without disclosing their donors
Under president Richard S. Kessler, himself a prominent Washington lobbyist,
people who represent corporate interests before Congress have "spent millions taking lawmakers to European capitals and U.S.
resorts" under the auspices of the Ripon Society and the affiliated Ripon Educational Fund, the group Public Citizen charged
in a new report... Members of Congress have gone on trips costing the Ripon Society and Ripon
Education Fund $742,000 since 2000. In addition, Kessler's clients have provided another $273,000 for congressional travel... The Ripon Education Fund has provided members of Congress trips to conferences held in a number of European capitals,
including London in 2003 and Budapest in 2004... On the August 2003 trip to London, the Education
Fund picked up the tab for 20 members of Congress, including Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), chairman of the National Republican
Congressional Committee, and Rep. Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. The elected
officials were accompanied by more than 100 lobbyists... These included representatives of American Express, Bristol-Myers
Squibb Co. and General Motors Corp... Ripon Society Chief Administrative Officer George McNeill said
the organization has held three domestic conferences this year and last, in Key Biscayne, Palm Beach and Dallas. He said he
could not estimate the number of lobbyists who attended, paying their own way. The society pays the costs for elected officials
and congressional staff, and for academics and other experts addressing the conferences, McNeill said.
| ACT UP protesters arrive at Justice Sunday III |
|
| Greater Exodus Baptist Church, Phil, Jan 8 |
Santorum rails against Alito opposition
... at 'Justice Sunday III'... Across the street, about 150 protesters held signs and
chanted. Organizers, including AIDS activists and abortion rights supporters, maintain that sponsors of "Justice Sunday" back
a dangerous mixing of church and state and an agenda that threatens civil rights. "Real justice does not tolerate hatred. Real justice is not about inequality. Real justice is about diversity," the
Rev. Jeffery H. Jordan, senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia, told the cheering crowd.
Jan 8, 2006
Stop Trying to Undermine the Independence of the Federal Courts! DSCC
Petition to Santorum
| Fox Guarding Hens |
|
| DSCC K Street Ad |
Justice Sunday III: Proclaim Liberty throughout
the Land Jan 8, 2006
Abramoff gets almost 6 years in prison Mar 29, 2006
Santorum to donate $11K in Abramoff-connected money to charity Jan 6, 2006
Casey calls on Santorum to return Abramoff money Jan 3, 2006
$11,000 in contributions to campaign, leadership PAC, and 527
On a day when high-profile Republicans including George Bush, Tom DeLay, and Roy Blunt are returning money connected
to Jack Abramoff, Senator Santorum is noticeably silent.
"Santorum should return the Abramoff money, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Rick Santorum's leadership
of the K Street Project is another example of a culture of corruption in Washington that needs to end, said Bob Casey spokesperson Larry Smar. "...This
is one of the many reasons why we need a change of direction in Washington."
Santorum received the following contributions connected to Abramoff.
* $5,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to America's Foundation Non-Federal (Santorum’s
527) in the 2002 Cycle
* $2,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe $2,000 to the Santorum campaign in the 2004 Cycle
* $1,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to the Santorum campaign in the 2000 Cycle
* $1,000 from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to America's Foundation (Santorum’s
leadership PAC) in the 2004 Cycle
* $2,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to America's Foundation (Santorum’s leadership
PAC) in the 2004 Cycle
Santorum and other GOP lawmakers misrepresent reason for stripping low income heating assistance from
budget, try to blame it on removal of controversial ANWR drilling from Defense bill
A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said Democrats stripped out the $2 billion
in LIHEAP money because it would have been funded by revenues from oil drilling in ANWR. Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said in a teleconference with reporters yesterday that there was no legal linkage between ANWR and LIHEAP. Patriot News Dec 23, 2005
Read Santorum's links to Walmart, download the flyer:
The Santorum/Walmart Connection
Of the six
companies we are asking not to support Santorum's re-election, only Pfizer gave to Santorum since our campaign started,
and in contrast to its Mar 22, 2005 contribution of $2,500 before our campaign, Pfizer's June 23, 2005 contribution was $500.
NONE HAVE GIVEN SINCE THEN, as of March 31, 2006 FEC reporting. Keep up the pressure and ask your friends and family
to email the letter, too!
Action Alert:
Write your representative
and ask them to Scrap the Pentagon Database. If you're 16-25 years old, opt out of the three year old illegal database containing 30 million names, SSNs, GPAs, ethnicities and interests.
(Check back for update on Jun 23- Jul 21 during the August recess. Sorry for the break -SW editor)
"Rolling out some old fairly toxic stuff sounds to me life a desperate claim by those
who wish that we could find some new way to rationalize the ongoing devastation in Iraq," Harman said. [Harman is the
ranking Dem on the House Intelligence Committee]
"Congressman Hoekstra and I are here today to say that we have found weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons. … Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons
munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq’s pre-Gulf
War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist." Santorum
The English section filled with concern about
the "amnesty-ridden proposal," but the Spanish section made no mention of amnesty
in its discourse on immigration. Nor did it refer to "rewarding criminal behavior" of illegal immigrants, as the English version
did.
| Arlington North, Memorial Day, 2006 |
|
| Independence Mall, Philadelphia, photo - M. Frugier |
Gen. Hayden's nomination drew fire from some Democrats and civil liberties groups because he headed
the National Security Agency when it began conducting warrantless wiretaps of Americans' international phone calls in a bid
to find possible terrorists... Specter said he did so to protest "the administration's policy of not informing the Congress ... in a way which enables the Congress and the
Judiciary Committee to do our constitutional job on oversight."
Before every election, the Post-Gazette routinely sends letters to the candidates seeking material for the
Voters Guide. Back in March, as part of that process for the primary, the newspaper sent a letter to Rick Santorum at his
home address, at least the one that he claims. Back from Penn Hills came the letter with a sticker from the U.S. Postal Service
checked as "Not Deliverable As Addressed -- Unable To Forward." ...The whole thing is rooted in one
inconvenient fact for Sen. Santorum: He doesn't live here anymore... So what we have is the senator making untrue and
outrageous comments while seeking to hide behind his wife and kids in order to get around an inconvenient fact. We have
a feeling that those who do live here may have something to say about this cowardly tactic at the November polls. Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The Santorums pay property taxes and register their cars in Penn Hills, Pa. They get their teeth cleaned
and eyes checked by area doctors. The family burial site is located there, too. U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) cited
those reasons and more in a letter yesterday to the Allegheny County solicitor as proof that a local Democrat's challenge to his residency has no merit. Philadelphia Inquirer
Santorum did not respond to questions, and it is unclear whether he will vote for the
legislation, which President Bush supports. In an article published on his Web site, Santorum noted that he cosponsored the
fencing amendment and emphasized the need for border security. He voted for the English-language provision and against a larger
guest-worker program. He supported two failed amendments: one that would have required border security measures to be complete
and operational before legal status is granted to any immigrant, and another to ensure that the temporary-worker program was
not a "shortcut" to legalization of citizenship. He wants illegal workers to return to their countries and reenter the United
States legally.
