After losing his Senate seat in 2006 and two presidential campaigns, then getting fired from CNN, I thought Rick Santorum would have slithered off into the sunset. But I was wrong.

It turns out Santorum not only did not go away, he’s as obnoxious and divisive as ever. Right Wing Watch caught Santorum spreading the hate-mongering weirdness at a recent Family Leadership Summit sponsored by, among other conservative groups, Project 2025 authors, The Heritage Foundation.

“Don’t even call them progressives,” Santorum urged attendees. “They are Stalinists.” I’ll go out on a limb and bet that most Americans alive today, myself included, have no idea what Stalinism is. It's pretty clear that Kamala Harris, who is married to a successful lawyer, and Tim Walz, governor of a top business state, are operating fully in the capitalist system of the U.S. But if Santorum wants to talk about politicians and public figures more loyal to Russia than the U.S., he ought to take a closer look at Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard, to name a few.

Alas, don’t hold your breath. Santorum moved on to accuse the left of “using the power of government to destroy their opponents and to impose radical, socialistic ideas on this country.” I must have missed when Republican nominee Donald Trump, freely roaming the country, was “destroyed” as well as guys like Santorum who manage to stay in the public eye despite being serial political losers.

“If you are not hated by these Stalinist leftists out here, you are not doing your job,” Santorum continued.

Well, if this non-Stalinist progressive counts, then Santorum is definitely doing his job. Whatever that is.