Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum gets his very own scand

[mburbank]

How Santorum Got $8.5 Million for His Charity's Largest Donor
Philadelphia Daily News

Wednesday 01 March 2006

The largest known giver to a controversial charity founded by U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum made its $25,000 donation as the senator was working to win as much as $8.5 million in federal aid for the donor's project in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Federal tax records show that Preferred Real Estate Inc., the developer of the Wharf at Rivertown project in Chester, Pa., wrote the check to Santorum's Operation Good Neighbor Foundation in 2002.

On his campaign Web site, Santorum boasts of winning $8.5 million in federal aid for the riverfront redevelopment of an abandoned Peco Energy plant - an effort that culminated in the earmarking of $6 million in highway money last year.

But good-government experts were troubled by the appearance of a developer giving money to the senator's charity at the same time it was lobbying for federal dollars. Unlike a campaign contribution, checks to a charity can be written by a corporation and are not subject to any limit.

"It's a neat window into how Washington works," said Gary Ruskin of the Congressional Accountability Project, one of several watchdogs troubled by the potential conflicts when a member of Congress also solicits funds for a charity he runs. "It shows that, more and more, Washington is for sale."

The Operation Good Neighbor Foundation - a charity that Santorum established in 2001 with the aim of helping faith-based groups and others battling poverty and social ills - is already under fire for spending considerably less on aid and more on expenses than the Better Business Bureau and other charitable watchdogs recommend.

Also, several campaign aides are on the payroll or connected with the charity, including Santorum's campaign finance chief, lobbyist Rob Bickhart, who's been paid a total of $75,000 by Operation Good Neighbor in salaries and whose company also receives rent from the charity.

[Preechr]

You know, the first time I ever heard of this guy was back when he spear-headed the whole Republican anti-gay-marriage crusade. I immediately set to digging up whatever I could on him. After about two weeks, I finally had to give up. He's led a teflon-coated life this guy! I was disappointed, but a little impressed.

I almost feel a little bad about feeling good about this. I respect religion and religious people... but Santorum just irks me. I hate admitting to the same kind of visceral dislike of a person based in nothing but pure intuition that you feel for Dick Cheney... Chenny, sorry... but I think that's the kind of animosity I have for Ricky-boy here.

[mburbank]

I think you should trust your gut. He may have hid his skeltons real deap but every times he gets to talking there's a powerful stench of crazy in the air.