Has The Whole Place Gone Mad?

Is there not a single sane person left out there? How else do you explain this?

Today's Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that instead of linking to the Arabic television news service Al-Jazeera's web site, US Senator Rick Santorum directed viewers of a commercial to a site operated by a Georgia based group interested in "promote cross-cultural understanding between people all over the world."

The commercial, part of Santorum's reelection effort, was in reference to an endorsement of his opponent, Bob Casey Jr.

Setting aside the ridiculous (and racist) linkage of a news organization to terrorism simply because it's mostly run by and for Arabs and Muslims, what the hell could have been running through Santorum's head when he approved this absurdity? Did he really think boring, conservative old Bob Casey was aiding and abetting terrorists? If he did, he's a bigger nutcase than I previously suspected, and should be immediately removed from office and placed on anti-psychotics. If he didn't, he's a liar, a hypocrite, and a cynically manipulative whore. In either case, how much more does Pennsylvania need to see to realize that this guy has turned us into a laughingstock, a stereotype of rubes and geezers who'll rally around anybody who screams abortion and terrorists while waving a flag? And of course, living up to his recent reputation for incompetence (evidently a prerequisite for the Bush administration and its minions) Rickie can't even get this low blow right:

Santorum referenced it himself Thursday on Fox's O'Reilly Factor.

But there was one little wrinkle.

The Web site was not related to the Arabic TV network based in the Middle East - spelled al-Jazeera, no h.

The goal of al-Jazeerah, according to its Web site, is to "promote cross-cultural understanding between people all over the world." It's based in Dalton, Ga., not Qatar...

Santorum's spokeswoman, Virginia Davis, said it doesn't make a difference. "We thought we should share these kind of sentiments."

Oh? What kind of sentiments are those, Ginny? Xenophobia? Ignorance? Racism? No, I guess it doesn't make a difference. Your man comes up looking either like a fool, a knave, or a mean-spirited moron, and he can count on the votes of like-minded loons. But I think this election year, saner heads will prevail.