Santorum likens Obama administration to "drug dealer"

Rick Santorum

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum compared the Obama administration to a drug dealer who wants to get Americans hooked on entitlement programs to expand his power.

Santorum said the president's health care law in a new addictive drug.

"That's how they see you, as people, to get hooked like a drug dealer, someone to become dependent on them and once that happens, they got you," Santorum said during a speech to several hundred people at Grace Church late Sunday. "America is changed forever. No country that has socialized medicine has ever gone back the other way, no country that has lost its freedom has ever regained it."

In 2010, Santorum made a similar statement about President Obama, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid - all Democrats -- in a speech to the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee's dinner, according to the website Buzzfeed. Santorum is well known for his biting, sometimes over-the-top political rhetoric, which has prompted members of his own party to question his electability in a fall matchup with Obama.

In other remarks at the church, Santorum also drew contrasts with rival Mitt Romney ahead of Oklahoma's primary on Tuesday, part of the Super Tuesday sweepstakes. He noted that he has never supported government mandates in health care while Romney did as Massachusetts governor.

Describing why he believes that increasing taxes on the wealthy would not reduce the nation's deficit, Santorum said that the rich would just move their money offshore and used Romney as a hypothetical example.

"My tax rate was about 27, 28 percent. Governor Romney's was half that amount. I'm not criticizing that. ... He can take his capital gains, and he can take his investments, and move them offshore, move them someplace else. I'm not saying he would do that, but I'm saying a lot of people could do that and would do that if the government suddenly started taxing them more."

Romney does maintain offshore assets, according to his financial disclosure statements and tax returns. And while Romney's wealth dwarfs Santorum's, the former senator from Pennsylvanai makes roughly $1 million a year, according to his tax returns.

[csmorehouse]

"No country that has socialized medicine has ever gone back the other way". No ****, because for the most part, the people of those countries like it and wouldn't want our system.

[rsjlw]

I certainly don't understand why America feels it always has to take the lead and jump into attacks on other countries. I do not believe we need to be a police state and I certainly don't believe we need to join Israel and start bombing Iran. I agree that it is a trap to give Iran the green light to start attacking Israel and America. We don't see other countries in full force like America. This is why the world thinks we are "cowboys". Why do these people think they can burn American flags in the streets, side with terrorists ideas yet call on the good ole' US to save them? I can't believe Santorum and McCain think it's ok to just start bombing sovereign nations. I'm not against helping people who are being slaughtered, of course, but I think this knee jerk reaction by these republicans is dangerous. We need diplomacy and a calm, cool head. The repubs are NOT calm. They seem to be warmongers and christian crusaders. What is wrong with these people??? I'm definitely voting Obama. Romeny is the only stable repub, but he is very out of touch. If Palin gets in in any way I'm with Whiteny Houston.....

[arlineo]

This man has lost his mind. We should ignore him and everything he says. We owe it to ourselves to stay healthy in mind, body and soul. Listening to him, reading about him, or discussing him is dangerous to our respective states of health. I'm referring to Rick Santorum. May this be the last time he runs for anything!

[jailforbankers]

Chicken Hawks like Santorum, Gingrich and Romney should never be allowed to make decisions that affect real peoples' lives.

[FredESmit]

The Frothy Mixture of Feces and really full of Human Excrement.

And this guy is suppose to be a Christian ? Jesus would be very disappointed in how these hateful Loon act and treat people.

[FredESmit]

The Frothy Mixture of Feces and really full of Human Excrement.

And this guy is suppose to be a Christian ? Jesus would be very disappointed in how these hateful Loon act and treat people.

[Skylinerbr]

I believe it is absolutely correct for our nation to not apply a religious "litmus" test for Presidential candidates.

However, there should be a sanity test. In Santorum's case it would indicate he is certifiably insane. The best we can do is ignore this man until he fades out of the picture.

[Philly-Jimi]

Really a drug dealer?

Here is something Santorum, how about you actually offer just one idea of how you can improve things? Just one! Stop bashing the President, as a voter I can choose for myself if I think you can do a better job then him. But you never ever do anything besides run your mouth and want to preach about immorality from your closed minded religious positions.

You want to be the Pope not the President.

[Jose79845]

Both the Democrats and Republicans are drug pushers. We all thought Obama would ease up on marijuana. Instead we get bunk drugs like Xanax that killed Whitney Houston.

[moretruthnow]

That is nonsense. Neither party are drug pushers. There is a strong drug and health care lobby that is very powerful. They don't want lower prices and they don't want care for more people. We do not know what killed Whitney Houston but it had nothing to do with President Obama. I also would prefer that they legalize marijuana and there is an effort underway, but like all efforts it will take time to get more and more people to agree that it is harmless and is an important drug that helps many people.

[dvanilla1]

Xanax is a drug for anxiety not to kill anyone.

[ejerod]

Christians everywhere should be appalled. How dare this man claim He represents Christ and what Christ stands for? Santorum has displayed arrogance and hypocrisy during his campaign that borders insanity.

First he claims that wanting our kids to go to college makes us snobs, while he himself holds 3 degrees from prestigious colleges and universities. Now he wants to say the president is a drug dealer , wanting ton consolidate his power by having all Americans participate in some government program or another. Do those government programs include the paychecks you recieved as a public official your entire adult career Mr.Santorum?

This is what the Republican party has become? A party full of ignorance and hypocrisy? With a party like that purporting itself to represent "the American people", having enemies like Iranian dictators and Alquaida are the least of our worries. We have crazed terrorists in our own back yard!!

[Skylinerbr]

Right !!!!

[dvanilla1]

You are so right!