Senior Obama Advisor: Rick Santorum’s ‘Phony Theology’ Comment ‘Well Over the Line’
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Obama campaign strategist and former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs blasted GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum this morning, saying he was “well over the line” for questioning President Obama’s Christian faith.
“It’s wrong, it’s destructive and it makes it virtually impossible to solve the problems we face together as Americans,” Gibbs told me in an exclusive interview Sunday on “This Week.” “It’s just time to get rid of this mindset in our politics that if we disagree we have to question character and faith.”
Gibbs was responding to comments Santorum made Saturday that Obama is pushing a “phony theology” that is not based on the Bible and “imposing his secular values on the church.”
Although Santorum later insisted he was not suggesting Obama was not a Christian, Gibbs said his comments still went too far.
“I think that if you make comments like that, you make comments that are well over the line,” Gibbs said. “It’s time to have a conversation on political issues, not question each other’s faith.”
Faith-based issues have surged to the forefront of the political debate over the past few weeks, particularly in the GOP primary, as a fierce debate over contraception and gay marriage erupted onto the national scene.
Gibbs said Sunday that he did not know if legalizing same-sex marriage would be on the Democratic platform heading into the general election.
“I think we all look to and want to live in a world where, if you’re applying for a job or doing anything, you’re not judged on your sexual orientation,” Gibbs said. “And I think living in a society where that doesn’t happen is a society we all want to live.”
The Obama campaign adviser said the “nastiness” and “divisiveness” taking place in the GOP primary are threatening the Republican Party’s standing with the American people.
“The GOP primary has, in many cases, been a race to the bottom,” Gibbs said.
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Who was it that said Jesus would support “his” policies? The President played with fire and will get burned by his own words! What a hypocrite?
Posted by: Common _ Sense | February 19, 2012, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Karl Rove started this insane religious and nationalistic crap to stir-up faith-based Americans. And Rove adopted this idea from Hitler; it’s all a part of a very dark period of history that he and his minions seek to rebirth to try to keep republicans in power. It’s a very sick and twisted campaign to impose Third Reich idealologies.
Posted by: nfission | February 19, 2012, 12:31 pm 12:31 pm
Obama says there is more than one path to God…for a person who claims to be a Christian that is a ‘Phony Theology’ because the person he says he believes in said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Posted by: bywhatright | February 19, 2012, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
Obama , Gibbs & Company should be among the very Last to bring up religion…………the POTUS couldn’t find a church in Wasington if he were forced to……….you can’t make a boy scout out of a chicago politiician. AMEN!
Posted by: reggie | February 19, 2012, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Posted by: bywhatright | February 19, 2012, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
Such a human trait – conceit.
Posted by: Carey | February 19, 2012, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm
The dems have got to be happy about the idiot santorium making the election about religion instead of the economy. Thanks Santorium for falling into the dems trap—(btw, the catholic church insurance not covering birth contro, is actually not about religion, its about dictator Obama overstepping the constitution and our laws to make church/business responsiable for a woman’s birth control. This is a free market, if whoever doesn’t like their insurance not paying for birth control/ tummy tucks/whatever—they are free to look for and get an insurance that does.) Please republicans put up a candidate that isn’t an out touch easily manipulated religious Goon.
Posted by: bebesaid | February 19, 2012, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Posted by: bebesaid | February 19, 2012, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Mandated Health Insurance Benefits: A mandated benefit is coverage that your health insurance company is required by law to provide.
You can research the history of this and what benefits have been mandated by law.
The new federal law (like many state laws) mandates that women’s contraception be included in health insurance coverage. Simple as that.
Posted by: Bill | February 19, 2012, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Before Santorum pursues his goal of becoming president, he should read the Constitution of the United States of America:
Article Six: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Posted by: Larry Linn | February 19, 2012, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
The new federal law (like many state laws) mandates that women’s contraception be included in health insurance coverage. Simple as that.
Posted by: Bill | February 19, 2012, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
The primary purpose of healthcare insurance is to correct a medical problem. In rare cases where contraceptive drugs are needed to correct a medical problem, insurance companies usually cover the drugs (mine does). Pregnancy, however, is not a medical problem.
