Santorum says Iran at center of world's conflict

[sabra]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/politics/15084769.htm

Santorum says Iran at center of world's conflict

WASHINGTON - Sen. Rick Santorum on Thursday said Islamic fascism rooted in Iran is behind much of the world's conflict, but he is opposed to military action against the country.

Instead, the Republican is advocating the passage of legislation to punish countries that aid Iran's nuclear program and to encourage pro-democracy groups in Iran.

"I think it's important for us in Congress and the president to indicate clearly what our objective is there. I think it sends a clear message to the people of Iran," Santorum told reporters after speaking at the National Press Club.

Iran is at the center of the problem because it created Hezbollah and is the driving force behind Hamas, Santorum said.

[Monkeyman]

1. Rick me boy your nuts

[ThomCat]

5. He's delusional. Clearly.

[sueragingroz]

2. Ah Man on Dog....

[WCGreen]

3. I think Santorum is at the center of all world problems....

[VegasWolf]

9. His Christianity is at the center of all the worlds problems. nt

[burythehatchet]

4. Lil Ricky

There's a think tank somewhere with a spot for you after you get trounced in November.

[KamaAina]

14. Santorectum in a think tank?!

It'd have to be a tank with a hell of a lot of leaks in it!

[davidinalameda]

6. he's opposed to taking on Iran

yet he's in full favor of keeping troops in Iraq?

:wtf:

[saltpoint]

7. Rick's got a couple months left here before Pennsylvania voters

throw his ass out the window.

[theHandpuppet]

8. Right on cue

We couldn't see that one coming, huh?

:sarcasm:

[Jacobin]

10. He has a lot more in common with the Mullahs than he realizes

Hate gays......check
Women shouldn't work....check
Scantily dressed women bad.....check
Porn bad.......check

He needs to go visit them and maybe even join forces with them. Heck, he'll probably find out he's really a shiite.........er, well, maybe with one "i"

[dave123williams]

11. 4 more months of this butthole? Santorum is a wank.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=santorum&btnG=Google+Search

What a douchebag. Islamofascism? What the fuck is that?

Isn't fascism a marriage of state and corporate interests? Did I miss something?

He's about the LAST person on Earth who you'd think would be against the marriage of state and religious interests. What they have in Iran is exactly what he wants for this country, but with Christian ideologues fucking everything up.

I just look at that guy and get pissed off.

[Recursion]

12. Maybe I'm missing the issue?

Am I missing something here?

He's saying:

1) Iran is a authoritarian and illiberal theocracy (check -- but that sounds like his kind of place)
2) Iran supports organizations that engage in violence throughout the middle east (check)
3) We don't want Iran to get the bomb (check)
4) We should support reform movements in Iran (check -- though not openly because it just weakens them to be tied to us)
5) Military action against Iran right now won't solve any of these problems (check)

These may be the first true things Ricky boy has said in a long time...

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Skimming the surface, it does look like that.

But deeper down,

1) The authoritarian illiberal theocracy was moving strongly toward reform, then * declared it to be in the Axis of Evil, which strengthened the hardline theocrats position that the Great Satan was out to get them, so better get in line.
2) Iran supports violent organizations - so who the hell in the Middle East doesn't? Including us.
3) Iran is years away from getting a bomb, if that is what they are after. They also know that their cash cow, oil, is a limited resource so they maybe want to gear up and modernize, allowing them to keep their oil on the market longer, at greater profit as the costs rise. BTW, who has Iran invaded in the last, oh, thousand years?
4) Now? Why didn't we five years ago, when the reformists were making great strides. Did he say anything about it when * started beating his war drums against Iran? And no, we don't need to be quiet about it. The reformists would be very happy to know that we can differentiate between them than the fundamentalist mullahs. Only problem is, we don't.
5) We're on a ground war in Iraq. We are already militarily engaged with Iranian supported Shiite militias.

BTW, if santorum is speaking, he is lying. His very protests confirm, in my mind, that he believes we should nuke Tehran. THAT would satisfy his own illiberal theocratic impulses - to him, this is a crusade and all we need is a sufficient provocation. This is on the same level as * saying "there are no plans on my desk for a war in Iraq".

