Rick Santorum, former Republican US Senator from Pennsylvania, and so far in the campaign season perennially tied for last place with John Huntsman in Republican presidential polls, has broken out from his bottom-dwelling position in the last few days in Iowa, and on Sunday went on Meet the Press to consolidate his surge.
Santorum, asked whether Congressional Republican intransigence and unwillingness to compromise with Democrats was the reason GOP Congressional members score even lower in approval than President Obama, defended Republicans by accusing Obama of being too divisive to work with.
Santorum complained:
"You have to have someone you can work with, and this president has done more to divide than any other president that I've witnessed in my lifetime. This president goes out and gives speech after speech after speech trying to divide America between class, between income group, between racial and ethnic groups, this is the great Divider-in-Chief. And it's very difficult when you're being lampooned by the president on a regular basis, not just as a party, but individually."
Santorum said the President had failed to build trust with Republicans:
"You don't build trust by running around the country, beating up on your opponent—he's the president of everybody in this country."
Santorum seemed to be arguing for a view of President Obama that is inconsistent with the narrative generally accepted in the media, that Obama has actually been the one to readily and repeatedly compromise (critics say to a fault) with Republicans. The notion of the President obliged by his office to endure criticism, but not dish it out, is an odd idea as well, and no president has ever viewed his political responsibilities as requiring him not to attack, even harshly, the opposition party.
In fact, Obama as noted has been harshly criticized by members of his own party for not being more willing to stand up to, and to hold accountable, Republicans. Only recently, the President and Congressional Democrats obtained a rare but important victory over Republicans, forcing Speaker of the House John Boehner to back down concerning a short-term extension of a payroll tax cut for most Americans.
The Iowa Caucus, where Rick Santorum may score a come from behind victory, is on Tuesday.
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