Glenn interviews Rick and Karen Santorum

September 07, 2012

Writer

Former GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum and his wife Karen phoned in to radio today and talked with Glenn about the Democratic Convention and President Obama’s speech last night. Why were the Democrats so focused on talking war and not the economy?

Read the transcript of the interview below:

Rick Santorum and Karen Santorum are on the phone with us now. Karen, Rick?
VOICE: Good morning, Glenn, how are you?
GLENN: Very good. First of all, can ‑‑ how's Bella doing?
KAREN SANTORUM: Oh, she's doing great. Thank you so much for asking. And it was so nice to be with you and Tania the other night. I should have shared with you her picture. She's beautiful and healthy and we just thank God every day for her life.
GLENN: We had ‑‑ we had dinner in Dallas, what was it, two nights ago? And ‑‑
KAREN SANTORUM: Yeah, it was so fun.
GLENN: Yeah, we had dinner with this roomful of billionaires. I mean, we were the two couples that were like, we were the slugs in the room. And you guys were running for president just a few months ago. And we're sitting in this room and they're billionaires but they all were broke in the Nineties, all of them.
KAREN SANTORUM: Yeah.
GLENN: And we talked about one of them said, you know, I had to push my hill ‑‑ my car down the hill to jump, you know, to get it ‑‑
PAT: Start?
GLENN: Yeah, pop the clutch on it to get it to start?
SANTORUM: Yeah. Well, I thought the best one, Glenn, was when he said he had to turn in his toll tag when he ‑‑ because he used a 50 cent toll when he went to work but he turned in his toll tag because if he hadn't used the toll tag, it was 55 cents. So to save 5 cents a trip, he turned in his tag and paid his cash.
GLENN: Now, these guys ‑‑
PAT: Wow.
GLENN: These guys ‑‑
PAT: That's amazing.
GLENN: ‑‑ said, I had to cancel my call waiting because it was $3 a month.
SANTORUM: Yeah.
GLENN: He turned in his toll tags because it saved him an extra 5 cents a day. That's how broke they were in, like, 1996. They're billionaires now. And we were talking about, look at this country. Look at what you can do. And Barack Obama and the Democrats don't believe that any of us exist. Or that any of us are putting anything of value into our society.
We've been talking today, Karen, about how the Democrats really focused on foreign affairs and war and everything else, and they think this is going to be a winning strategy for them. I think they're wrong. I think the economy's the only thing that matters. But you have, with patriotvoices.com, a new poll that you have seen. Can you tell us about the poll? It's of mothers, right?
KAREN SANTORUM: There was a recent survey of American mothers and what it revealed was that a majority of mothers believe that this country is on the wrong track and they are very concerned about national security issues. You know, President Obama's number one responsibility is to protect us and I think what this study's showing is that he has failed miserably and moms care about that. They care about security.
GLENN: Let me just show some of the polls. The top three concerns of moms in America: Unemployment, most concern, 42%; high gas and energy prices were the number two; and third choices of the moms, hay gas prices directly responsible, energy prices. The president is on record saying his policies would make energy prices necessarily skyrocket. The cost of groceries. The average grocery is up 15% in the last 18 months. But there are some other things here. 73% of mothers are concerned about the type of nuclear strategy that President Obama might pursue.
SANTORUM: Yeah, this is ‑‑ I'm sorry. Let me jump in there.
GLENN: Go ahead.
SANTORUM: That really has to do with this whole conversation with Medvedev, that he'll be more flexible on the START II treaty which gives Russia a built‑in huge advantage on tactical. It's a huge advantage, you know, 10:1 advantage over the United States. And it's now a built‑in advantage that Barack Obama negotiated and agreed to. And said that, you know, he was going to be more flexible. And I think this, I'm convinced that they brought this issue up is because, you know, that swing vote. A lot of these moms are very concerned about this issue of security and they look around the world and they see the hostility and the brewing anger and the hatred for America and our weakness, the president bowing, the president whispering that he will be flexible and they see weakness of this president and they don't want a president who's willing to sacrifice the security of our country so expend more money on entitlement programs.