The accusations began Tuesday, the day of Pennsylvania’s primary, when Ed Vecchio, husband of the
chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, told KDKA, the local CBS affiliate, that Santorum did not live in Penn Hills. Democrats
have charged Santorum with bilking Penn Hills’ school district to pay for his children’s schooling in Virginia.
According to KDKA’s website. Vecchio said, “The house he’s registered to vote out of is vacant — no
curtains, furniture, nothing in there. It’s been abandoned for over a month. So I feel it’s my right to contest
his vote.”
Santorum exploded Tuesday on television at the perception that Vecchio had been snooping around his home,
and his wife, Karen, called the U.S. Capitol Police, who notified the Penn Hills Police Department, said Chief Burton.
Vecchio
later told reporters that the senator’s home appeared to be empty, a statement that Santorum said was false, according
to The Philadelphia Inquirer. But Vecchio’s wife said she and her husband did not set foot on the property and would
take a lie-detector test to prove it. She said her husband was referring to information from the local media. Burton said
that Mrs. Santorum did not see anyone snooping around the house, that nobody else did either and that police have stepped
up their routine checks on Santorum’s house while cruising the neighborhood.
The vitriol continued Thursday on WILK radio when Santorum said, “Now that he is a nominee, it
is time for him to start acting like a candidate instead of a thug.” Santorum stands by his comments, said Virginia
Davis, Santorum’s spokeswoman. In a response letter, Casey spokesman Larry Smar said, “Santorum is
trying to distract from the real issues. Bob Casey had nothing to do with this. It’s an outrageous and desperate attempt
to change the subject.”
The Senate also approved a provision that would prevent illegal immigrants from petitioning for a guest-worker
permit without the sponsorship an employer. [vote #128] And in a unanimous vote, Senate accepted an amendment that would bar granting work permits to undocumented
immigrants convicted of either a felony or at least three misdemeanors. The measure would effect even those who ignored a
court-deportation order. [vote #125] May 18, 2006
People do not have a right to know the government is collecting information on their phone calls, U.S. Sen.
Rick Santorum said during a Friday visit to Shippensburg. Santorum said the ability of the National
Security Agency to track phone calls is just another tool in the government's war against terrorism and not something that
should have been made public. "Obviously there are things the general public doesn't know . .. and
shouldn't know," he told a (Chambersburg) Public Opinion reporter during a question-and-answer session... "I
don't think it is an invasion of privacy."
Speaking from the Senate floor, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) urged his colleagues
to curtail a popular perk: private corporate-sponsored flights at bargain rates for members of Congress. "This
is clearly a subsidy," he said March 8. Two days earlier, he had taken a BellSouth plane from a
runway near his home in Leesburg, Va., to fund-raising events in North Carolina and South Carolina. The jet ferried Santorum,
two aides and Ward White, BellSouth's top Washington lobbyist. Santorum paid $6,955 - first-class
rates, as Senate rules require, but a fraction of what it costs to operate the plane...
But even as Frist and Sen. Rick Santorum defended the rebate proposal yesterday, other
Republicans were declaring it dead.
The cost of the war is expected to top $282 billion by the end of the year, a figure
reflecting steady escalation since 2003, according to reported estimates (other estimates are higher) from the D.C.-based
think-tank, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. That's enough money to run Pennsylvania for
a decade. The human cost so far is 2,389 Americans dead (116 from Pennsylvania, more than any state
other than the much-larger states of California and Texas) and 17,469 Americans wounded.
For the two trailing Democrats in the 2006 Pennsylvania Senate race, yesterday's debate
was their final chance to make the case -- face to face -- that the Democratic establishment made a mistake when it put its
money and power behind conservative Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr.
Lead for Casey narrows in yesterday's Quinnipiac Univ. Poll: Casey 48%, Santorum 11% Apr 7, 2006
More on the senator's environmentalism Apr 7, 2006
We all should be amused by Rick Santorum's March 28 letter claiming that a reader has taken his environmental voting
record "out of context." In fact, the senator's record is so frightening that the League of Conservation Voters has
specifically targeted him as the candidate to beat in this year's elections. Sen. Santorum underestimates us People
Paper readers if he expects his involvement with the "Bicameral Open Space Caucus" - whatever that is - and support of "telecommuting"
to eclipse a career of voting against clean water programs, toxic waste cleanup and chemical exposure regulations. The
cold, hard fact is that Rick Santorum has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from chemical, oil, gas and logging companies
throughout his political career. -- Pete Winebrake
Court papers say Bush approved leaking Iraq intelligence, Apr 6, 2006
Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, I. Lewis Libby, told
prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers
filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.
House passes first piece of lobbying changes Apr 6, 2006
If the Senate were to approve the House proposal, it could scale back activities
of 527 groups like the Lantern Project, which has recently run ads in Pennsylvania critical of Sen. Rick Santorum,
R-Pa., who is seeking re-election. But a major criticism of the bill is that it does not include similar restrictions
on other tax-exempt groups that have been involved in elections, including 501 (c) (3), 501 (c) (4) or 501 (c) (6)
groups, which have virtually no disclosure requirements under current law. One 501 (c) (6) group, Americans for Job Security, is airing ads this week in Philadelphia markets...
Webpage spoof of Santorum disappears off MySpace Apr 6, 2006
GOP sighs as DeLay exits, leaders admit he was Dems 'poster child' Apr 5, 2006
Labor boosts Casey while ads blast him Apr 5, 2006
Americans for Job Security air another ad, still hasn't revealed contributors Apr 5, 2006
Santorum has refused to say whether he thinks it is proper for groups like Americans for Job Security to conceal their donors, or for donations to the group to be treated as business expenses.
Will Santorum return money he received from Tony Rudy, DeLay's chief of staff who pled guilty
to conspiracy last week after being involved in bribery and fraud? Apr 4, 2006
Rudy pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy, agreeing to cooperate
with the Justice Department’s investigation into a widespread bribery and fraud scheme spearheaded by disgraced GOP
lobbyist Abramoff... At press time, an aide to Santorum was looking into
the matter.
