Jonathan Rauch, who in his spare time volunteers as IGF's
co-managing editor, focuses his column in National Journal on why
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), one of the senate's leading advocates
against gay marriage (and against sodomy law repeal, for that
matter) is "the
anti-Reagan" at odds with his party's Barry
Goldwater/conservative legacy (note to our left-liberal readers:
that's meant as a critique). Writes Rauch of Santorum's new book,
It Takes a Family:
Where Goldwater denounced collectivism as the enemy of the individual, Santorum denounces individualism as the enemy of family. . . .
In an interview with National Public Radio last month, he acknowledged his quarrel with "what I refer to as more of a libertarianish Right" and "this whole idea of personal autonomy." In his book he comments, seemingly with a shrug, "Some will reject what I have to say as a kind of 'Big Government' conservatism."
Which, as Rauch points out, is exactly what it is.
Also taking a look at Santorum's new opus, blogger Tim Hulsey
comments that Santorum uses Reagan's rhetoric to destroy
Reagan's smaller-government legacy, and that:
Reagan in his prime would have had the perfect four-word review of Santorum's book: There you go again."
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