Santorum takes stab at Obama's policies

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, accompanied by his wife Karen, visit with supporters at Froehlich's Classic Corner Monday in Steubenville, Ohio. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Rick Santorum accused the Obama administration of stifling energy development and the economy through its "radical environmental policies," as he courted coal country voters in Ohio, a key Super Tuesday prize.

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of roughly 500, swelled by students from nearby Franciscan University of Steubenville, Mr. Santorum contended that global warming was a product of "phony studies" and "political science" driven by an ideology that puts the Earth before human beings. As he did so, he blamed the media for what he claimed was misreporting of his remarks over the weekend when he said that Obama Administration polices were rooted in "a phony theology."

"I got criticized by some of our less than erudite members of the national press corps who happen to have a difficulty understanding that when you refer to someone's ideology," he said, "to the point where they elevate the Earth, and they say that, 'Well, man and humanity is just one of a variety of different species on the Earth.' "

In a Sunday interview on CBS's Face the Nation, Mr. Santorum had said he didn't intend to question the President's faith through the "phony theology" observation, but then and Monday he stuck by his contention that the administration was attempting to impose its values in service to big government.

He denounced Environmental Protection Agency regulations on emissions that he said would force the closing of coal-fired power plants, and he contended the administration was unreasonably aggressive in regulating the natural-gas fracking industry that has burgeoned in the region. "It's important to understand that this area of the country has suffered dramatically, [because of the] devastation of radical energy policies," he said.

Referring to the Obaman Administration refusal to grant an immediate permit to the Keystone Pipeline, a proposal that would send Canadian oil from tar sands to U.S. refineries, he said, "The President says … send it to China; I don't care."

In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama depicted himself as a champion of domestic energy development. In particular, he said his administration would green-light more offshore energy development and work for the safe exploitation of the natural gas resources being produced by fracking, but critics such as Mr. Santorum argue the administration has dragged its feet on domestic production and made fuels such as coal less attractive through environmental regulation.

The controversy over Mr. Santorum's weekend remarks didn't deter the former senator from discussing religion Monday as he contended the government was placing its own drive for power ahead of the concerns of private institutions such as religion.

"Government has been able to centralize power by weakening the institutions that people rely on in their lives," he said.

Mr. Santorum noted the administration in its first year had proposed a limit on charitable tax deductions for wealthier taxpayers and argued that was evidence of a governmental effort to consolidate power by weakening other institutions.

Mr. Santorum's effort to dispel questions about his theology comment were not helped Monday when an aide, appearing on MSNBC, referred, in a quickly withdrawn remark, to the President's "radical Islamic policies."

"There is a type of theological secularism when it comes to the global warmists in this country," Alice Stewart, a press aide said in an interview spotlighted by Politico. "That's what he was referring to. He was referring to the President's policies in terms of the radical Islamic policies the President has."

The Web site reported that shortly after the conversation, Ms. Stewart called the show to emphasize her wording was a slip, and she had meant to say "radical environmentalist," the same phrase used by Mr. Santorum.

Mr. Santorum spoke in a state that will yield one of the largest delegate harvests two weeks from now, on Super Tuesday. A Quinnipiac University survey released last week found the former Pennsylvania senator with the support of 36 percent of the state's GOP voters, ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with 29 percent; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 20 percent; and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, 9 percent.

Appearing with Mr. Santorum here -- in addition to his wife, Karen, and three of their children -- was Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who served with Mr. Santorum in the Senate and who endorsed him last week, walking away from his previous support for Mr. Romney.

"He will do well throughout Ohio," Mr. DeWine predicted, "but he certainly has a strong appeal to eastern Ohio. He's very much in sync with people in Jefferson County."

The Block News Alliance consists of The Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. James O'Toole is politics editor at the Post-Gazette.

Contact James O'Toole at: jotoole@post-gazette.com, or 412-263-1562.