GLENN: 78% of moms think the United States should increase offshore drilling. 79% of moms think government regulations need to be trimmed to incentivize people to start small businesses are expand existing ones. 53% of moms say it was inappropriate for President Obama to tell Israel that it should alter its borders. 62 of moms are concerned that President Obama said transmit this to Vladimir to President Medvedev. When informed that ObamaCare cuts Medicare funding, only 12% of moms thought that was a good idea.
This is all upside down for the president. What do you think this means in November?
KAREN SANTORUM: I think it ‑‑
[ OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ].
GLENN: Wait, wait.
STU: Double response.
GLENN: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
STU: Communication between spouses is very important.
GLENN: We've got to talk to you about this. Are you guys even in the same city or the ‑‑ are you guys in the same area?
SANTORUM: Yeah, we are at the airport. We're just about to take off.
GLENN: All right.
SANTORUM: We're headed to Denver.
GLENN: You're not flying American Airlines, are you?
KAREN SANTORUM: We're not going to do that again, Glenn.
GLENN: Good. Thank you very much. All right. Tell me ‑‑ Karen, let's start with you. What do you think this means in November?
KAREN SANTORUM: I think it means that moms care more about just (inaudible). The overriding issue of concern for most of them was jobs. About half are concerned equally with energy and then the national debt and protecting America from the outside, from outside threats was huge. And I think that, you know, a lot of times moms ‑‑ I think it's an insult to women, too, is that we just care about abortion or the life issue. And it goes so far beyond that. It's ‑‑ I think that the moms care a lot more about a broader spectrum of issues, and I know for me personally and all the moms I've talked to, national security is a big deal. And, you know, things like, you know, the nuclear threats, electromagnetic pulse, things like that. You know, once moms are educated on that, they share their concerns.
GLENN: Rick?
SANTORUM: I would throw on top of that that, you know, the reason Obama talked about this last night, because it's a weakness for him. And America doesn't feel better about itself. You know, remember Obama's going to bring back this age, not only are the fees going to go back down but America's preeminence in the world and how people looked at America was going to go up and prestige was going to increase and he was going to get the Nobel Prize and it's just been a complete nose dive since then and that's a real problem because people do look at a president as someone who is, you know, respons ‑‑ that's the one thing the presidents are responsible for and that most Americans look to him with respect to our security.
GLENN: You know, I'm feeling really optimistic about the election but I was really optimistic about your election as well. So do you have any feelings, either of you, on where you think this is headed? How's Romney going to fare? Is Romney going to win or not?
KAREN SANTORUM: Oh, I'm praying he does. I'm concerned because of those issues that we're not talking about that we should be talking about and, you know, we're obviously hoping and praying he gets through. I think four years of Obama would be devastating to our country. And the effects, you know, may not be reversible. So we all just need to work really hard to help Romney get elected. But personally I'm concerned that I wish we had more issues to talk about.
PAT: Yeah, I notice that you guys have skipped the most important issue, Rick, and that's the issue that you started was the incredible war on women where you tried to remove contraception from all women and control their lives in every way. And I just, I find that missing here from the mom survey, too. They gotta be concerned about that, right?
SANTORUM: Oh, yeah, absolutely. There's a widespread fear that the government's going to come in and abolish birth control.
GLENN: Well, I have a bumper sticker. I have a bumper sticker on my car: Rick Santorum out of my fallopian tube.
SANTORUM: You have a bumper sticker on your car?
GLENN: Yeah, I do. I do. The real question there is, you have fallopian tubes?
SANTORUM: Yeah, I'm sort of ‑‑ I don't know.
GLENN: All right, guys. Thank you so much and have a safe flight and I'm glad to hear you're not flying American.
KAREN SANTORUM: Thank you, Glenn. Have a good day.
GLENN: Bye‑bye. Rick and Karen Santorum.

