Rick Santorum Defends Pedophiles

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) and former 2012 GOP presidential hopeful doesn't think the Freeh report tells the whole truth on the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

"My concern with the Freeh report... a lot of the conclusions in the Freeh report aren’t matched by the evidence that they presented," Santorum said.

Sandusky was convicted of molesting and raping children over a 15-year period on June 22, 2012. Former FBI director Louis Freeh released a report this month on his investigation of Penn State, revealing details about top officials who allegedly conspired to keep reports of Sandusky's assaults on children from the public.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

It's actually sad that someone like Santorum got so popular in the election process. He is against gay marriage but will support gay pedophiles. Really makes 0 sense and is quite sickening.

There was overwhelming evidence that Paterno covered up the sex abuse and Sandusky was found guilty of child rape. There was an eyewitnesses to the abuse and multiple victims testimony. What is there to defend or doubt?

Im not suprised at all, Santorum is a nuttcase.

He also said if you get pregnant during rape you should be thankfull of "God's gift" to you.

I've largely agreed with much of Santorum's positions in the past...and hey, we all see politics differently. Radically different..other planets diff...err..sorry.

Anyone connected to the rape of boys at that School is as filthy as the people who actually did it. Omission of action is guilty equal to those who really did it.

My respect for Santorum just vanished. Totally. Absolutely and without much chance to ever come back. Wow..did he pick the *WRONG* issue to defend. No way... He went bonkers or something but he can go without any kind words from me from now on. No excuse for any of that or anyone around it.

Ronald Reagan called Santorun an A##hole and a few other things that including there would always separation of church and state... The way I figure, it takes one to know one and hopefully he is also right about separation of church and state.

Pope Santorum

I know this isn't contributing to the thread, but to say my honest opinion, he looks like a pedophile...

The guy just looks "off" to me. I don't know what it is. Its like he was purposely put in the place he's in and he knows it. Like a written script.

I've never really followed Santorum anyway. Him, or his politics. His views are a little ludicrous to me.

reply to post by RealSpoke

To be fair, Santorum is correct. There was incorrect information in the Freeh report. The FBI publicly admitted this and pointed out the mistakes in the report. What happened to Joepa's legacy and to the PSU's football team was extremely unfair.

reply to post by hypervigilant


Paterno HIMSELF said he knew of Sanduskys sex abuse. What the Freeh report said really didn't matter.

As my grand jury testimony stated, I was informed in 2002 by an assistant coach that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of our locker room facility. It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky.As coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators.

espn.go.com...

Paterno didn't call the police, he is sick himself.

He can burn in hell with em..

Originally posted by RealSpoke
reply to post by hypervigilant

 

Paterno HIMSELF said he knew of Sanduskys sex abuse. What the Freeh report said really didn't matter.

As my grand jury testimony stated, I was informed in 2002 by an assistant coach that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of our locker room facility. It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky.As coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators.

espn.go.com...

Paterno didn't call the police, he is sick himself.

The Freeh report's inaccuracy is relevant to the topic of this thread as you accuse Santorum of defending Sandusky when he is just stating a fact.

On the topic of Paterno, he is nothing but a scapegoat for this whole scandal. The guy who witnessed the actual abuse, MacQueary, did not call the police either. He called his father and told Paterno. People are excusing his inaction because he went to those in authority. Paterno went to his superiors but somehow he still gets blamed. Zero logic.

reply to post by acmpnsfal


If you hear about child rape in the office you go tell your boss?? NO you tell the police. All of them are equally as bad.

A couple of the Freeh report had a couple errors. The MAIN point did not from Paternos own words. There is no reason to defend that.

reply to post by RealSpoke

He told his superiors and took steps to insure that Sandusky would no longer be alone with children on campus. He did not actively cover anything up, he just did not report it. A lot of famous historical figures have done worse and are still on remembered for the good things they dad. Paterno did a whole lot of good in his lifetime and I think its a shame people are overlooking that and taking away his legacy over an error in judgement.

reply to post by acmpnsfal


Uhh he knew that Sandusky had a child foundation and adopted kids. That's not good enough. He should have called the police.

It's sad that you are defending Paterno too...

reply to post by acmpnsfal

He told his Superiors??? This was the rape of kids. There are lines and then there are lines. There is nothing I've done or had in life that, if it came to it, I wouldn't be willing to lose in the process of reporting what was happening at that place. All I can think of here are the victims and how hopeless they must have felt. So many of them. At the time this was happening, what they would have given for just ONE of those wimps to have stood like men and SAID something to..oh, I don't know, how about a State Trooper or just local city cop?

