Before I begin let me confess my bias. I believe a nation's prosperity and freedom are directly correlated to its adherence to what our Framers referred to as "laws of nature and Nature's God." It does not depend on the faith of our lawmakers or their sincerity. It does not depend upon how successful they were in the private sector or how articulate they are in debate. Their ability to lead our nation to prosperity/freedom is directly related to their commitment to uphold their oath to "preserve, protect and defend" and conserve the ideals expressed by our founders in our founding documents.
The best indicator of future performance is a voting record. Here the heart and soul of a politician is laid bare. Rhetoric takes a back seat. Subject matter "experts" and the media become unnecessary.
In this arena voting records talk and you know what . . . walks. We know Woodrow Wilson ran for re-election on "He kept us out of war". FDR ran on a platform a Libertarian could support. George H.W. Bush promised "No new taxes". George W. Bush promised not to use our troops for nation building and Barack Obama promised transparency.
Limited Government
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| Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) |
Santorum - Opposes . . . In his book "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good" he advocates greater government involvement in our lives including: national service, publicly funded trust funds for children, community-investment incentives and economic-literacy programs in "every school in America." Supported Bush's 'No Child Left Behind' which doubled the federal government's role in education.
Paul - Supports . . . The authority of a federal lawmaker is restrained to the 18 clauses in Article 1, section 8. Everything else is left to the states and to the people (10th Amendment).
Abortion
Both are ardently anti-abortion, however Santorum takes a federal approach while Paul takes a State's Rights approach.
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| Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) |
Paul - Opposes . . . and has never voted to subsidize abortion or Planned Parenthood. Believes we have been waiting 40 years to overturn Roe v. Wade and have nothing to show for our efforts but billions of tax payer dollars and millions of murdered babies. Believes the simpler solution is to take abortion out of federal jurisdiction all together and put it back in the hands of the states where the laws against abortion are still on the books. Paul extends his Pro-Life stand to foreign citizens overseas believing "all men are created equal" and have an unalienable right to self-determine until they become an immediate threat to Americans here at home. Paul did not violate his Pro-Life stance when he got to Washington like many Republicans. He authored The Sanctity of Life Act, H.R. 776, defining life at conception, gained only five co-sponsors. The Catholic California Daily cites Ron Paul as "abortion's 'unshakeable foe'" with the Act as evidence.
Contraception
Can the Government violate the First Amendment and force Catholics and other Americans to pay for contraception?
Santorum - Supports. Santorum has a record for repeatedly voting to force Catholics and others to pay for contraception through the instrument of taxation.
Paul - Opposes. Paul took and oath to "preserver, protect and defend" the U.S. Constitution which restrains the federal government from taking the private property from its citizens for any purpose not enumerated in Article 1, Section 8. Our First Amendment rights are unalienable and restrain the government from violating the "free exercise" of our faith.
Bridge to Nowhere
Santorum - Supported . . . Voted for the 2005 highway bill that included thousands of wasteful earmarks including a Bridge to Nowhere in Ketchikan Alaska at a cost of $321 billion to U.S. taxpayers.
Paul - Opposed . . . This authority is not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution.
Patriot Act
Repeal of the 4th Amendment
Santorum - Supported . Voted in favor of the Patriot Act and its reauthorization, the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
Paul - Opposed. 4th Amendment is an unalienable right. Paul does not believe we need to surrender our basic rights and restructure our legal system for temporary security.
Right to Work
Prohibiting Unions from requiring membership
Santorum - Opposed. In the 104th Congress, Santorum joined all the Democrats and a minority of Republicans in voting to filibuster the bill S. 1788, the National Right to Work Act of 1995. During the same session he also voted to retain the 1930s-era Davis Bacon Act that forces taxpayers to pay union wages in government-funded construction and gives Big Labor an unfair advantage over non-union companies and workers.
Paul - Supports. The is a rule of law issue. No group should be able to use law to force association.
Santorum - Supports. During 2003-2004 session of Congress, Santorum sponsored or co-sponsored 51 bills to increase spending, and failed to sponsor even one spending cut proposal. In his last Congress, 2005-2006, he had one of the biggest spending agendas of any Republican - sponsoring more spending increases than Republicans Lisa Murkowski, Lincoln Chafee and Thad Cochran or Democrats Herb Kohl, Evan Bayh and Ron Wyden.
Paul - Opposes. Paul believes the U.S. Constitution limits federal spending to the 18 clauses enumerated in Article 1, Section 8. He even returns part of his house budget each year to the Treasury.
2008 Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney
Santorum - Supported.
Paul - Opposed.
Increase the Debt Ceiling
Santorum - Supports. Voted five times to raise the debt ceiling adding trillions to the federal deficit.
Paul - Opposes. Has never voted to increase the debt ceiling.
Department of Education
Department of Education
Santorum - Supports. Supported legislation that doubled and greatly expanded the Federal Goverments role in education. In 2001 he supported "No Child Left Behind"..
Paul - Opposes. This authority is not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and is responsible for the indoctrination of our children. Families and churches have the primary responsibility for education not the government.
Drugs
Federal War on Drugs
Santorum - Supports. Voted 'Yes' on increasing drug penalties and on spending international development funds on drug control.
