You Can't Keep a Good Man Down

The media is trying their darndest to destroy Rick Santorum.

I say trying because their attacks are, quite honestly, surprisingly weak. The media is finding it hard to smear Rick because there simply isn't that much you can criticize him on.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Republican Catholics cool so far to Rick Santorum. Eek! Rick is a Roman Catholic, so he must be taking this pretty hard, right? Then the Sun shoots its own argument in the foot. "Catholics haven't voted as a bloc in decades, leading analysts to declare 'the Catholic vote' as such doesn't exist." If that's the case, why should we care whether Catholics like Santorum or not? Furthermore, why should Catholics read the Las Vegas Sun--according to this newspaper, their vote doesn't matter. I thought Rick Santorum was supposed to be the bigoted one?

What about all this hubbub on twitter about a gay couple being escorted out of a Rick Santorum rally as the crowd chants "U-S-A!"? Surely that proves Rick Santorum is Hitler reborn, right? To read the comments on twitter, you would think the guards led the gay couple straight to a gas chamber by order of Fuhrer Santorum. As it turns out, the two protesters (who may or may not actually be gay) interrupted Rick by yelling "mic-check!" and then once they got the attention they wanted, then they kissed. Then guards escorted them out (although, it appears as though the protesters leave peacefully and of their own accord, rather than being man-handled by fascists). If a straight couple had behaved that way THE GUARDS WOULD HAVE ESCORTED THEM OUT TOO! This is one of the poorest excuses for a non-story I've ever heard. Step aside, Gandhi--the real protesters are this ambiguously gay duo. The behaviour of the crowd was a little out of line, but how does this reflect poorly on Rick Santorum? It doesn't.

But wait, there's more!

The Daily News reports Oops! Rick Santorum calls Puerto Rico 'a Spanish-speaking country.' *Gasp!* What an ignorant thing to say. How could anyone confuse Puerto Rico with a Spanish-speaking country? Everyone knows it is a Spanish-speaking United States commonwealth. How can anyone confuse a country with a commonwealth? They're so different! Right? Stupid Rick Santorum. I bet he thinks we have 57 states too... or not.

However, as it turns out, the media doesn't have to try too hard to smear Rick Santorum. All of Barack Obama's supporters are so blindly in favor of him that anyone running against him must be the antichrist. Ever tried to reason with an Obama supporter, and support your argument with documented facts? The facts won't faze most Obamabots I've encountered. Better save your breath and vote for Rick Santorum.

Thank You, Bill Maher

Thank you, Bill Maher!

Thank you for revealing the hypocrisy of the left. They have cried day and night, online and on every news network for Rush Limbaugh to be boycotted and taken off the air, but they say nothing about your much more offensive comments.

Thank you for turning Rick Santorum into a martyr, highlighting his contrast between him and Barack Obama.

Thank you for showing us how ignorant, small-minded, and bigotted you are. You criticized Rick Santorum for homeschooling his kids, saying, "He wants them locked up in the Christian madrassa that is the family living room, not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason." You've managed to kill three birds with one stone, simultaneously insulting homeschoolers, Christians, and Muslims! Way to go, Hitler, Jr.

Thank you for giving Rick Santorum the chance to respond to you and the left by saying, "My 12 year-old will out-reason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works, because he [Maher] is completely illogical. They've abandoned faith in Bill Maher, but they've abandoned reason too."

Thank you for making Barack Obama look like a fool. With every arrogant, sexist, racist, anti-religious comment you make, he regrets more and more accepting $1 million from you for his campaign super PAC (along with all the sheeple that defend him).

Thanks to you, I expect Rick will have an edge today over Newt Gingrich in Mississipi and Alabama. Thanks to you he will be that much closer to the GOP nomination, and then the presidency.

Fox's "Balancing" Act: Romney TV Personified

Since Rick has been having his wife speak more on the campaign, I decided to post a comment my wife, Jessica, had previously made on Rick's official Facebook page:

Post by Jessica Abbott: Fox News' slogan has always been "fair and balanced"; however, in this GOP primary, they have been anything but that! I was probably the most disgusted by them on March 5 (the day before Super Tuesday and coincidentally my birthday)...they might as well have been raining down confetti and balloons with a large blinking ticker that said "vote Mitt Romney (aka savior of the world)...down with Rick Santorum, the demon bigot". I myself "almost threw up" when they had nearly 90-year-old Barbara Bush (I could barely understand the poor woman's speech) on a phone interview talking about her Romney endorsement, flashing awkward images of with him/her at some luncheon and other "family/friend" moments. Then, all the polls throughout that day (when Santorum had just days and weeks before been leading in OH) coincidentally that day showed Romney galloping in to save their pitter pattering polling hearts and took the lead just hours before real OH polls opened! PUKE!