This tendency schools at all levels have for keeping CRIMES "in-house" is obscene and a major thing that needs addressed, This case shows the extreme of how far it can be taken and how evil it can get.

This is way off topic but to the 'news anchor' is it so hard to get a suit jacket tailored? He always looks messy and like his head is too small for his body. Two well tailored suit jackets are better than a million ill fitting Men's Warehouse garbage bin specials that 'kinda fit'.

reply to post by acmpnsfal

He did not actively cover anything up, he just did not report it.

Ummm...... What do you think a cover up is?

I think its a shame people are overlooking that and taking away his legacy over an error in judgement.

Wow. Oh. Yes I suppose we shouldn't look at these little errors in judgement. Gacy sure did love boys! BTK sure did love knots! i could go on, but we're getting Godwin close.

Ummm, the only incident Paterno knew about was the one reported to him by MacQueary. Whatever else Sandusky did is irrelevant as you cannot prove his intervention would have stopped him from re-offending. I mean the man was investigated in 1998 because of inappropriate behavior and kept doing it anyway. Paterno is not responsible for the other victims and owes them nothing. Having said that I don't believe that Paterno deserved no punishment, I feel like the punishment he is receiving over the top.

First, the university who the man was the backbone of for years, threw him under the bus. He deserved more after all his years of service to that university. But anyway, he was fired from his position as coach of the football team, I can agree with that punishment. Taking down his statue? That was bit much. The man generated a lot of money and prestige for PSU. He also built a library and funded scholarships. Not to mention all the philanthropic (oh and childrens hospital he helped fund took his name off it) he has done over the years. Hes a big part of the university's history. So to just pretend like he didn't exist and did nothing at the school is just disrespectful and rude. Any punishment outside of termination should have been left up the criminal justice system.

Also, if any of you have read the grand jury report, you would know that Paterno is the only university official that did not lie. He was also the only one that has expressed regret and owned up to his lapse in judgement. Everyone else is lawyered up and denying they played the part that they clearly did. The man had integrity. Freaking MacQueary is still employed with the university and nobody cares. Because you people are focused on one individual, the one the media is telling you to be mad at.

As for the NCAA's punishment that was just superfluous. First of all they voided all the football team's wins from 1998. That makes zero sense considering that Sandusky was found innocent in 1998 and he retired in 1999. Also, Paterno was not aware of any wrong doing until 2001. So even if they were going to give out a punishment like that it should have started in 2001. But they clearly only did this to take away Paterno's title as the most winning coach. But the football team is being directly affect by that. The athletes worked hard to achieve those wins and status within the big ten. Any athlete that did anything exceptional during those years can no longer claim whatever award they were given from the NCAA.

They then fine the university 60 million dollars, no clue how they came up with that number. And then they give all the current athletes the option to leave? And also take away scholarship money? Its too much. Especially considering no NCAA division rules were broken. The NCAA really had no place to dole out any punishment they just did it to look good to the general public. LOL. They could have done something more meaningful, like create division rules specifying that if any staff member or athlete within a sports program affiliated with the NCAA involved in a felonious crime the entire sports program will be punished. But they wont do that because then they would start to lose too much money.

reply to post by acmpnsfal

Ummm, the only incident Paterno knew about was the one reported to him by MacQueary.

McQueary told him he saw Sandusky raping a kid in a shower. Uhhh that's kind of huge to not call the cops.

First, the university who the man was the backbone of for years, threw him under the bus. He deserved more after all his years of service to that university.

WHO CARES. He didn't report the RAPE OF A CHILD. He should be threw under 20 buses.

The man had integrity

No, he really didn't. Anyone else involved in the scandal should be fired as well.

You're sick that you worship some garbage human being that enabled pedophilia because he was some star coach.

As much as I hate to say it the man has a very valid point. The article is also misleading. I didn't hear him defending pedophiles, I heard him asking for a sane rational evaluation of the facts. And in principle he is correct, when stories like this surface the public is pretty quick to break out the torches and pitchforks fueled by the media. We as a society need to stop this behavior, it isnt serving justice and eventually it will get us burned badly.

reply to post by KeliOnyx


The truth about what?

Paterno admitted his own guilt of covering up the situation

There were eye witnesses to Sandusky raping a kid and multiple victims that came out. He was found guilty by a jury.

What is there to defend or question?