Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who announced a presidential exploratory committee last week, joined Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this afternoon in a failed attempt to appear as anything other than a lunatic.
When the subject of the debt ceiling came up, Santorum said that he would "absolutely" hold the debt ceiling hostage in order to defund "Obamacare."
SANTORUM: [The health care law] is a program that if the president wants to defend, he should stand up and say the 2012 election is about Obamacare. We’ll put this on hold, and make it a referendum on Obamacare.
WALLACE: Well ok that’s 2012, but you’re saying you’d let the country go into default on this issue.
SANTORUM: No I think the president would let this country go into default on this issue.
WALLACE: But you would make that the condition — you’d make that the price?
SANTORUM: Absolutely. Absolutely.
You may have noticed in the video clip above that he also took a jab at the Affordable Care Act by claiming it's already causing job losses. A claim which I'm sure Santorum is entirely incapable of substantiating.
At another point during the interview, the subject of gay-rights came up, and Chris Wallace asked Santorum to clarify his position on the subject of civil-unions and their legal benefits, and Don't Ask Don't Tell, which Santorum has pledged to reinstate.
"You oppose civil unions, you want to reinstate 'don't ask, don't tell.' Do you think gays have any rights, should have any access to benefits as partners?" Wallace asked.
"Well, sure. I mean there are all sorts of contractual benefits that anybody can contract for. But the question is whether we should institutionalize that in public policy? My feeling is that people can live their lives however they want to live it," Santorum explained.
"The question is: what are you going to do to try to impact public policy to recognize particular relationships?" he continued. "My feeling is the relationship that should be recognized in public policy that provides exceptional benefit, unusual unique benefits to society is marriage. Marriage between a man and a woman who are there to join together for the purpose of continuing society, which is having children and raising the children in a home with a mom and a dad."
"But you wouldn't give them any rights as a matter of public policy?" Wallace wondered.
"It depends what you mean by 'rights.' Are you talking benefits as far as rights? They have the right to be able to -- employment. I don't know what you mean by rights. What I'm talking about are privileges. Privileges of marriage, privileges of government benefits is a different thing than basic right to live their lives as they well should and can as free Americans," Santorum replied.
"My feeling is that people can live their lives however they want to live it," unless you are gay or have a uterus, in which case Santorum's version of America would tell you what you can and cannot do.
Dear Republicans -- you may have a problem with your slate of presidential candidates if Chris Wallace of Fox News is the one who is asking them the tough questions.