Needless to say, the next day, my husband Jared and I tuned in to CNN for the results...at least theirs was more results reporting, rather than a night long celebration (or diminishing a win in Santorum's 3 cases that night....heck, they [Fox] talked more about Gingrich taking GA in a positive light than Santorum rightfully winning a third of the states and several delegates more in the others where he got second).

Ok, so I say all this to say that Fox News has now gone so far down hill and sold out just like all the other media outlets...unlike anything I've seen. Its not fair and balanced reporting....its "Romney reporting." They are so hell-bent on helping him get the nomination -- it's beyond believable. At least with the other liberal news outlets, you know what you're getting...with Fox, they are force-feeding the American public with a "Romney is the only real candidate with a chance". I've seen the Huckabee interview Jobs 3 Forum thing with the Vet dad about a million times where Romney answered a question....."Wowee! What a concept!" What about when Santorum talked with the college student about pursuing what paths were right for him, or the little lady on Medicare, or the unemployed disabled gentleman? (Where are those repeated sound bytes and news clips, Fox?) My own husband, Jared, is a vet so I'm not discrediting that topic...I'm simply furious with a network who takes one section of an interview and replays it 10000 times in a week to their candidate's hopeful advantage!

I follow each state's results very closely each day/week. I just am hopeful that such networks as Fox aren't on the Romney payroll! It makes one wonder. So many in America (and around the world for that matter) depend on the news and many conservatives turn to networks like Fox. A lot of them may work more than one job to make ends meet and if they go to the polls to vote on their lunch breaks, they depend on friends, family or reliable news sources to give them the best candidate. Not that the average American isn't perfectly capable of going and seeking out what these candidates stand for, its that most won't take the time. Most go with the hype or who or what they are told is most electable. My husband and I have been to 2 Santorum rallies now....he speaks with conviction and heart like I've never heard Romney speak even for a second (even on the Jobs 3 Forum). I proudly cast my vote for him in TN and was glad to see my state went to Santorum. Yes, even as a  middle class, college-educated woman, who according to Fox, supposedly despises Rick Santorum in every one of "their latest Fox exit polls".

Here's a test for you (even tomorrow): watch next time, as a state that Rick is doing well in, approaches the final hours prior to poll closings on Fox  - - they give no "exit poll" numbers and hardly "call" until the last minute. They certainly wouldn't want to "sway the vote" in the last five minutes of the polls, now would they?

One other final note: What happens when (and yes I said when) Santorum does get the nomination? Who will Fox back then? Obama??? Just a thought... :)

Friends, Mississippians, Alabamians, Hawaiians: Tomorrow is another important Tuesday (call it mini-Tuesday if you like) as far as the South is concerned. Two important states - - Mississippi and Alabama (total of 90 delegates up for grabs), along with Hawaii. As my father wisely stated earlier, call up, e-mail, "tweet", "Facebook" anyone you might know in these states for voting tomorrow. Let's go against the "establishment" -- Vote Rick Santorum for President 2012!

Today's the Day we make or break

Today is Primary Day, and if you haven't cast your ballot to Pick Rick, get out before eight o' clock and get it done.

Rick will be in Steubenville, Ohio tonight celebrating victory, but if we all get out and do our duty, we will all have something to celebrate this evening.

Today I wrote a somewhat personal "Election Reflection" in my column for The Examiner, but perhaps it will help you understand why today is so important, it is make-or-break. If you know someone who wants to support Rick and they need a ride to the polls, get them there. Call your family, tell your friends, do all that you can.

Just maybe you can tell your grandchildren or other family members how you helped make political history in the Republican Party.

Later tonight, if you are so inclined, join me, Hatton Humphrey, Ken Marrero, and maybe even Senator Stacey Campfield for a special Super Tuesday podcast at 9:30pm Eastern and 8:30pm Central time.

Consecrate a Fast; Call a Solemn Assembly

I believe this presidential election is the most critical election of my lifetime so far. America is at a crossroads, and depending on who we elect, we will either return to the values and principles that have made the United States a great nation, or we will descend into secularism, European-style socialism, and increasing size of both government and national debt.

This Super Tuesday will be critical to Rick Santorum's success; 419 delegates are at stake. I support Rick not only for his sound economic ideas, but for his corageous stand on social issues. All of the GOP candidates have at least paid lip service to pro-life issues and religious liberty, but Rick has been more outspoken on these issues by far. In fact, he hasn't just spoken of life and liberty--he's fought for them.

