Rooney Attacks Santorum on Women's Issues

HARRISBURG: Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman T. J. Rooney today
criticized U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum for potraying himself as good for
Pennsylvania women when his record reflects otherwise referring to a series
of statements from his book It Takes A Family and other interviews.

While Santorum portrays himself as a champion of women, his abominable
record proves otherwise, Rooney said. His narrow-minded and harmful views
and written statements reflect his true feelings towards women. It's no
wonder that he was quoted as getting a lot of flak for not being great on
women's issues. (Allentown Morning Call, 6/20)

On page 94 of his book, Santorum questioned whether both parents even need
to work.

In far too many families with young children, both parents are working,
when, if they really took an honest look at the budget, they might confess
that both of them really don't need to, or at least may not need to work as
much as they need to, Santorum wrote.

Santorum also thought that it was wrong to help unwed mothers to earn a
college degree.

The notion that college education is a cost-effective way to help poor,
low-skill, unmarried mothers with high school diplomas or GEDs move up the
economic ladder is just wrong, he wrote on page 138.

He also questioned if women deserve equal opportunity in the workplace.

"Radical feminists have been making the pitch that justice demands that men
and women be given an equal opportunity to make it to the top in the
workplace," Santorum wrote on page 95 while also mocking women who seek
careers.

And in 2005, Santorum voted against prohibiting testing pesticides on
pregnant women and babies. He voted against prohibiting the EPA from using
studies that expose people to pesticides when considering permits for new
pesticides. New EPA rules under development envisioned permitting the agency
to accept data from human tests on children, pregnant women, newborns,
infants and fetuses. Even newborns of uncertain viability could be tested
under the draft EPA rule. The proposal Santorum voted against blocked the
EPA from using data taken from humans and barred the agency from conducting
such testing. [AP, 6/29/05; Vote #162, 6/29/05]

And in 2005, Santorum said of day care funding, The daycare money is
excessive, unnecessary, and not the problem out there in America If we're
going to increase the work requirement, I'm for a similar increase in
daycare funding, not a five-times increase in daycare funding. [Congress
Daily, 4/6/05]

Not only is he out of touch with reality, but his views are simple minded
and callous when it comes to protecting and advocating for women in the
Commonwealth, Rooney said. Women should take heed and remember his poor
record on Election Day.

T.J. Rooney