The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Rick Santorum in Cavuto Interview: ‘This Is the Hatchet-Job of All Time’ (Video Added)

Posted on | March 23, 2012 | 114 Comments

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana
Rick Santorum says it is “absurd” for anyone to suggest he would not support the Republican Party’s nominee against President Obama.

“This is the hatchet-job of all time,” the former Pennsylvania senator told Neil Cavuto during an often-contentious Friday afternoon interview on Fox News about Santorum’s comments at a Thursday event in Texas. “I’ve said repeatedly the number-one priority is beating Barack Obama. I’d support anybody. They said, ‘Would you support Ron Paul?’ Of course, I’d support anybody on the Republican ticket and I’ve said it throughout the course of this campaign.”

Santorum blasted the controversy over his remarks during an appearance Thursday in San Antonio as “a made-up story.” During that Texas speech, Santorum reiterated his argument for offering a conservative alternative to Obama by saying that if Republicans nominate Mitt Romney, “we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future.” (Click here to see full quote and video of Santorum’s San Antonio comments.)

In his Friday interview with Cavuto, Santorum clarified that remark, saying said he has been “traveling around this country saying that the highest priority is to defeat Barack Obama, and what I was saying there is that, if we don’t have a choice, then the American public, y’know, may decide to keep Barack Obama. That’s all I said. I’ve said it in every speech.”

The latest polls show Santorum with a double-digit lead among Louisiana Republicans on the eve of Saturday’s primary here.

I will have more quotes from Santorum’s interview with Cavuto, and will add reaction to his interview and video as they become available.

UPDATE: Alex Alvarez at the liberal Mediaite blog headlines this, “Neil Cavuto Hammers Rick Santorum Over Obama/Romney Comparison,” and calls the interview “a shouting match.” Cavuto was (a) at the very least playing devil’s advocate or (b) possibly even pushing Romney talking points. But I repeat myself.

Anyway, here’s the video:

UPDATE II: Fox News calls this a “fiery interview” and, indeed, Cavuto’s viewers saw the fiery side of Rick Santorum. Clearly, he has gotten sick and tired of what’s been happening the past few weeks: Reporters playing journalistic “gotcha” games, knowing that if they can be the first to find two “controversial” sentences in an hour-long Santorum speech and turn it into a catchy headline, they’re guaranteed a Drudge link.

Let those of you who are not Santorum fans ask yourself this important question: What if you were in Rick Santorum’s shoes?

What if you had spent all those months criss-crossing Iowa in a pickup truck, speaking to small groups of Republican voters. Sometimes less than a half-dozen would show up, but Rick would give them the full treatment, as if they were the most powerful and influential Republicans in Iowa — and, as it turned out, they were: When push came to shove, after the Perry bandwagon ran into the ditch, after the Cain Train ran off the rails, after Newt imploded, all those voters Santorum had been shaking hands with said to themselves, “You know something? We ought to vote for Rick. He’s earned it.”

And he earned it when nobody believed he could do it, when all he had was determination in the face of relentless discouragement.

Santorum didn’t have big money. He didn’t have praise from big-name pundits. He didn’t have the GOP Establishment on his side, and the major media gave him quite nearly zero coverage. But he kept plugging away — “Steady Eddie,” as he said — until he finally broke through.

So he did all that, campaigning for nearly a year, and now that he’s the leading rival to Mr. Inevitable, what kind of coverage does he get? “Gotcha”!

And too many conservatives, who should be defending Santorum against these attacks, are instead playing along with the media “gotcha” game, ready to throw Santorum under the Romney bus.

Let me tell you something: I remember when Charles Johnson tried to throw Pamela Geller under the wheels of his Little Green Bus, and I stood up and said not just no, but hell, no.

Maybe Rick Santorum’s not your favorite candidate. Maybe Pamela Geller’s not your favorite blogger. Maybe Rush Limbaugh’s not your favorite talk-radio host, but conservatives can’t let liberals tell us who our friends are.

Don’t let liberals tell you what to think. Don’t play along with the “gotcha” game. Don’t help them defame people’s reputations.

By God, REMEMBER BREITBART!

Update III (Smitty): thank you, Instapundit! I think Stacy may be in need of encouragement down in the Big Easy.

Update IV (Smitty): linked by CrackMC in a long meditation with quite a few interesting images and thoughts. Have to re-read that one.

Category: Election 2012, Fox News, Louisiana, Rick Santorum

Comments

114 Responses to “Rick Santorum in Cavuto Interview: ‘This Is the Hatchet-Job of All Time’ (Video Added)”

  1. CPAguy
    March 24th, 2012 @ 2:50 pm

     There are no other alternatives.

  2. CPAguy
    March 24th, 2012 @ 2:51 pm

     Cavuto always plays devils advocate, even with people he likes.  Its his style.

  3. Pathfinder's wife
    March 24th, 2012 @ 3:18 pm

    Ok, as somebody living in the LoL I’ll clue you in: there is no way in some states (like CA or IL, but the number is growing) where the rural, and largely conservative population, can out vote the urban centers, which are usually very leftist and growing moreso by the day.  That in turn gives you a state legislature that is usually highly corrupt, and nothing proposed by the rural areas manages to make it out of chambers.  IL and CA (and NY) are good case studies in what happens to both individual liberties, living conditions, and the structures of both parties as the larger urban areas grow in wealth and influence, and realize that they really can get anything they want.

