The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Santorum Being Petty to Perry

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I came across GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum's criticism of GOP frontrunner Rick Perry with regard to Israel. (H/T Katrina Trinko at National Review.) In his typically blunt manner, the former junior Senator from Pennsylvania said of Perry's position on the Jewish State:

I've forgotten more about Israel than Rick Perry knows about Israel. There he is, reading a speech that I'm sure he didn't write, and has never taken a position on any of this stuff before, and [the media is] taking this guy seriously.

Frankly, this makes Santorum look petty and small. It's also patently untrue. Perry has been making regular trips to Israel going back to 1991 when he was Texas Agriculture Commissioner. During a 2009 visit, Perry criticized the Obama Administration's hostility towards Israel stating, "Israel does all the giving and the other side does not reciprocate. What I don't understand, is this administration's hesitancy to recognize the sovereignty of Israel."

Surely Santorum is capable of more substance than what he exhibited today. After all, he gave a stellar performance during the GOP debate in Tampa last week making pointed criticisms of Perry's heavy handedness with his handling of the HPV vaccine without going all Bachmann on him. Unfortunately for Santorum, his candidacy just isn't resonating with Republican voters and he is reduced to complaining about the lack of media coverage he's received. This was put on full display this morning during an interview Santorum did on Fox News with Bill Hemmer. I don't have a video clip available but Santorum came across as if he was entitled to press coverage. It's not the sort of thing that makes me want to jump up and donate money or time much less cast a vote for him.

To begin with, Santorum's personality is sullen and abrasive. Add a touch of Jon Huntsman's snarkiness and you've got one dud of a candidate. With that said, Santorum does have qualities which could serve this country well. Given all the nonsense with the Palestinians bid for statehood at the United Nations, I think Santorum would be a perfect Ambassador to that misguided institution. He would really shake up that place. Hell, he'd make John Bolton look milquetoast. I am sure President Perry would be prepared to let bygones be bygones and see fit to appoint Santorum to this post.

View all comments (19) | Leave a comment

Clint| 9.20.11 @ 9:01PM

"Rick Perry’s newbie mistake on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
By Glenn Kessler

“I certainly have some concerns. The first step in any peaceful negotiation for a two-state solution for the Palestinians is to recognize the right of Israel’s existence. They have to denounce terrorism in both word and deed. And they have to sit down and negotiate with Israel directly. Anything short of that is a non-starter in my opinion.”

— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), in an interview with Time magazine, Sept. 15, 2011

As part of the 1993 Oslo accords, in an exchange of letters between then Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the Palestine Liberation Organization met all of these conditions nearly 20 years ago. The letters are posted on the Web site of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

“The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security,” the letter from Arafat said. “The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations. … Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators.”

Occam's Tool| 9.20.11 @ 11:45PM

Yes, and the PLO Oslo letters are what Norman Mailer would refer to as Bullshit.

Catch the Fogel 3 month old head chopping recently by members of fatah? Oh, wait, I forgot---you don't "pay attention to foreign babies having their heads chopped off."

My bad, Clint.

Perry Good, Paul BAAAAD.

Clint| 9.21.11 @ 8:22AM

Too Bad, Ricky Perry Algore Cheerleader,Tool Job.

Do Your Homework.

Glenn Kessler:
"Just to be sure, we sent Perry’s remarks to three experts on Middle East diplomacy — an Israeli, a Palestinian and an American. All three said he appeared to be remarkably uninformed. "

Mrs Vito| 9.20.11 @ 9:05PM

Great article. You nailed it about Rick Santorum being a snot and a whiner with a peculiar sense of entitlement regarding press coverage. Clearly he (and Bachmann) have nothing substantive to offer this country in terms of record, and its going to take alot more than a 'pinata whacker' to gain GOP voters, who so far, are unimpressed...

qrstuv| 9.20.11 @ 9:10PM

Glenn Kessler,
Unfortunately, the PLO does not represent the Palestinians, much as Arafat wanted to claim it did.

