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On radio, Corbett defends himself: 'I have a heart'

HARRISBURG - He is not at war with women. He does have a heart. And he really did a lot of work on that trade mission in March to France and Germany.

Governor Tom Corbett address the Greater Philadelphia business community during a Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's annual "A Conversation with the Governor at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pa., on May 31, 2011. ( David Maialetti / staff photographer )
Governor Tom Corbett address the Greater Philadelphia business community during a Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's annual "A Conversation with the Governor at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pa., on May 31, 2011. ( David Maialetti / staff photographer )Read more

HARRISBURG - He is not at war with women. He does have a heart. And he really did a lot of work on that trade mission in March to France and Germany.

So said Gov. Corbett on Wednesday when he made his monthly radio talk show appearance on WPHT-AM (1210) in Philadelphia.

The governor weighed in on everything from former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's decision to suspend his Republican presidential bid, to who he thinks would be a good running mate for Mitt Romney, to why he supports legislation pending in the Capitol that would require women who want abortions to get ultrasounds first.

But among the first things Corbett wanted to clear up: He is not against poor people.

The governor was referring to a recent headline and mock-up photo in the Philadelphia Daily News depicting him as the "Tinman" because 89,000 children have been dropped from state Medicaid rolls between August and January.

"Everyone who knows me knows that I have a heart," he told talk-show host Dom Giordano, calling the newspaper's depiction of his administration's welfare policies "sophomoric." "I am doing this job because I have a heart."

He said Pennsylvania was facing serious budget problems and reiterated his steadfast belief that taxpayers and businesses should not have to pay for those problems through new or higher taxes. He argued that it was his job to ensure taxpayer dollars were spent wisely and that only those who were eligible receive state benefits.

"This is not my money," Corbett told listeners. "It's your money."

He also said his administration was in no way waging a "war" on women, as some Democrats have suggested of him and other Republicans. He said his reason for supporting the ultrasound bill, being pushed by the state House GOP, was simple: He wants to reduce the number of abortions.

On politics, the governor praised Santorum's work on the campaign trail and said he expected to speak with Romney in the next couple of days.

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