Nobody home / Santorum tries to cover his tracks on residency

[PA Democrat]

Before every election, the Post-Gazette routinely sends letters to the candidates seeking material for the Voters Guide. Back in March, as part of that process for the primary, the newspaper sent a letter to Rick Santorum at his home address, at least the one that he claims. Back from Penn Hills came the letter with a sticker from the U.S. Postal Service checked as "Not Deliverable As Addressed -- Unable To Forward."

That is all you need to know about the nasty dispute between the Republican Sen. Santorum and his Democratic opponent, Bob Casey Jr., in the November election. The whole thing is rooted in one inconvenient fact for Sen. Santorum: He doesn't live here anymore.

This is not to say that he doesn't visit Penn Hills from time to time. But while he may meet the legal requirements for residency, his home is in Virginia with his wife and children. This is well-known and it has been for quite a while. Indeed, it was at the heart of the objection by some Penn Hills residents to the local school district paying for the senator's children to be enrolled in a cyber charter school. The theory was that -- let us emphasize it again because it is central to the current problem -- he doesn't live here anymore.

In furtherance of that objection, two local Democrats, Ed and Erin Vecchio, tried to revive the residency issue on primary election day, which was covered by a subsequent KDKA-TV report. A radio ad for Sen. Santorum flagrantly distorts that report, suggesting that "operatives" for the Casey campaign had trespassed on the Santorum property. (It also sneeringly calls Mr. Casey "Bobby" -- as if the Democrat wore short pants.)

More at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06146/693291-192.stm

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. "Not Deliverable As Addressed -- Unable To Forward."

:thumbsup: to the Post Gazette. Nobody in Western Pennsylvania thinks Ricky lives here anymore...hopefully the news has arrived in Philadelphia too.

Don't bother packing your bags, Ricky, you're already home in Virginia.

[AlinPA]

2. It was great how they put "he doesn't live here anymore" in italics.

Too bad a lot more people don't read the P-G. Probably an opposite story in the RW moronic "Trib"

[Orrex]

7. I expect that the Trib would praise him for residing with his family in VA

And shame on the Post-Gazette for liberally suggesting that he should abandon his family just for the sake of some byzantine residency requirement.

[Spazito]

3. Great article and, in case you missed it....

"let us repeat one last time -- the Santorum family is at no risk because he doesn't live here anymore and the family is in Virginia most of the time."


I absolutely love this article, combining biting humor with bald facts, perfect!


:rofl:

[PA Democrat]

5. I heard my hubby chuckling out loud and when I asked him what was so funny

he just pointed to this editorial.

Nothing funnier than catching the puffed-up indignant senator with his pants down.

[Spazito]

6. Yep, I start to laugh all over again just seeing the header ...

knowing the delicious dessert being offered at the link!

[Divernan]

4. Rick is "hiding behind his wife & kids" to get around inconvenient fact

A nice strong editorial from the Post-Gazette.
Here's more:
"First, the couple criticizing Sen. Santorum have denied a connection to the Casey campaign, an assertion confirmed by Mr. Casey. (Perhaps Sen. Santorum thinks that just being a critical Democrat makes people "operatives.")

Second, no one has admitted to trespassing on the Santorum property or peering through windows. The KDKA report merely quoted Mr. Vecchio as saying the house was vacant, with no curtains or furniture. But you wouldn't have to be a trespasser to find that out; you could ask neighbors -- or the local mail carrier. After all, the senator's absence is not in serious dispute because he doesn't live here anymore.

Mr. Casey described Sen. Santorum's claims as "weird" and "bizarre." Actually, they are beyond weird and raise serious questions about the senator's ethics that go beyond the residency question. In a letter to Mr. Casey, he speaks of his "outrage" regarding the actions of the Casey campaign "which have put our six young children at a serious safety risk."

Though that suggestion is far-fetched to the point of absurdity, it would be a potential source of fear only if the senator actually lived in Penn Hills, but -- let us repeat one last time -- the Santorum family is at no risk because he doesn't live here anymore and the family is in Virginia most of the time. So what we have is the senator making untrue and outrageous comments while seeking to hide behind his wife and kids in order to get around an inconvenient fact.