Santorum "It`s not my job to defend Obama"

Santorum: 'I'm not here to defend the president'
By Geneva Sands-Sadowitz - 01/24/12 09:21 AM ET
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said Tuesday that it wasn't "his job" to defend President Obama to voters.

He defended his response at a town hall on Monday, where a woman questioned the president's religion and eligibility for the position.

"I've said repeatedly that I don't believe President Obama is a Muslim and he's qualified. This was an elderly lady. She was there leaning on a cane. She was quite wobbly, and I'm not going to sit there and slam an older lady because she has some way-out — some bizarre beliefs," said Santorum on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Tuesday.

Santorum came under fire for not directly addressing the woman's remarks.

"I never refer to Obama as President Obama because legally he is not," the woman said at an American Legion Hall in Florida, reported CNN. She continued by calling Obama an "avowed Muslim."

Santorum responded by saying, "I'm doing my best to try and get him out of there — you're right he uniformly ignores the Constitution."

The former Pennsylvania senator became heated in his defense Tuesday and took a swipe at the media for its complacency in other incidents.

"It's your responsibility to defend the president, not mine," added Santorum. "When the media and others say lies about me and call me names and do things ... it's OK and, in fact, it's promoted and encouraged and made fun of when we do it. Stop it."

Santorum has most notably been the target of a campaign, started by columnist Dan Savage, to link his surname to a sexual neologism when doing a Google search.

"I'm not here to defend the president against scurrilous attacks. It's not my job any more than ... it's your job to defend me against scurrilous attacks," Santorum said.

During the 2008 primary season then-presidential candidate John McCain got media attention when he defended Obama after an audience member called the Democrat an "Arab." McCain took the microphone and said, "No, ma'am" in response.

Santorum distanced himself from the Arizona senator when MSNBC political panelist John Heilemann referenced McCain's response.

"I am not John McCain and I've never been like John McCain and I'm not running as a candidate who's anything like John McCain," he said.

Category:

News & Politics

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• Santorum
• It`s
• not
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• job
• to
• defend
• Obama

[peopleofthecircle]

Appeasing the Tea, even when they say something ignorant - BEING MUSLIM IS NOT A DISQUALIFIER FOR PRESEDENT.

"Avowed" my ass!

GOP is too reactionary to win this fall - GOP must go into the rubbish bin of history!

[TheMadronas]

@proudtobedesi No, not a birther as I have acknowledged Obummer may have been born in HI (the forged BC casts doubt on this). You are an illiterate moron sir!

[proudtobedesi]

@TheMadronas Ah yes, another delusional birther here. How are you doing sir, living up there in your own fantasy world of denial and delusion. Please continue to do so, but do take some occasional medication once in a while to get back to reality, while we mock and laugh at your kind and go on to do better things for this country.

[smallville123]

@roastbeefdinner You know admitting you have a girlfriend have your age is not something to be proud of. Its creepy.

[smallville123]

@TheMadronas President Obama...Show some damn respect. If you were born on US soil your a US citizen period. Doesn't matter where your parents are from.

[TheMadronas]

@smallville123 Obama is not a 'natural born citizen' because one parent was supposedly a Kenyan. This is a well established constitutional principle and is supported by case law and committe rulings on prior presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Obama/Sotero/Shabazz may have been born in Hawaii although the bogus BC he has released does not prove it.

[walkermydawg]

@roastbeefdinner I don't bet, and the racheal and keith you post of, must be your bookie. I'm not, nor will I pretend to be as smart as.... As far a languages, you got the heads up on that one, as my studies only got so far as greek, latin, and french.  Latin of which is, of course, dead. I laud you for your service, but, my curiosity is piqued as to a keith and rachel-I missed it, and the mom part, I have my doubts from her on out. I know you will get blasted.

[smallville123]

@TheMadronas Uhm he was born in Hawaii and has show his birthcirtificate time and time again. If he wasn't eligible he wouldn't have made it to the whitehouse. Ignorant people like you keep getting dumber.

[roastbeefdinner]

@walkermydawg i bet you think that keith and rachel are sooo smart. typical response from the douchebags that contribute nothing to society. and your next response will be to tell me how dumb i am and smart you are...i speak 4 languages fluently, served in the USMC, own a very expensive house(paid for in full by the time i was 35) and have a gf half my age....your mom is calling she wants you to bring up a can of corn from your basement bedroom.

[woodsrider117]

@TheMadronas You don't have to lie. This has gone on for multi years . Get over it Obama is born and raised in Hawaii and our president... He is a natural born president. It's been proven over and over and over and over...