I have seen the error of my ways.. I feel awful about the Santorum girl

[SoCalDem]

I will never again laugh at the original ppicture of her...



I will only post and repost the following picture of the happy family...

[NMDemDist2]

1. where's the original? I've been at work all day and missed it

:hi:

[SoCalDem]

4. You rascal.. you are trying to trick me

:rofl:

[NMDemDist2]

20. nope, but another DUer kindly provided the original

OMFG!

that's one scary looking "family"

[Caoimhe]

7. the original in all it's glory

poor damned kids

[Lex]

21. This one's better (from the HuffPo)

[TahitiNut]

28. That's a KEEPER! Classic!

I love it! :thumbsup:

[Caoimhe]

38. I LOVE THAT

saw it on fark. Here's my "motivational poster" Sorry it's so large

[B Calm]

40. She has to be holding a doll..... She looks 17

[Beaverhausen]

52. She's 8 years old.

[Beelzebud]

64. ROFL!!!!

[mike_c]

2. They're creepy and they're kooky....

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're all together ooky,
The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum
Where people come to see 'em
They really are a scream
The Addams Family.

(Neat)
(Sweet)
(Petite)

So get a witches shawl on
A broomstick you can crawl on
We're gonna pay a call on
The Addams Family.

[MaggieSwanson]

3. Oh, my.

I really MUST see the original picture now. Please?

edited to add: I googled "Santorum family" and had uncharitable thoughts when I looked at the unretouched photo.

Say, are these the poor kids that had to play with the mom's miscarriage before they buried it? Was that Santorum?

I hope things get better for the children. They've had a crap-filled start at life.

[Anakin Skywalker]

13. The Original is Right Here!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2727167

[Cerridwen]

5. So, a question for you...

how did you feel about limbaugh showing a picture of Chelsea Clinton and referring to her as the "White House dog"?

Be careful that you don't become that which you oppose. (paraphrase of somebody's "famous" words)

[Divernan]

18. Can't understand how anyone can dehumanize their enemies' children.

I could never understand how anyone could hate a child. The sad fact is that to many people, when they look at a child, they only see that child's race or religion or ethnicity - or in this case the political party of their parents. It was despicable to ridicule Chelsea Clinton, and the same holds true for ridiculing children of Republican politicians. I say that as a Pennsylvanian who has opposed Santorum from the first time he ran for office in the state.

[Lex]

24. I'd say "dehumanize" is a little strong

for christsakes.

[Divernan]

36. OK. Let's say demean or degrade -

We're talking about a bunch of "adults"(?) ridiculing a child's pain.

[Cerridwen]

27. Thank you for saying so.

A double standard is a double standard; regardless of whether it's "theirs" or "ours".

I can see it and I'm not even what's called a "kid person".

How are "we" "better" than "they" are again?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

31. I don't see anyone hating the kid.

I've read the threads and don't see that at all. No one has said or indicated that they hate the son or daughter... or even the wife. The father, yes. People have made fun of the kids, and I think that's a little low, but I give them the benefit of the doubt that they aren't sincerely desirous of a child suffering.

Saying that people hate the poor girl is the type of argument the right uses when they attack a straw man.

I think it's a picture that shows what their idea of "family values" really are - the exploitation of trotting your nice white nuclear family out in front of the cameras. She had to have been crying before he put her front and center, and her mother didn't stop him. That's the really disturbing thing - according to "them" the mother's role is nurturer, and I sure as hell don't see any nurturing going on.

I feel sorry for the kid, but the "I'm more outraged than YOU are" about this pic being discussed also echoes the right's attitude about any number of issues.

You have to admit that the matching doll is downright creepy.

[Divernan]

41. I think you make my point - she's not human so you can use her as the butt of a joke

Ridiculing her and laughing at her pain (you do concede she is miserably unhappy in this picture, don't you?)is OK because the ridiculers are targeting her father, not her. So what is she? Chopped meat? Either you endorse ridculing a child, or it somehow doesn't count what you do to her - like she has no right to be treated with respect.

