Gay Uproar May Not Hurt Senator Santorum

SF Chron -- Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's comments equating homosexuality with adultery and incest this week -- while prompting howls of protest from Democrats and gay groups -- show no signs yet of jeopardizing his spot as the Republican Party's third-ranking senator.

Several conservative organizations released statements supporting Santorum, while GOP leaders in the Senate remained silent, and White House officials declined to rebuke him Tuesday. Strategists from both parties predicted that unlike the Lott controversy, which festered for weeks before leading to his demotion, a slap at the gay community is likely to be viewed as a problem only for a small segment of voters.