Santorum: The 'Cancer' of Radical Islam Must be Confronted ...

For the record, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is not an Islamaphobe (whatever that is). In fact, in a recent interview with the Des Moines Register, the GOP presidential candidate made a careful distinction between Muslims and radical jihadists, claiming that the former suffers the most at the hands of the latter.

The Pennsylvanian Republican continued in this vein and took a hard line against radical Islam. He called it a ?very dangerous thing? and said that the Islamic world, in conjunction with the U.S., needs ?to confront this cancer within,? reports the Register.

Here are edited excerpts of the interview:

Q: You don?t always temper your remarks by saying Islam is a peaceful religion, that it?s nonviolent. Is that something that you believe?

A: Well, I use the modifier radical Islam. I don?t say that all Muslims are radicals; clearly they are not. The folks who are most harmed by radical Islam are Muslims in that region of the world who are living like, for example, in Iran. We have a radical theocracy that is in charge of Iran, and the vast majority of the Iranians, almost all of which are Muslims, are being persecuted and killed by that regime and tortured by that regime and are oppressed by that regime.

Q: A lot of people who are bent on doing the right thing are also very fearful of doing the wrong thing. Is that something that you worry about?

A: No, I?m not a risk-averse person. I really believe that you go out there and you do your best and you try your best to move whatever it is. Whether it is raising your children or coaching your Little League team, you believe, you try to measure the situation, gather all the information and then go out and make a difference. This country is not for the timid of heart.

Q: What do you think is going on in the party that someone like Donald Trump can hold so much influence?

A: Well, I don?t think it?s the party, I just think it?s the nature of the country. We?re a celebrity-driven culture, and he is a celebrity, and ? television does that to folks, and people want to hear and are interested in folks like Kim Kardashian for some unknown reason. Why? Because she?s a celebrity. I trust the Iowa caucus-goer they?re not going to be driven by celebrity politics.

Q: When you lost your Senate race in 2006, it was a bad year for Republicans to be sure, but you also lost by 18 points. What happened there?

A: Well, it was a horrible year in Pennsylvania. We lost the governorship by over 20 points. We lost the House of Representatives by historic margins. We had unfortunately two members of Congress in our congressional delegations who were involved in very sordid scandals, one that blew up two weeks before the election. We had a Democratic governor who was very popular and turned out a huge vote in the city of Philadelphia, which is where he?s from. So, it was pretty much a formula for disaster.

Q: You have often been an underdog in the races that you have had. I?m beginning to think personally you like being the underdog, up to a point. Are we past that point now?

A: Oh, no, I don?t think so. I think you realize that folks here in Iowa are still going through the process of making up their minds, and I feel very comfortable that they?re looking at someone who has worked hard here in Iowa, who has made himself available and accountable to the people of Iowa. I feel very good that the momentum is definitely in our favor.

?Santorum has been campaigning daily in Iowa since Thursday. He plans to keep barnstorming the state until he takes a break on Christmas Eve to be with his family,? reports the Register.

Given his social and fiscal stances, one may wonder why Sen. Santorum is consistently polling below Newt Gingrich, of all people.

(h/t Weasel Zippers)

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/santorum-the-cancer-of-radical-islam-must-be-confronted/

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