If someone took a photo of your child, posted it for thousands to see, and "made fun" (Daddy, are we having fun, yet?) of her - would you laugh it off? I repeat, it was despicable for Rush to ridicule Chelsea Clinton, and the same holds true for ridiculing the Santorum child. And adding a clown face adds insult to injury.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

49. How does the clown face make it worse?

If you've never seen the photo before, you wouldn't know what was going on. Would a black box be satisfactory?

And explain how laughing at a photo is doing something TO someone.

If I put my kid in a position to have his photo taken and that was used to "make fun," then I would have no one to blame but myself. Just like if I allowed my kid to play in the street and he got hurt - wouldn't I bear most of the blame by letting him put himself in harm's way?

I haven't made fun of the kid, but putting her out as a prop is dehumanizing as well, and logically how can you dehumanize someone who has already been dehumanized?

I don't take joy from the photo, and I don't enjoy the jokes, but I don't think those making snarky comments are evil. Not the same as making racist jokes and such.

[Divernan]

55. Logically, are you arguing that once someone has been dehumanized

by one person, they are no longer capable of being dehumanized? Of course I agree that her parents could have protected her from being photographed while she was crying. Doesn't really matter to me what they were thinking; I am a person who protects children. I don't think twice about it, I just do it. Further, I was raised to treat every human being with respect, unless and until that person did something to lose my respect. This little girl never did anything harmful to anyone. It's a question of the standard of kindness, civility and humaneness to which we hold ourselves. I am sure that Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton or Teresa Heinz Kerry, to name a few, would not laugh at this child's pain. But you go right ahead.

[GoneOffShore]

70. Ah, the wife - Here's a thought.

Apparently, before little Ricky - formerly known as 'Rooster' - got married he was pretty much a run of the mill, country club Repuke. He got involved with Karen Gerver, now Karen Santorum.

Full article here - http://citypaper.net/articles/2005-09-29/cover.shtml

"He was a strong believer in the big-tent approach," says Phil English, a U.S. Congressman from northwestern Pennsylvania and a College Republican with Santorum. "He was outspoken and aggressive but had a populist approach — less about issues and more about getting people involved."

"He had Republican values," adds U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, another college friend of Santorum's. "But it's not like he was running around leading conservative jihads or anything."
<snip>
Santorum was working for the prestigious Pittsburgh law firm, Kirkpatrick and Lockhart, when he met Karen Garver in 1988. (While at the firm, Santorum represented the World Wrestling Federation, arguing that pro wrestling was not a sport and should be exempt from federal steroid regulations.) Karen, a law student at the time, was being recruited for a summer internship with the firm. Karen was a pretty, intelligent Pittsburgh native from a large Catholic family. The two quickly fell in love.

"Rick would come by the library at night and pick up Karen," remembers Arthur Rauschenberger, a Butler native and friend of Rick's who attended Pitt law school with Karen. "Before her, I know of one other girlfriend he had, a jaw-dropping blonde."
<snip>
A cousin of Santorum's with whom I'd corresponded over e-mail remembered Santorum becoming decidedly more serious after meeting Karen, whom he married in the summer of 1990.

"Rick was a funny guy," wrote the cousin. "He sported a bushy moustache for a time, wore Hawaiian shirts and smoked cigars. He liked to laugh, drink and call things 'horsey-assey.' He was very popular and fun to be around. I think the change happened when he met Karen."

Santorum's views on abortion changed around this time as well, recalls the cousin.

<snip>
After deciding to run for office in 1989, Santorum says that he studied scientific and ethical literature on abortion. Plus, he writes, "one should never underestimate the influence of a spouse in politics." He came to the firm conclusion that "abortion was the taking of an innocent life."

End quote.

So there you have it. It is entirely possible that the real power behind Ricky Rat is Mrs. Rat.

