Social Conservatives ‘Ecstatic’ with Palin VP Pick, Rick Santorum Claims
EmailABC News’ Jennifer Parker Reports: Social conservatives are ‘ecstatic’ about John McCain’s vice presidential pick Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., told ABC News, on a flight from Washington, DC to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republican convention.
"She is a very, very positive pick for social conservatives," said Santorum, an ardent social conservative who is against abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.
"I haven’t (talked) to anyone who isn’t ecstatic about this pick," said Santorum, a former two-term Pennsylvania Senator who lost his seat during the 2006 mid-term election.
Santorum, who is scheduled to appear on Fox News’ "Hannity and Colmes" tonight from the convention, said Palin has proved her social conservative values "through her own personal experience" referring to her family’s decision not to terminate her fifth pregnancy with a son who has Down’s Syndrome.
Pailin’s lack of foreign policy experience is no big deal, said Santorum, who was roundly criticised for a 2006 attack ad against now-Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., that juxtaposed images of Casey with images of a nuclear mushroom cloud.
"I don’t think the foreign policy experience is that big of a deal," Santorum told ABC News.
"It’s important to pick someone that shares your values, is bright, competent and has leadership abilities," Santorum said of the important criteria for selecting a vice presidential candidate.
"She’ll learn all she needs to learn," he said of foreign policy. "You pick that stuff up."
Santorum said no one suggested Dick Cheney know everything about foreign policy before he got the vp job.
"There will be plenty of opportunities to learn that stuff as the number two," he said.
CPAC: Romney Struggles to Convince Voters 
Obama Backs Off Birth Control Battle?
It is reassuring that Rick Santorum has a hunch Palin will make a good President. I’m sold.
Posted by: doug | August 31, 2008, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
“She’ll learn all she needs to learn,” he said of foreign policy. “You pick that stuff up.”
Amazing statement after weeks of hacking at Obama over the same thing? Neo-cons are such hypocrites…..
Posted by: JA | August 31, 2008, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
Wonder how ecstatic Santorum and the other “ardent social conservatives” will be when the stories get out about the possibility that Palin’s 4 month old son is really her grandson?
http://dailykos.com:80/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223
Posted by: tlparp | August 31, 2008, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
“Social Conservatives”
You mean the far righht extreme of the Republican Party.
So much for their concern about International Relations
Posted by: Thinking | August 31, 2008, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
In case people forgot, Rick Santorum was the same guy who declared in 2006 that weapons of mass destruction were indeed found in Iraq among other brilliant observations. He lost his Senate seat in 2006 in the worst loss ever for an incumbent Republican Senator. Draw your own conclusions as to how to value his opinion.
Posted by: MIguy | August 31, 2008, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
typo: should’ve been “worst loss ever for an incumbent Republican Senator in Pennsylvania.”
Posted by: MIguy | August 31, 2008, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
I thought he was in jail..oh thats right he just ought to be
Posted by: jim | August 31, 2008, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
It is all about the oil. Palin got respect from me for taking on Exxon about oil leases –good it seems– but her husband worked for Exxon’s rival BP.
Until recently, he [Todd Palin] earned hourly wages as a production operator in a BP-run facility that separates oil from gas and water. Palin was making between $100,000 and $120,000 a year before he went on leave in December to make more time for his family and avoid potential conflicts of interest. London-based BP is heavily involved in the gas pipeline negotiations with his wife’s administration.
Being husband of the governor and being “on leave” is an odd way to avoid a conflict if you ask me.
MCCAIN PALIN ’08 “CHANGE THEY CAN LINE THEIR POCKETS WITH.”
Posted by: Mr. Coffee | August 31, 2008, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
The first order of business is judging the candidates executive experiences.
Remember they are applying for a job working for us not the otherway round. Obama has no executibe leadership skills, and neither does plugs.
Obama’s only attempt at executive experience was four years as founding chairman of the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge to bring change (where did I hear that one before) to inner city schools. But he was a total flop, squandering millions of dollars and valuable time of many public employees in the process.
Posted by: Norman | August 31, 2008, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
McCain also has no executive experience bone head
Posted by: jim | August 31, 2008, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
Palin is just as bad as Obama, Biden is just as bad as McCain; They offer the same strngths and weaknesses. No matter who wins, one party’s just as bland and identical as the other. But they’ll shreik “Change, change!!!” Til the cows come home. Either way, the same policies, the same problems, only they get a little worse each day. Be it tweedledee or tweedledum, either way the same agenda will be enforced no matter what. With only the meida enforcing your perception that you had any “choice” at all. Life goes on. And we’re all just along for the ride, where nobody knows or even cares to know who’s operating as the conductor behind the scenes. Until you figure that out, your just a pawn in the game. And are being played by the master. Enough said.
