Is Rick Santorum, booted-out Senator and failed would-be Republican candidate, applying to become a Fox pundit like Herman Cain? Judging by his performance On the Record Friday night, on the subject of the sequester, he should maybe consider applying to manage a pizzeria instead. He didn’t seem to know whether to mock President Obama for threatening a Y2K or a Mayan apocalypse, as some conservatives have, or threaten us with horrible consequences himself. He stressed how willing the Republicans had been to work with the President on some kind of solution (of course, they're all saying that now). And he lamented that “entitlements” were left untouched while “essential” programs like the military took deep cuts.

Santorum began by telling guest host Dana Perino that he didn’t disagree with the amount of the cuts. “It's – it's -- it's a pittance compared to what we're going to have to do to get this fiscal house in order in Washington, D.C.”  What he didn’t like was that half the cuts were to military spending “which I think in most Americans' mind is the most important thing that the federal government does -- it's the indispensable thing.”  Santorum suggested cutting things like “ObamaCare” instead, since apparently health is more dispensable than fighter jets.

He also repeated the standard right-wing line about Obama manipulating the public by conjuring up horrific images – “you know, given the president's rhetoric, I'm surprised the lights are still on in this studio compared to what the president was suggesting was going to happen.” Yet later he admitted that the cuts to the military were “exacting pain out of” the Defense Department.

Did the Republicans have a better strategy, Perino asked. Yes, replied Santorum, “they did put forth an alternative…[Obama] could avoid really all of the painful things by working with Congress and … agree to allocate resources in places where we don't need to spend this money. (What exactly does that mean, gentle reader?)… This president has shown no indication of doing so. He seems to be fixated on an agenda to demonize Republicans so he can get a stronger political hand and force through more of his policies that are destroying our economy.”

As usual the title writers at Fox were in full SlamObama distortion mode. The title for the web posting reads: “Santorum: American people seeing Obama for 'demagogue he has turned into.'" He did say that, yes, but he also added, “Let's be honest, they do see the Congress as incompetent and not able to get their act together…. They are blaming both parties. …they're washing their hands on what's going in Washington, D.C.” Yeah, Republicans, that means you too. If it turns out the cuts cause a lot of pain despite all the Fox-type mockery, the GOP could take a fair bit of heat. In the meantime, as this editorial points out, much of the short-term pain will fall on the poor, as usual.