This is bold (and even a little risky) in an age in which even "conservatives" are urging candidates to avoid discussion of  abortion and same sex unions and focus on the economy. I believe this is a mistake. A conservative movement without social conservative is a watered-down, compromised conservatism. What we need in this hour is a strong conservative, both fiscally and socially. Rick Santorum is the strongest conservative currently running for the GOP nomination.

That is why tomorrow I will be fasting and praying that the American people would awake from their slumber and take their country back. I am also calling on all people of faith, especially Christians, to fast and pray with me for another Great Awakening. I am fasting and praying on Super Tuesday in hopes that Rick will get the necessary boost he needs to win, because I honestly believe he's the best candidate. If America picks Rick, it will be a sign that my fellow Americans are hungry for a return to the Judeo-Christian values our nation was founded on.

In the words of the prophet Joel:

"Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
~Joel 2:12-16 ESV

Let's fast and pray and bring an end to this wretched age of compromise. Let's send a message to the world that we are still one nation, under God, and we still believe in liberty and justice for all. Let's send a message to Barack Obama that we're not interested in his hope, his change, or his fundamental transformation of America into a Marxist republic. Let's send a message to Washington D.C. that we are sick of pork-barrel spending, high taxes, special interests, gratuitous mandates and programs, and all other waste and corruption. Let's start by crying out to a merciful, Almighty God Who can set this nation right again.

The mud is slinging

The negative ads from the Frontrunner's SuperPAC were all over the radio this morning, deceptively telling us that no "candidate" authorized them, with their soundbytes quoting Rick conveniently out of context. It is to be expected, because if the polls are to be believed at all, the Frontrunner is in some trouble, and he knows it.

Reproductive "Rights" are a Fluke!

Sandra Fluke has been practically canonized as a saint by the left. She became a "martyr" for the cause when Darrel Issa barred her from testifying before congress. When she was allowed to testify later on, the left championed her as an activist for women's reproductive rights. The question is: What is Sandra Fluke really standing for--rights or entitlement programs?

Sandra Fluke is not fighting for womens' reproductive rights. She's fighting to have the rest of us pay for her sex life! Ms. Fluke can have as much sex as she wants--that is none of my business. But now she wants the government to force insurance companies to provide free contraceptives to all women. My wallet is my business.

That means Hospitals, universities, and other employers affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church will be ordered by the government to go against their ancient moral convictions. It also means that insurance premiums will go up to cover the cost of Ms. Fluke's sex life. The fact of the matter is, Ms. Fluke is not fighting for anyone's rights. No one has ever advocated the outright ban of birth control (despite what the leftist propagandists have said). She's fighting for the state to tell the church what to do, which violates the First Amendment. She's fighting for free contraceptives--free to her, that is. Nothing is actually free, and the rest of us will have to foot the bill. Both of these "causes" that she fights for under the false banner of reproductive rights are despicable.

The government needs to get their nose out of the insurance business and out of the healthcare business. Whether these businesses want to provide contraception or not is, well, their business. Ms. Fluke testified before congress that without insurance coverage, contraception could cost a woman over $3,000.00. She gave no convincing reason why the American people, or anyone other than her, ought to pay for it.

I asked my wife, who is a woman, and who works for an insurance broker whether she thought birth control was a "right." She said no. Ms. Fluke would like to characterize the lack of insurance coverage for birth control as a "medical crisis." And yet, somehow, women have survived for approximately 100,000 years without it.

Take away all the emotional pleas, and the sad tales of woe (in other words, manipulation and propaganda) from Ms. Fluke's testimony and look at the facts. Birth control, like any other aid to recreational activity is not a right. I love fishing. Do you suppose I ought to become an activist for fishermen's rights and persuade the government to force bait shops to give away fish hooks free of charge? I had a friend who was forced to go noodling because he couldn't afford a fish hook, and a catfish bit his finger off! It's a medical crisis!

That never happened of course, but I hope you see my point. We're not talking about rights here; we're talking about entitlements.

Rick Santorum is a crusader against entitlements. He has fought against government dependency because he believes the American people are able to take care of themselves better than the government. He was an author of the Welfare Reform Act, passed in 1996. He has pledged to repeal Obamacare and has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's HHS birth control mandate.

If you are sick of paying for everyone else's entitlements, and sick of gratuitous government mandates, pick Rick on Super Tuesday!

We Need a President Who Won't Apologize

After President Obama apologized for the burning of Qur'ans by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he claimed the apology "calmed things down." Evidently not. Now two more of our troops are dead. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has yet to apologize for the bloodshed.

I don't care what faith you profess, or how highly you esteem any holy book--human beings are inherently more valuable than ink and paper.

