Rick Santorum’s new presidential campaign spokeswoman, Alice Stewart, corrected a statement Monday in which she referred to President Obama’s energy plans as “radical Islamic policies.”
Stewart said shortly after her MSNBC appearance that she had misspoken, according to a tweeted message by interviewer Andrea Mitchell. The verbal gaffe followed several days of controversial comments from Santorum himself.
The comment by Stewart, who was hired by Santorum's campaign last week after working on Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential bid, came during an exchange with Mitchell as the journalist sought to clarify a remark by Santorum over the weekend that the president's “theology” was not based on the Bible.
“He was not questioning the president’s character, he wasn’t questioning the president’s religion,” Stewart said. “As he’s said, he has clarified the statement. He was talking about radical environmentalists. There is a type of theological secularism when it comes to the global warmists in this country. He was referring to the president’s policies, in terms of the radical Islamic policies the president has, particular in terms of the energy exploration.”
Santorum was discussing Obama’s energy policy on Saturday, when he said, “It’s not about you. It’s not about your quality of life. It's not about your job. It’s about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology, but no less a theology.”
Santorum insisted again Monday that the president’s “ideology” about the environment incorrectly makes man subservient to the environment.
Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.
Leave A Comment