[Cerridwen]

71. Wow. I am so glad you think "making fun" of children is okay

That make "us" so much better than "they" are.

I'm glad you believe that when "they" "exploit...a nice white nuclear family" that's it perfectly acceptable to jump on the band wagon and throw our punches. BTW, ever heard of "mob rule"?

If they are hypocrites, say so. But to "pile on" the kids? Wow, what a bunch of bullies are we.

As to the "more outraged than YOU" crap. Naw, just outraged. And some of us are even knowledgeable about how politics works. What we do to them; they can do to us. If you can't get beyond it's just plain wrong; then try to look at it from a political strategic viewpoint. *They* will do to us as *we* do to them.

[Fire Walk With Me]

81. Children and puppies, old political tools. It looks like she was told to "weep".

Looks phony to me, but I don't trust them monkeys none.

[blondeatlast]

59. Absolutely. I have a 9 year old boy and I would never want to hear him discussed

the way we've discussed that little girl. You can bet that it's gotten around her school--kids are horrible to each other at times.

I would like to think it's beneath us here at DU; I thought we were more intelligent and sensitive than to sink to Rush Limbaugh's level.

It appears I'm sadly mistaken.

[Goblinmonger]

72. I see a BIG difference

Clintons did everything possible to not put Chelsea in the spotlight. They let her live her life out of the press and basically told the press to fuck off. Santorum parades his family around to get votes. Why did he even bring that poor little girl out to give his "I lost" speech. Let her be with people she loves. When he brings her out, he opens up this can.

Secondly, I agree that any comments about her being ugly would be out of place. I think most of the reactions are Schatenfrueda (I butchered that but I took Latin in high school so give me a break); that little feeling of glee at Santorum's pain. Not at her being ugly.

Much different in my mind. Plus Chlesea got the last laugh on Rush because she is smokin'

[Cerridwen]

74. In *your* mind, not *theirs*....

Please look at the history of the past couple of decades as to what republics think is fair game.

Please look at how the political game is played. If we lower ourselves to their level...we become *them*.

I've been "playing" this "game" for 2 decades...the standards to which we are held trump the lowered bar of standards to which they are held.

Leave the children out of the debate. "Therein lies madness" and political suicide.

[malaise]

76. I have no sympathy for people bawling about losing

an election. Now show me a war widow and her kids and I'll cry with that victim of Bushco's and Santorum's lunacy. Santorum should have sent his kids to school if he didn't want a public discussion about this disgusting display. One more Alito's wife photo op!

[meisje]

6. sickos

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. LOL

[Dangerously Amused]

9. What's truly sad is the thoughts they put in her head to make her cry like that.

That the bad people - who hate our religion, love the terrorists and want to kill babies - have taken over the country.

Poor kid probably has nightmares every night thanks to them.

[Lex]

11. That is exactly right.

That is what I wanted to say that night of the election, but couldn't quite articulate it.

[JudyM]

25. Right. And I probably looked something like that when the Gore lost the presidency. n/t

[blondeatlast]

61. I agree--and I'm one the "leave her alone" crowd. Good Lord, DU,

Rick "Play with the Dead Baby" Santorum is her father.

How screwed-up is she destined to be?

[QuestionAll...]

67. so let's have some cheesey fun with a kid. yay!

wo0t woot

that'll get things all straightened out. Prey on the weak!!!!
yah.

[Dangerously Amused]

80. I fear your indignation is fueling your judgment.

I didn't comment one way or the other on whether it's acceptable to find amusement in the child's reaction, okay?


I made a comment regarding the child's probable state of mind, likely the underlying cause of her reaction.


Sheesh.

[conscious evolution]

10. Leave the kids alone.

It's not their fault that they love their dad.Thats what most kids do.It's not their fault that their dad is a piece of shit.

