Update: Senator Kennedy appeared on CNN's Inside Politics this afternoon to reiterate that Rick needs to apologize to the victims of priest sexual abuse, their families and the people of Boston. Watch the video below:
As we posted in our "Rick on the Record" section (last entry on that page) -- Rick Santorum actually managed to link (and blame) Boston to the recent clergy sex abuse scandal.
Yesterday, as reported in The Boston Globe, he refused "to back off on his earlier statements connecting Boston's 'liberalism' with the Roman Catholic Church pedophile scandal, saying that the city's 'sexual license' and 'sexual freedom' nurtured an environment where sexual abuse would occur."
''The basic liberal attitude in that area . . . has an impact on people's behavior," Santorum said in an interview yesterday at the Capitol. ''If you have a world view that I'm describing [about Boston] . . . that affirms alternative views of sexuality, that can lead to a lot of people taking it the wrong way," Santorum said.
As reported by the Associated Press, today Senator Kennedy (D-MA) launched "a rare personal attack on the Senate floor," calling Santorum "self-righteous and insensitive." Kennedy also "called for Santorum to apologize to the people of Boston and Massachusetts," saying "The people of Boston are to blame for the clergy sexual abuse? That is an irresponsible, insensitive and inexcusable thing to say."
Senator Kennedy is right, of course, but saying irresponsible, insensitive and inexcusable things is a well-established pattern for Santorum. We're not holding our breath waiting for this apology to occur.
