Wipe That Santorum Off Your Face

This just in from the DSCC

From: "Phil Singer"
Sent: 08/18/2005 04:46 PM
Subject: NEW POLL: SANTORUM HAS THE LOWEST RATING OF ANY U.S. SENATOR

SANTORUM HAS THE LOWEST RATING OF ANY U.S. SENATOR

New Poll Shows that Santorum's Net Approval Rating Is The Worst in the Nation

A new poll by Survey USA reveals that Senator Rick Santorum has the lowest net public approval ratings of any U.S. Senator. The survey was released today and showed that only 42% of those polled said that they approve of the job Santorum is doing, while 46% said that they disapproved, leaving Santorum with a net approval rating of -4%. The results of the poll, as well as results for Senators in all 50 states, can be viewed at: http://www.surveyusa.com/100USSenators0805SortedbyNetApprovalScore.htm.

The survey was a collection of 50 separate but concurrent statewide public opinion polls. According to SurveyUSA, The average favorability rating for all U.S. senators was 56% and average unfavorability rating for all U.S. senators was 32%.

Santorum has gained attention in recent months for writing a book that is disparaging of working mothers and making controversial statements about the clergy sex abuse scandal.

Santorum Criticized Women Who Work Outside the Home. In his book, It Takes a Family, Santorum criticized feminism and its effect on families. He said, "Many women have told me, and surveys have shown, that they find it easier, more 'professionally' gratifying, and certainly more socially affirming, to work outside the home than to give up their careers to take care of their children. Think about that for a moment...Here, we can thank the influence of radical feminism, one of the core philosophies of the village elders. [It Takes a Family, pg. 95]

In 2002, Santorum Said it Was "No Surprise" That Church Sex Scandal Centered On Boston. Writing about the sex scandals in the Catholic Church in a 2002 column, Rick Santorum said, "it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm." [Catholic Online, 7/12/02 ]

Victims' Advocates Accused Santorum of Minimizing the Scandal With His "Harmful Comments." In July the AP reported, "David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Santorum's column tries to minimize the abuse scandal, and imply that 'some vague, larger societal defects' somehow caused clergy to assault children. 'In 2002, we gave Senator Santorum the benefit of the doubt, assuming he was not aware of the scope of the abuse crisis,' said Clohessy. 'In 2005, it's hard to understand how he could repeat and stand by such misguided and harmful comments.'" [Associated Press, 7/13/05 ]