In an interview on MSNBC, Alice Stewart, spokesperson for GOP hopeful Rick Santorum, said that President Barack Obama encouraged "radical Islamic policies" and that his agenda was driven by "phony theology." After the interview, she said that she "mis-spoke" and called the network to apologize,reports Politico.com.

"There is a type of theological secularism when it comes to the global warmists in this country. That's what he was referring to. He was referring to the president's policies in terms of the radical Islamic policies the president has," Stewart said on "Andrea Mitchell Reports" in defense of Santorum's remarks made at a rally in Ohio on Saturday.

Stewart did the old Beltway Two-Step and backed away from the statement, saying that it was just a big mistake and that she really meant to say "radical environmental policies" — and Mitchell came to her defense:

She had repeatedly said during that same interview ‘radical environmental policies' and she said she slipped when she apparently said [it]," Mitchell said. "I did not hear it, or I would have caught her on it and tried to get a correction at the moment. I really, frankly, did not hear her use the word Islamic, but the tape tells the tale."

The clean-up mission that Stewart had embarked on was made necessary by Santorum's remarks in Ohio during which he questioned the genuineness of Obama's "theology":

[The president's agenda] is not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your jobs. It's about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology, but no less a theology."

When people quickly questioned Santorum's statements, stating that it was in line with his previous insinuations that Obama was "attacking" the Christian church, he stood firm:

No one's suggesting that," he said. "I'm suggesting, obviously we all know in the Christian church there are a lot of different stripes of Christianity. I'm just saying he's imposing his values on the church and I think that's wrong. … If the president says he's a Christian, he's a Christian."

I don't know in what world "environmental" is synonymous with "Islamic," but this ploy to encourage religious solidarity among Christians by stoking fear and prejudice against Islam is not new territory for the GOP — it is expected and it is pathetic.

The current GOP field is a comedy of such blatant errors of racism and bigotry that one has to wonder if they secretly want Obama to win by a landslide. They can not possibly think that anyone takes them seriously anymore.

At least not anyone with enough intelligence to vote.

 - Written by Kirsten West Savali