Santorum To Make Gore-Stye Documentaries — About "Radical Islam" And "Leftists"
Almost-President Al Gore proved that onetime politicians can successfully remake themselves as documentary film-makers. Now another ex-politician is trying to get in on the action: Defeated Senator Rick Santorum.
The former Pennsylvania Senator, who was defeated in a landslide last year by Democrat Bob Casey Jr., plans on directing two Gore-style documentaries, the Allentown Morning Call reports. Santorum's planned documentaries — which are still in the initial planning stage and have yet to be funded — will be at the other end of the political spectrum from Gore's, to put it mildly.
According to the Morning Call, Santorum is planning as an hour-long work that will "explore the relationship between radical Islam and the radical leftists in various countries around the world, including Latin America." The second, Santorum says, would be a more ambitious project to "change the culture of America."
Santorum's larger goal is to pitch himself as a conservative voice trying to change American culture, as a counterweight to Gore and Michael Moore — two names so loathed on the right, that evoking them could help Santorum raise the money for his projects. "That is what the left is doing and doing it in a big way, producing a lot of left content for Hollywood, and even not just out of Hollywood," he said. "Even independent films are now more and more left-wing driven, whether it is Michael Moore or Al Gore."
Saving our planet, such a left wing cause.
March 26, 2007 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Santorum is a joke. He just doesn't get that people are sick of Republicans like him. He lost to a guy who didn't even campaign by 20 points. He's such a sad character.
March 26, 2007 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm looking forward on his expose on how affording civil rights to gay people leads to man-on-dog sex. That should be a hot one!
March 26, 2007 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, my. Here is a man, who, if he had to play by the same rules as the rest of us, would be a loser. But then, that's true of most "high risers", both in government and out of government.
If the past plus six years of the Bush administration have shown anything, it's that.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
March 26, 2007 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rick Santorum media mogul. I like it. Maybe he should get Jonah Godlberg's help for that "lefties in league with Islamofacists" thing. He's been trying to finish a book comparing the left to facists for years.
Santorum is so out of touch this is bound to have tremendous entertainment value. And it beats having him hanging around Washington as just another lobbyist.
March 26, 2007 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
oh yes, radical leftists have SOOOOO much in common with Islamic fundamentalists. Freedom of speech, womens' rights, tolerance of homosexuality, reproductive freedom, tolerance of other religions, promotion of a pluralistic, secular government...
The film I am DYING for someone to make is one which reveals the many similarities between the right-wing and Islamic fundamentalists. I mean, talk about low-hanging fruit. Who's going to step up?
March 26, 2007 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
The likely outcome of this venture is almost too painfully predictable. Santorum will either utterly fail to raise enough loot to produce his docs., for with the liberal Hollywood establishment will most certainly be blamed; OR he'll produce, unprofessional, cheap, meaningless drivel like "Obsession," and movies of the kind, that will result in a popular flop because he will be incapable of recruiting the talent to produce the movies competently. This will also result in whining about the liberal media establishment which is intent upon infringing on the "free speech" of those outside said establishment - i.e. winger victimhood will be on full display.
Mark my words.
March 26, 2007 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has anyone noticed how much Rick Santorum looks like the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland"?
March 26, 2007 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone up for asking this supposedly reputable law firm what they are doing associating with this joker?
PRESS RELEASES March 19, 2007
For more information contact:
Allysn Hurley
Director of Marketing and Business Development
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
ahurley@eckertseamans.com
Senator Rick Santorum Joins Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
Former U.S. Senator will provide business counsel at firm's Washington, D.C. office
The national law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC today announced that the Honorable Rick Santorum has joined the firm. He will be primarily resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C.office, where he will provide business and strategic counseling services to firm clients.
“After serving in the Senate for twelve years and the House for four, Rick Santorum brings a wealth of insight, experience and intelligence to our clients and their business affairs,” said Tim Ryan, Eckert Seamans’ Chief Executive Officer. “We are extremely pleased that Rick is joining our firm and that our clients will have the benefit of his understanding of what it takes for businesses to succeed in today’s global economy. He is highly respected among business leaders and we are very fortunate to have him as part of our firm.”
“I am eager to return to this field and to put my experiences to work for Eckert Seamans’ clients. I look forward to providing the firm’s clients strategic advice on a broad range of business issues,” said Mr. Santorum.
