Thursday, November 10, 2005

Santorum snubs Bush

When George Bush visits the Tobyhanna Army Depot tomorrow Sen. Rick Santorum (R-VA) will be 100 miles away.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the "scheduling conflict":

When President Bush touches down in Wilkes-Barre to talk about the war on terrorism Friday, the Senate's No. 3 Republican - the vulnerable Rick Santorum - will be 116 miles away in Philadelphia addressing the American Legion. Unavoidable scheduling conflict, Santorum's office says.

As the GOP loss in the Virginia governor's race Tuesday showed, however, it might also be a blessing to be in a different media market when Bush and his rock-bottom approval ratings come to your state.

Senator Specter and Congressman Kanjorski will be there but our junior Senator can't rearrange his schedule to join him? As 2 Political Junkies points out:

Yea, right. This is the guy who dropped everything to stand next to the Schaivo family in Florida. He can't clear his calendar for a coupla hours to stand next to the leader of his party who also happens to be the leader of the free-world?


Maybe the new Keystone Poll might have something to do with it.

Bush Favorable 34%-Not Favorable 54%. Santorum Deserves re-election 33%-Time for Change 49%. If the election for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senator were being held TODAY Casey 51%-Santorum 35%.

With Santorum trailing his likely opponent by double digits and Bush's popularity hitting new lows you can bet that Ricky and many other Republicans don't want to be seen anywhere near him. Even Bob Novak sees the obvious.

For a liberal Virginian to win a Southern red state signaled that cherished Republican majorities in both House and Senate, plus all the perquisites they entail, could be lost in 2006. Eyeing the Democratic landslide in suburban northern Virginia just over the Potomac from Washington that gave Lt. Gov. Kaine the governorship, Republicans in Congress envision their own doom. The antidote to avoid that fate is to keep as far away from President Bush as possible, a lesson underlined by the president's failed election rescue mission for former Virginia state Attorney General Kilgore. The consequences may be profound. As his approval rating dipped, Bush increasingly has been treated in Congress as a lame duck. Tuesday's Virginia outcome increases the propensity of Republican senators and House members not only to avoid their president on the campaign trail but also to ignore his legislative proposals.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is certainly an excitingly refreshing time to follow politics if you are a Democrat-liberal as is His Holiness. To see Ricky boy squirm at the thought of being seen with King George is sheer joy. I would caution all of my brothers in arms that election day 2006 is a year away and anything can happen. No one wants another terror attack and if one occured it would make King George and his crooked comedic court number 1 in America again. TO avoid this sheer tragedy alone, let us all keep our eyes open for suspicious activity--from terrorists to plotting silver spoon white guys.

Good Luck in the year ahead America!!!

Carl said...

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Doggie-boy Santorum ducks out on the Big Dog???

Doctor Rick said...

Santorum is NOT sweating this election, nor is he snubbing Bush. If I understand your interpretation of the "schedule conflict" as avoiding Bush as to not be seen as connected to him in any way (as Gore did to Clinton) I think you're mistaken. Santorum is as busy as anyone.

Gort said...

Almost every Republican in the country will run away from Bush. The guy has Nixon numbers.

Anonymous said...

And you can't get lower numbers than that Gort. We both know Rick would be at his side the other day if W were still his nation's golden boy.