DeLay to resign from Congress Apr 4, 2006
Inquirer overstated the case slightly on lobbying firms connections to Santorum Apr 4, 2006
In yesterday's story on Washington lobbyist Robert S. Walker, GSP Consulting of Pittsburgh
was described as mainly composed of former staffers of Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) and as a single-member shop. In fact,
only six of its 16 members, including three interns, once worked for Sen. Santorum and it does business on the state level
and has federal clients not based in Pennsylvania.
Lobbyist dismisses lobbying reforms approved by Senate as minimal
In one instance, Walker recounted, his lobby group was hired by
a client but was told it had to subcontract part of the work to a firm "that had a direct relationship with a [Republican]
member who was going to be essential to the process." According to lobbying records, among the firms that fit his description
of single-member shops are ... Pittsburgh-based GSP Consulting, mainly composed of the former staff of Sen. Rick Santorum
(R., Pa.) and which frequently lobbies the senator. Apr 3, 2006
Is Santorum campaign running away from Dubya? Apr 3, 2006
Casey still pounding Santorum on lobbies Apr 2, 2006
Casey fails to win Dem party endorsement in 3rd PA county Apr 1, 2006
FEC coordination ruling, due next week, could shake up midterm elections Mar 31, 2006
A faith-based Philadelphia group at the center of a flap over whether tax-exempt religious
groups are aiding the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen Rick Santorum has won more than $250,000 in federal grant money pushed
for by Santorum over the last three years. The group, the Urban Family Council - founded by well-known
local conservative religious activist William Devlin - also has reaped a $10,000 grant from a controversial charity founded
by Santorum, the Operation Good Neighbor Foundation. The news of the financial support linked to Santorum
comes just one day after a Washington-based watchdog group - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW
- sent a letter of complaint to the IRS about the Urban Family Council and three other groups with tax-exempt status. The controversy centers on a training session held earlier this month in Valley Forge by an ad-hoc group calling itself
the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, which pushed a church-based get-out-the-vote drive for November. Santorum addressed the
group by videotape; he was the only candidate featured.
DNC $6.2 million raised, $8.9 million cash on hand
RNC $10.8 million raised, $40.8 million cash on hand
DSCC $3.8 million raised, $27.4 million cash on hand
NRSC $5.5 million raised, $14.5 million cash on hand
"I will demand that the administration never attempt a backroom deal like this
risky fiasco again." -- Rick Santorum
One of Santorum's failed efforts would have require Senators to pay charter rates for air
travel, rather than reimbursing the corporations at lower 1st class travel rates. Santorum himself was flown around
Florida on a Wal-mart corporate jet last year and reimbursed them only 1st class fare, saving his campaign an estimated $15,000. Trent Lott, Chair of the Rules Committee, made sure the amendment did not pass.
Several Democrats voted "no" on the test vote yesterday to protest the GOP majority's
refusal to allow amendments, but said they would vote for the bill on final passage. The lawmakers included Minority Leader
Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.), the Judiciary Committee's senior Democrat. Others
still plan to vote against the bill as a whole, but they stand little chance of blocking it. Led by Sens. Russell Feingold
(D., Wis.) and Robert C. Byrd (D., W.Va.), they contend that the months of haggling produced few meaningful curbs on government
power.
Specter agreed on that point. Even as he urged his colleagues to vote this week for the bill, he introduced
a separate bill to make the government meet a higher threshold for warrantless wiretaps and to set a four-year expiration
date for the use of National Security Letters - effectively subpoenas - in terrorism investigations. However
appetizing to Specter's colleagues in the Senate, the new bill nevertheless represents items House Republicans flatly rejected
during talks last year. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) has insisted
that once the House has approved the renewal and sent it to Bush, his chamber would be done with the issue for the year.
That will be none too soon for some lawmakers. The standoff pushed renewing the law into this midterm
election year. Senate leaders were forced to find a procedural way of getting the bill to a vote without losing the support
of Sensenbrenner, the Bush administration, and libertarian-leaning lawmakers - all before March 10. The
solution illustrates the razor-thin zone of agreement when it comes to Bush's terror-fighting law.
The Silver Ring Thing, based in Pittsburgh, which asked teens to commit their life to Jesus, received over $1 million
in federal grants. The Department of Health and Human Services suspended funding for the program in
August, citing concerns that "the federal project that is funded ... includes both secular and religious components that are
not adequately separated."
In monthly tracking since May, 2005, his approval rating was lower only in August, 42%, when his book came out.
Santorum and Specter voted with GOP in strict party line vote against "a Democratic recommendation that a pending tax bill (HR 4297) not extend lower capital gains and dividend
rates, and that the resulting $20 billion in savings over two years be spent on the military in Iraq." [Roll Call Report Syndicate description] [vote #20] Feb 14, 2006
"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."
Santorum, Sep, 2005
Several days after eliminating a controversial jobs list from his Tuesday meetings
with lobbyists, Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) yesterday stopped the meetings altogether "until further notice"... At the end of each meeting, lobbyists received a list of job openings and people seeking jobs, a listing
compiled by the Republican National Committee. Santorum said he has not pressured lobbying firms to hire Republicans.
Santorum yesterday told reporters that he was charged by his colleagues at these meetings
to communicate the Republican message to various constituencies, including the lobbying community. Feb 1, 2006
"I don't know what you mean by Senate liaison to the, quote, 'K Street Project.' I'm not
aware of any Senate liaison job that I do for the K Street Project. --Rick Santorum, Jan 17, 2006
QUESTION: Senator Santorum, you have been the Senate's liaison for the so-called K Street projects. It's
been reported you hosted monthly meetings with lobbyists, the top lobbyists in town. What makes you the correct person to
lead this charge to reform?
SANTORUM: Well, I don't know what you mean by Senate liaison to the, quote, "K Street Project."
I'm not aware of any Senate liaison job that I do for the K Street Project. Jan 17, 2006
But Mr. Santorum said yesterday that his regular meetings with the lobbying groups are part of his
leadership role as the Senate's third-ranking Republican. He described the meetings as a way to inform influential
groups who can filter the Republican message out to clients to help achieve Republicans' goals. While
job candidates are discussed, Mr. Santorum said, "there is no pressure to put Republicans in those roles, period -- no pressure.
