Martin Bashir: Rick Santorum 'Sounds More Like Stalin Than Pope Innocent III' (VIDEO)

MSNBC's Martin Bashir issued some extremely harsh words for Rick Santorum on Tuesday, comparing the GOP candidate to Joseph Stalin and Big Brother from the novel "1984."

In his "Clear the Air" segment, Bashir said that watching Santorum speak before a crowd reminded him of the dictator in "1984," the classic novel about a totalitarian society under state surveillance. Bashir instructed viewers to "spot the similarities" between a clip of Santorum speaking, and footage from the movie based on the novel.

He replayed clips from the film of "1984" featuring Big Brother proclaiming that "forces of darkness" must be wiped off the Earth and demanding the end of a "catalogue of bestial atrocities." Bashir contrasted them with Santorum's calls to end federal funding for contraception, among other things. "For example, he has asserted that the right to privacy does not exist and has equated same sex relationships with bestiality," Bashir added.

He then made his most severe comparison. He quoted a book reviewer who once dismissed Santorum as "one of the finest minds of the 13th century," and took the remark one step further. "If you listen carefully to Rick Santorum, he sounds more like Stalin than Pope Innocent III," Bashir said.

Comments

[cmarker]

05:10 PM on 04/13/2012

I just saw Martin Bashir for the first time (and last, I hope), and am wondering how such a totally ignorant person gets on TV?
I don't know anyone else who knows so little about so much, with the possible exeption of Ed Schultz.

[SC341]

12:09 AM on 02/20/2012

I don't watch Martin Bashir, he has a habit of twisting things around. I don't plan on voting for Santorum either.

[noyb123]

03:59 PM on 02/17/2012

Why is it ok for Santorum to be compared to Stalin? Stalin's movement was about destroying religion, he destroyed churches. I am seriously horrified that anyone takes this seriously. It is all lies! Isn't it funny that there are clips of 1984, but none of Rick actually saying things he is charged with saying.

This is idiocy. If anyone just examines one or two bits of these charges, they would see that there is no evidence of Rick saying these things.

[noyb123]

03:49 PM on 02/17/2012

"The right to privacy does not exist" - and "equating homosexuality to bestiality" Context matters.

Rick Santorum has never said these things and that is why Bashir could not give audio of Rick saying these things. It is so insulting. The only thing that makes this "1984" is that there is a crowd.

[lulubelle1956]

11:24 PM on 02/16/2012

bashir is right on, as usual.

[noyb123]

03:49 PM on 02/17/2012

How so? Rick never even said those things.

[premalingram]

09:53 PM on 02/16/2012

How much would anyone want to bet that somewhere down the road there will be a big nasty revelation about a sexual indiscretion by Rick Santorum? The guy has all the hallmarks of an extremely sexually repressed man who probably doesn't enjoy a healthy sex life because he is so busy playing the sanctimonious puritan. As a married man he has every right to enjoy a healthy sex life--with his wife. But something tells me that behind the religious pontification is a man haunted by spiritual darkness. Very un-Christ-like. Today's evangelicals who support Santorum have no idea who Christ is. They are so busy playing politics that if a needy person walked into their path, they would simply ask their local legislator to make laws against poor people.

[noyb123]

03:50 PM on 02/17/2012

Just because he is religious, does not mean he is a "sanctimoni­ous puritan".

[LordPolonius]

09:42 PM on 02/16/2012

I don't think Martin Bashir knows anything about Pope Innocent III. Innocent's whole career was defined by asserting the Church's authority over secular princes. Santorum is more Innocent III than Stalin by far. At any rate both of those are the most off-the-wall and a-historical examples one could possibly use. I don't want Santorum to be President, but comparing him to Stalin is completely ridiculous, and it is an insult to every one of his victims. As with many comparisons to totalitarian figures it only serves to diminish an understanding of what they actually stood for, and the tragedy that resulted from their actions.

[WICKET99]

08:49 PM on 02/16/2012

Bashir sure tells it like it is.

[noyb123]

04:00 PM on 02/17/2012

It is all lies and bulls***. I hope you are joking.

[icon22]

07:36 PM on 02/16/2012

Rick Santorum loves America and her tradition and history and encourages family values, so that we will never lose the real meaning of being an American. It's really no wonder that Martin hates Santorum so much because he personally holds completely opposing views. I'll bet that Martin Loves one thing abot America's great history; the dead presidents on his money. I wish he'd go back to where he came from, where ever that is!

[WICKET99]

08:50 PM on 02/16/2012

Ricky is repressed in so many ways, but he really should keep it to himself.

[noyb123]

04:02 PM on 02/17/2012

To have the 1984 movie playing while comparing Santorum to Stalin is absurd. The worst, though is that Bashir is lying about Rick's positions! Completely taken out of context. What happened to integrity? I would think that nobody would take this seriously, but looks like I am wrong, according to these comments!

[towncrieroyez]

06:16 PM on 02/16/2012

Rick Satantorum.
It's All in a Name!

[Jacksonian]

08:46 PM on 02/16/2012

LOL!

( I prefer "Sen. Sanctimonious.")

:-)

[Marmashi]

05:59 PM on 02/16/2012

I love Martin Bashir and wish I could always watch him. Why do they have him on so early? He should be in one of Chris Matthews 2 spots. Why should Chris get 2 passes?

[ninthraphael]

05:25 PM on 02/16/2012

santorum santo regnum smegma is a religious fanatic . period! if there is no right to privacy then santorum must register with the high priest his procreative function with his wife! this person need to have a real orgasm soon!

[noyb123]

04:03 PM on 02/17/2012

What makes him a fanatic?

[ninthraphael]

05:05 PM on 02/17/2012

ask yourself that?

[l78lancer]

04:59 PM on 02/16/2012

A chorus from the Carmina Burana should have been playing in the background.

[l78lancer]

04:56 PM on 02/16/2012

The speech and lighting visuals will haunt Santorum forever. If he wasn't seen as an extremist before, he has inextricably cemented that label now.

[Murray bowen]

03:50 PM on 02/16/2012

Martin Bashir Rocks!