Santorum in the News

An interview with Jon Delano.

Delano begins:

Gas prices in our area held steady today.

But they're still hovering around the $3 mark, which is continuing to take a toll at the pump.

Meantime, some elected officials may actually be benefiting from the very industry that's causing pain for consumers.

Hmmm, I wonder who he means?

Of course it's our good friend, the junior Senator from the Commenwealth of Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum. In the course of the interview Lil Ricky blames the country's energy woes on, of course, Congress. Rick says:

“Had we passed that bill five years ago and done what they had suggested,” said Santorum “We would not be in the energy situation we are today.”

Notice where he puts the blame, though. 5 years ago - when, among other things, the Senate was briefly run by the Democrats. Nice touch, Rick. Nice way to CYA.

Here's something interesting:

But now in a tough re-election battle, Delano says Santorum's ties to big oil could become an issue.

Federal election records show that he has taken more money from oil and gas interests than any Senator except the senator from Texas.

Santorum brushed off any suggestion that donations from oil companies were anything unusual.

“In this race, we probably have the most expensive race in the country, and I probably get more money from just about every industry than any other senator in the country,” he said. “I don't know how much the oil and natural gas industry has given me, 10, 20, 30 thousand dollars, whatever it is.”

Delano reports that number is actually over $400,000 in Santorum’s lifetime and over $100,000 in the current cycle.”

Rick doesn't know how much the oil companies have given him?? He assumed it was a quarter of what it actually was (you know, in reality). The real total according to Delano is "more than $137,000" for this election cycle. And take a look at his defense. He's getting money from so many places that one industries donations couldn't possibly sway him. (A cynic's translation: He's getting legal bribes from so many places that one legal bribe from one industry is nothing to worry about.)

But here's the kicker. Rick said that he's not in the pocket of big oil.

“I don't think I'm on the side of the oil companies,” replied Santorum. “I'm on the side of trying to create energy independence for America. I'm on the side of trying to produce more energy in this country, to create the jobs here instead of in Venezuela or Iraq or Iran. We have the ability in this country to produce more energy.”

And he says it's no surprise that 80 percent of big oil's political contributions go to Republicans.

“It's only logical that they're going to support people who support the agenda of energy independence for America,” said Santorum.

Beyond the obvious BS about who supports "the agenda of energy independence for America," Rick didn't even notice the contradiction of his own words.

One the one hand he's trying to assert that the money donated to him doesn't put him "on the side of the oil companies," yet on the other he says "it's only logical" that big oil would support the politicians who support their agenda - you know, the one's who are on their side.

Rick Santorum - in the pocket of the oil companies except when he says he's not.