... I absolutely abhor that." "The K Street project is purely to make sure we have qualified applicants
for positions that are in town," Mr. Santorum said. "From my perspective, it's a good government thing." Nov 15, 2005
For Sen. Santorum to suggest that we and other American media should not report about the tragic loss of
American lives -- a death toll that now stands above 2,200 -- is to sell our readers short and to suggest that they do not
need to know, nor do they want to know, how many brave Americans are dying there... Telling
Americans that they shouldn't be told how many are dying in Iraq is way too much, even for Mr. Santorum Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Love thy neighbor: Santorum vows to block federal grants to NJ Jan 4 & 5, 2006
"I will do everything in my power to stop anything beneficial to New Jersey, period. I will use everything
I have until New Jersey lives up to their commitments," said U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum... "Every single thing that benefits
New Jersey in particular I will do everything I can to make sure that it gets slowed down or stopped."
The Republicans ended November with $61
million in the bank compared to the Democrats’ $41 million. The DSCC has $22.4 million; NRSC has $9.2 million.
CASH RAISED IN NOVEMBER, CASH ON
HAND: RNC $6.1 million, $32 million, DNC $5.4 million, $7.3 million; NRSC $2.4 million, $9.2 million, DSCC $3.6
million, $22.4 million; NRCC $3.8 million, $19.5 million, DCCC $2.5 million, $11.2 million
$11,000 in contributions to campaign, leadership PAC, and 527
On a day when high-profile Republicans including George Bush, Tom DeLay, and Roy Blunt are returning money
connected to Jack Abramoff, Senator Santorum is noticeably silent.
“Santorum should return the Abramoff money, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Rick Santorum’s
leadership of the K Street Project is another example of a culture of corruption in Washington that needs to end, said Bob
Casey spokesperson Larry Smar. “... This is one of the many reasons why we need a change of direction in Washington.”
Santorum received the following contributions connected to Abramoff.
* $5,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to America's Foundation Non-Federal (Santorum’s
527) in the 2002 Cycle
* $2,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe $2,000 to the Santorum campaign in the 2004 Cycle
* $1,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to the Santorum campaign in the 2000 Cycle
* $1,000 from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to America's Foundation (Santorum’s leadership
PAC) in the 2004 Cycle
* $2,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to America's Foundation(Santorum’s leadership
PAC) in the 2004 Cycle
Santorum attended benefit for Abramoff's front charity 'Capital Athletic Foundation', less
than 1% of foundation's money went to kids Jan 3, 2006
The year was the deadliest year of the Iraq war for the state’s military personnel, with 46 soldiers
killed heading into the Christmas holiday weekend — most of them in combat, according to The Associated Press.
Pennsylvania has lost more than 100 soldiers since the war began in 2003. Only California and Texas have
paid steeper prices...
[PA is ranked 6th in state population, preceded by CA, TX, NY, FL, and IL, according to the 2000 US
Census. Estimates of the 2004 by the US Census project CA has three times the population of PA.]
Sen. Rick Santorum said he was pleased with President George W. Bush’s recent efforts to convey the
story of success in Iraq. Santorum, in a news release, cited the nation’s parliamentary elections accompanying high
participation, fewer acts of violence on the cities’ streets and continuing assistance to the Iraqi army and security
forces coming from American and coalition troops as reasons for a brighter outlook next year. He also cited America
not having seen another attack on its homeland since Sept. 11, 2001, as reasons for optimism. ‘‘We are a
country of resolve,’’ Santorum said. ‘‘We cannot waiver in our mission to secure democracy in Iraq.’’
DEMOCRATS' PLANS: Senate Democrats plan to introduce a new "investigative unit" in January to highlight
Republican scandals and what they assert is a chronic failure by the Republican-controlled Congress to exercise real oversight
of the Bush administration.
REPUBLICANS' PLANS: The GOP hopes to link economic gains to the tax cuts they will be pushing next year. Republicans also
are hoping to minimize internal divisions, to restore some of their once-legendary discipline and to campaign as the party
that gets things done. Tax cuts, including cuts on capital gains and dividends that will expire unless extended, are
uppermost on the Republican agenda early next year.
Santorum - who sits on the advisory board of the Thomas More Law Center, which defended
the school board in court - said the case offered "a bad set of facts" to test the concept that theories other than evolution
should be taught in science classrooms. "I thought the Thomas More Law Center made a huge mistake in taking this case
and in pushing this case to the extent they did," Santorum said. He said he intends to withdraw his affiliation with
the Michigan-based public-interest law firm that promotes Christian values.
"Their asserted purposes are a sham," he [Judge Jones] wrote. "The district's purpose was to advance creationism,
an inherently religious view, both by introducing it directly under the label ID and by disparaging the scientific theory
of evolution so that creationism would gain credence by default."
In his decision, Judge Jones blasted school board members for lying in sworn depositions to conceal religious
motives and to hide the fact that a church donated funds to place copies of "Of Pandas and People" -- an intelligent design
textbook -- in the school library.
Santorum backs Bush on NSA spying, Specter calls for hearings Dec 20, 2005
Vote NO, the poor should not bear the brunt of deficit cuts Dec 21, 2005
The same administration that gave us spying on Americans, good news bought and paid for in the
Iraqi press and a costly war built on elusive rationales now wants to reduce the deficit on the backs of the poor. Americans
deserve better --and the Senate should say so today by voting no.
Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, disputed the notion that Republicans were subverting the rules,
though he said a specific provision in the military bill would declare that any new precedent created by including the drilling
plan would not alter the rules for future legislation. NYTimes
| Veteran & Anti-war Protestors |
|
| outside Specter's home, Dec 18, M. Frugier |
| Police punching Sharif El Mekki |
|
| The News Journal, photo by Bob Herbert, Phil, Dec 12 |
Arrest and hospitalization after two brother's scuffle with police outside Bush speech, Santorum appears at today's PA Bush speech Dec 12, 2005
GOP senators dividing up Santorum's leadership duties while he works on re-election campaign Dec 8, 2005
Casey asks FEC to require disclosure of donors for Santorum ads Dec 8, 2005
Schiavo husband launches PAC opposing Santorum, Frist, Delay and other politicians he blames for his 'private national
nightmare' Dec 8, 2005
Candidates for U.S. Senate weave Israel into campaigns Dec 7, 2005
Casey asks Santorum to disavow TV ads Dec 6, 2005
In a season of scandals, Senate and House ethics panels are on sidelines, silent Dec 5, 2005
Republicans brace for a tough 2006; Santorum seriously endangered Dec 5, 2005
GOP leaders' legislative aims for the end of the year Dec 5, 2005
No clear favorite in GOP presidential race Dec 5, 2005
Actors in American for Job Security TV ad and Santorum's web ads are the same;
president of AJS and Santorum's media consultant deny the two sides had collaborated in any way. They
each said it was a coincidence they used the same stock footage in their respective ads. Casey's spokesman says it raises questions Dec 2, 2005
| Santorum touting the fact that he votes, |
|
| wants credit for doing his job, no mention of missed votes |
Americans for Job Security is
a Republican-leaning, anti-tax group that says its money comes from 500 individuals, corporations,
business groups and other sources... In spite of its political activity,
the IRS has classified the group as a 501-c-6 organization, a nonprofit
business association, comparable to a Chamber of Commerce. Under IRS rules, it is not required to disclose publicly how it
raises money.
