BOSTON Jewish groups slammed Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Friday for telling listeners of a Boston radio show that we always need a Jesus guy in the campaign. Santorum, formerly a Pennsylvania senator and the second-place winner of the Iowa caucus, made the remark Thursday after being asked about a listeners comment that we dont need a Jesus guy this election. We need an economics guy this election.
Santorum continued, Do you stand up and say, God bless America? Do you mean it? Are you just saying it? The idea that we dont need someone with a moral compass, is that what weve come to? Is that what the Republican party is? No, it isnt.
The candidate, who then went on to campaign in New Hampshire, which will hold its first-in-the-nation primary on Tuesday, reportedly repeated the conversation later in the day, relating that he had said, We always need a Jesus candidate.
Anti-Defamation League Abraham Foxman told The Jerusalem Post that Santorums remarks were totally inappropriate. Its crossing the line.
It says to Jews, to Muslims, to Buddhists, to non-believers, youre not part of this country, he added.
I think the average Jew hears it as religiously exclusionist, National Jewish Democratic Council president David Harris said, though he added that he didnt think Santorum had meant it that way.
It helps remind American Jews of the yawning gap between them and todays Republican Party, continued Harris, whose partisan organization backs US President Barack Obama.
But Foxman pointed out that Democrats had also invoked Jesus in their campaigns in past elections, and noted Santorum has not been the only candidate in this election cycle to bring Christianity into the public conversation.
The Santorum campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
However, at a later event, he reportedly clarified his statement.
I said we always need a Jesus candidate, he was quoted as saying. I dont mean necessarily that we always need a Christian, but we need someone who believes in something more than themselves.