Rick Santorum Government Paternity Tests Or No Welfare

[doggie]

And santorum wonders why woman don't like him. well only fundy woman really.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/0 ... 33302.html

WASHINGTON -- GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum has yet to deliver a substantial blow to Mitt Romney's rival campaign. In the past two pivotal primary contests in battleground states, the former senator from Pennsylvania fell short, losing by squeaker margins in Michigan and Ohio. He may owe those defeats to his women problem.

Santorum lost women voters to Romney by five percentage points in Michigan and three percentage points in Ohio and faces a real challenge in turning that tide. That’s because Santorum’s women problem is not campaign-related but, rather, due to a long history of theorizing about women’s sex lives and attempting to turn those theories into law.

Santorum's version of women's studies includes unaccredited takes on women in combat, working mothers and single mothers. Last month, he stirred controversy when he suggested that women should not serve in combat because of "emotions." He clarified his remarks by saying a man's natural protective instinct might kick in if he had to share combat duties with female soldiers.

Santorum was also forced to defend a passage in his book, It Takes A Family, that argued that radical feminists had essentially brainwashed women into thinking work was the only arena where they could find happiness. He said that passage was written by his wife, although she was not given an author's credit.

J. Hogan Gidley, the Santorum campaign’s top spokesman, told The Huffington Post it's only a matter of time before his candidate's support among female voters increases.

"He's always been surrounded by strong women," Gidley said, adding that Santorum and his wife Karen share responsibilities at home. "Rick cooks and Rick cleans. They carpool. He takes the kids to school. They're equal partners in the marriage. I think the more people realize who he as a husband and as leader in the realm of women's rights, they'll be surprised."

"Nobody has a better record on supporting women's issues than Rick Santorum," Gidley added, "whether It was legislation to allow women to work from home or [hiring] women from the welfare rolls to work in his Senate office."

Santorum's recent comments are benign compared with his previous pontifications.

During his first U.S. Senate campaign in 1994, Santorum made unwed mothers and welfare reform regular features of his stump speech. Recently, Mother Jones reported that the candidate had once argued that single mothers were "breeding more criminals" and advocated that they should be denied welfare benefits if they refused to identify the child's father.

The Huffington Post obtained transcripts of Santorum's comments and speeches from various campaign stops in 1994, which show just how far Santorum was willing to go with his proposals. Produced for the then-Sen. Harris Wofford's campaign, the video and audio transcripts show that the Pennsylvania Republican was willing to deny unwed mothers government services until they revealed private family information.

Under the plan, those unwed mothers would have to reveal the name of their child’s father in exchange for welfare and subsidized medical care. What was once the domain of private labs, family courts, and Maury Povich would become the domain of the government.

"What we say is that in order for Mom to be able to go on welfare if she has a child out of wedlock, you have to tell us who the father is," Santorum said at an event in Carlisle, Pa., on April 1, 1994. "If you don't tell us who the father is, you're not eligible for any welfare benefits, none, not even medical care. You tell us who the father is or you don't receive benefits."

Santorum argued that his proposal could persuade single women to slow their sex lives, which, in turn, would lead to less out-of-wedlock parenting. "If Mom knows that she isn't gonna receive welfare if she doesn't tell us who Dad is, y'know maybe she'll be a little more careful, maybe," he said.

"Or maybe she gives us a list, say 'Well it could be one of five,'" Santorum went on. "I mean, y'know, I don't know what she's gonna do, but at some point we're gonna see her cooperate."

Santorum’s proposal raised a number of questions. For instance, what if the mother wasn’t sure of the father’s identity? To that possibility, he proposed even greater government involvement.

"We say to Mom that you tell us the wrong name, and we'll bring that guy in and we'll do a blood test and that's not Dad, you lose your welfare benefits,†he said at another event that same day in New Bloomfield. “You lose your welfare benefits ... Not till you tell us another name, but till we find out who Dad is, we establish it."

Santorum's focus on single mothers as part of welfare reform was not unusual among Republicans at the time, many of whom saw single-parent homes as a source of poverty and crime. His rhetoric, however, was harsher.

