The Casey Santorum Debate

Yesterday, Bob Casey and Rick Santorum debated each other on Meet the Press.
The entire transcript is available at the MSNBC site.

Why am I posting about the Senate race?
1) This race is expected to drive voter turnout.
2) Weldon is like a mini-me of Santorum with all the positions they share.
3) Turning this country around requires taking back not only the House, but the Senate.

Here a few highlights that should illustrate why Rick should be retired on Nov. 7th, when we retire Weldon.

[CASEY]:And I would just ask Senator Santorum: Donald Rumsfeld, I’ve called for him to be replaced, Rick. Where do you stand on that?
[SANTORUM]: I’ll be happy to start there. I think Secretary Rumsfeld has done a fine job as the defense secretary

If Rick thinks Rumsfeld is doing a fine job, what criteria would he consider to be a terrible job? If I had a record like Rick's, I'd advocate a low bar for success resign in disgrace. (I guess I have a different bar for personal integrity.)

[MR. RUSSERT]: But knowing what you know now about the weapons of mass destruction, the primary rationale for the war, would you believe that the Iraq war was a war of choice or a war of necessity?
[SANTORUM]: I believe that it was a war of necessity because it—they are a—they were a threat.

The only threat for guys like Santorum, Weldon and the rest of the GOP is NOT having some enemy with which to scare us. If they can't find a realistic threat, they build one up.

Their current tactic is to shift the rhetoric away from the unpopular fiction Iraq to a new enemy: Iran.

[MR. RUSSERT]: Would you put more troops in Iraq?
[SANTORUM]: I don’t know if it’s a question of more troops or less troops. You get—I, I think the focus should not be Iraq, should be Iran.

Rick later expands on what a big threat Iran is. Russert points out the irony that since we removed Saddam that Iran now has more influence that it did before. Rick was undeterred with a Rumsfeldian remark about how freedom does give places like Iran access. As Maxwell Smart would say: The old "price of Freedom" trick. That's the second time I've fallen for it this year.

As for Rick Santorum's voting record and opinion of George Bush...

[RUSSERT]:And if you go to Congressional Quarterly and review your voting record in support of the president, here it is: In 2005 you were with him 95 percent of the time, 100 percent of the time in ‘04, 99 in ‘03, 96 in ‘02, 97 in ‘01. Ken Mehlman, the president’s hand-picked chairman of the Republican National Committee, said the most important priority in ‘06 is re-electing Rick Santorum. George Bush and Rick Santorum have governed very much in lock-step.
[SANTORUM]: Absolutely. I agree with the president, as you see, a vast majority of the time. When I agree with him, I say it. And when I don’t agree with him, I, I say it, too.
[RUSSERT]: You think he’s a great president?
[SANTORUM]: I think he’s been a terrific president, absolutely.

I guess we know how Rick would answer Stephen Colbert's "Great President or Greatest President?" question.
See, here is how lowering that bar comes in to play. In the Gospel according to Rick.. Rumsfeld is doing a fine job and by that standard, Bush is a terrific president. This is part of the No Incompetent Left Behind policy the GOP instituted as they continue to block the American people from getting answers, under oath, from this Administration.
(As for rating the Rumsfeld-Bush team, I would have gone with f***-ed up job and terrible president.)

I give Rick credit in one regard over Weldon: Rick hasn't cut-and-run from his record of support for Bush these past six years (though Russert noticed that, in speeches, Rick is emphasizing insignificant differences with Bush).

Weldon is like a girl in a bridal party acting like her dress is different. (Curt, tucking your dress in your pantyhose is different, but it's still the same dress.)