Santorum sees 'ugly' side of politics

MOUNT PLEASANT — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum stressed his commitment to fighting for family values, but his speech was disrupted briefly when about 15 gay activists tossed glitter in the air and chanted until police moved them further back.

Santorum was the only Republican presidential candidate to accept today's offer to speak with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, who is visiting South Carolina on the Values Voters Bus.

More than 200 onlookers gathered on the lawn near this town's Memorial Waterfront Park as Santorum emphasized that he has fought the fights against abortion and for traditional marriage.

"It's one thing to get in front of a podium and say, (whispering) 'I'm for marriage,' " he said, "and another thing to say, 'I'm for life. I'm for marriage,' and to go out and fight those fights. That's the difference. We're looking for someone that's willing to lead. ... We're looking for folks to have courage."

A few minutes into his remarks, the activists in back threw glitter and interrupted Santorum. Police quickly moved in and moved the protesters back. 'Put the queers in the rear!' they chanted.

Santorum said the protest 'is the ugly side of politics. It's not one that, frankly, I'm going to pay any attention to. It's ugly. It's cheap. It's tawdry.'

While the economy has dominated the run-up to Saturday's political primary, Santorum said values issues are still important. 'They're all important because they all are woven together,' he said.

Cyndi Mosteller, a Santorum backer and former Charleston County GOP Chair, was handing out photocopies of a 1994 edition of Bay Windows, which bills itself as New England's largest GLBT (gay lesbian bisexual transgender) newspaper. The paper's headline — regarding former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's U.S. Senate race against Ted Kennedy — was, "Romney: I'll be better than Ted for gay rights."

"Who is the real Mitt Romney?" she asked. "Even if he can get the vote of the Republican hand, I'm not sure he can get the support of the Republican gut."

Santorum also basked in the news that a recount in Iowa showed him in the lead.

"This is a solid win. It's a much stronger win than what Gov. Romney claimed to have," he said.

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771.