What we need is a strong and consistent commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, we are stuck with Barack Obama until at least January 2013. I say consistent in addition to strong because our President is clearly capable of ordering a strong military action. Not quite a year ago, on May 2 2011, he ordered Seal Team 6 to raid Osama bin Laden's compound and kill him. So why is he being so frail and cowardly toward Hamid Karzai?

On NBC's Meet the Press, Rick Santorum said, "I think the response needs to be apologized for, by Karzai and the Afghan people, for attacking and killing our men and women in uniform, and overreacting to this inadvertent mistake. That is the real crime, not what our soldiers did." Rick has pointed out in his recent speeches that in the year he was born (1958) defense spending made up 60 percent of the nation's budget. Currently, it's only 17 percent. The president wants to cut our defense budget even more.

In these uncertain times, the defense budget is the last thing that needs to be cut. We need a commander-in-chief that will support our nation's military instead of apologizing for them. We need a president that will stand by our only democratic ally in the middle-east, Israel (we have tried to build democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan, but instead we've ended up with Taliban-lite). Clearly, that man is not Barack Obama.

The clear alternative to the current president is Rick Santorum. Support him on Super Tuesday. Let your voice be heard. Take your country back!

Michigan was a Victory for Santorum

Although Santorum officially lost this past Tuesday in Michigan, in many ways it was actually a win. It is now being reported by the Associated Press that Rick and Mittens both won 15 delegates in the state of Michigan. Santorum was only three percentage points behind Romney in the popular election, and received the same number of delegates.

So how is this a win?

As Rick pointed out at a recent rally I attended in Powell, Tennessee:

This is a big win for us. We went into his backyard. He spent a fortune, money he had no intention of spending, and we came out there with the same number of delegates he does. We are in great shape going into this election. We are excited about what's going to happen on Super Tuesday.

Romney barely squeaked by with a popular victory in his birth state. Rick nearly beat him on a shoestring budget. Remember, no one ever expected Rick to get this far. A few months ago he was running far behind candidates that have now dropped out of the race. Rick Santorum is the ultimate underdog.

This Tuesday, March 6th, is Super Tuesday. Ultimately, it is delagates that count. This Tuesday over 400 delegates between ten states (including our own great state of Tennessee) are up for grabs. Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Vermont are also voting for the GOP nominee.

Rick Santorum will do very well in Tennessee if the polls are accurate. However, often the polls are not accurate, and we should not presume he will win. If you're like me you voted early. If you haven't, get off your butt on Tuesday and go cast your vote! Encourage your friends and family to go vote too.

If they are undecided, remind them that under Obama the real unemployment rate is around 15%. Remind them that under Obama gas prices are higher than ever. Remind them that our defense budget is the first thing the President always cuts. Remind them how he and his Democrat majority in Congress shoved Obamacare down our throats, and that he wants to pass more mammoth government programs. Remind them that he's doing everything he can to make sure the United States is not energy independent.

Then remind them that Rick Santorum is the polar opposite of Barack Obama. Rick is a strong social conservative and a devoted family man. At one point a few months ago, he even took a break from campaigning to be with his sick daughter. He has fought, and continues to fight, for freedom of religion and the rights of the unborn. He also has a great economic plan to strengthen our nation financially. Among other things, Rick plans to repeal Obamacare and replace it with market based healthcare innovation that works. He wants to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitutiom that would cap government spending at 18% of GDP. Rick wants to reform the tax code and the EPA, and eliminate agriculture and energy subsidies. I encourage you to read his plan for yourself.

Here's another thought. If underdog Rick Santorum can almost beat wealthy Mitt Romney in his own birth state on a shoestring budget, just imagine how much better he might do with a little more financial support. If you can spare, donate to his campaign today.

The heat and the fight is on (Yes your vote counts)

The media spin of supposed inevitability of the Frontrunner has already begun after the Frontrunner just barely survived in Michigan last night. A serious look at the map does not show us inevitability, but shows precisely what I predicted here yesterday, a delegate split out of Michigan. Indeed, had it not been for the vote in Oakland County, where the Frontrunner grew up, the Frontrunner would likely not have "won" at all.

Now comes Tennessee's turn, and while polls have consistently shown a lead for Rick Santorum, it is important to remember that the money and power of this State are behind the Frontrunner, and if it appears that the Frontrunner will do badly here, he may rely on Ron Paul to do his dirtywork of undercutting Rick's votes, or perhaps even try and throw the State to Newt Gingrich, not to help Newt, just to hurt Rick.

