Rick Santorum Denies Making 'Black People' Remarks, Claims To Be 'Bigger Player' In 2012 Primary Race

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum denied recently making comments about "black people's lives" after receiving criticism for the remarks.

Santorum took heat after saying, "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money." During an appearance on FOX News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," he denied ever making the comments, saying the remark was the result of "a little bit of a blurred word."

"I looked at that, and I didn't say that," Santorum told O'Reilly. "If you look at it, what I started to say is a word and then sort of changed and it sort of -- blah -- came out. And people said I said 'black.' I didn't."

The GOP hopeful touted his past help of black colleges to further defend himself against criticism over the claims.

"And I can tell you, I don't use -- I don't -- first off, I don't use the term 'black' very often. I use the term 'African-American' more than I use 'black," Santorum said. "I can tell you as someone who did more work for historically black colleges, I used to have -- every year, I used to bring all the historically black colleges into Washington, DC to try to help them, because they get very little federal money through the bureaucracy, and so I help to try to introduce them to people in the Department of Education so they could have more resources."

Santorum also got defensive over his presidential run less than a day after he took a close second place at the 2012 Iowa Caucuses, saying this campaign "isn't my first rodeo."

"I've been in a lot of tough campaigns in Pennsylvania," Santorum said when asked if he is "ready to be demonized."

"We're going to have resources," Santorum said. "We're going to be a much bigger player than I think everybody anticipates right now."

Comments

[Robbert Bricker]

09:42 AM on 01/10/2012

to all you blah people who think that the religious right republicans have your best interests at heart... you might want to think again.

[disabailed2ru2]

09:05 AM on 01/10/2012

Pennsylvania got rid of Santorum, he's the biggest liar in the country, and hates blacks. He is nothing but a phonie.....

[AlanDente]

08:38 AM on 01/10/2012

Look people- Santorum doesn't hate blacks, he just hates gays.

Seriously, what's all this anger about?

o_0

[snesich]

05:44 AM on 01/10/2012

Completely credible comment from Santorum. Absolutely. No question he's telling the truth.

After all, every conservative I know refers to "Blah People" all of the time. I mean, don't most conservatives reading this agree?

As in, "It's those Blah People who are living on welfare, and making babies, and smoking crack all day and I have to pay for them even though they get affirmative action, those no good Blah People!"

Yeah, that's it. Blah People. Again, how could anyone possibly think that Santorum's comment had anything to do with race? Nothing could be further from the truth. Thanks for clarifying that, Rick.

[Earl Gray]

07:28 AM on 01/09/2012

Mr. Santorum is not singling out blah people by any means. He would also limit food stamps to wide people (who are clearly getting too much food already) as well as all his "panic" people, who feel the need to make mountains out of mole hills every chance they get.

Seniors can relax because ststistics show that only 1 1/2% of food stamp recipients are agin'.

Mr. Santorum isn't a b!got, he's simply inarticulate.

[elicourey]

03:19 AM on 01/08/2012

he said he doesn't use the term "black" very often, but then he says it a few times when talking about colleges.

[vidian6]

04:08 PM on 01/07/2012

Is one for all of the people who want to believe that he wasn't saying black. Why doesn't he talk about the jobs he's going to bring to people, to replace the food stamps he doesn't think they should have. Why doesn't he stand up and explain to people where exactly these jobs are coming from, and how many we can expect to see. He won't do that, because he doesn't expect to see any, he has to keep us pointing fingers at one another. They way you don't see that he's just a continuation of the same "Trickle Down" garbage.

[vidian6]

03:44 PM on 01/07/2012

You can always count on Republicans to believe that everyone is a complete d_mn fool. Even when you hear them say it, they tell you that that wasn't what you heard. Or when you have them on tape saying something, and someone goes on to quote them. They tell you that if someone quotes them, then they are lying. Wow, what a world these people's heads live in.

[cloingeorgia]

01:49 PM on 01/07/2012

He should not have used any racial group. Doing so reflects that he was pandering to White conservatives. He is not worthy of the office of President.

[vidian6]

03:54 PM on 01/07/2012

More to the point he was pandering to bigots and promoting and incorrect stereo type. This is very dangerous language and shouldn't be allowed, in a presidential contest.

