§ 2011: Supported prayer in public schools and would “call on Congress” to “allow prayer at school functions.”
§ 2012: Supports teaching Creationism in public schools.
§ 2012: Wants to allow any employer or any insurer to discriminate and deny insurance coverage for a broad range of health care services – including but not limited to contraception – based on the CEO’s own religious or moral beliefs.
§ 2012: Supports an imbalanced view of religious liberty that does not account for constitutional protections of church-state separation.
§ 2011: Said that he would permit racial and religious profiling of Muslims.
§ 2010: Opposed construction of Park51, an Islamic community center with a prayer room in downtown Manhattan.
§ 2011: Supports school vouchers at the state level.
§ 2001: Worked with the Bush Administration and led efforts in the Senate to pass legislation that would have created a government-wide faith-based initiative.
§ Supports the South Carolina law that would restrict the number of voters able to participate in elections and disproportionately affect minorities by requiring photo identification at the polls; and opposes Justice Department’s attempts to block the law.
Racial Profiling (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Supports ethnic and religious profiling of Muslims and said in a November 2011 GOP debate, “the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes. If you look at -- I mean, obviously, it was -- obviously, Muslims.” He added: “The radical Muslims are the people that are committing these crimes […] as well as younger males. I mean, these are things that -- not exclusively -- but these are things that you profile.”
Humane Immigration Policy (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Opposes in-state tuition for undocumented students;
§ Supports building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Closing Guantanamo Bay & Indefinite Detention (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Believes it is “essential” to keep Guantanamo Bay open and opposes the use of civilian courts for terrorism suspects.
Gays & Lesbians Serving Openly In The Military (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Would reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Ending Torture (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Supports “enhanced interrogation techniques” like waterboarding – both euphemisms for torture and illegal under U.S. law.
Ending A Surveillance State Under The PATRIOT Act (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Voted in favor of the PATRIOT Act in October 2001, as well as its reauthorization in March 2006;
§ Answered “No” when asked during a December 2011 forum if the law tramples any civil rights of U.S. citizens.
Freedom To Marry For Gay Couples (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Co-sponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment in July 2004 and again in January 2005;
§ Voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act in September 1996;
§ Describes himself as a “solid conservative who stood and fought for” DOMA.
Reproductive Choice (Read more on this)
Rick Santorum's Rating:
§ Opposes abortion and said, “I would advocate that any doctor who performs an abortion should be criminally charged for doing so,” on Meet the Press in June 2011;
§ Voted in favor of the so-called “partial-birth” abortion ban in October 2003;
§ Signed the Susan B. Anthony List’s “Pro-Life Pledge” in June 2011 that mandates a pro-life agenda in office.
ACLU Liberty Watch 2012 is the voice for the Constitution in the this year’s presidential election.
We're watching the issues, the candidates and the media to hold them accountable to the Constitution and our civil liberties. Because words matter. Because our rights matter. Because we're choosing a president, not our liberties.