Posted by: argh! | August 31, 2008, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
It’s about judgment. Obama chose Biden, McCain chose Palin.
Posted by: MIguy | August 31, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Hey Jim, nor was McCain a Chicago street thug as the great Bill Clinton has pointed out. McCain was a naval officer – exective experience, he as more than enough.
Posted by: Norman | August 31, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Rick Santorum creeps out of the woodwork to support one of his kind. Santorum was wrong for the U.S. Senate so his recommendation of Sara Palin has to be weighed with a large measure of sanity. McCain’s strategy was to pander and activate the Evangelical Christian base and this appears to be working using Palin as a Barbie Doll. As for John McCain, what has changed in this group’s view of him?
Posted by: Lou R | August 31, 2008, 2:18 pm 2:18 pm
Erm noone suggested VP Cheney pick up foreign policy expertise because he had been Defense Secretary. *rolls eyes* I’d forgotten how much of an idiot Santorum is.
Is having the backing of social conservatives in the GOP such a great thing in a national election? Will get the base out but little else.
Posted by: markymark | August 31, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
good for them //////She can not run this country—- so big deal a house wife on a budget….Well most of us are so whats the big deal??????He is a sick puppy McCain and his wannnnnnna be barbie of a wife is now sticking her nose in geesh can’t let the likes of another woman beat her out.This is like a soap opera,,,,Hahahahaha
Posted by: indp voter | August 31, 2008, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
This proving her “conservative social values through having a Down’s Syndrome infant is using a high needs infant as a political advantage card, far worse ploy than McCain’s repeated reference to being a POW. There are also some very strange circumstances surrounding his birth. In April, during a governor’s conference in TX, Palin’s water broke. Instead of seeking immediate help for her premature and known Down’s Syndrome birth, she spent 8-10 hours on a flight back to Anchorage. In effect, she not only endangered herself and son, but subjected the passenger and crew to a potentially dangerous situation. There are a number of legitimate questions and issues surrounding Palin’s past behaviors and lack of vetting. For one, how does she reflect Republican family values by the endangerment of her son’s birth and campaigning with a newborn high risk and needs infant?
Posted by: kat | August 31, 2008, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
SARAH PALIN..GREAT CHOICE…
I’M AN EX-DEMOCRAT VOTING REPUBLICAN..
McCAIN/PALIN ’08
COUNTRY FIRST…….
Posted by: NICHOLAS | August 31, 2008, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
I didn’t think on the job training was what this country needs or wants…Out of both side of Mc Cain mouth….Make up your mind old man………
Posted by: me | August 31, 2008, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
Rick Santorum is an idiot and no one except mouth breathers pay him any attention.
Posted by: Trish | August 31, 2008, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Santorum likes Palin because she’s a big breeder. I can’t remember how many kids Santorum has, but it’s a bunch. Truth is, being a brood horse doesn’t qualify you to be president.
Posted by: Trish | August 31, 2008, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
Santorum likes Palin because she’s a big breeder. I can’t remember how many kids Santorum has, but it’s a bunch. Truth is, being a brood horse doesn’t qualify you to be president. OR VP
Posted by: Trish | August 31, 2008, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
The accusation that her 4 month old son is really her grandson?? You guys are hillarious. Explain then how she could have gone into labour while speaking at a meeting of Governors and been asked when she rushed off the stage if she was having the baby? idiots!
Posted by: s.b. | August 31, 2008, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
where is the beef with fresh air from Alaska ? Sarah Palin’s views are from XIXth century. No abortion, no stem cells research and climate change is not man made. And this is fresh air ? Ok I do agree that in the XIXth century was the atmosphere cleaner as today :)
Second point. Sarah Palin has more executive years than Obama and JFK before he took office. But are you guys really think that “executive” means “experience” and “judgment”. Ken Lay had also years and years of executive at Enron. But what a poor judgment. The same with Bush.
Third point. the same people who are comparing Obama’s experience with Palin’s never mentioned that formally Hillary (who claims her experience) never also had executive experience.
But without doubt would be Hillary a better president than Palin. We are not electing the evangelist of the year.
I do approve that Sarah Palin is a great commander in chief. She orders to fire someone and deny it afterwards. The trooper gate is the best proof.
The Palin honeymoon will be over in few days. Mark my words. The Alaska secrets will no longer- due to climate change – be frozen in ice.
