After a three-way tie with fellow homophobes Mitt Romney and Ron Paul in the Iowa caucus, Surgin’ Santorum is getting ready to face the rest of the nation’s primaries. His problem: the Republicans in those states aren’t nearly as radically homophobic as Iowa’s fundamentalist nut-cases.
So now, to appear more moderate, he’s denying he ever put gay marriage and “man on child, man on dog” in the same basket of un-heterosexual abominations.
Skip ahead to about the one-minute mark in the above video and watch him squirm after CNN’s John King reads back this quote, from his now-infamous 2003 interview with the AP: “In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing.” It’s no coincidence that this quote launched Dan Savage’s Google-bombing campaign against the guy.
Santorum responds, “Hold on one second, John. Read the quote. I said it’s not. I didn’t say it is. I did not connect them. I specifically excluded them.”
Okay, so maybe he meant that homosexuality is at the top of Dante’s inferno of abominations—the least ungodly!—while bestiality and pedophilia are way down at the bottom. But it’s still in that unsavory basket, a basket of actions Santorum wants to make illegal. His refusing to own that point is a convenient change for him as he attempts to be a mainstream candidate.
There’s a statistical basis for his flip-flop, too: the fact that acceptance of gay marriage has surpassed opposition to it in the past year.
ron
He’s one dangerous, lying, piece of shit.
JayKay
It’s gonna be fun watching Romney’s people destroy him.
Basil Brush
If “It is one thing” refers back to marriage, then logically the previous sentence “It is not man on dog…” also does, putting gay relationships in a category that contains bestiality and pedophilia.
Ah, Rick, false witness is a sin, you know…
PD
Wow. So Ron Paul is a homophobe. Okay.
The fact that he voted to repeal don’t ask don’t tell, specifically says that homosexuality is natural and not a “choice” like the rest of the field says, and that he supports the rights of any persons gay or straight to enter into any social contracts such as marriage without interference from the government.
Sounds like a real gay-basher to me.
queertypie
People believed that John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism would affect his thinking process and that he would be beholden to the Pope. Well Richie Dickie Santorum says that his Catholicism says this and that about this and that. Sounds to me like he doesn’t know how to separate using his Catholicism to guide his moral life and forcing his Catholicism on the nation. He’s a liar, a back-tracker, a homophobe and judgemental (judge, jury and executioner).
TASTEY GOODIES
JUST WATCHING OLD FROTHY MIX IN THAT SNIPPET MADE ME HAVE 2 TAKE A SHOWER AND BE CHEMICALLY HOSED CUZ I HAD FROTHY MIX SPIT ON MY FACE.
Allen D.
Has anyone else noticed that when Queerty says “watch them squirm” – they actually DON’T seem to squirm at all? Just irks me.
Chad
I am so tired of everyone’s religious beliefs telling me how to live my life.
Kurt
@queertypie: Santorum is very good about separating his Catholic faith from his views on immigration reform, the death penalty, the right of workers to join a union and he even isn’t so down with the Catholic Church on the protection of fetal life (http://www.catholicsforobama.blogspot.com/2012/01/suddenly-unborn-are-not-important-to.html).
Cam
He is the last republican in the race that hadn’t gone up in the polls yet. His popularity will last as long as…..
Palin’s
Bachman’s
Trump’s
Perry’s
Gingrich’s
etc…
The Crazy GOP base is in a frenzy of “Anybody but Romney” and they are grasping at anybody who comes along…the problem is, they don’t like anybody after they get to know them.
sam
@PD: I’m with PD, it’s way off base accusing Ron Paul to be homophobic.
IamRickSantorum.com
Now that Rick has emerged from the back of of the pack, this is a chance to really stick it to Rick. Visit IamRickSantorum.com. Pass it on until the right person finds it.
Hyhybt
Which remaining candidate, if elected, would do the least harm as president?
Separately, which Republican candidate, if nominated, would have the least chance of winning the general election?
MKe
When you have to say African American not because it’s polite, but because we’re already pretty sure you’re a racist, there’s a problem. Most people can say the word black, because everyone knows they aren’t racist to begin with.
Peter
I love how the reporter reads the quote viciously especially the ashamed of yourself part, and then goes back to talking neutrally.
B
No. 3 · Basil Brush wrote, “If “It is one thing” refers back to marriage, then logically the previous sentence “It is not man on dog…” also does, putting gay relationships in a category that contains bestiality and pedophilia.”
It sounded to me like “it is one thing” referred to homosexuality. He might have meant that it is a “sin” (some people including all sorts of minor things as “sins”) but not anything like pedophilia, bestiality, or whatever. Given the social conservatives he probably hangs out with who equate homosexuality with pedophilia, bestiality, and whatever they can think of that is worse, Santorum probably thought he was making a liberal statement.
It reminds me of a guy I met while I was in graduate school. After several years of our good influence, we actually got him to stop saying someone should be hanged for treason for disagreeing with some militaristic U.S. policy. After he graduated, he came back for a visit and said he got invited to parties as “the token liberal”! If he was the “liberal”, I’d hate to have met any of the conservatives!
Walter
Just got a new bumper sticker, “Black Lesbian Atheist for President 2012!”
ron
@Walter: You forgot Transgender and Quadrapalegic.
Steve
It’s Dan Savage who publishes Savage Love, not Dave Savage.
Evan Mulvihill
@Steve: Thanks, Steve. I fixed.
Ricky
Really? Ron Paul homophobic? Yes, because a homophobe would endorse gay libertarians running for state senates. Yes, because homophobes would vote to repeal DADT. Yes, because a homophobe would allow a gay staffer to play a substantial role in his campaign (back in 2007 before the staffer passed away). Yes, because a homophobe would vote against a ban on gay marriage on a federal level TWICE during the Bush years.
Please don’t bunch him with a homophobic, frothy, gay-face, warmongerer.
Thanks.
Chet
Mitt Romney and the homosexual agenda.