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.
On the other hand, Idaho is pretty conservative ... who does the Senator blame there for horrific crimes against children?
He's having these meltdowns, because he knows Little Bobby Casey is tearing his ass up in the polls, and he's hoping this'll galvanize the folks back home to vote for him again.
I've noticed that conservative incumbents always resort to emotionalist rants in an effort to deflect the criticism they so richly deserve.
Perhaps his head will explode.
I can just see him, sitting home (in Virginia), trying to figure out why today's Quinnipiac poll showed this: 51 percent of Pennsylvanians approve of the job he's doing and 35 percent disapprove, but only 39 percent say they're voting for Santorum and 50 percent say they'll be voting for the other guy.
When Ricky figures out that he's losing support because people DON'T LIKE HIM, because he is, as Kennedy said today, self-righteous, insensitive and irresponsible -- yeah, his head will explode.
Remember that the Catholic Church's hierarchy turned a blind eye to the horriffic abuses of innocent children for decades. Then the good Fathers engaged in an active cover-up, bribing and treatening parishioners and good Catholic families.
Of course, what Santorum is really saying is that the Catholic Church isn't actually to blame for the unholy abuse of innocent children. He says "society" is to blame. He's defending child molesters by blaming their victims. Sound familiar? It's the classic LIBERAL line that Santourm and his ilk gleefully ridicule at every turn.
This typical Santorum smear against Boston just highlights his sanctimonious, hypocritcal, peudo-piety.
And as usual, the gentleman (sic) from Pennsylvania ignores the facts too. Today's Washington Post says:
"Based on statistics publicly reported by many of the country's 195 dioceses, the Boston-based lay activist group BishopAccountability.org has calculated that the highest percentage of abusive priests from 1950 to 2003 was in the diocese of Covington, Ky. Boston was among the 10 worst dioceses, but several other cities commonly regarded as liberal culturally and politically had relatively low rates of abuse. Just 1.6 percent of San Francisco's priests have been accused of abuse, for example, compared to more than 4 percent nationwide."
Now we all know that Covington, KY is a hotbed of liberal licentiousness, right?
Maybe Santorum should go insult Covington - but wait, they're in a Red state. He may need them for his presidential ambitions, so don't hold your breath.
Strong moral values, right Rick?
http://wbz1030.com/massnews/MA--ChurchAbuse-Santo-gn/resources_news_html
HAHAHAHAHA! You know what's funny? Child abuse.