Back in 2003, after then Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum compared gay sex to pedophilia and “man on dog” intercourse, sex columnist Dan Savage sought revenge by creating an online contest for people to name a sexual act after Santorum. The site went viral, and to this day, hilariously, it is featured prominently in Google/Bing/Yahoo searches for “Rick Santorum” or “Santorum.”
Despite the potential embarrassment this could cause Santorum during his probable 2012 White House run, it doesn’t appear as if the conservative will, or perhaps can, do anything about it. Roll Call reports that Santorum “sounded slightly defeated when asked about it recently,” telling the paper, “The Internet allows for this type of vulgarity to circulate. It’s unfortunate that we have someone who obviously has some issues. But he has an opportunity to speak.” Reportedly, Santorum staffers “consulted technology experts years ago about their options” only to find “there was little they could do.”
Faced with the reality that this Google fiasco isn’t going anywhere, a Santorum “ally,” David Urban, has decided to take a glass-half-full approach.
“The site’s completely gross. But I don’t think it’s a problem politically for Rick running for president. Quite the opposite,” he said. “If you’re Rick Santorum and you’re making an argument that there’s certain people that wish you ill, there’s exhibit No. 1. You say: ‘You want to see my battle scars? Google my name. You don’t think I’ve been in the trenches for years? I’ve got the scars to prove it.’”
Eh, we guess, but not really. Every politician has battle scars to display, but there’s something particularly unpresidential about having your name associated with “the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex.”
Santorum Talks About Longtime Google Problem [Roll Call]
