Senator and current Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum still has a Google problem. When I say “still,” I am referring to the fact that Santorum has had this little problem for going on four years.
And apparently, he has contacted Google in an attempt to rid himself of the annoyance. That request has been denied.
First, a little background for those of you who are unfamiliar with Rick Santorum’s Google problem:
Years ago, Santorum drew the ire of popular blogger Dan Savage by making some unsavory comments regarding the gay community. During an interview where he stated the position that consenting adults have no expectation of privacy, Santorum equated homosexuality to bigamy and incest. He also made some comments relating homosexuality to bestiality, although he has maintained that the were taken out of context.
Either way, Savage and some other activists were less than pleased. They launched a Google bombing campaign to redefine the definition of the word “Santorum.” Through SEO tactics and link-trading, they were able to push a website called spreadingsantorum.com to the very top of the Google search results for “Rick Santorum.”
To this day, if you search “Rick Santorum” or just “Santorum,” the first thing that you will see is this definition:
1. The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex. 2. Senator Rick Santorum.
For reasons that need be explained to nobody, Rick Santorum isn’t pleased with this. And Politico is reporting that the Senator has contacted Google in an attempt to have the site removed. According to the report, he referred to Google as a purveyor of filth and an irresponsible business –
“I suspect if something was up there like that about Joe Biden, they’d get rid of it,” Santorum said. “If you’re a responsible business, you don’t let things like that happen in your business that have an impact on the country.”
He continued: “To have a business allow that type of filth to be purveyed through their website or through their system is something that they say they can’t handle but I suspect that’s not true.”
A Google spokesperson has responded, saying that Google “does not remove content from out search results, except in very limited cases such as illegal content and violations of out webmaster guidelines.” Basically, no dice, Senator.
In a recent Funny or Die video, Dan Savage threatens to redefine the word “Rick” if the Senator attacks gay people during his presidential campaign. The clip taps celebrities with a particular interest in keeping the name unscathed. It’s funny, and NSFW –
Santorum’s Google problem was front and center back in May when The Daily Show decided to bring it up on his birthday.
Unfortunately for Rick Santorum, his apparent request to Google has really only done one thing: Upped the searches for “Rick Santorum” on Google.