[kath]

33. The kids should NOT have been paraded around on stage at such a time -

they should have been left in the backroom or somewhere.
I (and many others) suspect a "Mrs. Alito" moment here, an attempt to play on people's sympathies.

[rinsd]

45. So decisions the kids did not make should be held against them?

They should be made fun of?

Bunch of petty little shits on this board.

[conscious evolution]

62. Like I said

They cant help it that he is piece of shit.

Your right though.He should not have paraded them up there.
Like I said. He is a piece of shit. This is just the latest example.

[Dangerously Amused]

83. Well, exactly.

Upon seeing the child clearly in distress, any mother with an ounce of compassion and intellect would have scooped that child up in her arms, carried her off stage and consoled her. The only other option is that her mother wanted her daughter to suffer her angst on stage, to underscore the "injustice" of the election result.

Given this incident and the rest of the adult Santorum's twisted and superficial thinking, I can't help but conclude that the mother was thinking something along the lines of, "Just look what you've done to the poor, beautiful, innocent children, America! How could you?!?"

[QuestionAll...]

12. and how has this made anything better for anyone?

shame on you.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. You tell 'em, Churchlady.

[QuestionAll...]

19. wrong, I don't go to church.

I don't need no fucking churches nor fucking bibles to tell me when something something is just not right.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. Really?

I never would have guessed.

[Divernan]

43. Clueless is as clueless does.

nt

[CatWoman]

63. stop it

you're killing me!!

:rofl:

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

35. So to "defend the children" you treat adults as children.

Makes sense, actually.

Of course, the best remedy would be not to post in the thread and let it die off, since every post brings it to more people's attention.

[Demobrat]

16. I feel terrible for the poor kid.

She didn't pick her parents! And she certainly didn't ask to be used as a prop.

[Rick Myers]

17. You gotta admit, that's one bugly family.

One chromosome short of a full deck.

[rhiannon55]

22. LOL!

You are SO contrite! The picture is MUCH better now. :rofl:

[Divernan]

48. "My religion is kindness"

And yet you say in your profile that your favorite spiritual quote is from the Dalai Lama: My religion is kindness. Keep yukkin it up at a little girl.

[rhiannon55]

78. I'm sorry

:blush:

[Divernan]

79. Good to know you ARE a kind person.

nt

[Lars39]

26. Note the angle momma bear has her facing.

Riiiiiight towards that camera.

[Cerridwen]

29. Another question for you...

Is Skinner's son to be fair game for their side?

Please think about what you're doing?

[SoCalDem]

30. Skinner's running for the senate?? He's changed into a hater?

he's using his family for shills??

say it ain't so.:hi:

[Cerridwen]

34. He's a political activist...as noted on this board...

If you make it fair game to attack theirs, do you honestly think they'll make a distinction?

edit to add: they are not know for their grasp of nuance

[Lars39]

42. Skinner has more sense than to use his family as props.

[Cerridwen]

53. *He* doesn't have to...*they* will not hesitate to...n/t

[Lars39]

54. Well, unless Skinner poses with them at a public funcion or

posts their pics, they won't have anything to work with.

[Cerridwen]

56. You've not worked in politics, I take it?

I'm glad you're so sure they play by "our" rules...

I hope you're right. I hope I'm just "blowin' smoke." You'll excuse me if I don't count on that.

[txindy]

32. Cripes! It's Mr. Bill! Err, Miss Bill. Ms. Bill? No, wait, she's a fundie, so Miss Bill, for sure.

I don't want to see what happens next. Mr. Bill never had a day turn out well. The horror, the horror!

:rofl:

[jonnyblitz]

37. LMFAO!!!

:thumbsup:

[sweetheart]

39. she looks happier in this one:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

51. ROFLMAO

It needs a little work, but it's a keeper.

[Hubert Flottz]

44. Here's a happy GOPer face for the poor baby...

Try that on her!

[MrSlayer]

46. LMAO!!

Nice.

