Scandal from the Santorum camp: the bevested holy roller with less self awareness than a dog licking its balls during a dinner party has downplayed his past — and that past could destroy his reputation as someone with almost completely repugnant views. It seems that throughout his political career, while comparing gay sex to beastiality and insisting that birth control pills give women "a license to do things," he's been secretly promoting a staunchly pro-puppy, pro-pony agenda. No wonder he's been polling so well at American Girl Place.
The former Pennsylvania Senator has been a vocal opponent of both puppy mills and the slaughtering of horses during his political career, and his Puppies N' Ponies record stretches back more than 15 years. According to Mother Jones, in 1995, he attended a joint press conference with an animal rights activist. That activist is now the President of the Humane Society of the United States. In 2001, he sponsored something called the Puppy Protection Act with Democratic Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. The bill was designed to regulate large scale breeders, or "puppy mills" to ensure that the animals kept there were being properly cared for and socialized. And in 2006, Santorum voted to defund inspections of facilities that butchered horses and de facto eliminating horse slaughtering in the US.
Some agricultural groups have extrapolated that because Santorum likes puppies and horses, he may also like pigs, sheep, and chickens, and thus they're wary that his past allegiance with the Humane Society may be indicative of a pro-animal rights platform that could lead to some pricey farm regulations. But don't worry, factory farmers — Santorum isn't going to interfere with anyone's right to keep chickens in tiny cages stacked up on top of each other. He just likes cute animals that won't peck you and aren't delicious.
So what's with Santorum's soft, mushy heart? He's a dog person himself and, in a direct poke at rival Mitt Romney, he says he would never lash his family dog to the roof of his car.
As the lone member of Americans for the Prevention of More Commercials Featuring Sarah McLaughlin holding One Eyed Dogs, I fully support legislation designed to minimize animal abuse. Even if it means that I agree with Rick Santorum on something.
Rick Santorum: Puppy Lover — and Scourge of the Meat Industry [Mother Jones]
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