Posted by: Susan | February 19, 2012, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
I agree, Mr. Santorum has gone way over the line…especially for a christian. Where does he come off questioning someone as to what kind of values they have. President Obama does have values and would never say this about you. You seem to have forgotten that the Bible says Judge not…least you be judged. I guess all the raving you did about the other candidates type of campaigning was for show because you have joined in with a worse line of campaigning. While the republicans continue to talk of gloom and doom and be judgemental of each other personally and otherwise, President Obama continues to talk about positive things and what could happen if we all work together…to me that is more christian than what is coming out of the mouths of the republican party. As a female, I am appalled at Mr. Issa’s so called committee to judge women. Bishops and all holy people and republicans….now there’s a chance on fairnness…NOT. There should be women on the panel as well as doctors to inform all on the other reasons contraceptives are used to prevent cysts, endometriocis..and other female problems not just birth control. However, birth control is a woman’s right….and they are doing everything they can to kill it. In Virginia, women must submit to a “vaginal” utrasound and they have no say should they require an abortion. What is going on here? Other republicans are meeting to determine just when an egg becomes human. Where is the republican party going? Talk about too much interference in a person’s life….Should they discontinue a women’s right to ch oose…I think we need to take away men’s right tobe fixed. a vasectomy …as this is another form of birth control which funny, they never seem to mention.
Posted by: talmag | February 19, 2012, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
Pregnancy, however, is not a medical problem.
Posted by: Susan | February 19, 2012, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
Pregnancy is most certainly a medical issue. Even a wanted and successful pregnancy will incur many medical costs and procedures, doctors time, use of medical facilities and so on, so it is without a double a medical problem to be addressed and payed for. In the case of unwanted pregnancies many other problems arise.
This is why women use birth control – to prevent unwanted events and costs – both medical and otherwise and that is why contraception is mandated in so many jurisdictions.
Time to come out of the dark ages Susan (Chuck).
Posted by: Ben | February 19, 2012, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
Santorium gives christians a bad name. Jesus never took from the poor andgave to the rich. Like he wants to do.
Posted by: kbo | February 19, 2012, 7:49 pm 7:49 pm
Black Liberation “theology” (james Cone) taught by Rev Jeremiah Wrigjt teaches that God is evil if He likes White peopke.
I would say that Sen. Santorum is justified in saying that it is “phony. Thus is the “tgeoligy” Nr. Obama adhered to prior to 2008 for 20 yrs.
Posted by: Bobbi | February 19, 2012, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
Black liberation theology:” then God needs to be done away with. Liberation from a false god who privileges whites, and the realization of an alternative and true God who desires the empowerment of the oppressed through self-definition, self-affirmation, and self-determination is the core of black liberation theology.”
Posted by: Bobbi | February 19, 2012, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
Posted by: Bobbi | February 19, 2012, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
Are you trying to say that God caused slavery Bobbi?
Posted by: Jesse | February 19, 2012, 8:19 pm 8:19 pm
Posted by: Ben | February 19, 2012, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
Most men aren’t obsessed about getting pregnant or the pregnancy process, Ben. You should spend more time worrying about things that could actually happen to you.
Posted by: sarah | February 20, 2012, 9:19 am 9:19 am
How can Santorum, a Catholic, pander for the votes of protestants by “speaking truth” on Obama’s theology. I mean, let’s face it….. Obama’s theology is much closer to Catholicism than the fundamentalists.
Posted by: blip | February 20, 2012, 11:09 am 11:09 am
Last night I was puzzled about an ABC news article announcing the Primary Election results from Illinois and was puzzled so I saved the online link…this morning I went back and got a message saying this page didn’t exist. As luck would have it I saved a picture of the News Report. The bottom right clearly shows the date. But ABC news is no longer publishing the news report on today’s Illiinois Primary before the votes are even counted…the one that shows all the votes counted and Santorum getting 987,453 and 32% of the vote. Will that same report be displayed tonight after the election? If you are going to be announcing election results before the votes are counted, are you able to get the lottery results in advance, too? If so, no need to publish the news, just send it to me alone please.
Posted by: Myra Brewer | March 20, 2012, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm