Santorum blames 'abortion culture' for problems with Social Security
(CNN) - Potential 2012 presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the "abortion culture" in America is to blame for the failing Social Security system.
In an interview with WEZS Radio in Laconia, New Hampshire, Tuesday, the former Republican Pennsylvania senator said abortion rates are influencing the number of children born in the United States and there are therefore not enough children to support the program long-term.
"The Social Security system in my opinion is a flawed design, period. But having said that, the design would work a lot better if we had stable demographic trends," Santorum said. "A third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion."
Santorum, an outspoken opponent of abortion, made the comments in response to a caller who said abortion rates are to blame for the problems with Social Security and Medicare.
"We have seven children so we're doing our part to fund the Social Security system," Santorum said. "I want children to be living in America and contributing. America's greatest resource is our people and we're denying America what it needs, which is more Americans."
Santorum was in New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state Tuesday to meet with voters and headline a GOP dinner in Concord.
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Wow.... just... Wow.
So come on America. Do your patriotic duty. Reproduce like rabbits and create a greater strain and demand on the world's limited natural resources. And 'one third'? Really? So every third pregnant woman is having an abortion? Geez....
These appear to be the comments of an obsessed sycophant, (fawning parasite) who will say anything for a vote. Of course, our politicians who sold their souls so big business can move hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas has nothing to do with declining contributions to the Social Security system. We are truly a stupid people putting up with crap like this. Just another distraction to get the publics' mind off the FACT that since November, the new republican congress has done not one thing to create more jobs. Folks we are the reason the country is in the condition it is. We, the people , voted these bozos into office. Now we think we have to live with them.
Exactly which one of these idiots is going to beat Obama? As much as the right thinks they will win, Obama will get a second term because I could do a better job than the idiots they are pulling out to run against him.
OMG!!!! What a STUPID statement. Blame our elected leaders. They raided the social security fund and give the funds away to people who never paid into it (illegals among others). I can't believe anyone would make such a stupid statement.
Does anyone even listen to this nutbag? WOWsers!
Yes, nothing like blaming liberals for treating unborn children as lifeless objects, only to talk about them as sources of financial support for the elderly.
Fun fact: US Catholics (like Santorum) have abortion rates statistically equivalent to the rest of the American population, despite the Catholic church's explicit opposition to the practice.
Santorum is an idiot! If it were only so simple.
Another Republican nut ball...
Well, that ought to do it for Rick. Campaign has hardly begun and it is already over. What a total moron.
This guy has really lost it. What he will do to pander to the far right has now been replaced by his actual belief in this garbage. The social security system is only in trouble due the extent of withdrawals taken from it in the past ten years to pay for costly unnecessary wars and tax cuts for the rich, both done by the republicans! We will pay the system back, but only when we return sane democrats to the congress. If you look at the census our population is not going down. What is a sustainable human population for the world? The baby boom ended, families can no longer afford large numbers of children, the birth control pill has helped control population, not abortion. Of course, that is their real target!
Because increased overpopulation and the resulting poverty (as is seen in other countries where the number of children born per family is much higher) would make so much more sense than the current culture of forcing mothers into poverty and hence subsequently to make family planning a choice of economics...
But then again the rest of us just realize that both abortions and overpopulation can be controlled by the simple use of a condom...
Oh, but then we're back to square one on Social Security. How funny that republicans dare not reduce Social Security and Medicare benefits, even though they are the largest items in the budget, while using the same 'budget' argument to push teachers and other government workers around.
The difference? The seniors who receive SS and Medicare vote republican. Of course the republicans won't cut the benefits of those that vote for them. They will find somebody else to blame.
This guy is so wrong thinking that I don't even know where to begin. Let's over-populate the world so that Social Security will be solvent? And his quote, "A third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion." This is even worse than a Bush-ism, grammatically. Would the reporter please check the facts of this poorly worded statement for us?
Unfortunately typical – if we don't know how to actually fix a problem, just blame it on something we already don't like and make up a lame connection.
Where they gonna work you doofus?
Goes to show the lunacy of the gop, How low will they go?
That might be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard any politician say in 40 years of observing American politics. This guy isn't fit to be president of his local Rotary Club.
The 'one third' number is ridiculous but the whole premise is unbelievably hypocritical.
Does that mean that a third of the people are not collecting welfare today because of abortion? Does that mean a third of the people today are not on Medicaid because of abortion? Does that mean a third of our teachers and policemen and firemen are not collecting state and local pensions today because of abortion? And doesn't that mean we should encourage amnesty and unlimited legal immigration so all those additional people could be contributing to the Social Security fund?
so the fact that most people can't afford to have baseball teams of kids has nothing to do with it. or that we are no longer all farmers. go back on your meds, rick.
When will middle class and impoverished Americans realize that opposing abortion and gay rights is just Re-pub smoke and mirrors? It's designed to distract those voters from realizing that the ONLY "family values" that really matters is "What's in YOUR wallet?" If you don't have enough money to put a decent roof over your family's heads, to put decent food on the table, decent clothes on their backs, and provide a decent education for your children, then what the heck does it matter whether a woman you don't even know can't get an abortion or a gay couple you don't even know can't get married?
What a smart guy! Maybe we should be kidnapping people from third world countries to work in the US and support the Social Security system-oh, yes, I forgot, we already tried that once. Typical Republican approach–take away choice to keep the money flowing. How about a real solution, Sanitorum.
As a conservative, I don't believe abortion should be abolished. Having said that, I don't believe in late term abortions. However, these welfare moms who spit out babies left and right should not be allowed abortion as a means for birth control after (let's be generous) three kids they can't afford. Tie their tubes and be done with the costs of the abortions and more kids on welfare perpetuating the cycle these people are soooo comfortable with. While we're at it, the dead beat dads who father kids left and right should also have warrants issued for their sterilization. Maybe then we can clean up the gene pool and give the kids a chance. No one is entitled to an abortion on the tax payers dime. You open your legs, YOU pay for your abortion or we can and should fix you like the dog you are.
This is the most crass, inhuman statement I've heard from a GOP candidate.
Is this guy for real? Most kids who grow up not being wanted in the first place by their parents end up beings recipients of the system, as opposed to contributors to it.
If Republicans were genuine about their love of the fetus, there would be no such thing as orphanges as conservatives would adopt every parent-less child living in this country today.
This man is clearly out of his mind. People are having fewer children because it just costs too much to raise them in the U.S.! Compared to other modern nations, this country does little to help families, despite all the rhetoric about family values, the importance of healthcare, education, etc. Lots of talk, no action, and when we compare ourselves to other countries, such as Denmark and their education/social system, politicians wonder why they are so far ahead of us. It's because their government actually funds the things it says it stands for. It's not a mystery.
Is this moron for real ?
My wife & I are childless by choice, and through responsible use of birth control, not abortion. But then again, we grew up in the late-70's & early 80's, back when sex education was actually taught responsibly in public school systems, before the bible-thumpers like Mr. Santorum started dominating the Republican party and trying to drive this country back into the dark ages...