Republicans Try to Scare Americans With Gay Marriage….Again

Former Sen. Rick Santorum wrote today that President Obama has antipathy for American values, and he tried to drag Obama into the gay marriage debate by suggesting that Obama supports federalized gay marriage, because he is going to let Europe dictate American policy.

Santorum began his piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer with the GOP talking point about Obama apologizing for America’s arrogance, “Watching President Obama apologize last week for America’s arrogance – before a French audience that owes its freedom to the sacrifices of Americans – helped convince me that he has a deep-seated antipathy toward American values and traditions. His nomination of former Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh to be the State Department’s top lawyer constitutes further evidence of his disdain for American values.”

Santorum believes that Koh is a transnationalist who will let the world dictate U.S. policy on capital punishment and gay marriage, “If foreign opinions trump those of Pennsylvanians on capital punishment, why not on other issues? Why not, indeed: Koh thinks “international comity” trumps American sovereignty. He believes that, since certain nations recognize a right to same-sex marriage, our courts should, too. He wrote that “the principles of human dignity and autonomy that are the essence of the modern right-protecting democracy demand that civil marriage be available to all couples and that the equality of all citizens triumph over historical attitudes.”

The former Senator had this to say about same sex marriage, “What’s beneath this legal jargon? Simply this: Even if marriage in Pennsylvania has always been understood as involving one man and one woman – even if Pennsylvanians, through referendum or constitutional amendment, decide it should remain so – none of that should count. What should count are the views of courts in other nations or international bodies.” It is nice to know that Santorum, who now lives in Virginia, is so concerned about Pennsylvania.

Santorum’s radicalism is one of the many reasons why he is now a former senator from Pennsylvania. It is amusing that his whole conspiracy theory on same sex marriage revolves around a possible Obama appointee. Santorum knows very well that Obama opposes gay marriage, but this didn’t stop his desperate attempt to revive an issue that the GOP had success with 5 years ago. Pennsylvania is socially conservative, but it was never as conservative as Santorum.

It is comforting to see that Santorum hasn’t changed his sanctimonious holier than thou style of politics, but these shallow conspiracy theories being advanced by Republicans must stop. The GOP doesn’t get it. Obama’s foreign trip was popular at home because American’s want a change in tone. Santorum also needs to realize that it isn’t 2004. Attitudes have changed on same sex marriage, and he and his party are way behind the times.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association