Specter says he'll speak for Santorum early and often, continue to raise money for him and even put Santorum's
name first on joint press releases announcing goodies for the state.
Investigators are looking at half a dozen members of Congress, current and former senior Hill aides, a former deputy secretary
of the interior, and Abramoff's former lobbying colleagues, according to sources familiar with the probe who spoke on the
condition of anonymity... He admitted that he or Abramoff offered bribes on behalf of clients over
a period of four years. Nov 22, 2005
DeLay, Santorum and other GOP activists have been involved in a longtime effort known as the "K Street Project" to ensure
that Republicans are considered for openings with lobbying firms and trade associations. Nov 15, 2005
Santorum "is a leader of the "K Street Project," a GOP effort to pressure lobbying firms to hire Republicans and keep money
flowing to the party...
Former House Majority leader Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff also have ties to the project, which is named after the
street where many lobbyists work. Both have been indicted on charges unrelated to the project and have denied any wrongdoing.
Nov 14, 2005
First major ad buy praises Santorum's tax plan Nov 21, 2005
James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential
Studies, said he's heard a joke around Washington that sums up Frist's current situation: "He came in like Jimmy Stewart,
and he's going out like Martha Stewart," Thurber said... "I think he's got a great record
of success. There's a lot of stuff he got done," said Sen. Rick Santorum.
If anyone needs further proof that we are racing for the exits in Iraq, just follow
the bouncing ball that is Rick Santorum. A Republican leader in the Senate and a true-blue (or red) Iraq hawk, he has long
slobbered over President Bush, much as Ed McMahon did over Johnny Carson. But when Mr. Bush went to Mr. Santorum's home state
of Pennsylvania to give his Veterans Day speech smearing the war's critics as unpatriotic, the senator was M.I.A.
Mr. Santorum preferred to honor a previous engagement more than 100 miles away. There
he told reporters for the first time that ''maybe some blame'' for the war's ''less than optimal'' progress belonged to the
White House. This change of heart had nothing to do with looming revelations of how the new Iraqi ''democracy'' had
instituted Saddam-style torture chambers. Or with the spiraling investigations into the whereabouts of nearly $9 billion in
unaccounted-for taxpayers' money from the American occupation authority. Or with the latest spike in casualties. Mr. Santorum
was instead contemplating his own incipient political obituary written the day before: a poll showing him 16 points down in
his re-election race. No sooner did he stiff Mr. Bush in Pennsylvania than he did so again in Washington, voting with
a 79-to-19 majority on a Senate resolution begging for an Iraq exit strategy. He was joined by all but one (Jon Kyl) of the
13 other Republican senators running for re-election next year. They desperately want to be able to tell their constituents
that they were against the war after they were for it...
One hideous consequence of the White House's Big Lie -- fusing the war of choice in Iraq with the war of
necessity that began on 9/11 -- is that the public, having rejected one, automatically rejects the other. That's already happening.
The percentage of Americans who now regard fighting terrorism as a top national priority is either in the single or low double
digits in every poll. Thus the tragic bottom line of the Bush catastrophe: the administration has at once increased the ranks
of jihadists by turning Iraq into a new training ground and recruitment magnet while at the same time exhausting America's
will and resources to confront that expanded threat.
The office of Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) released a statement
saying he "continues to support the brave men and women who are not only protecting our homeland, but are spreading democracy
to the Middle East region. To withdraw our troops now as they are in the middle of this important endeavor would do nothing
but embolden our enemies."
Forcing a vote on a Republican version of a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha to withdraw
U.S. troops from Iraq disintegrated into a raucous House floor debate last night over the Pennsylvania congressman's honor
and the treatment of Iraq war critics... Mr. Murtha's resolution
had called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops "at the earliest practicable date," which he said could be done safely within six
months. But the version sponsored by House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., stated only that "the deployment
of U.S. forces in Iraq should be terminated immediately"...
Nearly an hour into the debate, tensions had hit the breaking point when Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, took the floor. "A
few minutes ago, I received a call from [Marine Corps Reserve] Col. Danny Bupb, Ohio representative from the 88th District
in the [state] House of Representatives," she said. "He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked
me to send Congressman Murtha a message -- that cowards cut and run, Marines never do." Chaos erupted in the House chamber
as nearly two dozen Democrats left their seats, outraged by the insult to Mr. Murtha, who served in the Marine Corps and Reserves
for 37 years and earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Some stormed the other side of the aisle , shouting, "Take the
words down"-- a demand that Ms. Schmidt's remarks be stricken from the official record, which the House ultimately did by
unanimous consent. House GOP seeks quick vote on Iraq pullout, pressuring Democrats to vote without discussion or hearings Nov 18, 2005
"I call this bill the 'Tax Increase Prevention Act,'" said Sen. Rick Santorum.
"Yet after a decade of Republican control in Washington, we have not reduced the size of government, there
is no balanced budget amendment, and pork-barrel and self-interest politics have grown. Special interest groups haven’t
been defeated or tamed, they are thriving. Now is the time for midcourse corrections to ensure the success
of the conservative movement." Santorum, Nov 17, 2005
Mr. Murtha said the Iraq war has caused
huge shortfalls on domestic bases and the military is stretched too thin. He also expressed
concerns about a federal budget deficit that is "growing out of control."
| If mission's accomplished, why Strategy 4 Victory? |
|
| May 2003/ Nov 11, 2005 -Tobyhanna |
Santorum saw it "as sort of a nothing vote" that
amounted to, "Congress just sort of puffing its chest a little bit." ... Other Republicans
said their leaders were responding to growing discomfort among Americans about the war.
In a separate action yesterday, 84 senators also approved new rules governing the legal
rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba... Under current Bush administration procedure, a panel or
tribunal of three military officers determines whether a prisoner should be defined as an "enemy combatant." The classification
is reviewed annually. Mr. Graham's new rules would give detainees a one-time chance to challenge that classification
before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. If the challenge fails, the detainees would be bound by the decision
of the annual review board.
