The ick factor

My dad educates us at home
while you work two jobs to
pay for it.

Santorum's Children Defend Dad in New Ad

Sep 8, 6:34 PM (ET)

By PETER JACKSON

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Sen. Rick Santorum's newest ad features unconventional surrogates - his six children - defending his parental judgment amid criticism of his use of Pennsylvania taxpayers' money to pay for their education.

"My dad's opponents have criticized him for moving us to Washington so we can be with him more," 13-year-old Johnny Santorum says in the opening of the 30-second spot, which was filmed last spring in the house that Santorum and his wife own in the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills.

Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth says her father, the Senate's third-ranking Republican, "votes in Washington almost 40 weeks some years," while Peter, who is about to turn 7, says his dad spends much of his other time traveling "all across Pennsylvania."

Summing up, 8-year-old Sarah Marie says, "Being our dad is the most important job he'll ever have."

The ad, which was filmed in the spring, is being aired only in the Pittsburgh area, said Santorum campaign spokeswoman Virginia Davis.

It underscores the senator's sensitivity about a flap over the use of Penn Hills School District money to help pay tuition for several of his children at an Internet-based charter school between 2001 and 2004.

The Santorums withdrew their children from the Pennsylvania-based cyberschool and resumed home schooling after Penn Hills officials raised questions about the tuition payments.

Pennsylvania law requires school districts to pay for resident students who enroll in cyberschools, and Santorum says the Penn Hills house remains the family's legal residence. But the Penn Hills District sought to recover $73,000 that it said the state wrongly sent to the cyberschool because the Santorums live primarily in Leesburg, Va.

Wouldn't you like to live in another state while your home state paid for your childrens education?

Has anyone asked why hard working Pennsylvanians have to pay for his kids education when they could go to a public school or even a private school out of his own pocket?