When given a choice to vote, the Palestinians voted for Hamas. I suggest you look up their charter.

You'll get back to us on that, right?

qrstuv| 9.20.11 @ 9:11PM

Oops. My reply was to "Clint."

Clint| 9.21.11 @ 8:17AM

Do Your Own Homework And Read Glenn Kessler's Fact Checke.

Then You'll Get Back To Us, Right ?

CPAguy| 9.20.11 @ 9:17PM

Rick Perry = Big Government RINO

What Perry has managed to do while Governor:

1. Raised Taxes billions of dollars on businesses and consumers, Increased spending 85%, Increased the debt 4 times over.

2. Executed health mandates against the will of the legislature and the people of Texas

3. Forced the citizens of Texas to pay for the college education of illegal immigrants

4. Engaged in the abusive use of eminent domain

5. Attempted to sell Texas roads to foreign interests

6. Pro Amnesty (in the recent campaign cycle he has taken to reversing this stance as the Tea Party has become more of a threat to him than the Hispanic caucus)

7. Engaged in wide scale cronyism by signing contracts for Texas projects to companies that give him campaign cash or for which is his former staff now work.

8. Misused the resources of Texas by having sizable security details travel with him at all times (abnormal for a governor)...even on foreign trips...all at the expense of Texas taxpayers.

9. Misused (i.e. stole) Texas taxpayer money by spending over $600k on housing over a 2 year period.

10. Stole well over $100k of the taxpayers' money by going on a Middle East excursion that had nothing to do with the business of the State of Texas.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.21.11 @ 8:53AM

CPAGUY,
You are a liar, and you bear false witness.

Margie| 9.21.11 @ 2:00PM

Wow. Look at the hypocrite Ken, bearer of false witness himself here today digging his grave even further to Hell.

Ken,

YOU are a liar and bear false witness~ and YOU are NOT getting away with it according to the Word of God.
Have you so quickly forgotten how you trashed a sister in Christ yesterday and sought to turn everyone against me?

Have you forgotten that this is why God says that Judgment begins with the Household of God?

Here, let me warn you from God's Own Words about what you are not going to get away with.

Which version will you try and fight against here?
It is the Word of God:

No matter which version you use, the message is clear. Read it and weep, disseminator.

Proverbs 15:5:

KJV
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall not escape.

NKJV
A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.

NLT
A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.

NIV
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.

ESV
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

RVR
El testigo falso no quedará sin castigo, Y el que habla mentiras no escapará.

NASB
A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who *tells lies will not escape.

RSV
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who utters lies will not escape.

ASV
A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall not escape.

YLT
A false witness is not acquitted, Whoso breatheth out lies is not delivered.

DBY
A false witness shall not be held innocent, and he that uttereth lies shall not escape.

WEB
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall not escape.

HNV
A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.

VUL
testis falsus non erit inpunitus et qui mendacia loquitur non effugiet

WLC
עֵד שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִנָּקֶה וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים לֹא יִמָּלֵֽט׃

LXX
μάρτυς ψευδὴς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν ἀδίκως οὐ διαφεύξεται

Mrs. Vito| 9.21.11 @ 1:41PM

Next time yyou receive a "Rick Perry Facts Sheet According to Ron Paul" throw it away. Or maybe you prefer looking like an ill-informed a*s.

aware| 9.21.11 @ 5:53AM

Rick Santorum=Statist
Rick Perry=Statist
Career politician=Career criminal

If we are such great supporters of the socialist State of Israel why are we arming their enemies too?
It is not about Left vs Right, it is about you vs the State. And you are losing badly.

Zbigniew Mazurak| 9.21.11 @ 6:48AM

Um.... hello? Are you guys serious?

(I'm talking to both the candidates and AmSpec commenters.)

The US is facing huge crises at home and abroad, and you guys are talking about who is a bigger Israeli Firster, who will be a better puppet of AIPAC, and whether Rick Perry should've made Gardasil compulsory by EO or not?

