Remember last month after the New Hampshire primary when Mitt Romney began "pivoting towards the general election" by laying into Obama, more than into his rivals (some of whom he labeled "desperate Republicans")? Now Mitt's trying to figure out how to lay a glove on the motels-and-rental-cars candidacy of Rick Santorum while Santorum is starting to go after the president:
White House candidate Rick Santorum on Saturday questioned President Barack Obama's Christian values and attacked GOP rival Mitt Romney's Olympics leadership as he courted tea party activists and evangelical voters in Ohio, "ground zero" in the 2012 nomination fight.
Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator known for his social conservative policies, said that Obama's agenda is "not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your jobs. It's about some phony ideal. Some phony theology. Not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology.
The White House was not amused.
Obama campaign deputy press secretary Ben Labolt said Santorum's comment was "the latest low in a Republican primary campaign that has been fueled by distortions, ugliness, and searing pessimism and negativity." He said it was "a stark contrast with the President who is focused everyday on creating jobs and restoring economic security for the middle class."
Fighting for the middle class? Is that what the contraception mandate is all about?
The media is presenting this as Santorum - the "hardline" Catholic, natch - questioning Obama's Christian faith, as if somehow the issue of Rev. Wright and his liberation theology church had been laid to rest (it wasn't and is ripe for re-litigating). But, actually, it's much worse than that: Santorum was obliquely referring to the socialism that informs Obama's policies and practices. That's the "phony ideal" and "phony theology." Frankly, it's about time one of the GOP candidates got to the nub of the matter.
I keep hearing that Santorum can't win, and that we should all get behind President Ford, er, Mitt Romney. But, Santorum is the guy saying the things I want to hear, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking this. I don't want to hear tortured excuses about Romneycare/Obamacare or TARP. I want hear a principled attack on these matters from someone who knows what he's talking about. Right now, that guy is Rick Santorum. Let's hope he can keep things going.
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