Jesus is coming to Summit County Lincoln Day dinner?

THE SUMMIT COUNTY Republican Party's steady drift to the party's wackiest right wing will be reinforced at its Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 18. It will be at that moment that Chairman Alex Arshinkoff will honor the presence of Rick Santorum as the $50 a plate dinner speaker. The former Pennsylvania senator, who was defeated by 18 points in 2006, is running for president at the moment and may or may not still be a candidate by dinnertime.

Debbie Walsh, the party's executive director, said she couldn't predict whether Santorum, who has strong theocratic tendencies, will still be in the race, "but we're optimistic."

Theocratic? Santorum referred to himself as Jesus recently in explaining why he is in the race. And you thought I was trying to be cute about this! I can't make this up.

Santorum has said a lot of other things that the county's Republicans will doubtless hear about after dinner. He is fully against contraceptives; opposes abortion , even for rape victims; describes the fight against Islam as "onward Christian soldiers" ; expresses doubts about whether Mormons are Christians; opposes welfare programs that "make people's lives better;" and - you do have to wonder abut this guy - questions the need for food stamps when so many people who get them are already fat.

Had enough? So have I. But so there should be no question about my slant on the Lincoln Day dinner (Lincoln has nothing to do with it, folks ), it's not for me to tell Arshinkoff whom to invite to the event. It's his party, lock, stock and whatever, and he can invite Pope Benedict if it helps him sell more tickets.

I'm merely recording another chapter in the once moderate county party led by the late Ray Bliss. Trending? Recent speakers have been Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of the speakers at Monday's March for Life, and Mike Huckabee, a former preacher and sworn enemy of Biblical impurity.

Yeah. I think theocratic is right.