The political holy war over the next week will be in the State of Ohio. No Republican has ever won the Presidency without carrying Ohio, so it is very important for any potential Republican nominee to show that they are capable of winning there. Failure to do so brings the viability of a candidate into very serious question, so Ohio is a must-win for both Rick Santorum and the Frontrunner. If you think the ads and the blanket campaigning has been a sight to behold here in Tennessee, it will be a hundred times more intense in Ohio over the next seven days.

Former Ohio Lt. Governor, U.S. Senator, and current Attorney General Mike DeWine withdrew his support as a Romney delegate so that he could join Rick's team. (Photo: beta.wosu.org/Mandie Trimble)


Rick has said that he is relying on Washington State (which votes Saturday), Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Ohio to propel him on in the race for the Republican nomination. That makes Tennessee not only important, but a must-win for Rick (not for the Frontrunner), and the opposition knows it. We're in the primary homestretch, and we can win this thing! We can't afford to let up now. Every phone call, every door knocked on, every friend reached out to, every person driven to the polls, every sign, every minute, and every vote matters. After this primary, none of us will ever be able to say "my vote doesn't count."

The Frontrunner uses a tactic from four years ago

The last day of early voting in Tennessee's presidential primary (note: if you have a chance to get out and pick Rick before your local early voting polling station closes tonight, please do so) also happens to be the day of one of the most critical primaries of the season so far-Michigan. This State was supposed to be a "gimmie" for the Frontrunner. He was born and raised there, his father was Governor there, and he is supposed to know the local lingo. This Michigan supporter of the Frontrunner admits, however, that the Frontrunner has been away from Michigan too long for his so-called roots to make much of a difference, even admitting that the younger generation could care less about the Frontrunner's family name.




 The Frontrunner seems to know he has a problem, because he has resorted to a tactic which he first used in 2008-whining like a spoiled rich kid who doesn't get his way. In 2008, Romney whined like a baby whose candy had been taken away after the West Virginia State Republican Convention voted for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee instead of Romney. Instead of congratulating Huckabee like a man, Romney blamed John McCain because the few McCain delegates in West Virginia opted to vote for Huckabee rather than hold up their State's nominating process indefinitely.I discussed the Frontrunner's whiny child persona in this Super Tuesday 2008 podcast with Adam Graham, Ken Marrero, Warner Todd Huston, and John McJunkin. My description begins at 21:05 and ends at 23:26.

One possible scenario being thrown around that could happen in Michigan tonight is a delegate split. Michigan's delegates are awarded by congressional district and there are 14 congressional districts in Michigan. There is some talk that if Rick can take at least seven of those districts, he will walk out of Michigan with half of that State's delegates regardless of the final results.

You can join Rick Santorum's Idaho State coordinator, Adam Graham, along with me (David Oatney, and maybe a few other guests) as we break down the results from Michigan and Arizona in a live podcast beginning at 9:30pm Eastern and 8:30pm Central time tonight. We'll talk about what these results mean for Rick's campaign and where the race for the Republican nomination goes from here.

Willard Mitt can't run from his past

Normally, I wouldn't share my daily Examiner column in this space as a primary source, because this blog exists to help elect Rick Santorum, not to promote my column. However, much has been said within conservative circles in recent days about why the Frontrunner has failed to "close the door" with conservatives among the base of Republican Party. Today, I posited that a big part of the reason is that religious conservatives matter much more than the so called "party establishment" seems to think.

The Frontrunner should not be discounted as a candidate because of his Mormon faith, and to do so would be a profoundly un-American position. However, it is quite reasonable to hold any candidate accountable for their positions based on the tenets of the faith that they profess, and the Frontrunner has shifted positions on social issues repeatedly depending on who his political audience happened to be.


 


This 2008 McCain ad successfully highlighted the problems with the Frontrunner's flip-flops.

It is precisely because so many of us cannot pinpoint where the Frontrunner really stands on almost anything that he is not the wonderboy that so many people at the top of the party heap have spent so much time leading us to believe. Does this look like enthusiasm for a candidate to you?

  This was an address to the Detroit Economic Club and rally for the Frontrunner at Ford Field in Detroit. The Frontrunner's people apparently really believed they could bring in enough people to make the place look full, or at least make it appear as though the voters gave a flying flip. Ego, anyone?

If you want to win the votes of conservative people, it might help if you behave and act as if you are one of them.

Rick Santorum, the American Taliban?

On This Week, Rick Santorum told George Stephanopoulos that John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech on the separation between church and state made him want to throw up.

In the particular statement Rick referred to, JFK said, "I believe in an America where separation of church and state is absolute..." Not surprisingly, extreme elements of the left-wing media are spinning Rick's statements to make him sound like a fundamentalist bigot, who wants to transform the United States into a Christian theocracy.