[pam0528]

04:48 PM on 01/08/2012

F&F cloingeorgia, I totally agree with you. He also doesn't realize that there are more white people on welfare than there is black people. And he was pandering to the white conservatives only. Just goes to show you where his head is at. Pitiful.

[TyleRobinson]

07:28 PM on 01/06/2012

Even if Rick Santorum didn't say "Black People", which he did. He should have corrected himself right then and apologized for saying it. The fact that he even denies saying it just proves that he isn't a truthful person. If he is willing to deny that he said that, when clearly he did, what else will he do/deny if he gets the presidency­?

I would have a lot more respect for him if he would have dealt with it right after he said it. I'm a white male who is madly in love with my girlfriend who is a beautiful African American woman and this kind of thing just infuriates me. It's not even the color of the skin that is the problem, it's the individual­. There are way to many lazy people with entitlemen­t attitudes in this country. The fact that "Back" or even "Bla..." people would fly out of his mouth so easily is ridiculous­. It doesn't matter if he didn't actually finish the word, he was still thinking it. OWN UP TO IT Santorum. BE A MAN.

[Greg Kenner]

03:02 AM on 01/07/2012

Even if he didn't say it he should have apologized for saying it? Really? Are you in the habit of apologizing for doing things you did not do? I'm not.

Also, I think clearly he did NOT say it, because his sound ended with "ah" and not "K" and he clearly fumbled over his words. He had nothing to apologize for, and it would not occur to him to apologize, because "black" was not on his mind--the message he was trying to convey was on his mind; and that message wasn't about blacks or any other race, just people.

[cornell0673]

03:28 AM on 01/07/2012

ill bet that you are not typing these comments with a straight face. if you honestly believe this way, you are the single most delusional person i have ever seen in my life. you will make excuses and split hairs as to justify his meaning when he clearly got his point across, "blacks expect government to take care of them with other peoples money", yet you still believe the presidents birth certificate is not real and all the other high flying rumors about this president

[franklma]

01:42 PM on 01/07/2012

People shouldn't apologize for saying what they believe. If this man belives this, I'd rather he tell the truth. Many accept the lies of politicians, and they vote for the one who tells the most convincing lie.

[vidian6]

02:18 AM on 01/11/2012

I applaud the truth but I dont' see how anyone should applaud someone for saying the things he's saying. I admire the honesty but despise the position. Being honest about bigotry doesn't earn you a parade.

[booksnstuff]

05:13 PM on 01/06/2012

In reply to LeftCoastProgressive---LOL! He never had it.

[booksnstuff]

05:13 PM on 01/06/2012

LIAR!!!

[LeftCoastProgressive]

04:49 PM on 01/06/2012

I guess Rick can write off the 'blah' vote.

[EL9491]

04:20 PM on 01/06/2012

Am I the only one who noticed that in the same quote that he claims not to use the word "black" often, he uses it twice more to describe the colleges he helped out? Just saying.

[Greg Kenner]

12:43 AM on 01/07/2012

Does anyone ever say "historically African American college"? Might it be pretty obvious, with a bit of thought and honesty, that he means he doesn't use the word "black" for black people, but instead Afican American? And that he didn't mean he never says the word "black" at all for anything? Just saying.

[EL9491]

12:52 AM on 01/07/2012

I just thought it was ironic that he said he hardly uses it but he used it twice out of three times when referencing "blacks" or "African Americans" or whatever phrase you want to use. Also, I don't understand what you mean: "he doesn't use the word 'black' for black people, but instead Afican (sic) American.'" That was kind of my point..he said he doesn't use it, then goes on to use it twice in succession.

[vidian6]

03:49 PM on 01/07/2012

Do you understand at all what he was talking about, and how it's wrong. How speaking of any group of people in that manner is wrong.

[celmo]

04:03 PM on 01/06/2012

Santorum is like some of the other politicans when it comes to their efforts to play on the fears and assumptions of narrow minded people. He is well aware of the myth associated with certain people who expect for others to take care of them. What bettter way to appeal to those who are ill-informed?
A little research will reveal statistics that shows need knows no color. With this in mind, why was it necessary to mention race?