Santorum's Saving Grace ... is context and explanation. Trent Lott's comments were just thrown out into the world, without context or specificity. Senator Santorum's were part of a conversation:
I agree entirely that there are such consequences to a society that becomes uninvolved in the lives of its members. I simply don't think that it's a role that government should fill, because government too easily expands, and it is too malleable in a relatively short period of time. The "nanny state" of the conservatives can very quickly become the "nanny state" of the liberals. To my mind, the more effective course of action would be to pull back the government where it restricts other areas of community life from exerting influence specifically religion. Senator Santorum believes that individual states ought to be able to offer the "right" to abortion. I disagree with this assertion just as I would disagree that states ought to have the right to allow murder. On the other hand, and in many ways to the same effect, I think an individual state ought to have a right to decrease restrictions on religious activities.
Posted by Justin Katz @ 08:16 AM EST |