Santorum Continues Making Wild Claims
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As former senator Rick Santorum continues to ascend to the top of the heap in the Republican presidential primary contest, his controversial remarks this year and in years past are coming under increased scrutiny.
Tuesday night, Santorum took to the podium in front of a crowd in Phoenix and asserted President Barack Obama was intentionally trying to keep gas prices high in order to get Americans to drive less and thereby reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Washington Post.
The ludicrous claim drew boos from the crowd directed at the president, but shined a light on Santorum's penchant for making wild claims as he continues to try to win the GOP nomination to face Obama in November.
But then, the Drudge Report unearthed a comment from Santorum from 2008 when he said that Satan was setting his sights on the United States.
"Satan is attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity, and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that has so deeply rooted in the American tradition," Santorum told a crowd at Ave Maria University in Florida in 2008.
For his part, Santorum isn't backing away from the controversial comments. Santorum said that if people wanted to dig up his old speeches to a religious group, to "go ahead and do so." Santorum said that he would also defend everything he said.
The newest controversy comes less than a week after Santorum asserted President Barack Obama had a "different theology" than himself. Santorum said he wasn't trying to doubt Obama's Christianity.
But, one of his aides did just that earlier this week when they said that Obama was subscribed to a "radical Islamic policies." The aide said she meant "radical environmental policies."
