Santorum runs into the blogosphere

by Jerome Armstrong, Sun Feb 27, 2005 at 07:47:21 AM EST

Some news from the WaPost and NYT's. First Krugman:Privatizers are even having a hard time pretending that they want to strengthen Social Security, not dismantle it. At one of Senator Rick Santorum's recent town-hall meetings promoting privatization, college Republicans began chanting, "Hey hey, ho ho, Social Security's got to go."

Mr. Santorum complained that he was dogged all week by opponents of the White House plan who dominated news coverage. Mr. Santorum, who is the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership and chairman of the subcommittee on Social Security, was heckled by college students - the very audience the Bush administration was counting on - and peppered with questions from retirees.

"Clearly the other side is better organized," Mr. Santorum said. "They got people to all these events. They had seniors lined up to ask questions, they had staff people running up passing them notes."

"The reviews are in: Santorum's Social Security roadshow was a bust," crowed the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Friday, in a headline that topped a list of excerpts from news accounts.

"They have run into a real hornet's nest," said Brendan Daly, spokesman for Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader. Mr. Daly said Democrats planned events for next week to keep the focus on Social Security.

Got Rick on the defensive.

Tags: Senate 2006 (all tags)

Comments

19 Comments

Sort by

permalink

Man-on-Dog

is in real trouble with this one!

Keep touchin that third rail Pubbies!

by alxt 2005-02-27 07:51AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Man-on-Dog

It does not exist unless it is on TV. Harry and Louise are getting ready to retire, it's time to bring them back with the nasty truth about Bush and his plan to break Social Security.

I'm all for ads that shout "Bush and the Republicans are aiming to send old folks back to the poor house"

Remember how the defeat of health care in Clinton's first term set the table for the 1994 congressional elections. The democrats need to win at least one house of Congress in 06, and open the Pandora's box of Bush malfeasance.

by Eli Rabett 2005-02-27 04:14PM | 0 recs

permalink

Just a heads up...

I think the numbers were 60+ blogs linking to the video of the "Hey hey, ho ho" chant. Actually, I am fairly confident it was more than that.

That lists includes the superfecta: TPM, DD, Kos, and Atrios. And then the kicker was MoveOn sending out the video on its email list.

By the way Jerome, do you think MoveOn didn't attribute because of "coordination" issues or because they just don't feel the need to do so because they are MoveOn?

Tim

by Tim Tagaris 2005-02-27 08:05AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Just a heads up...

CDSS didn't attribute because of that issue.

by AnneinPhilly 2005-02-27 02:20PM | 0 recs

permalink

video

So I found email addresses for two Daily Show correspondents and sent them emails last night.

It's in Krugman so there is no doubt that Jon Stewart knows.

I linked to the video as well, well actually the site so i don't get accused of stealing bandwidth

by kydem 2005-02-27 08:16AM | 0 recs

permalink

Santorum and his opposition

I would like to offer a big THANK YOU to the everyone who spent their efforts to go out and voice opposition at Santorum's events. Only when we focus on the problem, will we be able to defeat the GOP's noise machine. We need to keep up the pressure and let the newspapers and tv stations know that Santorum has met the vocal opposition. I like the comment by Santorum-----
"Clearly the other side is better organized," Mr. Santorum said. "They got people to all these events. They had seniors lined up to ask questions, they had staff people running up passing them notes." Duh!!!! Did he think that people were going to follow the GOP's plans willingly and without question?

by Marie Smith 2005-02-27 09:44AM | 0 recs

permalink

If Santorum thinks it's getting hot....

He hasn't seen anything yet...Gannongate is gaining momentum...

An oblique reference to Gannongate in today's LA Times opinion section (panel discussion)

Plus, more bloggers are picking it up every day.

Check out this 4-part series on the scandal:

http://bloogeyman.blogspot.com/2005/02/gannongate-part-1-should-we-even-care.html

http://bloogeyman.blogspot.com/2005/02/gannongate-part-2-this-administration.html

http://bloogeyman.blogspot.com/2005/02/gannongate-part-3-de-deuce-bigelow.html

http://bloogeyman.blogspot.com/2005/02/gannongate-part-4-who-got-gannons.html

Enjoy

by QuasiMotive 2005-02-27 09:47AM | 0 recs

permalink

Santorum

You know I really don't like the guy, but I had to give him some gruding respect for being out there beating his head against a wall. I mean, compared to the reps. and senators that are just hiding out.

Keep on shooting yourself in the foot, buddy!

by MNPundit 2005-02-27 09:49AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Santorum

Now Tricky Rick knows what it's like to be a Kamikazee Pilot. Don't mess with my MTV or my SSI! Remember the story about the Repuglicans who cried "The WMDs are falling" Now they want folks to believe "The Social Security System is falling"

by eddieb 2005-02-27 12:30PM | 0 recs

permalink

Rick handed us the weapon to use against him

Santorum really had no choice but to go out
stumping for Bush's social security scam. He's
in the Senate GOP leadership; he couldn't take
a pass.

