Rick Santorum Implies Obama Should Be Pro-Life Because He's Black

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum implied that President Barack Obama should be pro-life because he's black, in an interview with CNS back in January 2011 (hat tip Buzzfeed).

Santorum challenged Obama over the idea of personhood, which the conservative candidate said isn't even a debatable issue. Santorum favors a constitutional ban on abortion.

The question is ... is that human life a person under the constitution? And Barack Obama says no. Well if that human life is not a person then ... I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say 'now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.

After a recent surge Santorum is now polling in third place in the presidential primary, two days before the Iowa caucuses.

Below, see where the GOP presidential candidates come down on women's health:

Comments

[Victor Overmann Amajouri]

11:48 AM on 03/31/2012

nothing he has to say is important just ask all the blonde kids in iraq. the planetary patriot is here!

[James L Farmer]

12:17 AM on 03/14/2012

Romney is an bigoted idiot .

[Samstuart]

12:33 PM on 02/19/2012

I wonder how old Santorum was when he lost his intelligence and his marbles.

[tc71087]

04:27 PM on 01/06/2012

Wow. Anyone else picking up on this racism?

[RBJR]

03:59 AM on 01/06/2012

Stupidy is amazing in the year 2012.

[noncash 86]

04:04 PM on 01/05/2012

I hope he is nominated. With his baggage he wont stand a chance. As for the 'black' comment My feeling is it was perfectly legitimate. Super-sensitivity prevents frank and open discussion and the use of a colorfull vocabulary by public figures who have no evil racial motivation.

[pinkpanther084u]

11:35 AM on 01/05/2012

What i dont understand is why race is even a part of this question. Race has nothing to do with abortion, so why bring someone's race into how they answer the question of abortion. As for Bachmann saying that she would defund all planned parenthood programs is ridiculous. Yes Planned Parenthood does have a part in the abortion issue but it also give free to cheap health screenings, supplies information about safe intercourse, how protect yourself against certain, and provide certain health benefits such as feminine check ups and birth control options. To defund such a program would be a hinder to many people who either dont get this type of information from home or can not afford these benefits.

[Giz]

03:19 PM on 01/04/2012

The liberal perspective has always been about choice whether its about religion, gay rights or abortion. The recognition that religion should not play a part in the decisions to govern a people. Someone wants to practice Islam? Sure, let them, don't burn their Quran. A pregnant single mother of four with a salary hovering on the poverty line wants an abortion? None of us are in her shoes, she has her own decisions to make. Two men want to pledge their love to each other before family and friends? Let them, you still get to sleep next to your heterosexual spouse at night. If Santorum gets into the White House, he will represent the abdication of the individual's right to choose.

[mskittykat1326]

01:26 PM on 01/04/2012

You've got to love the mindset behind those who maintain that "you people" mentality. As a leader you job is to listen to the thoughts and wishes of others and come to a thoughtful conclusion, not to instill your projected ideals onto them.

They say that racism is dead in this country - on the contrary, it is alive and well, just having evolved into a more refined, in-your-face, passive/aggressive form. What's truly sad is that not only is it prevalent in our leadership who push it forward, but also within those within the very same circle who willingly submit to it.

[julescator]

01:25 PM on 01/04/2012

Why are so many GOP White men so interested in Abotion Rights while at the same time are War Hawks and love the guns. It makes no sense. They have convinced themselves that this gives them the "holier than thou" leg up. When men can become Pregnant, then they get a vote on Abortion. These are the people who want government OUT of your personal life?????

[EastCstOlsenGrl]

05:48 PM on 01/04/2012

I'm a republican and i totally agree. Santorum makes me sick.
RON PAUL.

[julescator]

01:24 PM on 01/04/2012

Santorum has absolutely no filter on his mouth when it comes to how little he thinks of Blacks. I think he thinks all Blacks are on Welfare and food stamps and live in the "inner city". This man can't be President of this country, however, he can fight Rick Perry to become President of the South!

[dadofcassie]

01:16 PM on 01/04/2012

Now the world knows what we in Pennsylvania knew for years. The man is a plain weirdo,racist, fool....

[TBrennan]

12:50 PM on 01/04/2012

Little ricky should be pro choice because he claims to be an American.

[TommyObama]

12:48 PM on 01/04/2012

You know that "zapper" thing we have in our heads that stops us from saying out loud almost all of the really crazy, messed up thoughts we all have when we're thinking fast? And that zapper makes us consider things from a different angle and we laugh at ourselves for thinking up crazy s#*t, and thank God we didn't say it out loud? Well, Santorum's zapper doesn't work well, and he formulates his crazy s#*t into sentences and policy statements. Not presidential material.

[an seanchus mor]

12:20 PM on 01/04/2012

Part 1
And who says Obama is not? Surely the issue is choice, circumstances, personal responsibility e.t.c.?
The anti-abortionists seem to always imply that it’s the state or wider society that has the right to forcefully determine choice and without them abortion could become somehow mandatory, interesting that dictatorship and the removal of human rights from the personal sphere is always on the back of their minds?

As I understand, Obama is correct, a foetus is not an independent person (cannot live outside of its mother) and cannot be defined as an individual under the constitution.

I live in a country that has a constitutional ‘right to life of the unborn’ amended into its constitution with the caveat that abortion can be carried out if the health of the mother is at stake (e.g. Chemo for cancer e.t.c.)
This hasn’t worked.
We failed to produce supportive legislation to determine what constitutes a threat to the mother e.t.c., and the religious now refuse to discuss this and claim that legislation would introduce abortion.
The religious fail to see that the caveat exists in the amendment they widely campaigned and voted for.
This has paralysed the government into the position that any legislation will be flawed and ultimately will have the potential to be overturned in the courts.