Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum said on Wednesday that “there’s absolutely no buck stopping anywhere near President Obama’s desk” when it comes to accepting responsibility over the many scandals plaguing his administration.



“If there’s something going wrong in the administration, it’s somebody else’s fault — and he hops out on the campaign trail to make that point, to rally his base, to say that he’s not being treated fairly, and get all of his people energized to storm Capitol Hill,” said Santorum, appearing on Fox News' “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.”



The former Pennsylvania senator called President Barack Obama’s response to the controversies — which include the IRS’ targeting of tea party, conservative and religious groups, as well as the Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans last Sept. 11 — the “antithesis” of that of former President Harry S. Truman, who famously said, “The buck stops here.”



Santorum cited Obama’s three personal appearances around the country on Wednesday as evidence of his not effectively managing the scandals.



The president traveled to the Boston area to stump for U.S. Senate hopeful Edward J. Markey and also made two fund-raising stops at private homes in Miami.



“I don’t think it’s good timing in the midst of all these scandals, but it’s the way the president operates,” Santorum told Van Susteren. “The president likes to be out of Washington. He likes to go out and raise money and play politics. That’s what he is very good at. He’s very accomplished at it.



“He doesn’t particularly care to micromanage things in Washington,” he added. “He doesn’t particularly like to take responsibility for the things that are going on there.



“So, if he stays out, if he stays in the political realm, in campaign mode — and can fire up his troops, and continue to keep his base energized, that’s the ultimate game plan here.”



Santorum added that Obama’s stumping might well be to raise money to finance upcoming “battles” over Obamacare.



Starting this fall, uninsured people who cannot get coverage through their jobs can sign up for government-subsidized insurance that takes effect on Jan. 1. The rollout promises to be bumpy because about half the states are still resisting the law, and Republicans in Congress won't provide the administration with funds it says are needed for a smooth implementation.



“There’s something that’s going to overwhelm all these scandals in the next few months, and that’s the implementation of Obamacare,” Santorum began. “Maybe what he’s doing is raising money because they’re going to have to fight back.



“You’re going to see huge premium increases. You’re going to see people lose their insurance. You’re going to see horrific situations with businesses dropping their insurance,” he added. “This is going to be a nightmare for the Obama administration.



“It’s going to be a problem — and maybe what the president is doing is really smart in the sense that he is going out there and raising money to be able to battle what he knows is going to be the Waterloo for him in politics and certainly for the 2014 election.



“Maybe this is just his way of preparing for it — and he sees, maybe realistically, that these scandals are short term and Obamacare is a long-term problem for him,” he said. “This could be a major disaster for the administration coming forward.”







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