[JamesJoyce]

47. Let's leave the goofy stuff in the lounge.

nt

[rucky]

50. You just saved her years of therapy! n/t

[ellenfl]

57. the good news is that when she becomes a teenager

she will rebel and become a raging liberal! :headbang:

ellen fl

[Oilwellian]

58. Did ya get a chance to see my video?

I took your advice....."How Does It Feel, Republicans?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwsWLyvZC8

[SoCalDem]

65. Oooh. I like your video.. Perfection

:)

[Oilwellian]

68. I'm glad

Thanks for your help and sorry I misspelled your s/n.

[SoCalDem]

69. No problem.. to tell the truth, I didn't even look for it, so

I never even knew it was spelled differently :)

[NI4NI]

77. Out friggin'standing!

If I didn't know better, it seemed as if Dylan wrote the song specifically on 11/8/o6.

Well Done. Oilwellian!

[CatWoman]

60. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Monk06]

66. You're wasting your guilt. They're pod people, which reminds me of a song ........

Let the Eagles Sore like they never .......Sored before..er..er

You're a beautiful audience thank ya vera muuuuch.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

73. Have there been any photoshops with Rove or Cheney's face in place of the girl?

Or with shrub's face where Santorum's was?

So many delightful possibilities.

[MoseyWalker]

75. I have seen the error of my ways.. I feel awful about the Santorum girl

me too

[Skittles]

82. I'll save my sympathy for this girl:

[LordLovesAWorkingMan]

84. It's too bad the Santorums are white

because if their skin was any other color, we wouldn't have to look at these shitty, nasty threads anymore on DU - at a minimum, it would be considered racist.

Guess what, folks? WE WON. We don't need to do stupid crap like this.

[upi402]

85. too young for lipstick

you're still in trouble i think

[Hippo_Tron]

86. As I've said before, I'd be crying if Rick Santorum were my father

I really sympathize with the girl because her father is a horrible human being.

[Kerrytravelers]

87. OK, it's been a week now. How long are we going to talk about this kid.

Yes, her parents are using her to gain sympathy.

Yes, it's wrong of them to do that.

Yes, at 8, she's a bit old to be wearing matching dress with her doll (I teach kids her age. This isn't something I see very often.) It shows me that mom and dad need to get out of Washington DC and quit trying to dress up their kids as the "all American family" and get back into reality.

Yes, the kids have some odd looks on their faces.

But for goodness sake. This asshat will most likely never serve in the Senate again, and with his national stupidity, will probably not be in public office again. Is he still able to help destroy America? Yes. But let's give the kids a break.

Anyway, we have the War on Christmas to fight. Have you stocked up on broken Christmas ornament shards yet? I'm throwing mine at carolers this year. Take that, bill o'reiley!

[Swamp Rat]

88. Yeah! Time to prepare for the 'War on X-mas!'

:D

[TimeChaser]

89. Didn't Santorum have an ad running featuring his kids?

I vaguely remember one, although I didn't pay all the much attention to Capt. Asshole's ads so I might have imagined it.

[SoCalDem]

90. It's on You Tube.. (pretty vile)

He used them mercilessly.. I guess he's a desperate guy trying to hold onto that sweet job he had for 6 years..

[Raine]

91. That's an improvement

but Santorum's ugly mug needs to be covered. :puke:

[LeftishBrit]

92. I'm another who says "don't take it out on the kids"

And I agree that Santorum is truly loathesome; and that his defeat is wonderful news; and also that he involved the kids in ways that he shouldn't - in campaigning for him, and in appearing on TV for his concession.

But just because he's done unfair things to his own children, doesn't mean we should too.

And children don't always turn out to resemble their parents. One of our good Labour MPs, who rebelled against the party leadership over the Iraq war, is Mark Fisher - and his father was a *Tory* MP. I understand that at least two of Ronald Reagan's children are liberals.

[Moderator]

93. locking...

This is flamebait. Maybe we can
move on to another topic?