Alice Stewart, Rick Santorum Aide, Explains Offensive Obama Gaffe

Santorum press secretary Alice Stewart says it was an accident when she accused Obama of "radical Islamic policies."

Stewart appeared on MSNBC Monday for an interview with Andrea Mitchell to discuss the controversial comments Santorum made about Obama's "phony theology" over the weekend. As she repeatedly railed against Obama's "radical environmentalist policies," she slipped up and said "Islamic" instead (watch above at 1:25).

Mitchell writes that Stewart quickly called her to clarify that she had misspoken.

Stewart called only moments later -- while the show was on the air -- to say she regretted the slip of the tongue, and to please note that she had misspoken and did not realize until it was pointed out to her that she had used the word "Islamic" by mistake.

Santorum continued a religious critique of Obama on "Face the Nation" Sunday, attacking his theology and deference to "radical environmentalists." HuffPost's Josh Hersh reported:

"I've repeatedly said I don't question the president's faith," Santorum told host Bob Schieffer, denying what some have said was a signal that Santorum had challenged the legitimacy of Obama's Christianity. "I've repeatedly said that I believe the president's Christian -- he says he's Christian. But I am talking about his worldview, the way he addresses problems in this country, and they're different than most people view it in America."

In a speech to Tea Party conservatives on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, Santorum had dismissed Obama's politics as being based in "some phony theology."

"It's not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your jobs," Santorum said. "It's about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology."

An incredulous Bob Schieffer began his interview with Santorum Sunday by asking, "What in the world were you talking about?"

"I was talking about the radical environmentalists," Santorum said, suggesting that they believe man should protect the earth, rather than "steward its resources." "I think that is a phony ideal. I don't believe that's what we're here to do... We're not here to serve the earth. That is not the objective, man is the objective."

Comments

[myplayer12]

04:20 PM on 02/26/2012

Obama maybe intelligent but he's lacks common sense. He maybe a manager of men but he's not a leader of men. He can't lead. The global warming movement is desperate, delusional, & collapsing as global warming fails to live up to alarmist predictions. And just like his green policies in getting the nation back to work they are also desperate, delusional, & collapsing as he FAILS to live up to the nation's expectations. The green enviro-MENTAL movement will be his downfall, his Achilles' heel. It will go down as one of the greatest hoax in living memory. And sadly, for Obama a failed president will have to live with that for the rest of his life. But it's not too late for Obama... there is time left for him to say NO to these fanatics and put the U.S.A back on the road to freedom and liberty, otherwise Santorum for president.

[WeAlwaysKnewIt]

04:18 PM on 02/26/2012

Media trained and seriously savvy. No mistake being provocative. This woman is disciplined.

[Laura Densmore]

02:56 PM on 02/26/2012

Seriously? You don't base the way you run a country off the Bible. You base the way you run a church off the Bible. As a Christian, I know the separation of church and state is necessary. Also, since when does the bible say "who cares about the planet"? If Santorum isn't interested in preserving our resources, maybe he should think about the fact that they'll be gone later. So, in Santorum's view, PRESENT man is the objective. Isn't that a bit selfish? America was meant to be a democracy, not a theocracy.

[lastcardjb]

11:49 AM on 02/24/2012

Steward its resources, eally?............ok, this is a nut. A radical, conservative, Christian nut.

C'mon Republicans, you've got to be embarrassed, this is the best your party has to offer?

Have we really sunk to these depths? A slip of the tongue? Don't think so, its exactly what they believe.

[Jamico Bob]

07:02 AM on 02/24/2012

Alice Stewart says it was an accident when she accused Obama of "radical Islamic policies? Bull-hut.
All you wanted was media attention. You are full of it. So is your boss Ricky.

[mrtansil]

08:20 PM on 09/18/2012

This woman was just on Anderson 360 and was trying to defend Romney's most recent gaffe about not caring about the 47%. She stuttered and stammered until Anderson pinned her down and asked if she agreed with Romney. She never said yes or no, but only that Romney could have said it differently. These Romney-backers are in total denial. Romney says anything depending on his audience.

[William A]

03:57 PM on 02/23/2012

Yeah she "slipped". It was an "accident". Wink, wink, nudge, nudge...

[BMcCue7]

03:43 PM on 02/23/2012

The president shares the same "theology" as radical environmentalists?

Really?

[PRRA2000]

02:55 PM on 02/23/2012

Let me clear up what Santorum really said;
We have a president that bows to radical religious fa natics, both in and out of the USA, but it’s the environmental reli gious fa natics have him in their pocket.

[Lucile S]

02:21 PM on 02/23/2012

Aides of Santorum have a lot of work actually. He says a foolishness in 3 minutes, and it takes 10 days to correct or deny it.

[scooter1]

01:12 PM on 02/23/2012

These poeple are so brainwashed they are getting their ridiculous fantasies confused.

[Harbinger08]

12:49 PM on 02/23/2012

When you are as brainwashed as the Santorum crowd the word "Radical" is just naturally followed by the words, "Islamic" "Socialist" "Environmentalist" "Feminist" or "Homosexual". They are all basically interchangeable, anyway. A common slip of the tongue.

[TheWM]

11:46 AM on 02/23/2012

Alice is gonna have lotsa splainin to do!

[c67]

11:06 AM on 02/23/2012

Nice Freudian slip. Reminds me of something my pyschology teacher said about Freudian slips. She said, "if your date tells you he will pick you up at sex o'clock, you know what's really on his mind".

Same applies here.

[bfletchton]

07:12 AM on 02/23/2012

Santorum is God's gift to President Obama's re-election ...

[mspender]

03:32 AM on 02/23/2012

She says "islamic", her boss says Blah people...Oops.

That's the problem with these conservatives - their Freudian slip is always showing.
( the mind can only repress so much)

[jmbsjy]

08:37 AM on 02/23/2012

They speak with forked tongues... words get garbled.