Santorum can't shake a Savage 'redefinition' on Google

Dan Savage speaks onstage during the 15th Annual Webby Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on June 13, 2011 in New York City. Dan Savage speaks onstage during the 15th Annual Webby Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on June 13, 2011 in New York City. Photo: Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images For The Webby Award Photo: Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images For The Webby Award Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Santorum can't shake a Savage 'redefinition' on Google 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Wide-screen TV sets in Seattle were tested Wednesday night, trying to fit in the large-scale egos of pundit Keith Oberlmann and guest Dan Savage: The two were savaging Rick Santorum and celebrating Savage's profane, much-publicized "redefinition" of the Republican candidate.

Type "Santorum" or "Rick Santorum" on Google and you reach the prank definition. It is the work of Mr. Savage, a potty mouthed Seattle-based sex columnist for The Stranger, gay activist and fixture on the college lecture circuit.

In response to Santorum's vulgar characterization of gay sex in a 2003 interview, "Santorum" on Google was given the following meaning: "the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byrpoduct of anal sex." (The New York Times on Thursday delicately summarized these words.)

Savage is getting to bask in Santorum's reflected limelight, and newfound national noteriety, after the former senator's surprise tie with Mitt Romney in Tuesday's Iowa presidential cancuses.

The Santorum-Savage tiff gives insights into Cable TV celebrityhood and the exploit-fear cash culture of American politics. The frothy details first:

Santorum is a cultural warrior, an opponent of abortion --and contraception -- who can be a pill even when denouncing the pill. He took up sword and shield as the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision overturning Texas' anti-sodomy law.

Claiming he had "no problem with homosexuality", Santorum said he does have a problem with "homosexual acts." What's s his problem? Anti-sodomy laws "were there for a purpose," he told the Associated Press, seeing dire consequences if the privacy of the bedroom gained legal protection:

"And if the Supreme Court says you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultry. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue, 'Yes, it does.'

Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy. Joel Connelly has been a staff columnist for more than 30 years. He comments regularly on politics and public policy.

Santorum took a lower road a little later with his equations of gay sex:

"In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuals. It's not, you know, man-on-dog, man-on-child, whatever the case may be."

Savage opted to answer defamation with defamation. The Google "redefinition" remains in place. It is the third Google entry after a link to Santorum's campaign website and Iowa caucus results.

Out of ridicule, however, came opportunity. Santorum has used Savage to fuel his longshot, cash-short 2012 presidential campaign. He took aim last summer after a Savage appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"On last week's episode, Maher hosted hate activist Dan Savage: Instead of focusing on the issues and having an intellectual conversation, they broke into vile attacks against me and other conservatives," Santorum huffed in a fundraising email.

"Savage and his perverted sense of humor is the reason why my children cannot Google their father's name. I took the high road for nearly a decade by not dignifying these mindless attacks, and even defending his 1st Amendment right to spew his filth.

"And, to this day, liberals like Rachel Maddow serve as Savage's lackeys on national television, pushing his smut."

Having identified multiple devil figures, in classic fundraising boilerplate, Santorum invited supporters to "fight back . . . Don't let Dan Savage and the extreme left win."

The back and forth goes on.

Savage, in his way, is just as huffy as Santorum. He complained Thursday that a New York Times reporter didn't call him before writing about Santorum's "Google problem", while telling Stranger readers what an important guy he is.

"There are tons of folks at the NYT who have my home, work and cell numbers, email address, Twitter handle, etc.," wrote Savage. Like many Savage posts, first-person references were numerous along with the possessive "my readers."

The feud's heightened profile could prove good in the long run for both men. Crowds are showing up to hear Santorum in New Hampshire, people are asking for autographs, and TV crews are jostling to record his words.

Savage is likely to get more gigs on MSNBC, Olbermann's show on Al Gore-TV, and with Bill Maher. If they run out of Santorum shots, he and Maher -- an atheist -- can always run down religion.

Santorum is unlikely to be the Republican presidential nominee, but he will command higher honorariums and a higher profile on Fox News. Savage will fulsomely agree with Maddow and Olbermann, and prosper on the speech-making circuit as the activist who savaged Santorum.

Alas, Cable TV practices ideological apartheid. It would be fun to see Santorum as a guest on "Countdown" -- although Olbermann doesn't welcome disagreement --and to see Savage join Sean Hannity on Fox.