TROY, Mich. -- Rick Santorum on Saturday resuscitated one of his more controversial remarks from the past few months of campaigning for president, connecting food stamps with “minority communities.”
Speaking to a large crowd at the conservative Americans for Prosperity Presidential forum here, Santorum said he planned to “talk to minority communities, not about giving them food stamps and government dependency, but about creating jobs so that they can participate in the rise of this country.”
In January, Santorum made a similar remark, but instead of “minorities,” he used the phrase “black people.” He later said he was misheard.
Santorum also reiterated his belief that one of President Obama’s driving motives for encouraging Americans to attend college is to “remake you into his image.”
“President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college – what a snob!” he said to laughter and cheers from the audience. “There are good, decent men and women who work hard every day who aren’t taught by some liberal college professor.”
The line got another round of appreciative laughter at an afternoon tea party event in Hixsen, Tenn., where Santorum told a crowd over 2,000 people that Obama wants professors to “indoctrinate” students. “We need to have to have an education system that is not government-run out of Washington or out of state capitals across this country. It should be run by communities and family,” he said.
Santorum said he sees liberal tyranny in other walks of life. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had political leaders, people in Hollywood, people in the news, people in education affirming your message instead of trying to destroy the very fabric of faith and family in this country?” he asked the tea party crowd.
In Troy, Santorum touted his opposition to the auto industry bailout, just one day after rival Mitt Romney was greeted in Detroit by 250 protesters upset that he was speaking at iconic Ford Field after opposing the bailout. “You can criticize me for not supporting the Detroit bailout. I don’t support any bailouts,” Santorum said.
Rebecca Kaplan contributed to this story.
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