Dockworker strike: Everything you need to know

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At midnight on September 30th, dockworkers across the East Coast went on strike, effectively cutting the country's import and export capabilities in half.

Don't go out and panic buy a pallet of toilet paper and instant ramen just yet. It's going to take some time for the full effects of the strike to be felt and hopefully, the strike will be good and over by then. But there are no guarantees, and this election cycle could get significantly more insane as we draw near to the election. And even if the strike is settled quickly, it shows growing cracks in our infrastructure and industrial capacity that needs to be addressed if America wants to maintain its global dominance.

Here is everything you need to know about the dockworker strike:

What do the dockworkers want?

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As with most strikes, pay is the driving factor behind this situation the country now finds itself in. The longshoremen want more pay, and with rising inflation who can blame them? After all, working the docks is hard and dangerous business, and fair compensation only seems... fair. But when you compare the wage of a dockworker, which is around $100,000 to $200,00 a year to the average income in America of $56,000, suddenly they seem significantly less sympathetic.

How much money are they asking for? For most Americans, a three percent raise is considered high, but the unions are asking up to 15 percent, depending on location. On top of that, they are asking for a 77 percent raise over the next six years. The West Coast dock workers recently made off with a 36 percent raise and were considered lucky. These increases in costs are just going to be transferred to the end consumer, and we'll likely see a jump in prices if these terms are accepted.

The other major ticket item is protection against automation. Autonomous ports are quickly becoming a reality, with major ports in China that are capable of handling vast amounts of cargo being run by a single office, not an army of dock workers. Naturally, the longshoremen are concerned that their jobs are at risk of being replaced by machines that can work harder, longer, for cheaper, and without risk of injury.

How will it affect Americans?

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Don't panic yet!

It is going to take some time for consumers to feel the effects of the strike and it is possible that a resolution could happen at any time.

Week one should be pretty much business as usual. It might be a good idea to stock up on fruit and other perishables, but there is no need to go COVID-lockdown-crazy yet.

Week two is when you'll first start feeling the pinch. Fresh fruits and veggies will become scarce, along with other imported goods like shoes, toys, and TVs. Prices will start to creep up as the shelves will start to look a little sparse. The supply of tools, lumber, and other hardware materials will also begin to dry up.

By week three, the cracks in the system will really start to show. Entire industries will begin to slow down, or even stop. Factory workers will get furloughed and sent home without pay. Stores will have to ration items, prices will be sky-high, and online orders will come to a standstill. At this point, the strike will have escalated into a full-blown crisis, and even if it was resolved immediately, it would still take weeks to restore everything to working order.

At the four-week mark, the situation will have developed into a national security crisis, and as Glenn describes, a poly-crisis. Small business will be closing their doors, entire brands will be out of stock, and everything that remains will be so expensive it is unaffordable. By this point, the holiday season will be drawing near and there will be a rush on any sort of gift or decor items left. At this point, irreparable damage to our economy will have occurred and it will be months if not years before it can be mended.

While that sounds bleak, with the election just around the corner, it seems unlikely that the Biden-Harris administration will let it get that bad. That being said, their administration has not been characterized by good decision-making and reasonable policy, so there are no guarantees.

What can be done?

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The big question is "Why hasn't Biden already done something?"

President Biden, who ran on the image of a blue-collar, union-worker, has been uncharacteristically absent from the issue. Despite his earlier involvement in a train strike, Biden has declared that involvement in union fights is not a presidential issue unless it getsreally bad.

So where's the line? At what point will he step in? He has to understand that an economic crisis right before the election will reflect poorly on Kamala.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive VP debate coverage!

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Join Glenntonight for Vice Presidential debate coverage you do not want to miss!

Tonight is the first (and only) Vice Presidential debate, and it will be hosted by CBS News. But don't be reliant on CBS News or any other mainstream media channel for their biased coverage. Join the BlazeTV live stream tonight to get the uncensored truth alongside top-quality commentary from Glenn and the rest of the world-class panel.

Glenn is joined by Megyn Kelly, Liz Wheeler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Steve Deace, Jill Savage, Dave Landau, and more to cover the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. Blaze Media subscribers gain access to live chat with the fantastic panel of hosts! If you subscribe today by visiting BlazeTV.com/debate you will get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount ever offered, so take advantage NOW!

See you TONIGHT at 8 PM ET for an event you do NOT want to miss it!

POLL: Can the VP debate affect the election?

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The first (and likely only) Vice President debate will be held on CBS News on Tuesday, October 1st.

The debate takes place at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will be the first time we see J.D. Vance and Tim Walz face off in person. Typically, the VP debate is little more than a formality, and rarely does it affect the election in any significant way. But this is no ordinary election. The stakes are higher than they have been in years, and Trump and Harris are still in a razor-thin race, according to the polls. Both Vance and Walz are relative newcomers to the national stage and still have room to make an impression on the American people, and with the race as tight as it is, that might make all the difference.

So what do you think? Can this VP debate make an impact on the election? Are you going to tune in? And what sort of questions and issues need to be brought up? Let us know in the poll below:

Will this VP debate be important in the overall election?

Are you going to watch the VP debate?