Mr. Specter was the only Republican senator to vote against Mr. Graham's proposal,
which passed 84 to 14. The Pennsylvania Republican described Mr. Graham's language directing the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the detainee cases as "blatant court-stripping in the most confusing
way possible," because he said the language of the legislation gives exclusive jurisdiction over the detainee cases
to the Circuit Court -- taking away jurisdiction from the Supreme Court.
| All I heard was women and children first; |
|
| Then a big splash -- Weynant's World, Nov 4 |
Israel Ruiz, a Metropolitan police officer
who took photos of Ore ..., told the Times Leader he believed Sherwood should have been arrested.
Luke Bernstein, a native of Conyngham, will serve as the political director for
the northeast, northwest and central regions for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum’s campaign for re-election. Bernstein had previously
served as Santorum’s press assistant in Washington, D.C., and was a special advisor in domestic finance at the U.S.
Department of the Treasury. A graduate of Dickinson College, Bernstein has also worked on numerous senatorial, gubernatorial
and congressional races, and served as the coalitions director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign in Pennsylvania.
This
morning, Rick Santorum appeared on Imus in the Morning and defended the Bush Administration’s motivation for going to war in
Iraq. When pressed by Imus to comment on whether “Scooter” Libby,
Vice President Cheney and “the rest of that crowd” lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Santorum launched
an all out defense of the Bush Administration. These misguided comments come just days after Libby was indicted for his
role in the CIA leak case and after the total number of U.S.
casualties topped the 2,000 mark.
“We used the best intelligence available at the time and made the decision based on
the best intelligence,” said Santorum. “We found out subsequently after we got into Iraq and were able to investigate what in fact Saddam had,
that a lot of that intelligence was wrong.” Santorum compared efforts to second-guess the Bush Administration’s
motivation on Iraq as “the old Monday
morning quarterback.” [Rick Santorum on Imus in the Morning, 11/2/05]
Phil Singer, DSCC
His nomination places Casey in a unique political spot because
one of Alito's highest-profile appeals-court rulings - the abortion-rights case Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania
v. Casey - involved his father, then-Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. Alito was part of a three-judge
panel that in 1991 upheld three abortion restrictions the legislature approved and Gov. Casey signed into law. Alito was the
lone dissent on the decision to strike down the provision requiring wives to notify their husbands before an abortion.
Top national Democrats and liberal advocacy groups, many of which are backing Casey, cited the case as an
example of Alito's being too extreme. In a release yesterday, Republican Sen. Rick Santorum's campaign
baited Casey: "Are they implying that Judge Alito's opinion was outside the mainstream? I think many Pennsylvanians would
disagree."
Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. With a second by
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, senators filed to their seats
on the floor and the doors were closed ... there was nothing in Senate rules enabling
Republicans to thwart Reid's effort...
Majority Leader Bill Frist met in the back of the chamber with a half-dozen senior GOP
senators, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, who bore the brunt of Reid's criticism. Reid said Roberts
reneged on a promise to fully investigate whether the administration exaggerated and manipulated intelligence leading up to
the war. Nov 1, 2005
In the early 1990s, Alito was the lone dissenter
in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a case in which the 3rd Circuit struck down a Pennsylvania law that included a provision
requiring women seeking abortions to notify their spouses.
Senators refused, 51-44, to increase spending by $5 billion, or nearly
40 percent, for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in fiscal 2006. This was a bid to raise funding for
the No Child Left Behind Act. [Vote #269] The underlying bill (HR 3010, later passed) appropriates $12.8 billion for Title I in 2006, about $10 billion less
than Congress authorized.
In similar votes, the Senate rejected proposals to raise spending for
the Head Start preschool program [Vote #272], Pell Grants for needy college students [Vote #268], special education for students with disabilities [Vote #273], and after-school programs[Vote #279]. [
Santorum voted against all of the above proposals.
"Like all Americans, I have confidence that our
legal system will provide a thorough review of the facts and evidence and render a fair and deliberative decision in this
case." - Santorum, Oct 29, 2005
That chamber's Finance Committee, voting along party lines, approved legislation
that would trim overall spending on Medicare and Medicaid by about $10 billion over five years... Democrats
cited what they believed was inadequate assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina. In particular, Democrats wanted to temporarily
extend Medicaid coverage to thousands of people currently ineligible for the program, even though they have lost their jobs
and their home... Republicans said they weren't thrilled with the bill either...
Separately, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, R-Va.,
has drafted a plan to cut the food stamp program by $1.1 billion over five years. It would tighten eligibility requirements,
leading to a drop of perhaps 300,000 working families from food stamp rolls. It also would make legal immigrants wait 10 years
instead of five to be eligible for the program and limit benefits for able-bodied beneficiaries without children.
Schwarzenegger upset over timing of fundraiser with special election for Arnold's ballot
initiatives coming in November, refused Bush invitations
Santorum still not speaking out about the battery lawsuit by Sherwood's former mistress, in spite of Santorum's
blanket condemnation of permissiveness in his book
In a speech this week to the George Washington University
College Republicans, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said of the 2006 elections, “It’s OK if the Republicans lose control,
for our country in the long run, because one cycle won’t make a difference, two cycles won’t make a difference,”
... Of the current debate over spending
and the budget, he said, “Republican politicians are the same as Democratic politicians in that they like to spend money.
Democrats want to raise taxes to pay for it, and Republicans allow the next generation to pay for it.”
After voting against funding Amtrak, Santorum wrote, "Keeping the rail lines open and the trains running should be one of Congress' priorities in the upcoming
budget discussion." Mar 25, 2005
| TALK TO CINDY |
|
| Sep 24, DC, M. Frugier |
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.
The accumulating costs of both hurricane relief and the war have prompted House GOP leaders
to unveil a new bid to squeeze the federal budget to pay the bill. Their plan would cut another $15 billion from federal benefit
programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and farm subsidies already slated for $35 billion in spending cuts... The challenge was vividly illustrated Thursday by a Republican battle over farm subsidies.
The Senate Agriculture Committee, slated to trim farm and food programs by $3 billion over five years, called off a vote as
midwestern Republicans such as Pat Roberts, R-Kan., balked at boosting payments to dairy farmers at the expense of other commodity
producers. Senators from traditional dairy states, such as Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Pat Leahy, D-Vt., were
the losers in the first round, but the battle is hardly over. Still, comparable fights promise to break out all over
Capitol Hill when Congress turns in earnest to the budget after a weeklong recess that begins Friday. By Andrew Taylor,
AP
It could be a very cold winter for
Pennsylvanians needing help heating their homes unless Congress more than doubles funding for energy assistance, according
to a new study. The study estimates that $5.2 billion — an increase of $3.1 billion over last year — is needed
to insulate beneficiaries of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program from the sharpest jump in home heating costs since
1974...
