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Former presidential candidate sounds off on arbitrary spending adjustments under the sequester and Obama's scare tactics
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All right let's get started good evening I'm Dana Perino in for Greta Van Susteren.
So it's official the sequester is here 85 billion dollars and across the board cuts will start taking effect.
Former senator Rick Santorum accusing the president of quote manipulating the process and -- ruthless way to scare the American people.
And senator Santorum you are I'm coming to us from Charleston, South Carolina when my favorite cities and all the world -- you for joining us tonight.
Thank you -- you don't disagree with the amount of cuts you dis agree with how that's -- they've gone about it is that right.
I disagree it's several things number one I don't hear the -- -- -- it's it's it's it's a pittance compared to what we're gonna have to do to to get this this fiscal house in order in Washington DC.
But I disagree with the fact that that they're taking half the cuts.
At a 16% of the budget which is the Defense Department.
Which is already had a half a trillion dollars in cuts taken from a just a couple of years ago through the through us through this president of the democratic congress.
And so Fred for that piece of the budget which -- and most Americans want is the most important thing that the federal government does is the indispensable thing.
Nobody else can do national security except the federal government.
And it leaves two thirds of the budget entitlements alone.
And for the presence go out and and -- as I said manipulate the American public.
By by deal.
Conjured up all of these horrific images on it you know given the -- -- I'm surprised the lights are still want in the studio compared to -- that what the president was suggesting was gonna happen.
Yes it does seem at bed at this hour gave up over that the White House.
Overplayed its hand do you think that they're feeling that way tonight at the White House.
Well.
I can tell you is that I saw the president's press conference today and he did not look like a very confident guy he was back -- from.
Up from his statements I think he did.
Overstate the case and the American public is simply not gonna -- they kind of cataclysmic things that he was predicting as he stood in front of our troops.
He also could avoid it.
And this is the other thing that's that's so so disheartening and -- about this president's leadership he could avoid it really all of the painful things by working with congress and simply.
Allocating resources agreed to allocate resources and places we don't need to spend this money.
That's just -- you know that's just common sense leadership that's working together with people this president has -- no indication of doing so he seems to be fixated.
On an agenda to to demonize Republicans we can get a stronger political hands and neck and forced through more of his policies that are destroyed our economy.
-- always felt that you had a really good.
Polls on the American people and how they were looking at things you know from an outside the beltway perspective or even hear from outside of New York.
Both parties are trying to blame one another battle out there in the real world what are you hearing from people who they blame.
A pox on everybody's house that's really what I'm hearing more than anything else is that.
You know there is the beginning to see President Obama for the demagogue that he has to he has turned into.
I mean he did he -- Simply did not act -- -- he was partisan in the last for years but he's taken it to a whole new level that I've never seen from a president.
And I think -- the end of the average American out there -- -- and seeing him over the top and and really beginning to discount him a little bad.
Hi in in his in his rhetoric but let's be honest they do see the congress says incompetent.
And and not able to get their act together and and put forth any thing that looks like a plan.
And they blamed both parties whether the -- party should be blamed god is really not the point they are blaming both parties.
And -- and right now it's just they're washing their hands of what's going on -- Washington DC.
One of the certainly never scare tactics -- are used by the White House to say that this parade of horrible it was going to happen when the sequester resigned.
That's it it's not immediate but it's not -- -- there won't be any effects and I started here tonight in particular from people that work in the Defense Department or for the military.
What do you think that.
Both parties should do to try to.
Reassure them that they were gonna get things back in order what do you think could be done in the next thirty days before we have the government the possible government shutdown when the budget runs up.
Well then -- the simple thing to do is just to give the president C the authority and work with the president.
To try to allocate resources into areas where.
-- there is need and and part of that has to be a restructuring of the absolute amount of money this coming out of the Defense Department anymore already.
As I mentioned we're already.
Exacting pain out of that department were already in a downward trend.
And and two -- squeeze more of that.
In in a very quick fashion is not going to be a good thing for -- for the defense department for security so I would lessen the amount of number of defense.
And and and move it over maybe do some.
God forbid entitlement reform maybe look at obamacare one of the things that's been talked about -- -- across this country.
Is potentially delaying the implementation of obamacare because there's simply not ready to implement.
That there could be money saved and doing some delayed eventually -- importation there are things that there are plenty of money around Washington DC.
To what to do the things that are absolute essential things and there's lots of ways and we need to get to it.
Senator there's a lot there has been a lot of criticism from about Republicans especially from the right saying that you came down all of these issues leading up to this particular financial crisis.
-- -- -- In this particular case with the sequester do you think that the Republicans had a better strategy.
And they did put forward legislation to try to get it done they did hang together do you think is an attorney.
-- -- -- Why I I think they have to feel better about themselves on two ways number one.
They did put forth an alternative they did pass things that that would have averted any kind of you know horrible cuts and areas that are essential services.
They were willing to work on that on on the senate side.
-- Mitch McConnell is very clear is willing to work for the president to you know -- shift priorities.
So the message was pretty clear coming out of there again I'm not -- sure got through very well but the message was clear and and the president.
You know one of the things that the -- -- to do is just sort of take a step back and let the president go out and and and and do what he did it was his overplay his hand and just letting go out and and they did they were Smart they stuck on their message.
That we're sticking to our guns we need these cuts we need more than -- -- we need to -- smartly and that's -- we're gonna stick with and had to give them credit for doing that.
Senator great to see you thanks for being with us.
My pleasure thanks -- right.
