Santorum's Other Fiscal Follies

From Ron Paul's constant barrage of attack ads, any mediocre pundit can itemize the Big Government resume of Rick Santorum:

1. He supported No Child Left Behind

2. he voted for the 2003 Medicare Part D entitlement

3. He voted to raise the debt ceiling five times.

4. He has pushed pork to his Pennsylvania constituency many times over.

5. When he left Congress, after suffering a double-digit loss to a pro-life Democrat in 2066, he became a lobbyist who racked up million dollar salaries.

Despite the long list of offenses to fiscal conservatism, the LA Times takes the former Senator to task for other forays in big spending and Big Government. He voted against itemizing military expenditures in the federal budget. He also walked in lock-step with the compassionate conservatism of George W. Bush, turning remarkable surpluses into commonplace deficits and waste, outspending the previous administration.

The LA Times neglected to mention Santorum's support for Amtrak subsidies in his state as well as pushing for the extension and raising of the minimum wage, both of which are anathema to free markets and limited government advocates. Time Magazine conducted an interview on this outspoken social conservative, a swapped politician who was bending over backwards to please every constituent and interest group who visited his office looking for a favor. Walking the straight (and strait) line of limited government ideology in tandem with party-line profligacy proved too daunting.

Still, the LA Times demonstrates once again a penchant for pushing forth spend-thrift niceties about the Senator in large part to discredit is ascent among GOP hopefuls who want someone else besides Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney. Of course, any candidate who pushes open liberalism in the home and statism in Washington would please the fancy of the LA Times editorial board; therefore, any jabs to slow down Santorum are fair game, no matter how picayune.