Marching In Lockstep With Little Ricky

YOU FILTHY, UNKEMPT LIBERAL BLOGGER, I hear you cry (some, anyway). HOW DARE YOU INVOKE THIS IMAGE AGAINST A CHRISTIAN MAN LIKE SEN. SANTORUM!

(This is my response to the freeper discovered by the blogger Watertiger who stuck the little Hitler 'stache on Howard Dean. If you're doing to invoke a disgusting image of Der Fuehrer, do it right I always say; also, this is in response to Little Ricky's unfortunate choice of words buried in this story.)

As I noted briefly yesterday, Rick Santorum has closed the gap between himself and Mr. Casey Jr. to single digits.

This was predictable, given the effect that television advertising has on the legions of sheep in this country who trot off to the polls and vote based solely on the images that are fed to them from a cathode ray tube and scripts from the radio, as opposed to performing the sometimes difficult function of thought and reasoned analysis of candidates in a political campaign based on their words, actions, votes, and positions on issues of vital interest to all of us.

Anyway, the Philadelphia Inquirer (in this article) dismissed the impact that third-party candidate Carl Romanelli, who has been aided by the Repugs, has had on the campaign with this statement (at the bottom of the article by reporter Tom Infield).

Romanelli picks up his largest support among independents. Though he was shown getting 5 percent of the vote, his inclusion in the race didn't significantly alter the spread between Casey and Santorum.

Really? Define “significantly,” please.

Also, it would have been nice if the Inky had bothered to report on this story as part of its analysis of Santorum’s recent showing.

So, as a public service, allow me to provide evidence once more of Santorum’s voting record, which has truly been odious, and I would then ask why anyone but the most rabid partisan would support this utter fraud of a politician.

From here...

Immigration. The Senate passed, 62-36, a bill to tighten U.S. borders, establish English as the national language, begin a guest-worker program, and provide 90 percent of the 12 million undocumented U.S. residents with legal status and a chance at citizenship. The bill (S 2611) now goes to conference with the House.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

The reason why Santorum opposed the bill was because it wasn't as strict as the original House version of the legislation, which called for jail time against aid workers, including Catholics, who helped illegal/undocumented aliens.

From here...

Marriage amendment. Senators failed, 49-48, to reach the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster against a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.

A yes vote was to end debate and move to a vote on the amendment.

Voting yes: Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

Nobody takes a back seat to Ricky when it comes to "hating the gay," right?

From here...

Minimum wage. In a 52-46 vote, the Senate failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a bid by Democrats to raise the minimum hourly wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over 26 months. Congress last raised the base wage in 1997. A yes vote backed the Democrats' wage plan.

Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

Santorum voted no because the Democratic bill didn't include the estate tax repeal that the Repugs wanted (the tax which affects a small percentage of millionaires in this country, of course - see below).

From here...

Mexican border fence. Voting 29-71, the Senate on Thursday rejected an amendment to HR 5441 (above) authorizing Homeland Security to build 370 miles of fencing and hundreds of miles of vehicle barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border. The $1.8 billion cost was to have been funded by an across-the-board cut in other Homeland Security programs.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Carper and Santorum.

Voting no: Biden, Lautenberg, Menendez and Specter.

In addition to providing further evidence of Tom Carper's Republican tendencies, this vote shows Santorum's utter disregard for homeland security issues in his own state. And building a fence along Mexico's border will do virtually nothing to lessen the flow of illegal immigrants but only stand as a sad testimony to the effect of political jingoism.

Prescription drug imports. The Senate on Tuesday voted, 68-32, to let U.S. citizens import Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription drugs from countries such as Canada without interference from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The amendment was attached to HR 5441 (above).

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Biden, Carper, Lautenberg, Menendez and Specter.

Voting no: Santorum.

So Little Ricky doesn't care about elderly Americans trying to get cheaper imported drugs either (and by the way, filling out the paperwork to accomplish this is a headache all by itself).

From here...

Embryonic stem cells. Voting 63-37, the Senate on Tuesday sent the White House a bill (HR 810) to extend federal financing of embryonic stem-cell research beyond limits set by President Bush in 2001. The expanded research would have access to thousands of embryos that otherwise would be frozen or discarded by fertility clinics.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

He opposes stem cell research also, of course ("the base" thinks it's evil).

From here...

Sex education. Voting 48-51, the Senate on Tuesday defeated an amendment to S 403 (above) that sought to authorize federal grants to promote sex education as a deterrent to teen pregnancies. In part, the instruction would cover the use of contraceptives and the pill.

A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Biden, Carper, Lautenberg, Menendez and Specter.

Voting no: Santorum.

Better to keep our kids as ignorant on this issue as Santorum is so they'll make a tragic mistake of one kind or another (disease, unplanned pregnancy, etc.), right?

From here (the minimum wage vote again)...

Minimum wage, estate tax. Senators failed, 56-42, to get the 60 votes needed to advance a bill (HR 5970) raising the hourly minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over three years, and exempting all but the wealthiest estates from taxation.
A yes vote was to advance the bill.

Voting yes: Santorum and Specter.

Voting no: Biden, Carper, Lautenberg and Menendez.

Do you want more evidence that Santorum is an utter disgrace? OK, click here (tons of nested links, though the link to the Tom Ferrick, Jr. article expired).

The fact that this pestilence is within shouting distance of Mr. Casey Jr. sickens me more than anyone can imagine.

Update 1: So a Santorum staffer may actually be guilty of voter fraud? Sweet!

Update 2: I should definitely plug this site more often.

Update 3 (smokin' today): I love the "Mel's Rockpile" reference in a comment for this one (have to check out Ricky's "moves" later).

Update 4 (9/3): There's no line with Santorum that he won't cross - none at all.