I found an article in the Huffington Post with the inflammatory headline, "Santorum: Separation of Church and State 'Makes Me Want To Throw Up.' In a another article, with a similarly twisted title, the author quotes Ibraham Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic relations as saying, "It seems (candidates like Rick Santorum) are not really opposed to the separation of church and state--as long as it's their church." This is a little odd, considering Hooper once said, "I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future..."

It seems as though the left-wing media will stop at nothing to smear anyone who opposes them. The truth is irrelevant. Only political victory counts. Personally, I care more about the truth than partisan politics.

Rick Santorum's political enemies are doing everything they can to discredit him. Since he is a man of integrity, they have to lie to make him look bad. After hearing or reading Rick's full comments, no clear thinking person could ever say the former senator was speaking against the separation of church and state. What Rick actually told Stephanopoulos was,

"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country. This is the First Amendment. The First Amendment says the free excercise of religion. That means bringing everybody, people of faith and no faith, into the public square."

Clearly, Rick does believe in the separation of church and state; he just doesn't agree that this separation is absolute. This is hardly a controversial idea, since sessions of congress open with prayer, the military has chaplains, and important religious figures like Billy Graham and the Dalai Lama have visited our nation's presidents.

Separation of church and state has never been absolute, nor ought it be. Religious movements have been a powerful influence in our nation for good, without dictating government policy in a theocratic way. English Separatists, the Pilgrims, came to the shores of Plymouth Rock to practice their faith freely, without government oppression. Quakers led the movement to abolish slavery. One of this nation's greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Baptist minister who led an explicitly religious fight for civil rights.

The very notions of liberty and the cry for independence from Great Britain originated in the pulpits of Reformed churches. The English journalist G.K. Chesterton wrote, "The United States is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence." He was referring to the familiar words,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...

As Rick would point out, although our highest law is the Constitution, the Constitution without the Declaration is like peanut-butter without jelly. The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are endowed by our Creator God. Rick Santorum stands up for these rights, while opposing the new "rights" that government has given: abortion and entitlements, now including government-mandated healthcare.

That is why the left hates him, lies about him, and tries to crush him with their propaganda machine. He stands for everything they hate, while standing against everything their hero, Barack Obama, stands for. Well, to borrow a line from Herman Cain, "How's that workin' out for ya?"

If you want higher gas prices, higher unemployment, higher taxes, a weaker military, and more government, I suppose you'll vote for Barack Obama. But if you're like me, you'll vote for Rick Santorum because he sticks up for the rights of the unborn, he sticks up for religious liberty, and he isn't running for "pastor-in-chief." These are all things this pastor finds encouraging.

And he is not just a strong social conservative, but has a solid economic plan to help the United States prosper once again.

He stands in sharp contrast to our current President. If you're sick of Barack Obama's hope and change, please support Rick Santorum with your vote in your state's primary or caucus. Get the word out among your friends that Rick Santorum can win the GOP nomination, and beat Barack Obama. If we support Rick, we might get our country back in November.

Rick Santorum Headlines the Chattanooga Tea Party Liberty Forum

Rick Santorum headlined the Chattanooga Tea Party's Liberty Forum, held at Abba's House at Central Baptist Church in Hixson, TN. I attended the event with my wife and in-laws, and I thought I would share some of my thoughts and experiences of the event.

We arrived about 1:30 PM; Rick was scheduled to speak at 2:30. The first thing we saw as we pulled in to the parking lot at Abba's House was Occupy Chattanooga out front on the side walk, holding up signs in support of abortion and against Rick Santorum. They chanted, "Tell me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!" and offered anyone who passed by condoms.

As we entered and sat down in the auditorium Michael Patrick Leahy of the National Tea Party Coalition took the stage, followed by state Senator Bo Watson, who gave a rousing speech about the 10th amendment. The next scheduled speaker was Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, however the headliner showed up a little earlier than expected and took the stage instead (Congressman Fleishmann ended up speaking after Santorum left).

Rick Santorum was extremely well received by the Tea Partiers present, and spoke for an hour. Rick had a lot of great things to say, but several comments stood out to me. Rick said that, "True happiness comes from doing God’s will. It comes not from doing what you want to do, but doing what you ought to do." He spoke on his experiences fighting against entitlements and for the right to life of the unborn. "It’s one thing to be pro-life; it’s another thing to go out and fight for life. I have fought for life.”

An awkward moment occurred at the end of Santorum's speak, when the host interrupted him and told him the speech was over. This took Rick aback, as well as most in the audience, who were eating up everything the presidential candidate said. It is still unclear to me why they did not just let him finish his speech--whether it had to do with the Chattanooga Tea Party's schedule, Rick's schedule, or something else. Many (including my father-in-law) thought that the host was a bit rude to Rick.