    As for being resigned to Romney: yeah, to a degree I am as well (although there’s always the offhand chance…), but there is no way that I’m going to become a full throated supporter of his.  It’s bad enough that I’ll likely be put into the position of voting for him (and it will be an excercise in futility as well, because if he doesn’t catch a clue: physically abused hybrid equine for hire time).

  4. Pathfinder's wife
    March 24th, 2012 @ 3:31 pm

    Maybe Santorum doesn’t care if he ruins his chances for a future in the GOP.
    Maybe, for that matter, does Newt.

    And please,  I have yet to see anyone who supported ABR want to see Obama win — I do see a lot of them who think they won’t be winning much other than a point for team R if Obama loses to Romney, but they don’t want to see Obama win.  I see a lot of people who can foresee some very serious issues, even that Romney with the way he is going will get blown out by Obama, but that is not the same as wanting Obama to win.
    Criticism is not being a “hater” — but I will admit: the Romney campaign and the Romney supporters have taken a very foolish turn with their rhetoric (the same one they themselves gave Perry supporters so much grief over).  They should seriously reconsider or it could cost them plenty (and they will have no one to blame but themselves).  It is not a good way to win hearts and minds, and the American people are not an enemy (thus you should care about winning their hearts and minds).

  5. Lisa Graas: Santorum’s Secret Weapon : The Other McCain
    March 24th, 2012 @ 3:55 pm

    […] still be busted flat in Baton Rouge.RECENTLY:March 24: Neutral Objective JournalismMarch 23: Rick Santorum in Cavuto Interview: ‘This Is the Hatchet-Job of All Time’ (Video Added)March 23: BULLETIN: 5.0 Earthquake Hits Vanuatu; New Poll Shows Rick Santorum Headed for […]

  6. ThePaganTemple
    March 24th, 2012 @ 4:31 pm

     Pathfinder’s wife-

    How about getting rid of Obama? Could you be a full-throated supporter of that?

    And like I said, some states will not outlaw abortion. That’s only to be expected in states like California and some others. You could probably go down the line and pick them out.

    But at least overturning Roe and turning it back to the states will afford the opportunity for those states who don’t want it to not have it crammed down their throat by the federal government or leftist judges.

    And frankly, that’s as good as its going to get. A national constitutional amendment, whether pro or con abortion, will never pass. It will either be seen as extreme by not just the opposing side but by the majority of voters (especially independents), or so watered down with exceptions that hard core supporters of either side will fight it.

    The only constitutional amendment I could support would entail exactly what I’m suggesting, that its a state’s rights issue. That’s the only sure way to settle the damn thing once and for all as far as its influence over the public arena. That way the states can decide whatever they want in their own state constitutions and in the meantime let their own extremists fight it out.

    Frankly both sides piss me off, so my vote is likely to be determined by which one gets on my bad side the worst way at the right time.

  7. Fear And Loathing 2012: Like A Lou’siana Fairy Tale « The Camp Of The Saints
    March 24th, 2012 @ 4:33 pm

    […] -From Baton Rouge: Rick Santorum in Cavuto Interview: ‘This Is the Hatchet-Job of All Time’ (Video Added) […]

  8. Quartermaster
    March 24th, 2012 @ 8:06 pm

    Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

    Yes, sometimes I am weak in such situations. 🙂

  9. LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS HQ : The Other McCain
    March 24th, 2012 @ 8:52 pm

    […] 24: Lisa Graas: Santorum’s Secret WeaponMarch 24: Neutral Objective JournalismMarch 23: Rick Santorum in Cavuto Interview: ‘This Is the Hatchet-Job of All Time’ (Video Added)March 23: BULLETIN: 5.0 Earthquake Hits Vanuatu; New Poll Shows Rick Santorum Headed for […]

  10. ThePaganTemple
    March 24th, 2012 @ 9:16 pm

     @98746a1a064f1c4277481aba76601300:disqus
    No harm done. I myself find it hard to resist the opportunity to lodge a good one-liner.

  11. BizzyBlog
    March 25th, 2012 @ 2:15 pm

    […] the circumstances, characterized the AP’s smear as “the hatchet job of all time” in an interview with Fox News’s Neil Cavuto on […]

  12. gloogle gloogle
    March 26th, 2012 @ 12:59 am

     Pathfinder’s wife:  your ability to read minds is… overstated.  As are your rhetorical skills.  But hey, it’s a lot easier to make fun of someone you disagree with, than to counter their points.

  13. Srsrules
    March 26th, 2012 @ 11:07 pm

    Really George Romney is the Gaff machine and he has surronded himself with bBush and McCain crowneys.  The Media will cover for Mittens till he has the nomination and them the real we will see who the real train wreck is.  I am a Santorum guy and have been wthcing him for years and he is clearly the best candidate.  You have bought into the left pture painting.  Tey will do back flips to make Santorum look as foolish as they can. 

  14. Srsrules
    March 26th, 2012 @ 11:11 pm

    So you read the printed lies and now your doing the bidding of the left.  You must be a Proud Romney supporter.  You learned well from Mittens . Afterall he has spent 50 million on slinging Mud