Santorum: Obama has 'embraced radical Islamic groups'

[Torie]

This is yet another exhibit as to why I think Santorum is totally unelectable, and, more importantly, unfit to be POTUS. His rhetoric is just over-heated for starters:

President will go down in history here as the president who has embraced radical Islamic groups, Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Islamic group. ... This president has made it very clear that the United States is willing to tolerate a radical Islamic presence in the Middle East, one that is hostile to our interest, one that is threatening to Israel and one that will oppress the people of the region, particularly those who don’t agree with their philosophy, and that includes Muslims, Christians, Jews and anybody else that gets in their way, of their radical philosophy, and this president will enable them.

(emphasis added)

I mean it is one thing to say (even though putting aside the ethics of the matter, it may not be wise, and indeed counterproductive, for the US to be so heavy handed in messing with the internal affairs of another nation), that Obama should be doing more to limit the influence of "Islamic radicals," and give some plausible examples of how Obama might do so; it is quite another to seemingly oppose their very "presence."  Are they all to be exterminated or something? And Obama has "embraced" them - as in endorsed them or something?  Really?  That sounds like hyperbolic infraction point rhetoric to me.

Yes, I know, many of you will not share my little opinion. You go to your church, and I will go to mine.

[© Tweed the Younger]

expect the rhetoric to escalate as the cause becomes more dire

[Χahar]

That's a really excellent use of vague buzzwords there. I'm impressed.

[You kip if you want to...]

The hilariously ironic thing is that Rick Santorum has, quite openly, embraced radical Christian groups.

[Badger]

P

expect the rhetoric to escalate as the cause becomes more dire

There's nothing of politcal opportunism is the True Believer's words.

And that's what's scary.

[Senator MaxQue]

And the Opus Dei?

Santorum IS embracing radical Christian groups, right now.

[memphis]

The hilariously ironic thing is that Rick Santorum has, quite openly, embraced radical Christian groups.

Not just embraced. He is the personification of radical Christianity. He wants to knock down the wall between Church and state, so that he can dictate his religion to the entire country. In short, he wants America to look like Iran.

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

This man never ceases to amaze me, and not in a good way.

[You kip if you want to...]

...I'd still vote for him before i'd vote for Mitt Romney. Atleast I know Rick's crazy.

[Badger]

...I'd still vote for him before i'd vote for Mitt Romney. Atleast I know Rick's crazy.

[Progressive Realist]

CONGRATS PHIL!

[Torie]

P

expect the rhetoric to escalate as the cause becomes more dire

There's nothing of politcal opportunism is the True Believer's words.

And that's what's scary.

Yes, what you see, is what you get, with Rick. He I think does really believe this stuff. He is not just pandering. That is where his passions lie. Of course, we can't be certain. But it just seems that way. He will trim like most politicians trying to carve out a career, as to that which is secular, just not that which isn't. He's a quite hard wired man as to matters that involve more a priori assumptions and leaps of faith.

[Keystone Phil]

In short, he wants America to look like Iran.

Uh huh. Good one.

[ajb]

More to the point, by Santorum's reasoning, one could argue that FDR embraced the gulag, Nixon embraced the Cultural Revolution, and Reagan embraced the Evil Empire, offering to disarm America in the process.

[memphis]

In short, he wants America to look like Iran.

Uh huh. Good one.

You doubt that he wants to impose a religion based government?

[Lief]

I don't know that a crazy person is that much worse than a serial liar. At least I know where Rick stands (in crazyland).

[You kip if you want to...]

I don't know that a crazy person is that much worse than a serial liar. At least I know where Rick stands (in crazyland).

My point exactly. At least you know you'll get a crazy president with Rick. Etch-a-sketch Mitt could be just as crazy for all we know. Who knows what lengths he'd go to in order to keep the base happy.

[Keystone Phil]

In short, he wants America to look like Iran.

Uh huh. Good one.

You doubt that he wants to impose a religion based government?

Religious influence (no different than your personal take on issues affecting your position on issues) on policy making =/= theocracy/anything like Iran


You know this though. Just had to get some of your trolling in.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Was Santorum living in a cave in May 2011?

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Was Santorum living in a cave in May 2011?

Sewers don't have caves, silly. 

[Gravis Marketing]

In short, he wants America to look like Iran.

Uh huh. Good one.

Care to defend his original statement here?

[Old Europe]

President will go down in history here as the president who has embraced radical Islamic groups, Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Islamic group. ... This president has made it very clear that the United States is willing to tolerate a radical Islamic presence in the Middle East, one that is hostile to our interest, one that is threatening to Israel and one that will oppress the people of the region, particularly those who don’t agree with their philosophy, and that includes Muslims, Christians, Jews and anybody else that gets in their way, of their radical philosophy, and this president will enable them.

You would only need to change a few words here and this criticism would apply to Ronald Reagan (more so than it does to Obama, actually):

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

[patrick1]

       A more generalized problem that I have is that the entire GOP field, save Paul, engages in this type of rhetoric to varying degrees of subtlety.  They all invoke, to steal phrase from G Carlin, spooky language to paint the entire Arab and Muslim world as a sinister force hell bent on destruction.  There is no room for nuance or subtlety.  To listen to Mitt speak at AIPAC you would think the Obama Administration were faxing centrifuge designs directly to Tehran. Santorum, well see the above and thousands of other examples. And Newt refuses to recognize that one of the parties to the conflict even exists. How the heck can such people be expected to be arbiters and promoters of Middle East peace?  

       Now I guess you can try to divine who is for real and who is just pandering to the lobby but I'd rather not take that chance.  The downright dangerous foreign policy laid out by these candidates is the main reason I will pull the lever for a Democrat for the first time this fall.

[Gustaf]

I don't really find this to be SO out there. One can legitimately make the case that Obama has taken a more concilliatory stance towards global islam than the previous administration and than what Santorum would like. And there are legitimate grounds for being worried about the Muslim Brotherhood and similar movements taking over in Arab Spring countries.

Don't get me wrong, I side with Obama over Santorum by a wide margin on these issues but I don't think it's particularly more unfair or crazy than most stuff that goes down in politics.

[pbrower2a]

What this shows is that Rick Santorum is a ruthless opportunist and demagogue whose sole claim to being any better than "Islamic extremists" or "secularists within the Islamic world gone awry" (like Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi) is extent and that he is a Christian (and that is only a cultural prejudice).  He is the True Believer of Eric Hoffer. He is also a liar. He has begun to show why he lost his last election in 2006, the difference now being that until 2006 he was an enforcer for the Bush Administration and this time he wants to be the most powerful person in the world. 

If anything, President Obama has sought out the good and decent people in the Islamic world as partners in change where change is necessary.  That is by far the safest course of action, and it is best done with integrity and decency. That is tricky, but when dealing with a religious world full of dangerous rifts and whose worst characters seek to impose their pathologies elsewhere, what else is there?