I think Santorum's cyberschool scandal, defrauding
Pennsylvania taxpayers out of 100k, and the ensuing spotlight on his actual (VA) vs claimed (PA) state residency also made it hard for him to dodge the public. Because he was getting beat about the head and shoulders over his residence, he had to start showing his face in the state and pronto. Had these events not happened, IMO, Santorum would never have held these townhall meetings on social security. He'd have gone underground just like his girlfriend, Melissa Hart (PA-4)has.

Social Security is exactly the right kind of issue Bobby Casey, being the good populist he is, can hammer Santorum on.

by phillydem 2005-02-27 10:26AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Rick handed us the weapon to use against him

I think Melissa Hart and Rick Santorium are the same person Melissa Hart is just Rick Santorium in drag.

by Painter2004 2005-02-27 02:55PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: we have to beat Hart, too

LOL! But seriously, we Pennsylvania Dems just have to find a viable candidate to run against Hart in '06. No more Steve Drobacs, who I'm sure is a good guy, please. She is beatable if only we can educate her constituents on how out of step with them she is.

Santorum has been trying hard to get his followers elected to federal, state and local office in PA. We need to ID and defeat them wherever they are.

by phillydem 2005-02-28 02:54AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: we have to beat Hart, too

I heard that Chris Heinz might be challenging her. I don't know if there's any truth to that, though.

by johnny longtorso 2005-02-28 06:04AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Chris Heinz

Steve Drobac, the Dem candidate against Hart,
was diagnosed with bone marrow (IIRC) cancer
subsequent to winning the primary. There were
rumors that the Dems approached him about dropping
out with Heinz the rumored replacement.

My sense was that both Chris Heinz and Vanessa Kerry really got bitten by the political bug during the Kerry campaign. Plenty of Pennsylvanians, myself included, would love Chris Heinz to take on Hart. He'd be the favorite I think. Heinz really, really despises Bush, too, and doesn't mince words about it either.

I also think Mike Veon, the PA House Dem whip and
a Beaver County (largest part of PA-4) native, could beat Hart, as well, but he has a pretty good gig in Harrisburg and doesn't seem interested in giving it up.

by phillydem 2005-02-28 07:15AM | 0 recs

permalink

If we had invested in Enron...

Over here in Hawaii, Sen. Inouye (D-HI) comments on Bush's social security plans in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin. His comments sound right on to me, with excellent framing imho:

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye says he doubts President Bush will be able to push his Social Security reforms through Congress this year.

While Bush is urging changes to the federal government's retirement plan to allow workers to invest some portion of their retirement funds in a stock-market account, Inouye says the plan is risky, costly and lacks the support of Republicans.

"The president is not going to have an easy time with Social Security; in fact, he may not make it," Inouye said.

[...]

"Before you make such a massive change, I think it would take a colossal study," Inouye said. "One cannot help but conclude that maybe he wants to dismantle Social Security."

A stock-market plan for Social Security would have risks, Inouye said, noting the dangers of having millions of retirement accounts involved in investments such as the failed energy company Enron.

"If we had invested in Enron, where would we be? I don't think we would be too happy, and what would government do after that?" Inouye said.

The Bush plan also doesn't address the costs to move from the existing Social Security system to a new plan, Inouye said. He estimated the cost at $1 trillion.

"When you see the number of influential Republicans speaking up against it, I'm beginning to see doubts. They are quite concerned and frankly afraid of what it would do to them in the polls," Inouye said.

also, this cartoon in the same paper - hopefully accurate and Lieberman won't try to be a missing brick:

http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/27/editorial/corkyed.jpg">

by scottmaui 2005-02-27 10:27AM | 0 recs

permalink

Faux attack

Folks, Have you ever considered that this is some kind of Rovey smokescreen bullshit? I think the lies about Iraq worked, cause they scared the shit out of many unthinking voters, and Dems in Congress had heads up asses. I think the lies from the Swift Boat Vets for "Truth" worked cause Kerry, or his people, never took the steps to expose the assholes. Now these clowns may think Jehovah is coming so fuck it, but I (even though I am constantly amazed by their utter audacity)can't believe they actually think they can win this one. Did you see that pudgy faced guy who is after AARP try to debate Rangel? Charlie had all he could do to keep from laughing out loud. That guy couldn't graduate from my grade school. Keep your backs to the wall.

by viking 2005-02-27 10:45AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Faux attack

I think it's a symptom of second-termer's arrogance. Once you've seen his first term arrogance, this one does not seem such a huge new stretch.

by smintheus 2005-02-27 05:41PM | 0 recs

permalink

"the other side is better organized"

What the hell Democratic Party is he talking about?! The Dems are friggin cat herd!

He looked like shit because only genuine evil would make a human being believe that abolishing Social Security is a good idea.

Anyone who wants to end Social Security is a sick fuck who should be immediately removed from humanity.

by jcjcjc 2005-02-27 05:51PM | 0 recs

permalink

It's called "spin."

When faced with an public which is overwhelmingly hostile to your agenda, just pretend that your political enemies are stacking the deck by sending their operatives to hijack the discussion.

"You don't trust us unquestioningly? You must work for the Dems!"

by catastrophile 2005-02-28 03:27PM | 0 recs