Santorum (R-VA) in serious trouble with residency

[Wakie]

Hmm Tricky Ricky better start working on trying to be a VP candidate because he ain't gonna last as a Senator.

[Wakie]

I like how Santorum keeps referring to Bob Casey as "Bobby" in all of his campaign-related statements and publications.  What a jerk.

It's a good move. Casey is being a "jerk" by rarely speaking about the issues and just simply campaigning on his last name. Why shouldn't Santorum call him "Bobby, Jr."?

I beg to differ.  That's just the Santorum spin.  Casey has spoken quite a bit about his desire to bring fiscal responsibility to Washington, about the fact that no veteran should have to choose between disability and retirement pay, about investing in early childhood learning to give kids a better start in their education, and about promoting economic growth in PA.

What are Santorum's issues?  Nothing.  Just snide insults.  Santorum can't campaign on the issues.  He's been in Washington for years and produced nothing for PA.  His party has had a monopoly on power for the last 8 years and what have THEY done for the country?  High oil prices, a weak economy, a terrible international image for America, large scale corruption in Washington, a ballooning national debt being caused by overwhelming pork barrell spending, and no plan to fix it.

Beyond just the simple question of who is running a nicer campaign, who is going to be better for PA as Senator?  Santorum can only promise more of the same.  Casey can bring in fresh ideas AND can swing the Democrats to realize that a social moderate CAN win for them.

[Wakie]

What "liberal" newspapers?  Casey isn't running tons of ads because he doesn't have the finances for his campaign which Santorum does.  If you've ever been to one of his rallies you definitely hear him talk about the issues.

Santorum is issue-oriented?  Name one Santorum issue?  What can he possibly say he will do differently?  He's been around long enough and his party controls all 3 branches.  No, Santorum has nothing to offer.

Politicians adore winning above all else.  The Democrats have taken a beating over the last 8 years.  If Casey demonstrates a new way to win, others will take notice.  This election is THE election of 2006.  A Casey win WILL change things.  A Santorum win is a move for the status quo.

[Wakie]

Papers like the Philadelphia Inquirer have pointed out Casey's non-campaigning problems. Philly knows a bit about his below average tactics from the Gubernatorial primary of four years ago.

Again, I refer you to my previous post.  Casey is campaigning on the issues.  To say he isn't disregards his stump speeches and his responses to various questions.  Sure he's using his last name.  He'd be foolish not to use it.  But he isn't running ads that say "I'm Bob Casey and you're not".

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Yes, Santorum has championed theocracy and other "doomed to fail" initiatives.  And yes, he's been a leader of the "borrow and spend", corruption-laden Congress of the last 8 years.  You want to reward this?  My point is he has nothing new to offer.

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That's your opinion.  I disagree.  We both know that if Santorum is elected nothing will change.

[Wakie]

For the 1,000,000th time... pretty much every Congress member, and certainly those that have young families (which isn't many, admittedly) have what is basically full-time residence in either VA, DC, or Maryland.  If you pick on Santorum because of this, and think it is anything new, you are an IDIOT.

It is one thing to maintain a 2nd residence in VA, DC, or MD.  It is quite another thing altogether to not even bother to maintain a mailing address in the state you claim to represent.  How "in touch" with his constituents can he really claim to be?

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The Richard Mellon-Scaife owned Tribune Review is so far to the right it is ridiculous.

Does the Post-Gazette favor Casey?  Sure, I suspect it does.  Does it favor EVERY Democrat?  No it does not.  Perhaps it does lean more left than right, but a comparison to the Tribune-Review (which was the reporting home of the Arkansas Project) is down right laughable.

[Wakie]

It is one thing to maintain a 2nd residence in VA, DC, or MD.  It is quite another thing altogether to not even bother to maintain a mailing address in the state you claim to represent.  How "in touch" with his constituents can he really claim to be?

Maintaining a Pennsylvania mailing address is so easy that I don't see how that would indicate that he is in-touch with his consistituents whatsoever.

It indicates he cares enough to bother to keep up at least appearances.  Santorum's disregard for his constituents is so great he doesn't even care about appearances.

Guys, most reps work in Washington and then go home while Congress is out of session.  Santorum never leaves.  He really is VA's 3rd Senator.

[Wakie]

Is your second paragraph really true?  I honestly don't know; I would like to hear where you read this.

Are you kidding? Do you honestly think there might be a chance that he doesn't leave DC? The man is doing so much campaigning for re-election and he's not in PA?

Of course he'll show up for campaigning, but that's about it.  His wife and kids are in VA with him and they live there.  Santorum owns property in Penn Hills but, according to his neighbors, he's never there.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_274340.html

[Wakie]

And other senators don't do this?  There are more interesting issues to attack him on.

Not to the extent which Santorum does.  Yes, there are many issues on which Santorum can be attacked.  This is another one of them.  In politics you hit your opponent with everything.

Tricky Ricky is a hardcore extremist who does not represent the interests of the people of PA.