Rick Santorum: The Big Government Republican

[Politico]

While Santorum is an infinitely better alternative than Gingrich in the "Anti-Romney" Sweepstakes, he is still not without his downsides (i.e., he is a "Washington Insider" and "Big Government" Republican):

- Santorum voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, among many, many more pork ("earmark") projects that contributed to the deficits of the early/mid 2000s

- Santorum was closely involved with Tom DeLay's "K Street Project," which symbolizes much of what was wrong with Washington Republicans in the 2000s (And partly why so many Republicans lost so badly in 2006)

- Santorum received the title of "Republican in Washington who took in the most contributions from lobbyists and their family members" during his 2006 losing campaign for re-election

- Santorum worked hard to win hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare payments for hospitals in Puerto Rico, which benefited a Pennsylvania-based hospital management company with facilities in Puerto Rico. Santorum worked for the aforementioned company after losing his Senate seat in 2006.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45898365/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#.TwdAlVZnSuI

He's a nice guy with some strong beliefs, but he's too much of a Big Government type for my liking...

[RogueBeaver]

And he is also a protectionist with a fairly pro-union voting record who worked on K Street after his defeat. On the flip side, he was in the vanguard on entitlements and wants to slash through the red ink faster than even Paul Ryan.

[© tweed]

And he is also a protectionist with a fairly pro-union voting record who worked on K Street after his defeat.

he's from western PA brother, it would be in poor taste to act otherwise.

[Guderian]

Santorum stands for everything that Republican Party should be running away from. He's basically Bush 43 only snorting up a much stronger dose of the compassionate conservative crap.

[RogueBeaver]

I've said before I don't like Romney's China stance. Pandering is one thing, authoring tariff bills and voting against FTAs is another degree.

[Dereich]

I've said before I don't like Romney's China stance. Pandering is one thing, authoring tariff bills and voting against FTAs is another degree.

What was Santorum's protectionism if it wasn't blatant pandering? Why is Romney's protectionism 'pandering' while Santorum's is genuine? Santorum has at least has come out against ethanol protectionism (whether genuinely or not I don't know) while campaigning in Iowa. I cannot say such a thing for Mittens.

It could be said that Romney's protectionist statements have been just that, words. Santorum's backed up words with votes, like the ones against NAFTA and for steel tariffs. Its easy to say Romney MIGHT do what he's said he'd do, but we already how Santorum would act.

[RogueBeaver]

I've said before I don't like Romney's China stance. Pandering is one thing, authoring tariff bills and voting against FTAs is another degree.

What was Santorum's protectionism if it wasn't blatant pandering? Why is Romney's protectionism 'pandering' while Santorum's is genuine? Santorum has at least has come out against ethanol protectionism (whether genuinely or not I don't know) while campaigning in Iowa. I cannot say such a thing for Mittens.

It could be said that Romney's protectionist statements have been just that, words. Santorum's backed up words with votes, like the ones against NAFTA and for steel tariffs. Its easy to say Romney MIGHT do what he's said he'd do, but we already how Santorum would act.

Thank you.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

While tariffs and protectionism in general don't work, the policy of doing absolutely nothing at all to strengthen our position in global commerce has failed miserably. That and not a candidate pandering is what will ensure protectionism getting more play as people get tired of the status quo.

You need a strategy and you need tools to try and pursue that strategy. That doesn't make you a protectionist. By strict definitions and demands for purity made here, such a person would be considered a protectionist.

[Dereich]

While tariffs and protectionism in general don't work, the policy of doing absolutely nothing at all to strengthen our position in global commerce has failed miserably. That and not a candidate pandering is what will ensure protectionism getting more play as people get tired of the status quo.

You need a strategy and you need tools to try and pursue that strategy. That doesn't make you a protectionist. By strict definitions and demands for purity made here, such a person would be considered a protectionist.

What makes you think its failed? Nobody ever said the process of global economic realignment would be painless, but overall its been much more beneficial to us, and will continue to. The kind of subsidies, tariffs, and plans that Santorum have proposed are inefficient, wasteful, and ultimately just delaying the inevitable. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

While tariffs and protectionism in general don't work, the policy of doing absolutely nothing at all to strengthen our position in global commerce has failed miserably. That and not a candidate pandering is what will ensure protectionism getting more play as people get tired of the status quo.

You need a strategy and you need tools to try and pursue that strategy. That doesn't make you a protectionist. By strict definitions and demands for purity made here, such a person would be considered a protectionist.

What makes you think its failed? Nobody ever said the process of global economic realignment would be painless, but overall its been much more beneficial to us, and will continue to. The kind of subsidies, tariffs, and plans that Santorum have proposed are inefficient, wasteful, and ultimately just delaying the inevitable. 

I was a full on protectionist untill 2007. I know perfectly well it's flaws, hence why I became a free trader. The problem is that free trade is horribly unpopular, and unless something is done about clearly non-free trade oriented actions being taken by some countries, you will see more Jack Davis like candidates and worse running and winning advocating real protectionism as an established policy.

Also, how a person voted on NAFTA is not a fair indicator of their stance on Trade, nor are most of the free trade bills. Paul voted against all of them I think, and he is hardly a protectionist.

[Likely Voter]

Politico

I hope you dump your daily i hate Santorum brain surges into this single thread

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Well, like most Republicans, he was a strong proponent of blowing close to $1 trillion a year on the military.

[GLPman]

If Santorum is the GOP nominee, I'll vote for myself in the 2012 election. He's a great guy and probably means well, but his positions on social issues are terrifying. He also reminds me too much of Bush-era Republicans, and I'm not too eager to return to that.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Politico, you should calm down about these joke candidates.  Smoke some weed, get a BJ or something.  Seriously 

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Most Republicans are big government supporters just as long as it is their "values" and "morals" and "ideas" which are being pushed. 

[Politico]

Politico

I hope you dump your daily i hate Santorum brain surges into this single thread

You have nothing to worry about. I strongly disagree with Santorum on a number of issues, specifically with regards to certain social issues, trade and earmarks, but I do not hate him. My animosity towards him is virtually nil (although the man-on-dog commentary was a bit much), and obviously nowhere close to being on par with my feelings towards Gingrich, the epitome of a despicable politician. In fact, I was rooting for Santorum to place second or third in Iowa. The actual result was the best possible outcome short of Romney winning by a larger degree with perhaps Paul doing a bit better too.

[Politico]

Most Republicans are big government supporters just as long as it is their "values" and "morals" and "ideas" which are being pushed.  

Definitely in the 2000s, but this is the 2010s. I sense that the era of Big Government Republicanism is coming to a close, or may be over already.

[Politico]

Politico, you should calm down about these joke candidates.  Smoke some weed, get a BJ or something.  Seriously 

You're probably right.