Your Daddy

Pennsylvania is home to one of the major contested Senate races in the country. As the LA Times notes, in Pennsylvania: Bellwether for November?:

Perhaps fittingly for what has become an iconic contest, incumbent Republican Rick Santorum and his Democratic challenger, Bob Casey Jr., will tangle for the first time in a joint interview on national television, on NBC's "Meet the Press."

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[B]oth campaigns recognize that as an incumbent senator from the president's party Santorum's fate is entwined with Bush's standing. The question is whether Casey can capitalize on that connection forcefully enough to keep Santorum from becoming this election's comeback kid.

As the LA Times observed, Ricky Santorum's favorable numbers are about matched with those of George Bush -- no wonder, he votes the same way as the President 98% of the time. (They are matched in other ways as well. Santorum: “I think he’s been a terrific president, absolutely.”)

Short version of the debate (with video highlights), via Americablog:

Santorum called George Bush a "terrific president," admitted to sleeping in Pennsylvania just one month a year, reiterated his support for privatizing Social Security, praised Bush's handling of Iraq and insisted there were WMD in Iraq even though the White House has acknowledged there weren't. Casey laid out a new direction, calling for the Iraqis to take the lead on their own security and detailing specific ways for enhancing the U.S. military. He outlined a plan to balance the budget and spoke about the need for Pennsylvania to have a Senator who will hold George Bush accountable for advancing an ineffective agenda.

Before the debate, there was alot of concern expressed as to how Casey would fare with Santorum, who is a polished speaker, while Casey has John Kerry disease. In The political perils of sound-bite candor, Dick Polman describes it:

Casey just tends to meander along, repeating verbose talking points culled from his speeches, and deflecting the thrust of questions in a lulling tone of voice that would best suit a meditation instructor.

However, Polman did (sort of) declare Casey the non-loser of the debate:

But from Casey’s perspective, however, this debate was probably a success, because on two key occasions, Santorum – who is, by nature, more glib and outspoken -- uttered two potentially damaging sound bites at his own expense.

The lesser of the two: “I probably spend maybe a month a year” at his home in Pennsylvania.

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But the more important one-liner, the potential gift to the Casey campaign, was his overall assessment of President Bush.

Santorum said that of course he and the boss don’t always agree on things – Santorum pointed out today that he still thinks that we have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, whereas Bush now says we have not – but the senator was still upbeat about his beleaguered leader. Hence, the debate’s number-one sound bite:

“I think he’s been a terrific president, absolutely.”

Santorum’s base probably liked that line; at least he doesn't bob and weave like his challenger. The problem is, statewide polls indicate that seven in 10 Pennsylvanians certainly don't view Bush as terrific, at least not in the positive sense.

Others seemed to give it to Casey. See, e.g., Casey Cool and Collected: Santorum Angry, and Quotes from Sunday's day of debate in Senate race.

Low point of the debate -- Santorum raising Casey's father during a debate on the morning after pill -- as part of an exchange over the FDA's decision to make the morning-after pill available without a prescription. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Heated Senate debate breaks little new ground, explained:

While both candidates hold generally conservative views on abortion, they showed a sharp disagreement on the federal government's recent decision to allow over-the-counter sales of the so-called Plan B morning-after pill.

Endorsing the decision, Mr. Casey said, "It is contraception, and I support it, and it's a difference of opinion."

Mr. Santorum called the pill dangerous, arguing that, "if the egg has been fertilized ... and the pill is taken, it does cause an abortion. It's inconsistent with his previous position. It's a classic attempt of him, how in a general election, to try and middle and, and, and violate his principles."

Referring to Mr. Casey's father, the late governor known for his anti-abortion views, Mr. Santorum added, "I think his father would be very upset if, if he were alive today and, and heard him be supportive of something like this."

Asked about that statement in the studio afterwards, Mr. Casey said, "The last thing we need is a lecture from Mr. Santorum about my father."

See, Media Matters, Santorum Tells Casey His Dead Father ‘Would Be Very Upset’ With Him, which has a video clip of Santorum's exchange. (See also, Debate Coverage).

UPDATE: The Daily News also has a pretty good recap, Hard to say who won Santorum-Casey debate on national TV.

Tags: PA politics, Santorum, Casey