According to the
study, Pennsylvania received $145 million in LIHEAP funding last year but would need about $355 million this year to cover
added enrollment and increased fuel costs... It's unclear whether Congress, which is already straining for ways to pay for disaster relief and
the costs of the war in Iraq, is prepared to meet the challenge. An amendment to increase LIHEAP funding by $3.1 billion
received 50 votes in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday but failed to overcome a procedural hurdle. Republicans Rick
Santorum and Arlen Specter supported the amendment. By Jeff Miller, Morning Call
We've lost track of the number of
times President Bush has told Americans to ignore their own eyes and ears and pretend everything is going just fine in Iraq.
Yesterday, when Mr. Bush added a ringing endorsement of his own policy to his speech on terrorism, it was that same old formula:
the wrong questions, the wrong answers and no new direction.
Sen. Rick Santorum ... said the speech was "one he should've
made a few years ago. I'm glad he made it now."
Santorum distributes K Street lobbying job listings in regularly scheduled meetings
| They Lie People Die, Stop Immoral, Illegal War |
|
| Sep 24, DC, M. Frugier |
Santorum profile: When they met, Karen Santorum was in her 20's living with an Ob-Gyn dr. in his
60's, co-founder of Pittsburgh's first abortion clinic, according to Philly City Paper Sep 29, 2005
| Cindy Sheehan, Honor the Warriors Not the War |
|
| Philadelphia, Sep 16, M. Frugier |
NPR reports Santorum, following discussions being encouraged by the conservative Heritage Foundation, is
renewing efforts for faith based initiatives, Bush wants Gulf Opportunity Zone, where taxes are cut and regulations
waived. Listen
SHEEHAN PICKETS PHILLY OFFICE
Cindy Sheehan sets up a brief picket at Santorum's Philadelphia office. Santorum followed Bush yet again and apparently refused to meet with her. Sep 16, 2005
The Senate narrowly turned back a challenge to the Bush administration's strategy on mercury pollution Tuesday, leaving
intact federal rules that give power plants flexibility in how they reduce emissions of the dangerous toxin. With a
51-47 vote, the Senate defeated a resolution to void Environmental Protection Agency rules finalized last March. The Democrats
and nine Republicans who supported the repeal contended the EPA approach was too slow and too weak in dealing with a pollutant
that can cause serious neurological damage to newborn and young children... the EPA rules ... don't begin
to cut emissions until 2018 and will not reach the goal of 70 percent reductions until 2030. [Vote #225, S.J.Res. 20]
| LIBERALISM IS NOT A CRIME, PEDOPHILIA IS |
|
| Bryn Mawr, Aug 4, M. Frugier |
Santorum has acknowledged that his legislation [that would include dismantling the NWS website] 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.
"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." Video
| PROTESTERS OUTSIDE CHESTER COUNTY BOOK SIGNING |
|
| DAILY LOCAL, Aug 4, 2005 |
Correcting another false Santorum statement:
Portraying the Republican Party as the victim of an unfair media, he asserted that "more Republicans, by
the way, voted for the Voting Rights Act, voted for the Civil Rights Act, than Democrats did."
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed the House with 217 Democratic and 111 Republican votes. In the Senate,
the tally was 49 Democratic and 30 Republican votes. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed with 152 Democratic and 138 Republican
votes in the House, and 46 Democratic and 27 Republican votes in the Senate. So on neither act and in neither chamber
did more Republicans vote for passage than Democrats. Stephen J. Ferenchick
"I do a lot of interviews on TV, on radio, with print reporters who don't happen to write everything I say,"
Santorum said yesterday.
"The fact that it hasn't turned up in print doesn't mean I haven't said it."
The priority now is less to save Jessica
Lynch (or Iraqi democracy) than to save Rick Santorum and every other endangered Republican facing voters
in November 2006. Frank Rich
| IT TAKES A VILLAGE IDIOT |
|
| Chester Co, Aug 3 |
Earlier Santorum view Some evolution opponents are trying to use Bush's
No Child Left Behind law, saying it creates an opening for states to set new teaching standards. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.),
a Christian who draws on Discovery Institute material, drafted language accompanying the law that said students should be
exposed to "the full range of scientific views that exist." "Anyone who expresses anything other
than the dominant worldview is shunned and booted from the academy," Santorum said in an interview. "My reading of the science
is there's a legitimate debate. My feeling is let the debate be had." Mar 14, 2005
| SICK OF RICK |
|
| Chester Co, Aug 3 |
Some of August will be spent on the book-tour circuit, talking about the ideas
and assessments he makes in this volume. Santorum faces reelection next year, so the book will be part of his talking points
as he holds some campaign events during this period. As for downtime, Santorum and his family will relax for 10 days
near Charleston, S.C., at a house owned by his in-laws.
Specter (R., Pa.) finished his last chemotherapy treatment
for Hodgkin's disease July 22 and is probably hoping to spend a month regrowing his hair. - Goldstein
"I don't know how that's going to shake out," Santorum said... "All I would suggest is that, again, until
we know all the facts, [we] look at the job that Congressman Sherwood is doing and make decisions based on the facts." Jul 20, 2005
In response to Clinton's denials of a relationship with Lewinsky: "He cannot confront his own irresponsibility and take blame for it.'' Santorum, Philadelphia
Inquirer, Aug 19, 1998
The fact that Supreme Court nominee
John Roberts' wife does free legal work for an anti-abortion group should not be relevant to his confirmation hearing. -
Santorum
Artic Power describes itself as "a grassroots, non-profit citizen's organization with 10,000
members founded ... to expedite congressional and presidential approval of oil exploration and
production within the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge." anwr.org
"The people of Boston are to blame for the clergy sexual abuse? That is an irresponsible, insensitive and
inexcusable thing to say," said Kennedy, D-Mass. Kennedy called for Santorum to apologize to the people
of Boston and Massachusetts.
MA Attorney General Thomas Reilly, a Democratic candidate for governor (who investigated
the cases of abuse by the clergy), also criticized Santorum on Wednesday. "For him to equate liberalism with child abuse is
disgraceful," he said. "It's embarrassing for him and embarrassing to his party and his party should disown him."