At a meeting in Williamsport, Pa., in March 1994, Santorum advocated that teenage moms should be ineligible for welfare, arguing that a main reason they got pregnant in the first place is because "they get a pretty big cash benefit."

The Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington, Pa., captured Santorum's focus on mothers during a report from that March. The paper noted that "his bill would encourage states to refuse welfare to unmarried parents, require unmarried minor mothers to live with their parents, and the bill would reduce federal payments to states that do not achieve high rates of paternity establishment."

Santorum also had a theory about working mothers long before his book "It Takes A Family" was published in 2005. He claimed higher taxes were forcing women to join the workforce. At a campaign stop in April 1994 in Latrobe, Pa., he said the Clinton administration was "taxing families out of existence."

He made similar arguments at events in Somerset County and in western Pennsylvania.

"Do you know why a lot of spouses, wives have to go out and work? Many want to, but a lot have to,†Santorum said. “Why? Because the federal government takes more money from them."

Santorum's campaign spokesman Gidley said his candidate was arguing that all the choices a woman makes -- working or not working -- should be respected.

"If you want to get into a discussion about what we said in the '90s versus what Romney said the '90s, we are happy to have that discussion," Gidley said.

For all the rough edges in his approach to women’s issues, Santorum went on to narrowly defeat Wofford for the Senate seat that year. Gidley pointed out that the election included women voters. "It wasn't like all the men got together and said let's do this," Gidley said, adding that women occupy much of the upper ranks of Santorum's presidential campaign.

"Our national finance director is a woman. Our national grassroots director is a woman. Our national press secretary is a woman. Our national campaign manager is a woman," Gidley said. "These are high-level women in our campaign who only report to Rick."

[Witsec7]

Under the plan, those unwed mothers would have to reveal the name of their child’s father in exchange for welfare and subsidized medical care. What was once the domain of private labs, family courts, and Maury Povich would become the domain of the government.

This is true in Oregon and at one time was also true in CA, I don't believe CA has changed its position.

[emmiedahl]

Idiot. What if the woman does not know the father? What if she was raped? What if the father is abusive so she has not told him about the baby?

I know a lot of the women who end up with multiple paternity candidates have indeed made the decisions that got them in the situation. I mean, I watch Maury. But really, aid is for the children, why should the mother's actions prior to conception affect whether a baby gets formula and diapers?

[doggie]

I love how he thinks teens get pregnant just so they can get money. He is a classic for sure.

[super skeptic]

Why not promote contraception and ACTUALLY HOLD THE DEADBEAT FATHERS RESPONSIBLE? Oh no, it must always be the woman's fault, for either opening her legs, or for not chaining the biological father to a pole.

[lexiloumarie]

At a campaign stop in April 1994 in Latrobe, Pa., he said the Clinton administration was "taxing families out of existence."

He made similar arguments at events in Somerset County and in western Pennsylvania.

Idiot. Yes I'm sure a lot of unwed mothers are just rushing for that 300 dollars a month, and foodstamps. I mean, isn't that the life of luxury.

Also, stay out of my neck of the woods. :rage:

[silverspoons]

I know in Utah there is HUGE abuse of baby your baby medcaid (mostly by married LDS women). Utah requires the father to write a letter saying how he intends to support the baby and how he intends to cover the baby's insurnace after it is born. There were pathetic forms letters past around at a playgroup I once attended to use, if you were married and wanted welfare to pay for your pregnancy. If you say you do not know who the father is you have to get a notarized statement and submit it. If you deny you know the father and a father signs the birth certficate within 6 weeks after birth the state will ask for the letter fromt he dad and file for child support.

I thnk I'll go dig up my stats and send them to Rick. It was like over 90% of married women in Utah county had their babies on welfare and over 50% of the babies in the state were born on welfare (and a good majority to married church going women). With the cheapest private insurance maternity dedctible at 9k + 20% , women will continue to cheat the system or something has to be done with heathcare.

