Santorum Blasts Obama’s Approach to Government

By Lynn Campbell | IowaPolitics.com

Former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum last week blasted President Barack Obama for taking the wrong approach on the economy and federal budget, on the heels of Obama’s July 25 address to the nation on the debt ceiling.

“What we’re seeing in Washington is a complete abdication of leadership, of rank partisanship, a president of the United States who’s performing his job about as poorly as I’ve ever seen a president, as harshly partisan as I’ve ever seen a president,” Santorum said. “Never have I seen a president who has been so aggressively negative, partisan, finger-pointing, everybody’s to blame but him, not taking responsibility, not leading.”

Obama spoke to the nation on the need to compromise. The president argued that corporate jet owners, oil companies, hedge-fund managers and the wealthy should give up tax breaks, in addition to the government cutting spending.

“The only reason this balanced approach isn't on its way to becoming law right now is because a significant number of Republicans in Congress are insisting on a cuts-only approach—an approach that doesn't ask the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations to contribute anything at all,” Obama said. “Such an approach would close the deficit only with more severe cuts to programs we all care about—cuts that place a greater burden on working families.”

Santorum, speaking at an Ankeny, Iowa, coffee shop at the start of his 50-city, three-week “Courage to Fight for American Values” tour across Iowa leading up to the Aug. 13 Ames Straw Poll, portrayed Obama as insisting on bigger government and higher taxes and beating up the businesses that create jobs.

“So we have a president who is completely out of touch with what is necessary to get this economy going, to get jobs created here in America and to begin to turn this country around from a fiscal point of view,” he said. “It’s amazing, that here President Obama is standing up and talking about compromise, when has he ever shown that he is willing to compromise?”

Santorum called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require Congress to approve a balanced budget. Later, in response to a question from the audience, Santorum became animated when he also called for a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that would have to be ratified by 38 states.

“That, to me, is the way you solve this problem,” Santorum said of defining marriage. “There can’t be a situation in this country where you’re married in one state but not another. So you’re married in Iowa, and you go across to Nebraska and you’re not. That’s ultimately an untenable situation. The family is the foundation of society. You can’t have different definitions of what is foundation. Marriage between a man and a woman is the glue that holds the family together. It’s essential for a strong and stable society.”

The small crowd there to see Santorum at Café Diem weren’t all supporters. Doug Maxwell, 53, an Ames Republican, just happened to run across Santorum during a stop at the coffee shop.

“He’s very forceful. His business acumen’s really strong. He understands the plight of small business and also making a profit in America. I think he has some good qualities about family values,” Maxwell said of Santorum. “I think Santorum would be great in some capacity in the administration, but in the top spot, I don’t think so. He’s a nice guy.”

Maxwell said he would prefer to back someone with state government experience to be the 2012 Republican nominee for president, such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, rather than someone whose experience stems from Washington, D.C. However, Perry and Christie aren’t declared presidential candidates.

“I like governors more than any other type of candidate. I think they’re more successful in that environment, having worked on budgets and executive leadership,” Maxwell said. “(Minnesota Gov. Tim) Pawlenty doesn’t have the voice that I’m looking for. I’m looking for somebody a little stronger. I’m paying attention to the governor of Texas to see what he’s up to. New Jersey governor, he’s thinking about it.”

Santorum had a modest start to his statewide tour, drawing about 40 people to the Ankeny business. For this first stop, he left his wife, Karen, and seven kids behind for a day of rest, after the 16-hour drive from Pittsburgh, in their new temporary residence at a cabin in Oskaloosa, in southeast Iowa.

“The cabin is right next to a cornfield, a sweet cornfield, so we went out with the kids, and we pulled some corn off the stalk and boiled it last night. No butter necessary, that’s how sweet it was,” Santorum said. “The kids are going to be fishing and four-wheeling and doing some fun stuff today. Not that this isn’t fun, don’t get me wrong. It would be great to be out with the kids, but they deserve a break today.”

Among the field of 2012 Republican presidential candidates, Santorum has been one of the most frequent visitors to Iowa. Even before his current tour began, he had already traveled there at least 20 times, and spent 37 days there, according to a tally by Democracy in Action, an organization that provides technological support for nonprofits.

The Santorum campaign last week promoted that it is giving away free tickets to the Aug. 13 Ames Straw Poll. Tickets generally cost $30. Santorum also attempted to woo people to attend, saying they could sample his homemade peach jam if they visit his tent at the straw poll.

Listen to Santorum speech:
http://www.iowapolitics.com/1009/110726Santorum_speech.mp3

See photos of Santorum in Ankeny:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowapolitics/sets/72157627285725486/show/