Santorum disses Obama for parenting skills with Malia
By Jeff MillsMarch 21st, 2012, 3:15 pmComments (7)
Thirteen-year-old First Daughter Malia Obama recently embarked on a spring-break trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with some classmates and twenty-five Secret Service agents (Ron Paul frowns), but the excursion was downplayed in the press, as a number of sites even pulled the story, including The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and Free Republic. This had to do with the traditional understanding between the White House and press corps that presidential kids are off-limits.
But the story did get out, including the detail that Malia made the trip amid travel warnings issued by the State Department (the obvious narco-violence and corruption), though no warning was in effect for the state of Oaxaca. And of course, Superdad and furtive Juggs reader Rick Santorum had an opinion on President Obama's judgment regarding his daughter's heavily-guarded vacay. In a phone interview with Glenn Beck, Santorum said:
"What I would say is that the president's actions should reflect what his administration is saying. If the administration is saying that it's not safe to have people down there, then just because you can send twenty-five Secret Service agents doesn't mean you should do it... And when the government is saying this is not safe, then you don't set the example by sending your kids down there."
Then we learned that an earthquake measuring 7.6 struck southern Mexico on Tuesday, about 110 miles from Acapulco. One could almost hear Santorum saying, "See, I told you so. I'm a better parent. Nya, nya, nya nyanya."
Fortunately, Malia was nowhere in the vicinity, and a spokesperson for Mrs. Obama assured us, "In light of today's earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger."
Bottom line, President Obama isn't going to roll the dice with his daughter's life, and Santorum making political hay out of a teenager's innocent trip abroad just makes him look stupid. But that's kind of his thing.
Commentarium (7 Comments)
Santorum is a jackass. Any questions?
Just because Rick Santorum doesn't think it was a good idea to send a bus load of teen aged girls on a vacation in Mexico doesn't automatically make it a great idea. This was a publicity stunt to score points with Mexico because of all the violence and travel warnings being issued from various U.S. states and agencies. And if THAT was why Obama sent his daughter off to Mexico then I would indeed question his judgement as a parent. Up to now I have felt Obama was a good father and husband, separating those qualities from the fact that he is essentially an ineffective and unprepared President. And I don't think he's a secret Muslim, his birth certificate is fake, or he's a Marxist. He's just not qualified to be President of the USA. Unfortunately, neither are any of the Republican contenders, who seem to be doing a very good impression of a circus clown car act. [And I honestly thought the Dems had a patent on that act]
"This was a publicity stunt to score points with Mexico..."
"...but the excursion was downplayed in the press, as a number of sites even pulled the story..."
Clearly a publicity stunt. Gurl, plz.
Don't worry we paid for 25 secret service agents to accompany the young ladies on their vacation south of the border. They are quite safe.
I hear that many Mexican vacation packages for the other 99% will include secret service protection.
Ok, I'm headed to travelocity right now. Can my bodyguards also be hot chick strippers?
The Obama girls are going to get a shitton of secretserv ice agents no matter where they go, because they're the president's kids, and that's just what's done. Maybe there were a few more because it was a trip to Mexico, but whatever that cost is a drop in the bucket in terms of gov't spending.
Absolutely right, and of course every President's family gets Secret Service protection. But Santorum's seven kids are three more than the country can afford, so only four of them will get protection.
Now you say something