Rcik needs to get his head out of the sand. Welfare isn't being abused by minorites and teens, it is being used more by middle class folks struggling in this economy.

[GeoBQn]

And who would be paying for those paternity tests, I wonder? Something tells me Frothy wouldn't want the government to pay that expense.

[lilwriter85]

I love how he thinks teens get pregnant just so they can get money. He is a classic for sure.

I have friend who had a child at age 16 and over the years a few people have told her stuff like that. She laughs at stuff like that because was off welfare/government assistance by the time her child was 4 and she said government assistance barely helped her.

[fakepigtails73]

Well, it makes me feel soooo much better to know that yes, Rick cooks and cleans at home. Plus he's the best candidate EVER re: women's rights! Is the part re: him being the greatest candidate for women's right a joke from Stephen Colbert??

Wtf??

Part of me wants him to get the GOP nod so that President Obama crushes him next Nov., but then I turn to worries that if he does get the nod he might win? If the states with GOP governors do like Florida in 2000, or if they place robocalls with wrong voting infos to Democratic votig households, or if Ralph Nader decides to spoil, or if some Liberals angry at Obama decide to stay home on election day...So many untangibles.

But yeah, President Santorum sounds scary. He'd make Reagan's, and both Bush's time in office seem like pleasant memories...Can you imagine Justice Bader Ginsburgh retiring, and Santorum nominating her replacement? That new judge would be a "Robert Bork"-type, and would make Scalia and Roberts seem downright liberal (yes, I'm fond of hyperboles as you can see). Thomas would have a friend to join him in judicial lalaland .I like reading Supreme Court decisions, and while I often disagree with Scalia and Robert's decisions one can see their logic throughout their arguments. Thomas is so rigid in the way he approaches the Constitution and the law that his attempts at explaining his decisions never make sense, except to proove that, IMHO, he's one of the dumbest S.C Justices in recent memory. Supreme Court justices should have a term limit, say 20 yrs...

Back to Frothy: he should stfu. That man is so obsessed with sex! I'd love for a bizarre scandal starring him to happen. Please! :whistle:

[Deleted03]

There are no words.

[Witsec7]

Well, it makes me feel soooo much better to know that yes, Rick cooks and cleans at home

According to his tax returns thats not the case. :lol: Besides his daughters caregivers he also employs a housekeeper/cook :lol:

[Sunnichick31]

I really have to stop reading stuff about that thing (Frothy isn't worthy of being called a man or even a human being) before I get so pissed that my laptop ends up out the window.

I hate to use the cliche, but what if a woman is raped!? She wouldn't know who the father is then. Screw Santorum.

[MarciaBrady]

So his moronic campaign manager actually thinks we should vote for someone based on how much cooking and laundry they do at home. I don't give a flying crap about whether or not Santorum can make a meatloaf. I care about the vile, misogynistic views he has on how he thinks this country should be run.

[YPestis]

I think it's a good idea to encourage single moms to find the father so they can get child support from them. However, I think Santorum's ideas are too harsh. They seek to actively punish people who are already destitute. I dislike his statement that single teenage moms should have to live with their families. For many, their home life is the reason they ended up getting pregnant. I would hate to return a desperate teenager to a destructive home life.

That said, I believe welfare money should not be given freely like a salary. I feel single moms should be engaged in job search or education. If they opt to get medical care from the state, they should bring their child in for checkups and follow up exams. I rotated at the county hospital for peds, and we had a lot of no-shows by welfare mothers who really took the free medical care for granted. The clinic had to start PAYING mothers to come in, including bribing them with new baby seats if they make it to all their appointments. Even the pediatricians---a pretty liberal group----were appalled that we had to do that.

The problem with Santorum is his policy seeks to actively punish women for their pregnant state. He makes single MOTHERS his target, and rarely says anything about the single dads, except that they should pay child support. Of the two parents, his ire should be directed at the parent that isn't taking responsibility for their child. Not the parent who is at least trying to do the right thing.

However, I think Santorum is still popular with certain groups because it reiterates the Right's urge to punish the women in any faulty relationship. It seeks to blame the women when families break down. Somehow, men are suppose to lead and be more emotionally stable but women are the wily ones enticing men to leave their children and be promiscuous.

