Damage Control...Again

One of the most memorable moments of the 2004 presidential campaign was when Senator Kerry infamously explained his mixed voting record on funding for the Iraq war.  He said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."

Image from lattimes.com

Disaster.   (It was as confusing then and as it is today).  Kerry tried to defend his remarks by claiming that it was one of those "inarticulate moments" for a politician.  But damage control couldn't help.  Many argue that his blunder was the final blow to his already faltering campaign.

***

Fast forward.

Rick Santorum is having an "inarticulate moment" of his own...again.  His campaign is in full damage control for another Santorum misstep.

Santorum has been in Puerto Rico ahead of Saturday's primary.  He gave an interview to a San Juan newspaper and responded to questions regarding the island's bid to become the 51state.

AP Photo/Politico.com

Santorum plunged himself into a controversial firestorm when he began to assert that in order for Puerto Rico to become a state, English would have to be the primary language.  He said, "Like in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law--and that is that English has to be the main language.  There are states with more than one language...but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language."

Hmmm.

Problem?  He is wrong.  There is no federal law requiring English to be the primary language.  In fact, language is never even mentioned in the Constitution.

Many Puerto Ricans were offended.  The New York Times reported here that one state delegate actually admitted withdrawing his support for Santorum.

The Santorum camp is now in full damage control.  They are claiming of course that the senator was "maliciously misquoted" and what he really meant to say was that it is "important for young people to learn English--the language of opportunity."

Really?

The only problem with that defense is that the interview was recorded.  He wasn't "misquoted."  He simply made a foolish statement and asserted himself in a way that was out-of-line, out-of-touch and extreme. Period.

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A distinct pattern is emerging from the surging candidate:  Controversial statements.  Rescind.  Controversial statements.  Rescind.

A few recent examples of this pattern:

• Obama is a snob for wanting everyone to go to college.  Wait, no, my grandma, wife and daughter went to college.  College is a good idea...

• In reference to women working outside the home, "Too many women want too many things because radical feminists conned them."  Wait no, what he meant to say was....

• Military women should not be on the front lines of combat due to "certain emotions."  Wait, no, what he meant to say was....

• In reference to President Obama and his "Radical Islamic Policies, Phony Ideology, and Comparison to Hilter."  Wait, what he meant to say was...

Patterns.  Santorum continues to make controversial statements and is forced to rescind them every time.

Image from Rawstory.com

I think it is becoming increasingly clear.  Santorum might be in over his head.  Santorum is not learning from his mistakes.  Santorum might not ready for this level of political play.  Santorum's mistakes are a distraction from the real issues.

If he can somehow win the nomination, these continual misstatements will provide the perfect distraction for Obama's failed policies.  The focus won't be on jobs, the fragile economy, the broken housing market, astronomical debt and an inept Congress.  The focus will be on Santorum's "inarticulate moments" and the inevitable damage control that follows.

I hope conservatives are paying attention.  Because I have no doubt that the Obama campaign is watching it all like a hawk.  They can't wait to portray Santorum as extreme and out-of-touch.

The problem is they'll be right.