Mr. Santorum served as United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. During his tenure, he served on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Rules Committee; the Joint Economic Committee; the Senate Agricultural Committee; the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; the Special Committee on Aging; and the Senate Finance Committee. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Santorum served as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, where he directed the communications operations of Senate Republicans and was the third-ranking member of the Republican leadership.
Mr. Santorum was a strong supporter of the establishment of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which are giving millions of Americans ownership over their health insurance options. And as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, he was instrumental in helping more than a dozen Pennsylvania hospitals obtain the necessary Medicare reimbursements to ensure that hundreds of their doctors, nurses and staff can continue serving patients.
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995, Mr. Santorum fought for congressional accountability and fiscal responsibility. And as a member of the “Gang of Seven,” Mr. Santorum led the fight to expose Members of Congress who were abusing their check-cashing privileges at the House Bank.
Mr. Santorum earned his bachelor’s degree at Pennsylvania State University. He received his masters of business administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law.
In addition to his work with the firm, Mr. Santorum also serves as a Senior Fellow with The Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and is a contributor to Fox News Channel.
About Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC (www.eckertseamans.com), a national law firm with nine offices throughout the eastern United States, provides a full range of legal services nationwide to businesses of all sizes, institutions, municipalities, colleges and universities, government agencies and individuals. Its practice areas encompass litigation, including mass tort and products liability litigation, corporate and business law, intellectual property law, labor and employment relations, aviation & aerospace law, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, employee benefits, environmental law, construction law, municipal finance, real estate, and tax and estate law. Eckert Seamans has offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Southpointe, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; Morgantown, West Virginia; Boston, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and White Plains, New York.
March 26, 2007 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mel Gibson could direct for Rick.
Tom
March 26, 2007 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome. A bona fide loon / Jew-hater at the helm would render the projects instantly hilarious.
March 26, 2007 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Anyone up for asking this supposedly reputable law firm what they are doing associating with this joker?"
Easy. They're tying to make money by associating themselves with a high-profile client.
March 26, 2007 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
While Santorum is unfortunate, the dark side is full of wealthy nut jobs willing to fund the kind of content this story outlines; and if they don't get it right the first time, they can do it again in a slightly different way until it clicks somewhere. It's just money (it's obviously not content!), and they can afford to throw enough of it around until it begins to stick.
March 26, 2007 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, this makes me crazy. What's 'Gore-style' about any prospective Santorum documentary? That they're meticulously fact-based, and geared toward an issue that rises--in any intelligent discussion--above partisan politics?
Other end of the political spectrum than Gore's, in 'An Inconvenient Truth'? What end is that? Pro-apocalypse?
So these will be Gore-style, but from the opposite end of the spectrum. Meticulous documentaries based on scientific consensus about the overwhelmingly critical and looming threat of gay sex.
This is like saying that child porn stories are 'JK Rowling-style', except they take another approach to literary theory.
March 26, 2007 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Dinesh D'Souza just wrote the screenplay for that one a few months back.
March 26, 2007 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mellon_Scaife
Read about this personality who would probably finance a Rightwing documentary.
March 26, 2007 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coming soon to a think-tank or revival meeting near you:
An Inconvenient (failed moron right-wing fuckstick with less than a passing familiarity with the) Truth.
March 26, 2007 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rick Santorum should relax and enjoy his new-found free time...
Play frisbee with his dog, make love to his wife, or in his case, play frisbee with his wife...
March 26, 2007 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's too bad that the creative arts have such a liberal bias--the Right has been looking for the next Leni Riefenstahl for some time now!
March 26, 2007 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Expect J Emmett Tyrell, the Swift Boaters financier and Richard Scaife Mellon to fund it.
March 26, 2007 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, do you remember all those right-wing documentaries which were made to counter Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11?
Yeah, me neither.
March 26, 2007 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait, wait .... There was - er um - FahrenHYPE 9/11. Get it? "HYPE"?
Yeah, I don't remember either.
March 26, 2007 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gore-style documentaries
"Style", maybe. Substance... doubtful.
March 26, 2007 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
One of the commenters at the Muckraker dug into the the firm's political contributions and, apparently, it's a whole lot more pro-Dem one than a pro-Rep one. So, perhaps, they're striving to be "fair and balanced"?
March 26, 2007 10:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a suggestion for Santorum's first documentary. He could call it "An Inconvenient Froth".
March 27, 2007 1:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
They're probably gonna be just as good as Fox News's "Daily Show For Wingnuts".
March 27, 2007 3:36 AM | Reply | Permalink