Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
I find Erick Erickson's case against Santorum entirely damning.
Rick Santorum is a pro-life statist. He is. You will have to deal with it. He is a big government conservative. Santorum is right on social issues, but has never let his love of social issues stand in the way of the creeping expansion of the welfare state. In fact, he has been complicit in the expansion of the welfare state.
Have a look at the list he's compiled. It just goes on and on, and as he notes, doesn't even include No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, debt ceiling increases, and funding the bridge to nowhere.
Voted against National Right to Work Act
Voted against Real of Davis-Bacon Prevailing union wages
Voted for Alexis Herman to be Secretary of Labor
Voted for mandatory Federal child care funding
Voted for Trade Adjustment Assistance.
Voted for Job Corps funding
Voted twice in support of Fedex Unionization
Voted against allowing a waiver of Davis-Bacon in emergency situations.
Voted for minimum wage increases six times here here here here here and here
Voted to require a union representative on an IRS oversight board.
Voted to exempt IRS union representative from criminal ethics laws.
Voted against creating independent Board of Governors to investigate IRS abuses ...
It's quite rare for me to feel so persuaded by a single blog post, but this one did it. Congratulations, Erick, I'm now adamantly opposed to this profligate wastrel.
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Jan '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Is it too late to vote for Calvin Coolidge?
Oct '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
the santorum boomlet is about to end, and rick perry will get a second look while newt goes on attack dog mode against mitt.
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
There are reasons Senators tend not to be good candidates - I'm sure Santorum would have defenses for many of these votes, but taken as a whole, they are indeed disturbing... and certainly not a picture of fiscal restraint.
Mar '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Yes, but he is by far the best candidate on Iran, and all things Islamist.
Oh, well, I guess we are stuck with Mr Romney, then.
Dec '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
As Hugh Hewitt pointed out, this list is rather too crisp to appear at Red State unaided. I wonder if this was a very skilled oppo research dump.
May '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Remember the Reagan Democrats?
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
If it is, does it invalidate it?
May '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
This, for sure, is going to be the strongest case against Santorum.
I happen to hope he has a good answer. I thought he was entirely believable the other day in the interview with David Gregory, when he said that earmarking began to be grossly abused and now needs to be reined in and that the "explosion of spending" under Obama has made reduction in spending an urgent priority.
Everyone will have his own sense of things like this. As for me, I believe that Rick Santorum, has much, much more of the conservative stuff to do the job that needs doing than Romney does.
But I will support either of them, totally, in the general election. If it's Sandorum I'll do it with enthusiasm and true hope for serious reform. If it's Romney, I'll have more doubts and misgivings.
Edited on January 9, 2012 at 3:11pmMay '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
I don't think so. He's got too much good to offer.
Jun '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
...and in 1975, he wore an orange polyester leisure suit...on purpose. The man is a menace.
May '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
my guess is that his blue-collar roots make him a FDR conservative.
Apr '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
I for one, am horrified to find that a Senator who faced tough re-election campaigns in a heavily unionized state, has a largely pro-union voting record.
Ben's point is right on point, it's tough for a senator to be a good presidential candidate.
The two successful ones, Kennedy and Obama, had relatively undistinguished Senate careers.
Mar '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
He will be another GWB, I already knew that but I would not mind. Perry is the same. I would be happy with Perry or Santorum and could live with Newt. Then again I am someone who will willing give up economic prosperity in a heart beat if it means criminalizing /ending abortion.
The sad part is Rommey actually has the best fiscal record out of all the candidates 5.4% reduction in spending (real terms on a per capita bases) during his term as governor. That was despite having a democratic controlled legislator and close to veto proof in his last two years, also no balanced budget requirement.
It is just every other single position he has and also being a snake disqualifies him, therefore, I would never vote for him. I voted Pro-Choice with McCain because the alternative was so bad. The alternative was just as bad as I thought but I just can't vote for a slow acting poison anymore by ever voting pro-choice, no matter the alternative.
Edited on January 9, 2012 at 3:36pmMar '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
He's still better than Sarah Palin would have been, because...you know...her syntax is weird and she's unsophisticated.
Or something.
Dec '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
If it is, does it invalidate it? · Jan 9 at 5:49am
Hi Claire,
No - it doesn't invalidate the charges against Santorum (some no doubt have merit), but it was the comprehensiveness of the list that gave me pause. And, in general, I don't care for oppo research much - tends to unbalance the scales.
May '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Brian Clendinen: Then again I am someone who will willing give up economic prosperity in a heart beat if it means criminalizing /ending abortion.
...
The alternative was just as bad as I thought but I just can't vote for a slow acting poison anymore by ever voting pro-choice, no matter the alternative.
· Jan 9 at 6:35am
Edited on Jan 09 at 06:36 am
Really? Give up economic prosperity on this one issue? In this election, the single-issue voters must coalesce around the single issue that means the most: defeating Obama and getting our country "back" so we can all have greater economic prosperity, including our children and grandchildren. All other issues must take second place.
Oct '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
If it is, does it invalidate it? · Jan 9 at 5:49am
I wouldn't be surprised if it did come from an oppo research team. Erickson has made a lot of noise previously about McCain's oppo file on Romney as a reason he won't support him.
And it really doesn't make a difference. These are his votes regardless.
I really don't understand why Erickson decided to point out his votes on the Chemical Weapon Convention. Is there anyone around who thinks getting rid of our Chemical Weapons was a bad idea?
Dec '10
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
I have burned all pictures of myself from that decade.
Dec '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Do you really think you are going to pick up rustbelt swing states without a kind of credible populist appeal?
Mar '11
Re: Hey, Big Spender: A Look at Santorum's Voting Record
Grantman
Brian Clendinen: Then again I am someone who will willing give up economic prosperity in a heart beat if it means criminalizing /ending abortion.
...
The alternative was just as bad as I thought but I just can't vote for a slow acting poison anymore by ever voting pro-choice, no matter the alternative.
· Jan 9 at 6:35am
Edited on Jan 09 at 06:36 am
Really? Give up economic prosperity on this one issue? In this election, the single-issue voters must coalesce around the single issue that means the most: defeating Obama and getting our country "back" so we can all have greater economic prosperity, including our children and grandchildren. . · Jan 9 at 7:15am
Those that survive, anyway.