Glenn And Rick Santorum

Article By Writer Michael Kraft Author: Michael Kraft
Published: July 2, 2007
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Interview with Rick Santorum
JUNE 28, 2007 - With Glenn Beck

Excerpts about Iran and other dictators with a bone to pick with the US from the interview shown, see the complete transcript here.

GLENN: Let me just run a couple of ideas here by because you and I are of like mind on what’s happening over in the middle east and I just wanted to run some thoughts by, think out loud here and you tell me where you think I’m wrong.

The riots in Iran, this is the beginning of us putting the screws to Iran through us, you know, kind of playing a heavy hand with Japan and also Canada in saying do not sell them any equipment to be able to get their own oil out of the ground and be able to refine that. There are riots in the street. I believe two things are going to happen here, Rick, that are kind of frightening.

One, this could — President Ahmadimejad could be used as a scapegoat by the Ayatollah which would allow the regime to stay in place but the rest of the weasels in the world go, oh, see, the bad guy’s gone. Right or wrong on that?

SENATOR SANTORUM: Well, they did that once. I mean, if you recall, they put this, quote, reformer Khatami who was considered, this was the man who succeeded I believe Rafsanjani and he was considered a moderate, a reformer and that the regime was — because things were not popular for the regime at the time, he was considered someone that, you know, could change the country and help it involve away from its more radical roots and, of course, it was —

GLENN: A lie.

SENATOR SANTORUM: It was a lie. And, of course, the most crackdowns that we saw the last few years in Iran up until recently occurred under Khatami when the students thought, oh, well, we’ve got a reformer, we can start exercising freedom, we can start protesting and dissenting and they were crushed and Khatami sat on the sidelines and did nothing or quietly assented to what was going on. So, you know, they may try to go through that again but don’t — keep your eye on the ball. The bottom line is that the Ayatollahs are controlling things there that they have the security forces in place to do that, they have support, particularly within the country outside of the major cities, in the rural areas, which is still vitally important in maintaining control of Iran and that while they may have some (inaudible) of allowing some political dissent or shuffling the deck of leaders, you know, I don’t see it as any foundational change of what we see in Iran and they’re going to continue to pursue their anti-Western behavior.

GLENN: I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that the weasels, the stupid people, the media honestly and those politicians that would find it convenient would then say, you know, the UN, see, this is great, they’re going to change, but it would buy them more time and nothing would change.

SENATOR SANTORUM: It will be a validation that, you see, engaging Iran makes the difference and Bush talking to Iran makes the difference. Let me just — it will make absolutely no difference. What we are doing by engaging Iran is undermining those people who are out there protesting right now, who want to see a change in the Government. By engaging the Government and validating the Government, we undermine any real opportunity for a Democratic change within the country and, you know, now it’s — we’re going to have to be much more proactive in fostering Democratic reform and dissent within the country. We should be embracing these protests in Iran. We should be embracing any kind of dissidents and supporting them, and to let’s be — I’ll be honest with the public. I mean, we are not — I mean, we passed $75 million to fund pro democracy, both in supporting groups within Iran to cause, you know, Democratic reforms within Iran as well as outside groups to help foster that and, you know, Iran is cracking down on these groups right now saying these are all supported by America and this is America trying to undermine us and the bottom line is none of these groups have received penny one. The state department has shut the door on every single one of these groups. Yet Iran as a government is claiming they got money as an excuse to do it. So it’s the worst-case scenario for these dissident groups. They are getting no money but they’re being hammered because the money’s there for them to get even though they’re not getting any money.

GLENN: Real quick because I’ve only got about 30 seconds here. Chavez is over in Russia today. Do you think he’s going to help out and send over gasoline to Iran?

SENATOR SANTORUM: Well, this is a guy just, you know, said he was going to declare war on the United States the other day. I mean, you know, he is now the mouthpiece of the anti-American sentiment of which Russia is as much as the President would like to say Vladimir is his friend, Russia is very quietly in that chorus of part of the anti-American mood around the world and is trying to capitalize on seeing a diminished American presence around the world. So I think he’ll find a very receptive welcome in Russia and a lot of business to be done there.

GLENN: And finally, yes or no, do you believe that John Bolton is right, that military is really one of the only options left on the table?

SENATOR SANTORUM: Well, I mean, I love John Bolton. In fact, I just had dinner with him a couple of nights ago. I do believe there’s opportunities, if you’re talking about Iran, that I do believe there’s opportunities in Iran. There is a very strong pro Western sentiment within the people of Iran and we have simply refused to tap into that and it’s because we have a state department that in my opinion is doing everything they can to undermine the policies of this administration.

GLENN: Rick Santorum, thanks, man. Appreciate it. I hope you’re right about immigration in the immigration bill today. We’ll talk to you again.

END TRANSCRIPT

Rick Santorum on the Glenn Beck show discusses the enemies of the US and the gas shortage in iran