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Poll: Santorum Most Disapproved US Senator
by Rob Kall
www.OpEdNews.com
A
Survey USA poll has found that Pennsylvania's US Senator Rick
Santorum has the highest disapproval rating of all 100 senators in
the US Senate.
His 44% negative rating exceeds all other senators by at least
one point. These poll numbers may explain why George Bush came to
Santorum’s rescue recently, raising 1.5 million at a fundraiser to
shore up the faltering right wing extremist who many believe is
being groomed to be one of the 2008 Republican presidential primary
candidates. (For example, when you google Santorum, you get an ad
that takes you to a Bill Frist for President website.)
Recent polls have shown Santorum seven to 14 points behind in a
race against democrat Bob Casey Jr., the candidate purportedly
hand-picked and annointed by PA Governor and former DNC Chair Ed
Rendell, Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, NY Dem Senator Charles
Schumer and major Dem fundraiser/contributor Peter Buttenwieser.
Word has it that Schumer initiated the push for Casey's candidacy
because Casey is anti-abortion. Many Democratic faithful,
particularly people who care about women's rights, are not happy
that Schumer and his people are trying to do an end run around the
primary election process, since part of the Casey deal was the
withdrawal of two people who were expected by many to be
candidates-- Barbara Hafer and Joe Hoeffel. .
The only other declared candidate running as a Democrat against
against Santorum, history and political science professor,
Chuck Pennacchio, a veteran of several winning US senate
campaigns, has pointed out that Santorum's last competitor, in the
2000 election cycle, conservative Democrat Ron Klink, was also
"pro-life," and he was unsuccessful in beating Santorum, losing by
seven points. Some suggest that it was the failure of this
conservative to energy progressive activists and donors that cost
the Democrats the electioin. Pennacchio believes that he has a
much better chance at beating Santorum than Casey because there is a
clearer choice between him and Santorum than there is between Casey
and Santorum. On issues ranging from choice, to stem cell research,
to equal rights, the Terry Schiavo bill, separation of church and
state, and the American War in Iraq, Santorum and Casey look the
same.
If election turnout plays a major roll, and it probably
will, with Republicans using the church turnout strategy they used
in the 2004 presidential election, then Casey's Republican Lite
profile and his weak support from women who passionately support
women's rights could fatally decrease Democratic turnout. Some say
it is time pollsters start either including Pennacchio, or at least
start asking the question of whether people would vote for Santorum
or anybody else.
Pennacchio is making strong inroads every time he gives a speech
or talks at a house party. His passion and genuineness bring people
to tears and move them to action, because he's not afraid to talk
truth to power and because he hits all the right buttons on
democratic values and policy-- bringing troops home, pro-choice and
women's rights while demanding better support for pregnant mothers
who don't want abortions, pro-worker, pro-job fairness,
pro-universal healthcare, pro-stem cell research....
People cry because, unlike Casey, who is a candidate they have to
compromise on to get behind, Pennacchio is a candidate they can
enthusiastically and passionately support and look forward to
representing them in congress, rather than becoming another machine
candidate who votes for war, for bankruptcy bills that shamefully
weaken consumer protections, and for reactionary judges.
Considering Casey's weak history as a closer in the Gubernatorial
primary, in which he forfeited a double-digit lead a month before
the vote, only to lose by double-digits, Casey may not be the best
choice for Dems who want to get rid of Santorum.
Already there are several organizations that have been created
or that are working actively to get rid of Santorum, including
Bucks for Progress (a newly formed progressive Bucks County
P.A.C., in the lynchpin Bucks County, that any candidate for state
office must win to be elected,)
The National Stonewall
Democrats Federal PAC and Liberty PA PAC,
Patriots Against Senator Santorum,
dumpsantorum.com ,
Dump Rick Santorum ,
SantorumWatch.org
, plus this list of anti-Santorum websites from
Sourcewatch, a project of the Center for Media and Democracy:
Anti-Santorum Websites
The ranking of dead last among
all US senators is not mentioned by the polling org because they use
a different approach-- looking at who has the lowest positive
ranking. But it is clear from a look at the data that Santorum was
the only senator to receive a 44% disapproval rating. The other
lowest ranking senators-- the ones with the highest disapproval
percentages are republicans Mike DeWine (OH) with a 43% disapproval
ranking, Lisa Murkowski (AK), Conrad Burns (MT,) James Inhofe (OK,)
John Thune (SD,) and Democrat John Kerry (MA,) all with 42%
disapproval ratings.
According to SurveyUSA, the most
approved senators include Barack Obama, Kent Conrad, Daniel
Inouye, Jay Rockefeller, Byron Dorgan, Jack Reed, Evan Bayh, Tim
Johnson, and moderate Republicans Patrick Leahy, Susan Collins,
Olympia Snowe and John McCain.
Rob Kall is editor of
www.OpEdNews.com and lives in Bucks County PA.
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