Looks like Mr. Man-on-dog Rick Santorum's irony alert button is broken, but that's nothing new. While complaining about the mean old President saying
August 23, 2009

Looks like Mr. Man-on-dog Rick Santorum's irony alert button is broken, but that's nothing new. While complaining about the mean old President saying that one network is devoted to doing nothing but attacking his administration, Santorum makes his point for him.

VAN SUSTEREN: Former senator Rick Santorum joins us here in Washington. Senator, I think he watches cable news!

SANTORUM: It's not cable -- he's watching FOX. I mean, he's talking about the cable chatter. He's certainly not talking about MSNBC. I mean, my goodness, they're the biggest cheerleader -- you know, they're just -- they're all over Barack Obama. This -- this is an attack on FOX. this is -- this reminds me of what Hugo Chavez was doing down in Venezuela, trying to shut down the voice of opposition in the media! This is -- this is not good, really, in my opinion, not good at all.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, it's -- I mean, it's sort of a -- I mean, we have some people on this network who are, you know, politically conservative. Sean Hannity -- no one's going to dispute that.

SANTORUM: Sure.

VAN SUSTEREN: So he goes after him. But -- but we have a lot of news gatherers, as well, who are just gathering the news.

SANTORUM: And case in point, you. I mean, I don't think anyone's going to come and say, Well, you're just -- you've been brutal on Barack Obama. You've not been brutal on him. You've put the case -- you've made the case for and against him. When you thought he was right, you stood -- you stood out there and said it.

He's -- he's overreacting. This is a very thin-skinned president. This is a guy who's not used to being criticized. And the fact that some here on FOX are taking him on and some, like yourself, are just holding him accountable when he's crossing the line in the wrong direction -- you know, his reaction, I think, is really unprofessional.

VAN SUSTEREN: So what -- how -- did he package this bill wrong? I mean, what -- with this health care bill -- I mean, why is he having such a hard time that now we become the bad guys?

SANTORUM: It's not the package, it's the substance. That's really been the problem all along. He's trying to sell something -- he's going out and -- and selling a product that doesn't exist. He says, Well, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan, there is no abortion, I mean, you know, this is going to save money. This is a trillion-dollar bill! It's going to spend a trillion dollars! He said, Oh, it's going to save money.

And the American public is looking at this, thanks to FOX News, thanks to conservative radio, thanks to the Internet, which is increasingly powerful, and they're getting the facts. They're looking at the facts. They're saying, You know, Mr. President, what you're saying doesn't jibe with that you're -- the folks over in the House and Senate re doing. So it's not going anywhere, and that's why this is such -- in big trouble right now.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, you see that it seems that in the House that they're -- the Democrats are having very different views. I mean, you have Steny Hoyer saying that the public option, you know, probably -- might have to go. And the Speaker of the House says it's got to stay.

SANTORUM: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: I mean, so when your own party -- because they theoretically don't need the Republicans.

SANTORUM: They...

VAN SUSTEREN: They -- they could -- they could do this one themselves.

SANTORUM: Here's the difference between a Speaker and a leader. A Speaker is sort of in her ivory castle. I mean, Speakers are a lot more removed from the rank-and-file members than the leader is. The leader is getting, I'm sure, that Democratic members all over the country are burning up the wires to Steny, saying, Hey, this is a big problem. You've got to do something. You got to -- you got to back us off this ledge. We're going to be in big trouble. Don't listen to the radicals over there. You got to start listening to the guys who put you in the majority, which are the swing seats, not the hard-left seats. And that's why Steny is starting to, I think, reflect what he's hearing from his members.

VAN SUSTEREN: But it seemed to be a little bit more politically astute if the two of them sort of sat down in the same room, instead of having one say one thing and one say the next day because, you know, then we just grab on it, and then we are what President Obama says. We are chattering about it because how can you miss it? You know, they should -- it might look a little better if they got on the same page.

SANTORUM: Yes, how many times do you see two leaders of a party actually, you know, have a really wonderful, great and warm relationship? Look, they both see themselves as the leader in the House, and I think there is -- as Bill said, there's some problems there. It's being reflected in that Nancy is an ideologue very tied to the left in her caucus. Steny Hoyer is much more practical, listening to the folks he should be listening to and trying to craft something that's a little bit more plausible for -- for the long term for the Democrats.

VAN SUSTEREN: And then the president of the Democratic Party is basically trying to herd cats.

SANTORUM: No, I think -- I think what -- I think what you're finding is, is the Democrats -- is -- is Obama is actually siding with Pelosi. I mean, she's -- he's sounding...

(CROSSTALK)

SANTORUM: ... sounds like he's going it alone.

VAN SUSTEREN: If he doesn't get the other ones -- if he doesn't get the other ones, he's cooked.

SANTORUM: I agree with you, but he sounds like they are clearly on a path of doing this alone. Rahm Emanuel's not dropping hints for no reason at all. They're -- they're sounding like, We're going to go it alone in the House, we're going to beat the living daylights of every Democratic senator in the Senate, and we're going to try to get 60 votes to get this done. That's what it sounds like the plan is.

VAN SUSTEREN: Senator, thank you, sir.

SANTORUM: My pleasure.

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