Rick Santorum slams Obama's health care and use of natural resources

Rick Santorum on Sunday condemned what he called President Barack Obama's world view that "elevates the Earth above man,'' discouraging increased use of natural resources. The GOP presidential candidate also slammed Obama's health care overhaul for requiring insurers to pay for prenatal tests that, Santorum said, will encourage more abortions.

A day after telling an Ohio audience that Obama's agenda is based on "some phony theology, not a theology based on the Bible,'' Santorum said he wasn't criticizing the president's Christianity, informs Boston.com.

Santorum was quoted Saturday as telling an audience in Ohio that although he accepted the president's Christianity, he believed Obama adhered to "some phony theology. Not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology." Asked about that statement Sunday onCBS'"Face the Nation," Santorum framed the issue as a disagreement over global warming and how "radical environmentalists" care for the Earth.

"I accept the fact that the president's a Christian," he said. "I just said that when you have a worldview that elevates the Earth above man, and says that, you know, we can't take those resources because we're going to harm the Earth by things that frankly are just not scientifically proven, like for example that politicization of the whole global warming debate, this is just all an attempt to centralize power, to give more power to the government.", according to Los Angeles Times.

Santorum, who with his wife has home-schooled their children and who appeals to many social conservatives with his anti-abortion views, seeks to portray Romney as too moderate to excite core Republican voters and beat Obama in November.

The most recent Gallup tracking poll released yesterday showed 36 percent of registered Republicans saying they prefer Santorum while 28 percent back Romney. The poll is a five-day rolling average of support among registered Republicans. On the campaign trail and on national television over the weekend, Santorum said he is the Republican best able to draw a clear contrast with the Democratic president, says BusinessWeek.

He said he was talking about "radical environmentalists" who share Obama's "worldview that elevates the Earth above man and says that we can't take those resources, because we're going to harm the Earth by things that frankly are just not scientifically proven." He pointed to the debate over global climate change as an example.

Santorum added, "This is just all an attempt to centralize power and to give more power to the government." Obama's campaign officials said Santorum's remarks were another attack on the president's faith by Republican rivals in a nominating contest that has grown increasingly bitter and negative, reports San Francisco Chronicle.