Santorum Speech Focuses on Islamic Jihadist Threat

Rick Santorum, former Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, told College Republicans the University was unique in standing up against the decay that is in America’s culture at a speech on Wednesday night.

“One of the things that we suffer from here in this country and the reason they suffer from in Europe is a complete lack of understanding of history,” Santorum said. “We don’t know who we are anymore.” Santorum, a current a Senior Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a contributor to Fox News, spoke to about 100 College Republicans in a Pryzbyla Center Great Room.

Santorum, 50, whose father has a graduate degree from the University, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1991 and was re-elected in 1993, where he represented Pennsylvania’s 18 Congressional District. In 1994, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Being re-elected in 2000, Santorum sought a third term in 2006 but was defeated by current U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA).

“Our enemies see that we are a culture not capable of defeat,” he continued. “They see the United States, the leader of the West as the principle impediment.”

“They don’t want to live in harmony with us,” he said. “They want to destroy us and they want to subjugate us to their ideology.”

Santorum said the enemy, religiously motivated jihadists, is more vigilant, dangerous, and capable of causing more damage to the world.

“Whether we as Americans will have the resolve to confront it is I believe the most important question of the day,” said Santorum.

“A lot of people aren’t well educated on foreign policy or have a grasp on how complicated everything is,” said Danielle Beck, chairman of the College Republicans. “I think what he had to say was pertinent and he was able to shed a light on it in a way that made sense to us.”

Santorum is a strong social and fiscal conservative, who is often criticized for his views.

“He’s not a regular politician. He has a different view on everything. He’s not into political correctness,” said freshman politics major Colin Colburn.

The Washington Peace Center posted on their website the time and location of the event, encouraging others to stand up on their seats and turn their backs to him, fifteen minutes into the speech. Although no one did this, a protestor yelled ‘fascist’ into the room. Chairman of the College Democrats, Joe St. George, was present and asked the former Senator about his views on the current financial crisis.

Despite the interruption by protestors, Beck was thrilled with the number of people who came to listen, even those with conflicting views.

In 2005, Santorum wrote a book, entitled It Takes a Family. The book is about the necessity of the family structure and how liberal social policies have destroyed it. He argues that government should take a proactive role in promoting strong families.

“I thought it [the speech] was really inspiring and my favorite part was when he was sitting down with us privately and he was telling us about his family bracelet,” said Beck. “I think that’s a really important message.”

Santorum Video #1

Santorum Video #2

Video of Santorum, O’Connell, and Protesters

University President Rev. David M. O’Connell greets former Senator Rick Santorum before his speech at the Catholic University of America on October 1, 2008.

Protesters also interrupted Santorum’s speech, check out the video below.

College GOP Prepares to Host Steele and Santorum

Two Republican politicians slated to speak at campus events this fall have provided challenges to meeting the complexities required for choosing and vetting speakers at the University.

Rick Santorum, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, has drawn the ire from some theologins from remarks regarding homosexuals, and Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, who said he does not think Row V. Wade needs to be overturned, were chosen by the College Republicans to deliver speeches on campus.

“We get into very nuanced interpretations when it comes to speakers, and some of that is because of what the Bishops have said,” said Bill Jonas, director of University Center, Student Programs and Events (UCSPE).

Jonas is charged with approving speakers at club events. His office requires that officers of student organizations fill out a lengthy form twenty days in advance, naming the speaker.

Steele, who spoke on campus in 2005, represents one of the many difficulties of abiding by a presentation policy which reads the school “is not required to provide a forum for advocates whose values are counter to those of the university or the Roman Catholic Church.”

Michael Steele “is not coming to talk about abortion, he’s basically coming here to kick off the College Republican’s year,” said Jonas.

Speakers holding views contrary to official church doctrine are told by UCSPE that those views are off-limits during public comments.

“We have an easier time than the College Democrats when it comes to getting speakers to campus, because so many republican views are in line with the church,” said Danielle Beck, chairman of the college republicans.

Joe St. George, chairman of the College Democrats, cites issues on which democrats and the church generally agree as reasons for decreasing some of the regulations. “On issues like the death penalty, poverty assistance and welfare, our speakers hit home.”

The speaker regulations came in the wake of a 2004 controversy in which director and screen actor Stanley Tucci, who is pro abortion, was rejected by University President Rev David M. O’Connell prior to a scheduled speech on Italian Cinema. A petition, circulated that asked O’Connell to “work collaboratively to devise a policy that reflects our best traditions of mutual respect, scholarly openness and honest debate.”

After review, the board of trustees approved the current presentations policy, which stipulates speakers must avoid promoting issues contrary to catholic teachings, but that clubs and departments may hold events which present both sides of a controversial issue.

In addition, the University’s non-profit status prohibits it from participating in political campaigns, which means that politicians running for office may not use the campus to make stump speeches or hold rallies.

“There’s always that risk, that politicians will use [the Catholic University of America] as a marketing tool. They spoke here, so it might help them,” said St. George.

His club has chosen a different route this semester, scheduling Barbara Slavin, a reporter on the International Desk at the Washington Times who has authored several books on foreign politics. “It’s nice, using journalists whose views aren’t everywhere,” said St. George. They also tapped former diplomat to Gabon, Warren Clark.

Last fall, The Tower reported a story regarding the scheduling of Senator John Kerry (D-MA), who is pro abortion rights, for a speech on campus. The story was seized upon by the Cardinal Newman Society, who emphasizes stronger adherence to Catholic doctrine at Catholic colleges and universities.
The speech was later cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, according to Kerry’s office.

“Both of the parties on campus need to support each others speakers. Fr. O’Connell has spoken about this, that the higher profile names we get here, the more national prominence our University has,” said St. George.

Beck says she and St. George are working on partisan events, such as a presidential debate viewing sponsored by both clubs.

A lucid definition of what constitutes an acceptable speaker or speech still eludes administrators. “Basically, it’s like navigating river rapids,” said Jonas of the process which has suffered bumps in the past, but is defining itself more with each semester.