Well, all politics is still local, and while we’ve kept ourselves entertained here at the ‘Group with the Santorum-vs.-Boston pissing match, the real question is this: Why does Rick Santorum say such prodigiously stupid things? Are we Massachusetts libs rising to the bait, just as he wanted? Do we fit into his re-election campaign somehow? Here’s a clue:
”What we have here is Bobby Casey Jr.’s Boston all-star team takinga turn at bat attacking Rick Santorum," said Dan Ronayne, spokesman forthe political action committee, which raises money for RepublicanSenate candidates.
Referring to the Massachusetts delegation,Democratic Party leaders, and a liberal interest group, Ronayne said,”Guess we can add Ted Kennedy, [Representative] Barney Frank, and[Senator] John Kerry to Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton, and MoveOn toBobby Casey Jr.’s group of attack surrogates."
Hey now, don’t forget us, Dan. Feelin’ a little left out over here.
But the reason why Santorum chose to bash Boston is not just the liberalism: The urge to rape children, in his mind, is a direct result of the prominence of education as a major presence in this area. Now, he’s not suggesting that predator priests took "Raping Kids and Coverups 101" at Harvard, and then put that into practice. No, it’s the very presence of education and enlightenment in the midst of us … When you take French or urban planning or law or biochemistry classes, it infects everyone’s thoughts, our precious bodily fluids …
Therefore the solution must be to keep people as far away from education as possible — how else to avoid these terrible urges infecting all of our bodily fluids?
Rick Santorum is counting on the proposition that Pennsylvania voters hate education, think of it as dangerous, and stay as far away from it as possible so that they don’t become sexual predators. Interesting hypothesis… See you in ’06, Rick.
lynne says
I just wonder how truly kinky Santorum is under his sanctimoniousness.After all, it’s the pathologically sexually repressed that end up being the most twisted – which, of course, at its extremes, may well be the actual reason for the priest sexual abuse scandals. The anecdotal evidence I’ve heard is that the lack of training in seminary for coping with one’s sexual nature (with the exception of “guilt, guilt, guilt, you terrible sinner”) led in great part to the disgusting acts perpetrated on kids by priests.
cm says
Where did Santorum say that education in Massachusetts led to child abuse by priests? I don’t see a quote in either your post or the article you linked to, except for Ted Kennedy saying that Santorum said that. He did include “academic liberalism” in his list of Massachusetts evils, but I don’t think that’s the same thing as higher education in general.Anyway, if he did say that, maybe he’s playing to his Amish base.
charley-on-the-mta says
“He did include “academic liberalism” in his list of Massachusetts evils, but I don’t think that’s the same thing as higher education in general.”Well, I’d agree with you on that. I don’t think he’s as discerning with his logic as you or I, though.
joe says
check out the Ferrick column in today’s Philly inquirer, also the cartoon is pretty funny too. http://go.philly.com/ferrick.