Posted by: Fred | August 31, 2008, 2:50 pm 2:50 pm
Rushed off the stage for asn 8 hour flight to Alaska?
Real hurry!
Posted by: Thinking | August 31, 2008, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
Yes, either she had very bad judgment getting on an eight-hour flight when her water had broken OR she wasn’t pregnant at all and her “son” is actually her grandson. Neither possibility is very inspiring.
Posted by: jw | August 31, 2008, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
This is EXCELLENT news for McCain/Palin!
New Poll!!
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003844485
Posted by: Trish | August 31, 2008, 2:56 pm 2:56 pm
“Cindy McCain “Offended” By Obama’s Wealth Criticism”
Ha ha ha! lol
Is this the same Cindy McCaint who was so eager to rag on and misrepresent Michelle Obama’s comment about country and pride? lol
Cindy McCaint should be more concerned about demonstrating that she is not as mean as her DESERTER dad and her DESERTER husband, by PUBLICLY acknowledging and sharing some of her father’s huge amounts of wealth with her poorer sister.
Cindy’s dad is a DESERTER of his older wife and of HIS CHILD for younger flesh.
Cindy’s husband, McCaint, is a DESERTER of he older and partially incapacitated wife and of HIS CHILDREN, in order to marry up into money and down into younger flesh!
Posted by: Patriot | August 31, 2008, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
Obama can’t even hold Palin’s shoes when it comes to executive experience. McCain can also claim with her selection his ticket definitely has at least a few years of experience on the executive side. Obama and Biden have zip!
Posted by: Obama-Yah-Wright | August 31, 2008, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
McCain can’t even hold Palin’s shoes when it comes to executive experience!.
McCain can not claim any executive experience.
Palin for President!
Posted by: Thinking | August 31, 2008, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
Wow. So this woman is qualified to be the VP of the oldest president ever because she went through with a pregnancy? Just, wow.
Posted by: CJ | August 31, 2008, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm
HE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT….#2 CAN LEARN FROM #1……NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
AMERICANS VOTE TOP OF THE TICKET!
50% VOTE ON EMOTIONS
50% VOTE ON PARTY PLATFORMS
I could never vote for the inexperienced, lacking judgement, ego maniac, Wright, Rezko, Ayers, Pfleger loving Obama FOR OUR PRESIDENT…not Kenya, not Indonesia….but here in this great country that he
Posted by: Debra | August 31, 2008, 3:19 pm 3:19 pm
This article proves that social conservatives are mentally deranged, if what it says is true. Palin is so obviously unprepared to be President of the United States, that one would have to laugh at the proposition, if it wasn’t so dangerous to the United States. Can you see this woman as President successfully dealing with the likes of Putin, Iran, North Korea, the Economy, Global Warming, etc. I can’t!!! The election of Palin as V.P. would prove once and for all that the American Electorate has become so unintelligent that it can no longer govern itself. McSame’s decision smacks of recklessness, irrationality, and a complete lack of discretion. McSame has put the security of the United States in grave jeopardy with the nomination of this woman to the Office that is one heartbeat away from the Presidency.
Posted by: caliguy55 | August 31, 2008, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
McCain’s VP choice just goes to prove that he has lost it. Lost the judgement he once had, and is in no way ready to be President. My first thought on hearing and seeing his selection was that the ‘dirty old man’ in him came out, leading him to select a beauty queen. But then as I looked into Palin I realized he was trying to make everyone happy. Choosing a woman to hopefully appeal to the disjointed Hillarites still unhappy that Hillary didn’t win; but also Palin is unreasonably conservative. I’m not a ‘fan’ of abortion, but what reasonable person these days wants to deny an abortion even in the cases of rape or incest? Sarah Palin. She also wants to have creationism taught in school?! McCain said not too long ago that the main qualification for a VP is that they should be able to step in immediately as president. Palin admits she knows nothing about Iraq!
This selection should make EVERYONE question John McCain’s judgement.
Posted by: Jerry from Oregon | August 31, 2008, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
We have the Lord Jesus Christ on our side now – this is why social conservatives understand what is happening right now with Mrs. Palin. It is divine intervention at it’s finest! We need to support this magnificent woman who lives like a TRUE Christian unlike Obama who admitted drug use with his racist BLACK church! NO NO NO OBAMA!
GO MCCAIN / PALIN!
Posted by: Steven Cartwright | August 31, 2008, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Santorum as ALWAYS, IS A LIAR!