[Third]

A friend of mine when she went and applied for food stamps the father of her 3 kids was held accountable. He didn't have a job but 8 years later she began getting back child support and he had to cover all the time they were on food stamps.

I thought that's how it worked.

[Zoom]

So his moronic campaign manager actually thinks we should vote for someone based on how much cooking and laundry they do at home.

If that is the measure we use to elect officials then we should elect my dad, who does pretty much all the cooking and laundry at home.

I voted against Santorum once and I am prepared to do it again. He is an idiot.

[Deleted03]

According to his tax returns thats not the case. :lol: Besides his daughters caregivers he also employs a housekeeper/cook :lol:

it'S easy to do half the coking when you have a cook 90% of the time!

[CynicMom]

Why is the whole "dead-beat dad" thing even an issue? The IRS is pretty darn effective at getting money out of people. I can see a plus-side to having the government involved.

[Sinister Rouge]

It's like he thinks the entire American population must be paternalistic assholes if he thinks this shit will get him elected. WHAT is his fascination with women's sex lives and what gay people do in their own bedrooms? It's like he's a legitimized, socially accepted version of someones jerkwad pervy uncle.

[slickcat79]

"Rick cooks and Rick cleans. They carpool. He takes the kids to school. They're equal partners in the marriage.

Don't they homeschool? I mean, wasn't (part of) the drama surrounding him because of using taxpayer funds for a cyber-school when his kids didn't live in the district? It's also pretty damn easy to take your kids to school when school is in the playroom :?

Also, what difference would it make if a single mother did identify the father of her child? There are plenty of cases where the woman knows exactly who the father of her child is, but that's not going to make him provide support if he doesn't want to. I mean, what if he's moved away? What if he's hiding/off the grid? What if he's in prison? What if he's dead? The idea that Rick Santorum is supposed to be some kind of champion for women's rights makes me throw up in my mouth a little

[Anise]

The idea that Rick Santorum is supposed to be some kind of champion for women's rights makes me throw up in my mouth a little

It just makes me laugh...and then weep softly into a pillow.

I don't know whose rights he's championing, but it ain't mine.

[emmiedahl]

Don't they homeschool? I mean, wasn't (part of) the drama surrounding him because of using taxpayer funds for a cyber-school when his kids didn't live in the district? It's also pretty damn easy to take your kids to school when school is in the playroom :?

They did not even live in the state!

But Santorum wasn't always so opposed to government-run schools—especially one Pennsylvania cyber charter school that offered students free computers, internet service, and online classes. Between 2001 and 2004, that online school allowed the Santorum family to live in Virginia, while sticking Pennsylvania taxpayers with a $100,000 bill.

http://mediakit.motherjones.com/politic ... ol-scandal

[desertvixen]

Georgia also requires the father to be identified in order for women to be eligible for benefits. This isn't a new idea (not saying any of his ideas are new OR good...).

[Lillybee]

Former worker here, when a woman or a man comes in to apply as a single parent, we tried to get information on the absent parent even if the parent lived out of state or was in prison or deceased. For women who really didn't know who the father was, there were ways to work around it. One of my mom's was a former addict who worked as a prostitute when she got pregnant and she had no problem getting aid. If someone doesn't cooperate, only the parent is not aided, the children still are aided.

I think some women do not cooperate because the father is still involved with her and she may be getting some cash, unreported, from him.

This is not a problem with single dads because guess what mom's name is on the birth certificate.

Also if the parent alleges abuse, there are ways to deal with that, without penalizing the single parent.

OK, re teen moms, before welfare reform, a pregnant teen was declared emancipated. She could apply for aid and even get homeless assistance. Currently, the rules are that teen mom's parents are still responsible for her but if she says that conditions at home or that she is unwanted at home a real social worked will investigate and validate teen mom's claims. Most of the time the claims are founded and teen mom is aided. The interesting thing is that this policy has really cut down on teen pregnancies in California.