Yesterday the Senate Rules and Administration Committee held a hearing on lobbying reform. Apparently Rick Santorum had a memory lapse when he brought up the subject of third-party travel (travel paid for by lobbyists or other organizations). Here is an excerpt from the Lexis-Nexis transcript:
SANTORUM: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to talk about one particular area that has not come up in detail in the discussion so far, and that's the issue of travel -- because I know those of us who have been working on this, we've been getting a lot of pushback from members with respect to third-party travel.
And I just want to -- for full disclosure, I'm at the bottom of the third-party travel in the United States Senate. The only traveling I do is to and from my state and driving my kids all over the place. (emphasis ours)
The problem with that statement is that Rick seems to be forgetting about his trips to
Rome,
Florida,
Ohio, and
Rome again. And, of course, his
fundraising trip to Florida aboard Walmart's private jet, which he was only required to reimburse at the rate of a first-class ticket.
Why do you think Rick's memory has been failing him so badly over the last few months?
I *think* cincy was being funny...
By the way, anyone who would question the senator is an America-hater too and thus they don't count on two grounds.
And in the future should the senator make trips to far off places that mix business and more business they won't count either because all right thinking people know what the senator means when he says "all." We know he means all traveling except those trips that are meant as softcore bribes.
Are we clear on this?
It's Lexis-Nexis. If Little Ricky drives up cincinatus' nexus he would do it in a Lexus.
P.S. I bet you're not even a real hero.
Coward.
So I'll say it here:
I'm not envious of success and wealth. I'm trying to achieve the American dream for myself and for my wife and kids-- to do better than my folks, and to have my kids do better than me. And to that end I have a full-time job, plus two full-time freelance jobs.
Though I may have considered a worthy Republican candidate in the past, I henceforth will vote Democrat, as the last few years have made it impossible to do otherwise.
Hey! Your guy sure has made a lot of bad decisions over there in DC, hasn't he?
RB
Studies show that vigorous, unprotected man-on-dog sex often leads to memory loss.
Dear Sen. Santorum,
I laughed when I read these words (early transcript) you said on the Senate floor:
SANTORUM: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to talk about one particular area that has not come up in detail in the discussion so far, and that's the issue of travel -- because I know those of us who have been working on this, we've been getting a lot of pushback from members with respect to third-party travel.
And I just want to -- for full disclosure, I'm at the bottom of the third-party travel in the United States Senate. The only traveling I do is to and from my state and driving my kids all over the place."
Uh huh. Your 2 trips to Rome, your 2 trips to FLORIDA to fundraise for your PENNSYLVANIA Senate bid, one on a WAL*MART corporate jet…those were car trips with your kids? Seriously, don't you think it's funny that you made these statements after getting a(n almost free) ride to FLA to fundraise for your PA Senate bid? You weren’t "driving [your] kids all over the place” then, were you? Or, were your kids on that WAL*MART jet, sitting in your car, idling in the cargo hold?
You drove to Rome twice? How? Can I get a passage to Rome on your highway? What’s your highway called? Is it The Santorum-Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Foundation Throughway? Or is it The Santorum-Common Good Foundation Trans-Atlantic Motorway? Any good rest stops on that road?
Hey, I don’t really like to fly either; I’d LOVE to drive to Italy, too. Can you help a constituent out? I really miss Via Veneto. Oh, and then there was that fundraising trip to Ohio. Are you running for Senator in Ohio? Or is it Florida? Don’t you live in Virginia? I’m so confused!
I respect that we have absolutely nothing in common politically but your comments made me laugh out loud. Seriously, thank you for the best laugh I’ve had since Jerramy Stevens dropped 4 passes and Josh Brown missed 2 field goals Sunday night.
With deep irreverence,
Name withheld