Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says President Barack Obama is acting like former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in his new policy on welfare.
The Obama administration made a quiet change to welfare rules last week. The adjustments include federal waivers for states relating to certain parts of the 1996 welfare-reform law.
The idea is to allow states to try new methods to get jobs for low-income individuals.
Republicans are outraged by the change, saying it would eviscerate the work requirements that are part of the seminal 1996 law.
"Going out and saying, 'I'm going to change the law on welfare,' 'I'm going to eliminate the work requirement,' something that we fought for, President Clinton signed . . . probably the single greatest accomplishment social- welfare-wise in the last 20 years, and President Obama gets up and says, 'Nope, I'm going to change the law' by speaking,” Santorum told
ABC News.
“This sounds like a two-bit dictator, not a president of the United States. You do not change the law by speaking."
As for Mussolini, "My grandfather left Il Duce in Italy, who could get up and change the law by giving a speech,” Santorum said. “We do not need another person who thinks that they can simply get up, give a speech, change the law and then dare the Congress."
On the issue of Mitt Romney’s running mate, Santorum said, he should stay away from someone who supports abortion, as that would have a "chilling effect" on many voters.
"If we don't get a good turnout of strong Evangelicals and strong Catholics, you're going to have a hard time winning this election," he said.
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