Seeing Rick in person only more deeply confirmed my support for him. He showed himself to be a sincere conservative, and not a "fake" as some of his opponents have claimed. I believe he stands out from the other candidates, especially in his consistent stand for pro-life issues and religious liberty. Some in the media have tried to paint him as a bigot or a theocrat, but he has made it clear that he is running for President, not "Pastor in chief." In the most recent GOP debate in Arizona, he spoke knowledgeably, citing scientific studies which confirmed that out of wedlock births were detrimental to children and society. He said, "We have a society… the increasing number of children being born out of wedlock in America, teens who are sexually active. The left gets so upset: ‘Oh, look at him talking about these things.’ Here is the difference between me and the left — and they don’t get this — just because I’m talking about it doesn’t mean I want a government program to fix it. That’s what they do. That’s not what we do.”

Please tell your friends, your family, and your churches, that Rick Santorum is the man to beat Barack Obama in 2012. If you have cash to spare, please support his campaign with a financial donation.

Get out early to pick Rick

Just in case you live in Tennessee and you might have forgotten, you don't have to wait until March 6th to cast your vote, you can vote early until February 28th-that's this Tuesday. All 95 counties allow registered voters in those counties to cast their ballots early at your county election commission office. In addition, many counties have opened other satellite locations where voters can come and participate in the early voting process. In counties such as Knox, Hamilton, Johnson, Sullivan, Davidson, and Shelby, there are several early voting locations to choose from, and many of our suburban and rural counties have also adopted an early voting program that encompasses more than one early voting site.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Election Administrator Mark Goins say they are encouraging early voting this year, and they invite Tennesseans to contact their county election offices to find out where to cast their votes early. You won't want to forget that photo ID as part of Tennessee's new voter identification law, and remember that if you don't drive, even if your ID card is expired so long as it is a Tennessee-issued identification with your picture, you are good to cast your vote, whether early or on Primary Day itself.

Yesterday we talked about a couple of important and fun straw polls that Rick's supporters could participate in. Straw polls are extremely enjoyable and sometimes they can even be politically important, but no poll is more important than the one that really counts, and thanks to the sacrifice of so many of our veterans and men and women still in uniform, that poll is absolutely free-all you need to do is show up-and if you can't do that, you can even vote absentee.

If you are familiar with Tennessee politics, you know that since early voting has been introduced here, it has been a real factor in our electoral process. I've seen elections decided on the early votes alone, and we've seen some of our news media able to successfully call elections based on the return of the early vote, which in most counties in Tennessee are always the first votes to be counted. If you vote early in this Presidential Primary, your votes could help show us quickly who the delegates go to on Primary Night.

I've already picked Rick! You can too, if you haven't already-find out where to go tomorrow (Saturday), Monday, or Tuesday by contacting your county election commission. If you can't vote early, remember to pick Rick Santorum at your local precinct on March 6th.

Ron selling out so that Rand can reap the profits?

If you watched the debate the other night you noticed that the Frontrunner wasn't the only candidate throwing unsubstantiated half-truths and epithets such as "fake" at Rick Santorum. Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the so-called libertarian in the race, was leading the attack in a supporting role, attempting, it would seem, to assist the Frontrunner in his campaign against Rick. This was a strange spectacle to observe from a man who hasn't even pretended to like the Frontrunner-until now.

It seems like a strange alliance-the libertarian and the pseudo-Democrat-two people who, within the Republican coalition, could not be further apart ideologically. Why on earth would Ron Paul want to help the Frontrunner, unless he thought he could get something out of it?

...Or at least that a member of his family might.

Matt Lewis of The Daily Caller says Paul hasn't really gone after the Frontrunner, while he routinely attacks more conservative candidates such as Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, and now, Rick Santorum. Ron Paul's attacks aren't helping him in the polls in the least, but the one person they do seem to help when he lobs them is the Frontrunner.

What has the Frontrunner promised Ron Paul for his backhanded help, assistance which literally contradicts everything Ron Paul purports to believe? Lewis says the promise may have been to Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), and that Romney or his campaign may quietly be dangling the Vice Presidency in front of Rand Paul in return for his father's delegates, should the Frontrunner need them to win the nomination.

Conservative radio host Mark Levin says that Ron Paul is acting as the Frontrunner's wingman so that Rand can get the number two spot.


Mark Levin says Ron Paul is acting as Willard Mitt's wingman in order to get something out of it for Rand

If our friends the Paulies had the kind of principles that so many of them claim to have, they would be outraged at the very thought that their man would sell out to get something for a family member...that would mean that Ron Paul is playing politics and being pragmatic, something the Paulies claim to detest most horribly.