''I think he probably has written off Massachusetts," said Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican who
is also a potential 2008 contender.
Statement from Pennsylvania's Democratic Party Chair Jul 13, 2005
"Pedophilia is a vile crime. To tell victims to go blame the liberals for their horrific childhood
experiences is irresponsible, it defies reason and is just downright wacko." Rep. T.J. Rooney
| "Just Weird" - Tom Oliphant 7/17/05 |
|
| DSCC Ad |
| Book Tour starts Jul 24 |
|
| Retitle? It Takes an Idiot |
| Abuse Your Power Game Show |
|
| DSCC web ad, Jun 27, 2005 |
In an unusually personal speech, Reid said, “I will not be lectured
about civility by the junior senator from Pennsylvania who has repeatedly disrespected veterans.”
The Senate energy bill is not an energy policy for
the 21st Century as it missed opportunities to address some of our nation's most pressing energy problems. Even with gas prices
at record highs, the Senate rejected an amendment to increase fuel economy standards, which would have reduced our dependence
on foreign oil and ultimately saved consumers money. Additionally, this bill allows for an invasive inventory of offshore
oil and gas, which could pave the way for drilling off our coasts. While it makes some modest investments in energy efficiency
and clean, renewable energy technologies, like wind and solar, overall the bill falls short of a what is needed for a sustainable
and affordable energy future. League of Conservation Voters Press Release, Jun 28, 2005
"It is scandalous, absolutely scandalous, that there are so many people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
and heart disease and cancer--some of whom, myself, look in the mirror every day, can barely recognize myself," said Specter,
who has lost most of his hair from chemotherapy. "And not to have the availability of the best in medical care is simply atrocious."
Are prisoners in PA being tortured, or is Santorum just wrong again?
Jun 27, 2005
'The most obvious change must occur within American seminaries, many of which demonstrate
the same brand of cultural liberalism plaguing our secular universities... It is startling that those
in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism
by sanctioning "private" moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When
the culture is sick, every element in 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.'
Rick Santorum, Catholic Online, Jul 12, 2002 Take Action
Santorum votes for voluntary industry measures to cut greenhouse gases and an inventory of offshore
oil and gas resources that some senators call prelude to new offshore drilling.
| Arrest of protester outside Bio2005 Conference |
|
| Constitution Center, Phil., Jun 19, M. Frugier |
| WE THE PEOPLE: Did the framers intend this? |
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| Constitution Center, Phil., Jun 19, M. Frugier |
| We want FREEDOM not FASCISM |
|
| Bush SocSec speech for FFA, State College, Jun 14 |
| IMPEACH BUSH, DUMP SANTORUM |
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| Jun 14, Bryn Mawr, photo by M. Frugier |
| Outside Bryn Mawr fundraiser |
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| Jun 14, M. Frugier |
| SANTORUM VOTED NOT TO SAVE ANWR FROM DRILLING |
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| Jun 14, Bryn Mawr, M. Frugier |
Readers respond with 'heated mail' to NYTimes Magazine puff piece, The Believer; missing are criticisms of the reporting and mention that Santorum is using excerpts in a fundraising letter Jun 5, 2005
In 1999, a document from the Discovery Institute was posted, anonymously, on the Internet. This Wedge Document,
as it came to be called, described not only the institute's long-term goals but its strategies for accomplishing them.
The document begins by labelling the idea that human beings are created in the image of God "one of the bedrock principles
on which Western civilization was built." It goes on to decry the catastrophic legacy of Darwin, Marx, and Freud --
the alleged fathers of a "materialistic conception of reality" that eventually "infected virtually every area of our culture."
The mission of the Discovery Institute's scientific wing is then spelled out: "nothing less than the overthrow of materialism
and its cultural legacies." H. Allen Orr, The New Yorker, May 30, 2005
"Government should encourage lifesaving research, but
should focus on science that both works and is ethical," he said. AP, May 25, 2005
| Counting the Cost protest & die-in |
|
| Philadelphia, May 15, 2005 |
| Chuck Pennachio at 'Filibuster Frist' |
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| Frist Campus Ctr., Princeton 3pm May 3, 2005 |
Santorum blocked 3 of Clinton's judicial nominees May 11, 2005
"Business interests on K Street are urging Frist to delay the tactic because it could imperil their legislative
agenda," Apr 7, 2005
Group says Santorum gets improper tax break Apr 20, 2005
| Links to Walmart grow with jet for FL fundraising |
|
| from Daily News blog - Apr 14, 2005 |
Santorum claimed,
"Not a single provision of the Patriot Act has been held unconstitutional by any court in the United States."
-- Santorum's
Weekly Column Oct 29, 2004
The Washington Post reports, "Part of Patriot Act Is Struck Down: A federal
judge in Los Angeles has declared unconstitutional a provision of the USA Patriot Act..." John Mintz, Jan 27, 2004
"Terri Schiavo was given a death sentence, and passed away without the right to due
process,'' Santorum said.
Cheney participated in two "townhall" events last Thursday – one in Battle Creek, Michigan, and one
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contrary to its standard practice, the White House has not released the transcripts. Press coverage
of the event suggests the reason... At the Pittsburgh event, "Cheney pointed to the experience of federal workers who have
the option of placing part of their retirement savings in somewhat similar accounts." But Kim Miller, a resident of Mt. Lebanon,
PA, "said that she had been a federal employee and invested in the Thrift Savings Plan, 'and I didn't do well at all.'"
"Although I have a living will, I am alarmed by the Republican grandstanding taking place over Terri Schiavo,
who has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years... These politicians seem to consider it necessary
to monitor our bedrooms, classrooms and hospital beds, but consider it intrusive to monitor industrial pollution, gas mileage
and automobile emissions. I ... want to announce publicly that should doctors ever diagnose me as
being in a permanent vegetative state ..., I do not wish to be kept alive with artificially administered nutrition and hydration...
All Pennsylvania citizens who share this wish should probably inform Sens. Rick Santorum
and Arlen Specter immediately."
Carol Hamilton, Shadyside
Sen. Santorum 202-224-6324 Sen. Specter 202-224-4254
"I felt very troubled about cases where someone may have been convicted wrongly. DNA evidence definitely
should be used when possible," he said... In 1994 Santorum voted against replacing the death
penalty with life imprisonment, and in 1996 he helped to kill an effort to make it easier for death row inmates to appeal
their convictions. "I never thought about it that much when I was really a supporter of the death penalty.
I still see it as potentially valuable, but I would be one to urge more caution than I would have in the past," he said.
Amendment fails Mar 16, 2005
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