All Republican candidates, except Ron Paul, are staunch supporters of Israel, and yet you guys are arguing who is a bigger Israeli Firster? Are you kidding me?

It's interesting, and also repugnant, that while Republican presidential candidates have all stated their policy on Israel in huge detail, none of them, except Romney and Paul, have stated anything detailed about foreign issues other than the dangers facing Israel.

None of them except the forementioned two have stated anything detailed (or even generalistic) about the New START treaty, Russia's imperial policies, North Korea, South Korea, China, Taiwan, the South China Sea, the communist regimes in Latin America, Japan, or Europe. None of them except Romney and Paul have said anything about what foreign policy would they conduct vis-a-vis non-Middle-Eastern countries.

In a recent FN op-ed, Herman Cain wrote that as President, he would tell the world "if you're messing with Israel, you're messing with the US" (as if the world already didn't know that the US is a staunch backer of Israel).

What about other allies of the US? Is Herman Cain prepared to say the same about them, too? About South Korea, Taiwan, Britain, the Czech Republic, India, or Georgia? Is he prepared to tell North Korea, which already has nuclear weapons and poses an existential threat to SK, "if you're messing with South Korea, you're messing with the US"? Is he prepared to tell Russia "if you're messing with our allies in Central Europe, you're messing with the US"? Is he prepared to tell China, "if you're messing with Taiwan, you're messing with the US"?

The same can be asked of every other presidential candidate, except Romney and Paul. Romney would defend America's allies, and Paul would not.

Don't get me wrong: I believe the US should continue to support Israel and maintain the friendliest possible relations with it. But other allies of the US are just as worthy of defending them as Israel. The US should defend all of its allies, not just one of them.

So here's my message to all candidates other than Romney and Paul: We already know you're willing to back Israel to hilt. We already know the details of your policy towards Israel. Now tell us the rest of your foreign policy, including what would you do about America's other allies, and what would you do to defend them, as well as to defend the US. If you're not willing or not prepared to do that, drop out of the race.

Dai Alanye| 9.21.11 @ 10:07AM

"...Republican presidential candidates have all stated their policy on Israel in huge detail, none of them, except Romney and Paul, have stated anything detailed about foreign issues other than the dangers facing Israel."

Largely true because:
a) During the debates few questions are asked about foreign policy, and those that are asked are all about the Mideast and Israel.
b) The minor candidates are asked few questions at all. But in other venues Santorum in particular has expressed plenty of opinions (and has had plenty of legislative experience) regarding foreign policy.

Chuck| 9.21.11 @ 8:19AM

Two X-Factors for Mr. Rick:
1. Beaten 59-41 in 'o6
2. Catholicism-when his campaign began Mr. Rick went to catholic groups seeking support, vote for me I'm catholic too, instead of going to the American people vote for me I'm the most qualified-conservative principles and policies.

Clint| 9.21.11 @ 8:26AM

The X-Factor For Ricky Perry:

" Rick Perry's dangerous Muslim compromise"

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=333701

Just Sayin'.

Bob| 9.21.11 @ 9:47AM

Santorum's only hope is to petion the pope for sainthood. Vote St. Rick!

Margie| 9.21.11 @ 2:17PM

Nah. The Pope is a fraud, and he doesn't get to dictate who is a saint and who isn't.

The Word of God does, and the Bible is where His Words are found.

What the cult of Catholicism calls saints is one thing, and how God defines them is entirely another.

Read and believe the Bible, not the Papists!

Rick Santorum will win as handily as anyone can who stands strongly for the truth, and doesn't cower to the Left.

He doesn't need the Popey's endorsement to do it.

Rogue Elephant| 9.21.11 @ 12:01PM

Q: Why is Santorum still in the race when we all know he won't get the nomination?
A: He is a tool of the establishment, just like Pawlenty was. Like Pawlenty, Santorum is on a search-and-destroy mission to target opposition to Romney.
Santorum, do the country a favor and drop out of the race.