January 1, 2012: Republican Presidential Candidate Accuses Obama of Being ‘Most Divisive President’ in History, Says Obama Instigating ‘Class Warfare’ to Win Re-election

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum (R-PA), enjoying a surge of popularity among Iowa caucus voters, calls President Obama “the most divisive president” in US history. On NBC’s Meet the Press, he says: “Well, you, you have to have someone you can work with, and this president has done more to divide than any other president that I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime. This president goes out and gives speech after speech after speech trying to divide America between class, between income group, between racial and ethnic groups.… This is, this is the great divider in chief. And it’s very difficult when you’re being lampooned by the president on a regular basis, not just as a party but individually, to then—and the president, who I don’t believe has met with [House Speaker John] Boehner [R-OH] or any of the Republican leadership in now six months, hard to compromise and work with someone who won’t meet with you, who won’t sit down and try to, try to negotiate things and try to talk. And so I’m not, I’m not surprised at all the Republicans are having a difficult time with someone who has no interest.” Obama is trying to instigate class warfare among Americans to win re-election in 2012, he says: “Rich versus poor. It is classic class warfare. It’s dividing. It’s a very divisive message.” NewsOne’s report on Santorum’s statement says that Santorum provides no evidence to back up his claims, and says he ignores “the countless examples of White House outreach to Republicans in Congress over the past… three years.” [NewsOne, 1/2/2012]