DAVID SHUSTER: It's become almost commonplace these days to hear that a candidate is running for president because of some sort of divine intervention, and now Rick Santorum is the latest to join the list of those who have been called upon.
In our number-one story — fresh off the controversy earlier this week about Rick Santorum warning, in 2008, that Satan has his sights set on America, Santorum's wife Karen has now suggested, in an interview, that her husband's run for president is also somewhat celestial.
(Excerpt from video clip) GLENN BECK: Three months ago, you're at two percent, three percent. Why is this happening?
(Excerpt from video clip) KAREN SANTORUM: I personally think this is God's will. I think he has us on a path, and I do think there's a lot more happening than what we're seeing.
SHUSTER: Hmm. Or to put it another way —
(Excerpt from video clip) BELUSHI: Me and the Lord, we got an understanding.
(Excerpt from video clip) AYKROYD: We're on a mission from God.
SHUSTER: But God's will wasn't always so clear to Mrs. Santorum.
(Excerpt from video clip) RICK SANTORUM: I said, "I'm thinking about doing this," and I said, "We need to pray about it." She said, "No, I'm not going to pray about it. God couldn't possibly want you to do this."
(Excerpt from video clip) KAREN SANTORUM: I did always feel in my heart that God had big plans for Rick. And, you know, eventually it was there — that, you know, tugging at my heart.
SHUSTER: It isn't the first time we've heard this. In 2000, when considering a run for president, George W. Bush reportedly told televangelist James Robinson, "I feel like God wants me to run for President."
And then, early last year, just before declaring her candidacy, former GOP presidential candidate and frightened-deer-in-the-headlights Michele Bachmann said that she'd also had that calling and that tugging on her heart. According to Bachmann, she'd also been called by God to run for Congress in 2006.
This is not to doubt the conviction of these candidates or their sincere belief in these divine endorsements, but with Santorum's poll numbers now on the decline, it certainly seems that God moves in mysterious ways.
Joining us now, comedian and author of "Moment of Clarity," Lee Camp. Lee, good to have you tonight.
LEE CAMP: Thanks for having me.
SHUSTER: So Rick Santorum, in 2008, says that Satan is setting his sights on America. Now, Santorum's wife is saying that God has called on the family to make this run. Are the Santorums setting up the narrative that Satan is after us and God has called on Rick Santorum to fight back?
CAMP: I think he's getting his strategy from — maybe a Stephen King novel, like, crossed with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It's absolutely bizarre.
This is the man who believes Satan is talking to him in his head. He's hearing voices. If I told people that the Tooth Fairy was telling me how I should run the country, would you give me access to nuclear weapons? You know, nothing against schizophrenics, but we don't give them weapons systems.
SHUSTER: God is clearly not in control of poll numbers, since Santorum's are declining since the last debate. So, how might a believer explain the path that God has Santorum on now, since Santorum doesn't seem to be heading towards the nomination?
CAMP: I have a sneaking suspicion that God — this God of his — just needed some entertainment, just was looking for — because, you know, in Elizabethan times, people would pay to go watch bears fight monkeys. And you know, no one really thought the monkey had a shot, but they told the monkey he had a shot.
So, I think Santorum is the monkey but we're a little more civil now. We put a sweater vest on the monkey. So, it's different times, really.
SHUSTER: Maybe that's also an act of God, for all we know.
President Bush said, in 2000, he was called on by God to run and then, in 2003, Bush famously said that he was on a mission from God to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. Why didn't God tell George W. Bush or any member of his staff that there really were no WMDs in Iraq and did — I don’t know, did God also have some bad intelligence?
CAMP: Yeah, apparently. His God had no idea what was going on. No, I — this God — like, of all of them — it's, like, that God is apparently fine with killing lots and lots of his creations, lots of civilians. That God also seems to be very against, like, colored people and women and gay people. Basically, their God is only for about 12 rich, white men. That is it. That's all he's looking after.
SHUSTER: And maybe also Tim Tebow.
CAMP: And Tim Tebow, that's it.
SHUSTER: Michele Bachmann was also called upon by God to run for the GOP nomination. Did God change her mind — I'm saying God is a she — did God change her mind about Bachmann and why did God endorse both Bachmann and Rick Santorum? How's that possible?
CAMP: Again, she was just looking for highest entertainment values. Sometimes you put a little money on the bear and money on the monkey, just to cover all bases. Like, this — this campaign season has made a clown car look roomy. You know, just so many crammed in there I've never seen so many — just this gaggle of bobble-headed giggle twits all vying for our attention like box of raciest puppy dogs. It's bizarre. It's awe-inspiring, really.
SHUSTER: And does God ever call on people to get out of the race and, if so, does the Almighty, I don’t know, not have Newt Gingrich's phone number or email or Twitter?
CAMP: No, Newt Gingrich is in the — he's in the race because he is on God's holy mission to get children back on the factory floor, okay. This is — he is speaking for the patron saint of child labor, I think.
SHUSTER: Politics seem to be one of the few professions where God is involved in the staffing process, as we like to say. You never hear a used car salesman say, "I got a calling from God to sell this used car." Why does God focus mostly on politics and sports?
CAMP: Yeah, God, for some odd reason, never gets — he never gets blamed for the game-losing shot. He never — he or she never — he never tells anyone to get out of the race. Apparently, he's just not involved in that kind of thing and never touches those.
SHUSTER: Candidates seem to be much more openly religious than they once were, yet Santorum recently talked about Obama oppressing religious freedom. How is religious freedom being oppressed when you're free to talk about Satan targeting the United States and God calling on him to be president?
CAMP: I know. Recently, it seems like they have reversed the word of "freedom." Like, they're using it in the opposite — they think freedom is their freedom to press their religion on other people. It's like Orwell would just stab something in his ears if he were around right now.
It's like, "Look, you have the freedom to believe whatever it is you want, all right?" I, then, have the freedom to say you make a block of cheese look bright, all right? I have the freedom to say that you're a puppet show to distract everyone from the corporate pillaging that continues to go on in this country that — you know, by CEOs that make Charlie Sheen's moral compass look like that of Harriet Tubman.
SHUSTER: But maybe — actually, we do have proof for God in this race and that is simply because of how much all of us are entertained by all of this and just how crazy it's become. Maybe this is God's way of saying, "Let's have some fun in 2012."
CAMP: I think — I think God is George Burns. He's just an entertainer looking for a good time, some good ratings. What do you say?
SHUSTER: Comedian and author of "Moment of Clarity," Lee Camp. Lee, thanks for your time tonight. We appreciate it.
CAMP: Thank you.