Should the debaters be asked about the Biden-Harris administration's failing economy?

Should the debaters be asked about climate change and energy policy?

Should the debaters be asked about the rise of globalism?

Five things that PROVE Kamala's plan for climate authoritarianism

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If you wanted to cripple America for years, what would be the best way to go about it?

If your mind immediately went to the power grid, you think a lot like Glenn. For decades the secret to America's growth and prosperity has been its abundant and relatively cheap energy. Electricity has been so cheap for so long that many Americans take it for granted, though raising prices has put it back on many people's radars.

There are forces on the Left, including Kamala Harris, who is working to be "unburdened by what has been," and plunge America into a dystopian future where only the elite can afford "luxuries" like A/C and dishwashers. While Kamala has either remained silent or been dismissive of her radical climate policies, here are things that prove that Kamala has disastrous plans for our energy future:

Kamala endorsed the Green New Deal

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In 2019, then-Senator Harris was proud to co-sponsor the Green New Deal. This was, by all metrics, the most authoritarian legislation in U.S. history. It was so over the top, cartoonishly evil, that it hardly seemed real. It aimed to ban all coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power, and dismantle and rebuild every aspect of our lives, from what we eat to how we travel (for the worse). It also aimed to provide economic security to those "unwilling to work," aka, money for nothing.

Had several failed climate actions

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After the Green New Deal was defeated, Kamala tried several times to pass something similar. First was the "Comprehensive Climate Plan" which she introduced during her 2019 presidential bid. This plan had a staggering 10 TRILLION DOLLAR price tag, which is double the entire U.S. federal budget and aimed at exceeding the Paris Agreement climate goals.

In 2020, she introduced the Climate Equity Act, which would have created another government office called the "Climate and Environmental Equity Office.” This office would review all congressional bills and judge their potential impact on "communities that have experienced environmental injustice or are vulnerable to climate injustice.” As if that wasn't overreaching enough, it would also require every government agency to publish a biannual "climate and environmental justice accountability agenda.”

Finally, she pushed the “Environmental Justice for All Act,” which is exactly what it says on the tin. It boils down to a bunch of new rules and advisory bodies that would give cash handouts to "environmental justice communities." Fortunately, just like the other two this one never saw the light of day.

Inflation reduction act

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The crowning jewel of Kamala's "historic" vice presidency was when she cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Green New Deal Jr, otherwise known as the Inflation Reduction Act. While it was obvious from the beginning that the Inflation Reduction Act had nothing to do with inflation, and was just a climate change bill in disguise, Biden recently confirmed this to all the nay-sayers. Kamala confirmed that this was more than just another Biden gaffe when she admitted that it is "the single largest climate investment in American history.”

So what fruits does this wonderful piece of legislation have to offer? 60 out of the promised 2,000+ EV school buses. It is unclear if the delay is caused by schools backing out of the program due to the technological limitations of the busses or the outrageous cost- more than three times that of a traditional bus. Kamala's vision of the future sure is bright.

Skyrocketing home prices

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If the Inflation Reduction Act is the greatest climate bill ever, then we have a pretty good idea of how it affects the average American: poorly. Over the past year, U.S. electricity prices have risen 3.6 percent, which outpaces inflation. Current estimates suggest the average American is paying 5,000 dollars a year more on utilities than they were before Biden and Kamala took office. Not to mention all the new green mandates enforced on new homes, which on average is adding 31,000 dollars to the price of homes.

Judging by the climate-leading state of California, this is pretty standard. Californians' electricity bill has gone up over three times faster than the rest of the nation since 2008 and Californians collectively owe more than 2 billion dollars in unpaid utility bills. Not to mention the havoc green energy is playing on the electric grid.

Ban fracking

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Over the last fifteen years, the U.S. has reduced our emissions more than any other nation, but this was accomplished despite the authoritarian legislation, not because of it. Natural free-market developments have encouraged a transition from coal to natural gas, largely due to fracking, which has dramatically increased the availability of the fuel. A whopping 43 percent of American electricity is generated by natural gas, meaning its price has a huge impact on the cost of energy. So naturally the Biden-Harris administration has cracked down on natural gas and oil exploration, and in 2019 Kamala stated that she favored banning fracking. She has since walked back that statement, but seeing how hostile the administration has been towards fracking it's almost certain that a Kamala presidency would spell doom for natural gas.

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