That would make Ron Paul...oh, perish the thought...a FAKE!

Can you pick Rick in a straw poll?

If you want to know a way that you can show Rick Santorum some Tennessee support that might help turnout among the Republican base on March 6th, you can show up and participate in one of two straw polls coming up in the next few days (if you have the funds and can spare them, by all means vote in both).

The first straw poll will be taken at the Hamblen County Republican Party Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner, which will be held tomorrow night, February 24th, 2012 at 6:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, located at 600 West Main Street in Morristown. Tickets are $25/each, and can be obtained by calling Hamblen County GOP Chairman Paul Chapman at 423-312-2027. You can also get tickets at the door provided that they aren't sold out.

The second straw poll opportunity will be the Tennessee Conservative Union's Reagan Day Dinner and Southern Conservative Caucus. This important event will be on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 at the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Knoxville. It's quite a bit more pricey than the Morristown straw poll at $100 a ticket, but the food is always fabulous at this annual who's who of East Tennessee conservatism (fried chicken, collards, hominy, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fat and calories et. al.), and a big part of that hundred bucks a head is going to pay for Herman Cain's speaking fee. If you can spare the time, travel, and funds for either or both of these straw polls, please show up and pick Rick!

Of "phony theology" and phony outrage . . .

In yesterday's "Morning Jolt" from Jim Geraghty at National Review Online:

Here's how Santorum is playing in Michigan this morning:

Over the weekend, Rick Santorum spoke of President Barack Obama's "phony theology," and, on Monday, he talked about "a culture that has radically changed," saying we need to "rebuild the family and the church." With the Michigan and Arizona primaries a week from Tuesday, Santorum -- who polls still show to be leading nationally and in Michigan -- has increasingly turned to invoking faith and spirituality on the campaign trail, making comments that could alienate moderate conservative less concerned with social policies but motivate more passionate believers. In Lowell just east of Grand Rapids, 74-year-old Virginia Kimmer doesn't want a president forcing others to follow -- or violate -- their religious beliefs but she still wants "a man in the seat of power . . . who would be a fundamentally religious person." She's leaning toward Santorum.

But also this morning, the Wall Street Journal notes:

In the latest indication of how social issues are rising in step with Mr. Santorum, the former senator sparked a debate with Democrats over the weekend when he said some of President Barack Obama's views are based on "some phony theology . . . not a theology based on the Bible."

The boss reminds us of the full context:

The comments came at an event in Columbus shortly after the former senator from Pennsylvania said efficacy and safety improvements in oil drilling technology are considered by the president to be "a dangerous technology." "It doesn't fit his pattern of trying to drive down consumption, trying to drive up your cost of transportation to accomplish his political science goal of reducing carbon dioxide," he said. Obama, he continued, is not motivated by "your quality of life." "It's not about your job. It's about some phony ideal, some phony theology," Santorum said. "Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology. But no less a theology."

John J. Pitney reminds us:

It's worth noting that political figures from both parties have sometimes referred to their opponents' belief system as a "theology." Several weeks ago, White House press secretary Jay Carney said: "Most of my adult life, the Republican theology has been tax cuts for everyone are the highest priority."

The right thing to do

Excuse, if you please, our dust. While other candidates are busying themselves spending lots of money from SuperPACS and major campaign funders, we are waging a fight for delegates on a shoestring budget with volunteers consisting of everyday people. Everyone who is working on the Tennessee for Santorum website, blog, Facebook page,and other media has volunteered their time and energy and, in some cases, even paid for domain names, webspace, and even signs and other campaign materials. Each person is doing this because for some reason, they believe in Rick Santorum.

Some people are a part of Senator Santorum's effort here in Tennessee because they see him as the only chance to prevent someone being nominated who they do not believe adequately or accurately reflects a conservative voice in the Republican Party. Other people have gotten on board Senator Santorum's Tennessee campaign because of his strong commitment to the sanctity of human life, and the dignity of every human being. Still others appreciate Rick Santorum's consistent opposition to the TARP bailouts. Whatever the reason, all have volunteered to help because it is the right thing to do.

There is reason for hope. Rasmussen tells us that that other Republican candidate--you know, the Frontrunner--is polling six points behind Barack Obama in a national one-on-one matchup. Both Rasmussen and Quinnipiac put Rick Santorum within the margin of error against Obama--that would be a statistical tie. Who is supposedly more electable?

Has it occurred to some of the talking heads who declare the Frontrunner so electable that people seek a candidate of principle, one who is, as Rick Santorum himself has said, not a conservative alternative to the Frontrunner, but a conservative alternative to Barack Obama?