He wasn’t talking about a ‘support your troops’ bumper sticker

January 25, 2006

I’ve never been able to relate to Rick Santorum’s values or worldview, but I never expected him to equate supporting his Senate campaign with serving in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Santorum] literally said that putting one of his bumper stickers on your vehicle was a way “to step up and serve your country.” […]

Santorum: “And yet we have brave men and women who are willing to step forward because they know what’s at stake. They’re willing to sacrifice their lives for this great country. What I’m asking all of you tonight is not to put on a uniform. Put on a bumper sticker. Is it that much to ask? Is it that much to ask to step up and serve your country?”

I couldn’t believe it until I saw the video. He really did say exactly that.

The context is even more amazing. Santorum decried the culture that puts “me first,” and refuses to honor sacrifice. In the next breath, Santorum implores Republicans to honor him with a bumper sticker, which is somehow similar to serving your country in the military.

You know, I’m really not going to miss this guy. Granted, Bob Casey probably won’t be a senator with whom I’ll always agree, but Santorum is such an embarrassment, it’ll be a relief to see him go.

But, but, but,

Rick’s going to reform Congress! If he goes, the Republicans will say that the people don’t want to reform Congress because they voted out the chief Senatorial reformer.

😉

At least he has NO chance of becoming president, short of Bush chosing him to replace Cheney in 2007.

  • Republican Ethics Reform.
    It’s time to ask congress to step up and serve our country too..
    Ask them all to put on this bumper sticker…. Is it that much to ask?

    I (heart logo) honest government.

    Now let’s get back to security and terror.

  • I wonder how much funding Santorum’s campaign gets from the people who make those bumper stickers and bumper sticker magnets.

    I feel like I should say something because it confirms something I’ve noticed myself, that a lot of people’s “patriotism” and support for the troops seems to only end with the nearly ubiquitous yellow or re-white-and-blue bumper sticker magnet. They’re everywhere, but where are the meaningful displays of support, the personal sacrifices, or the demands for better body armor, or to otherwise protect our troops in battle?

  • Come now, you treacherous Rian! How dare you suggest that it is insufficiently patriotic to put a yellow ribbon magnet on my brand shiny new 4-miles-per-gallon Hummer. Why, if I didn’t need that oil, those boys’ deaths would be in vain! I give them purpose! And I do make sacrifices to show my support – that damned magnet is putting little microgrooves in my Flag Blue Metallic paint (I tried to get all of the dust off before I affixed it – no, not real dirt like I’d get off-road, just that dust that settles in when you have a garage as large as mine – and it puts those little scratches in the finish.) If anyone notices it will take a couple of tenths off of my trade-in on that 2008 H4-Plus, so dont even start with me on sacrifices you hate-America-first, Michael Moore liberal.

  • Being a Pennsylvania Democrat, I’m probably going to pull the lever for Casey. But if I do, it won’t be because of Casey, it will be because Santorum may be the worst Senator in a generation. He is a truly smarmy PoS. Even so, it is going to be hard to vote for Casey.

  • Even if Casey votes wrong on every other vote, he is immensely better than Santorum for the very first vote he will cast – after which I’ll hardly give a damn how he casts any other: the vote to organize the Senate. Getting the R’s out of power, while surely not sufficient to move things in a better direction, is necessary step.

  • Wow. When I first read about this, I had assumed it was a “Support the Troops” sticker or something similar. I thought that was bad enough. But this is just damn weird. Santorum’s got some real problems.

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