Don't cut the bastard any slack.

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. Psychological projection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_projection

[PaDem]

16. why are there so many complete idiots at high levels.........

in our government?

[rug]

17. Iran says Santorum at center of sphincter.

[cyberpj]

18. Now they're just using the boy to spit out their wildest spin.

And he'll have believers too.

[MrPrax]

19. What happened to AQ?

I thought they were behind everything or did the Bush administration make another mistake?

[maxrandb]

36. Didn't you hear?

We defeated Al Quada. Nothing left but a few of their old soldiers sipping martinis on the French Riviera.

[bemildred]

20. Emmanuel Goldstein reported sighted in Iran. nt

[zara]

21. We fake a crisis, attack, get greeted as liberators, we're home free

in a cool billion or so.
A cakewalk!!!!

[NewJeffCT]

22. Republicans have so many centers

This week, it's Iran as the center, last week Iraq, next week, it's North Korea, or maybe Syria.

Just like Santorum said Boston was the epicenter of evil liberal decadence that caused abusive priests... though, the week before, it was probably New York City, or Las Vegas, or Hollywood/LA or San Francisco.

[Thor_MN]

23. Santorum wears transparent pants. Clearly, we can see he's nuts.

nt

[Lindacooks]

24. Actually, the Bush misadministration is at the center of

world's conflict, from their malignant neglect to their invading sovereign nations to their taunting Arab countries.

[Vidar]

33. Have to agree. Under Cheney, we have become terrorist nation #1.

[kineneb]

25. kineneb says US is at center of world conflict

since we seem to be in the middle of all the current battles (at least where there is oil or religion at stake).

Sanitorium is full of BS.

[genieroze]

26. The only fascism behind much of the world's conflict is from the USA.

[Canuck55]

27. So...

"Instead, the Republican is advocating the passage of legislation to punish countries that aid Iran's nuclear program and to encourage pro-democracy groups in Iran."

Like making the Pakistani Dictatorship answer for A.Q. Khan? I mean, after the cheque clears for their shiny new F-16's of course.

[Malikshah]

28. Shouldn't this be a litmus test... If Santorum takes a stand

shouldn't a thinking person's reaction be to take the opposite.
So any Iran = evil empire folks in cyberspace might want to take notice...
Here's hoping he doesn't change his mind and embrace homosexuality....my partner and I would *not* be happy.

[maryallen]

29. Takes one to know one ...

[Vogon_Glory]

30. I'd Laugh At PA For Electing Santorum

I'd laugh at Pennsylvania for electing Rick Santorum, but I come from a state who re-elected Phil Gramm to the US Senate several times, then replaced him with John Cornyn, so I don't dare point my finger at anyone else.

[chookie]

31. >>but he is opposed to military action against the country.<<

That's a good thing -- when NeoCons and Americans who have been directly or indirectly brainwashed by their agenda are agitating for US air strikes and all out war with Iran.

I am glad that Little RIcky is not beating the drums of war with the rest of the TFMs.

He is an influential Republican with a lot of power -- I sincerely hope he uses his influence to keep the US out of war with Iran.

That being said, the guy is a total wacky-ass -- but at least he is not rushing to war with Iran.

[Orion The Hunter]

32. God, when is that election in PA?!

Santorum sooo needs to lose that already so he'll shut the hell up!

[mvd]

39. I'm confident he'll be out..

unless voting shenanigans go on. The margin might be stealable.

[Roland99]

34. Everything so far has just been foreplay. Here comes the orgasm....

The US (along w/Israel) wants to lay waste to the weaklings and sucker Iran into intervening and then go in and obliterate Iran.

Then we'll be looking at DECADES of international terrorism on a horrendous scale.

But "no one could have anticipated that".

[The_Casual_Observer]

35. After starting the last war based on bogus information, those assholes

have zero credibility. You would have to be insane to go along with this shit anymore.

[bleedingheart]

37. He wants his name in the paper every day.....every day

he wants to eliminate the image he has so that in November some people with no intelligence or attention span will vote for him....

[Supersedeas]

38. the drumbeat of war campaign of sloganeering--sounds like 2002 all over

again