Conservatives are AGAINST ANYONE who uses
EMINENT DOMAIN or HIGHER TAXES.
PALIN is GUILTY OF BOTH!
Palin’s EMINENT DOMAIN SCAM is enough to keep ANY TRUE REPUBLICAN from voting for her.
10-yrs later and Wasilla is STILL paying for that mess, with HIGHER TAXES and LESS SERVICES.
http://www.adn.com/matsu/story/474934.html
Posted by: sam | August 31, 2008, 6:32 pm 6:32 pm
My O My!!! Liberals need to get their panties off their heads. Get OVER it!!!
Palin is the change that Obammma has been screaming about. Obammma said change and then picked a 80 year old with hairplugs.
Looks like the report of her water being broke with hundreds of witnesses around, totally debunks the desperate “Housewives” freak and bull story that Dkos is tossing around.
Looks like a landslide in November.
Posted by: LarryMan | August 31, 2008, 6:57 pm 6:57 pm
McCain is absolutely brilliant! Picking Palin was a stroke of genius. Voters are very excited about the McCain/Palin ticket. They will no doubt win in November.
Posted by: Jmt | August 31, 2008, 10:22 pm 10:22 pm
Mc Cain has no chance. We can all watch Slick Rick’s family cry again after this election as well.
Posted by: Mike | August 31, 2008, 11:05 pm 11:05 pm
you social conservative nuts you don’t put your job before you kids. She have 5 small childen no to mention a sick one as well. This is not the time for her to accept VP position at with 5 young kids. Her first priority is be a mother to those kids.
We all no the story about Rick Santorum lieing about he resident to get free schooling for his kids.
Posted by: gl | August 31, 2008, 11:19 pm 11:19 pm
We have the Lord Jesus Christ on our side now – this is why social conservatives understand what is happening right now with Mrs. Palin. It is divine intervention at it’s finest! We need to support this magnificent woman who lives like a TRUE Christian unlike Obama who admitted drug use with his racist BLACK church! NO NO NO OBAMA!
GO MCCAIN / PALIN!
Posted by: Steven Cartwright
I think it is the other way around. God is on the Dems side watch the next few day!
Posted by: gl | August 31, 2008, 11:21 pm 11:21 pm
I think McCain is a toon, I got out my old copy of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, and did some research. That would account for his strange actions (the only other explanation is the onset of alzheimer’s).
Maybe some of the protesters can try the “Shave and a haircut” and see if he jumps up and yells “Two bits”. A maverick or a toon, you decide.
Another thing he can do to reassure the voters is undergo extensive testing for dementia, it could be alzheimer, in which case he needs to be tucked away in a nursing home for the rich, something most American’s can’t afford.
Palin?? what kind of mother would leave her needy newborn as well as her state which is presently locked in a life or death struggle with Russian influence infiltrating across the Berin Straits to go to a meaningless political ritual aimed at continuing the enslavement of the American people and by extension all decent working people everywhere.
Posted by: Chris | September 1, 2008, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
Gov Palin was a pawn selected for entirely political reasons. She is a hunter (NRA), from Alaska (drilling), husband works for the oil company (drilling, big oil), son in Iraq (don’t bad mouth the war), downs syndrome child (pro life). Even her inexperience is a political tactic (you take out our #2 we take out your #1). She has less the 2 years experience as governor of the 3rd smallest state in the country (smaller population then many fairly small cities in this country). In the less than 2 years as governor she is already caught up in some stupid scandal in her state house. Before that she was on the city council and mayor of a town with 5000 people. It is certainly not her education that makes her a good candidate for leader of the free world (she has a BA in Journalism for the U of Idaho). This pick was completely inappropriate. Too many people are so caught up in party politics and to see how inappropriate this pick is! My guess is “she” will decide it is best for “her family” not to run in the next couple weeks (and at that time the party faithful will again applaud the decision because she is now “putting her family first”).
The country needs a great leader. Great leaders don’t do the work, they motivate others to believe they are great and they help them accomplish great things. They give people hope. I am not even going to say who I am for (I am an independent). We need an intelligent leader who gives people hope (because hope running thin). Please step back, think for yourself, and stop destroying our country.
Posted by: helloall | September 1, 2008, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
These people need to RUN not walk to the nearest yoga studio.
The way they are twisting themselves into unnatural (for them) positions and poses, they are ALL going to turn into PRETZELS!
Posted by: Patricia | September 2, 2008, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
She’s an oil lady – that’s all that’s needed during the Oil Wars.
Posted by: cmnsns | September 3, 2008, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm