Lil Ricky Strikes Back

At first, when I read this article I was confused.

Senator Santorum has been doing some work down with some non-constituents in Florida - working for the common good for the sake of Terri Schiavo. In the article in the Post-Gazette, he's on record saying that he didn't:

"know how anyone can believe that this is a political winner, if you look at any of the polls."

And he's absolutely right. The polls show that the position that Senator Santorum is taking is out of touch with a majority of Americans.

So why would he do it?

I asked myself that same question during lunch today. Why would an otherwise savvy politician do something so unpopular? Why would he knowingly do something with such a potential to be politically damaging?

Then I remembered this column in the Trib. Take a look at what McNickle is accusing Senator Santorum of:

Some would say Santorum has allowed politics to trump principles. Others would say he has become a pandering opportunist. Actually, it's a combination of both. And being an unprincipled pandering opportunist is a lousy way to treat those who brung you to the dance.

According to McNickle, he's guilty of placing politics over principle.

Now what did Senator Santorum say? He didn't:

"know how anyone can believe that this is a political winner, if you look at any of the polls."

If you look closely, he's just responded to all the conservatives who accuse him of valuing political pragmatism over conservative principles. It's his first shot in response.

I'll bet anyone that this is going to be used by the good Senator (accompanied, of course, with a too-loud groan in protest that it's not political) not to reach out to Pennsylvania voters, but to reassert his place among the hardest of the hard right.

Rick Santorum, the man who stood by his "culture of life" principles even when all the polls said it was a bad idea.