Santorum: Obama ‘Intentionally Trying to Degrade Our Military’

Rick Santorum said today that President Obama is “intentionally trying to degrade our military” in order to allow countries like Russia and China to have more influence in the word.

Santorum, who is vying for the Republican presidential nomination, made his comments on the Glenn Back radio show after Beck suggested that Obama is “intentionally destroying us, but let’s not go there with you.”

“You could certainly go down the route that he’s intentionally trying to degrade our military and intentionally trying to change the entire foreign policy of this country to allow international organizations and other powers like Russia and China to have more influence in this world,” Santorum responded. “I don’t think there is any question that’s his intention, that he thinks America is a source of ill in the world.”

Santorum added that he believes Obama “does have a very different view of what America’s role is and it’s not just neglect.”

On the program, Santorum said he believes the American military is “overstretched” and that “we’ve done a horrible job managing these conflicts especially in Afghanistan.” Santorum called for a larger armed forces to prevent the current military from suffering “four, five, six, even seven deployments.”

Beck  compared Santorum to both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and while he said he doesn’t endorse candidates, he urged his listeners to give the former Pennsylvania senator ”a second look.”

The former Pennsylvania senator was on a media blitz today appearing on television and radio shows throughout the day promoting his struggling candidacy.

Earlier in the day on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Santorum was asked about the Penn State sex abuse scandal that has engulfed his alma mater. He called the allegations “a betrayal” adding it was “devastating on so many levels.”

Santorum had harsh words for Mike McQueary, the 28-year-old graduate student who allegedly witnessed suspect Jerry Sandusky raping a boy in the locker room shower but simply left the area and waited a day to report what he saw.  

“How can’t your gut reaction be to take a football helmet and hit him over the head with it?” Santorum asked. “To walk away, it’s inexplicable.”

He was also asked about the scandal on CNN this afternoon and he said it felt like he was “punched in the gut,” adding that  the ongoing abuse that was never acted upon was “sickening ” and a “systemic failure.”

Despite his still low poll numbers — a CNN poll out today has him at 3 percent support nationally — he said on MSNBC he believes he’s going to win the first caucus state of Iowa stressing his campaign is “resonating with activists.” He added that with their help his campaign is “building a base in the state” and he will “be successful and surprise a lot of people in Iowa.”