In an interview on CNN (via the Political Wire), Rick Santorum tried to distance himself from comments he made 9 years ago which most took as equating homosexuality with bestiality and pedophilia.
Santorum to the AP in 2003: “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.”
Santorum, yesterday: “I didn’t connect them. I excluded them.”
Dan Amira: “Why the flimsy excuse? Why not just own it? Because since 2003, when Santorum made the comments, acceptance of gay rights and gay marriage has soared. Santorum hopes to become a viable, mainstream candidate, but his past remarks on homosexuality — not just opposition to gay marriage, but disparagement of gays in general — are no longer part of the mainstream. Best to just pretend they never happened.”