Paul - Opposes. Although he is against drugs he believes the $500B spent by the federal government in the drug war has repeated the errors of Prohibition. Believes it is a character issue to be addressed by families and churches. The Communist Manifesto has killed more people than drugs but we don't want a government that bans the book.
Federal Reserve / Counterfeiting
Santorum - Supports. "There should be a QE1". Supports a Federal Reserve to keep our money "sound" - see interview with Glenn Beck.
Paul - Opposed. Counterfeiting is recognized as an illegal act in the U.S. Constitution. Washington made the death penalty the law for counterfeiting while in office. Paul has introduced legislation to abolish the Fed.
Foreign Aid
Federal Reserve / Counterfeiting
Santorum - Supports. "There should be a QE1". Supports a Federal Reserve to keep our money "sound" - see interview with Glenn Beck.
Paul - Opposed. Counterfeiting is recognized as an illegal act in the U.S. Constitution. Washington made the death penalty the law for counterfeiting while in office. Paul has introduced legislation to abolish the Fed.
Foreign Aid
Redistribution of private property to foreign citizens
Santorum - Supports. "Those who want to 'zero out' foreign aid don't understand the importance of the practice"
Paul - Opposes. The legitimate role of government is to protect the property of it's citizens, not redistribute it. See 5th Amendment.
Free Trade
Santorum - Opposed. Has backed higher tariffs on everything from steel to honey. He is inconsistent here. He supports an industrial policy with the government titling the playing field toward manufacturing industries and picking winners and losers. Since 2001 has been a supporter of ethanol subsidies.
Paul - Supports. The U.S. Constitution does not authorize a lawmaker to pick which businesses win and which lose. The Commerce clause was written by our founders to promote free trade not control it.
Homosexuality
Santorum - On record explaining what happens in an individuals bedroom is the business of the entire community and that private consensual sex should be a matter of government regulation.
Paul - Doesn't see the U.S. Constitution enumerating any power for a federal lawmaker in this area. Believes issues of character are best addressed locally by families and churches.
Iraq
Santorum - Supported the invasion. Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz estimates the cost at $3,000,000,000,000.
Paul - Opposed the invasion. FBI, CIA and then Bush's Chief Weapons Inspector, David Kay reported no evidence of WMD. 911 Commission found no connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.
Israel
Foreign aid to Israel
Santorum - Supports
Paul - Opposes. The U.S. Constitution charges the government with the protection of private property. It does not allow for it to be redistributed to any nation, Israel or otherwise. Israel has plenty of weapons to defend itself. If the U.S. cut off all foreign aid, Israel would be better off as our nation presently gives more to the Middle East than to Israel. Israel should be a sovereign nation and should not have to check with our State Department for approval of its foreign policy. "There is neither Jew nor Greek." - Apostle Paul, Gal 3:28. Paul's foreign policy is theologically, constitutionally and economically sound.
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Santorum - Supported President Bush's 2003 Act - the largest hike in welfare entitlement history prior to Obamacare. $60 billion a year and $16 trillion in unfunded liabilities.
Paul - Opposed. U.S. Constitution protects private property and does not allow for taxation for any purpose other than the 18 clauses enumerated in Article 1, Section 8.
Milk Subsidies
Santorum - Supports. In 2005 he sponsored a bill to extend milk subsidies which he claimed he did to "save countless Pennsylvania diary farmers."
Paul - Opposes government intervention in the free market or the redistribution of private property. Men form governments to protect life and property, not to redistribute it.
Guns (2nd Amendment)
Santorum - Supports. In 2005 he sponsored a bill to extend milk subsidies which he claimed he did to "save countless Pennsylvania diary farmers."
Paul - Opposes government intervention in the free market or the redistribution of private property. Men form governments to protect life and property, not to redistribute it.
Guns (2nd Amendment)
Santorum -Opposes. "The evidence is clear . . . (Rick Santorum) has a long record for supporting anti-gun legislation and politicians." - Dudley Brown, Executive Director, National Association for Gun Rights
Paul - Supports. An unalienable right necessary to defend life, liberty and property.
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| Hamilton vs. Jefferson |
If Conservatism means to conserve the status quo and to conserve the size of big government, then Santorum is the "true conservative" in the tradition of Hamilton and Hobbes. If Conservatism means to conserve the ideals of our founders and a limited government then Paul is the "true conservative" in the tradition of Jefferson and Locke.
Sources:
Santorum's Big-Government Conservatism. Michael D. Tanner, CATO Institute
Santorum Voted to Subsidize Abortion, Planned Parenthood. Alex Newman, The New American.
Santorum's Contradictions: A Record For Forcing Catholics . . . The New American
Santorum's Contradictions: A Record For Forcing Catholics . . . The New American
Voted for the Bridge to Nowhere. PolitiFact - Texas.
This Won't Play Well in South Carolina, Erick Erickson, Red State
Rick Santorum's anti-gun history, National Association For Gun Rights
Rick Santorum Slams Opposition to Foreign Aid, Real Clear Politics
Rick Santorum - Homeland Security, The Political Guide
Drugs, On the Issues: Every Political Leader on Every Issue
