GOP Candidate Santorum Shoots the Lanes, Strikes Controversy

Republican party candidate Rick Santorum made another stop on his bowling tour. The Presidential hopeful bowled at the South Lanes Bowling and Pizza – a La Crosse, Wisconsin bowling center, during a campaign stop through the Midwest.

Originally reported by Rueters’ Sam Youngman, Santorum was enjoying the facilities, telling jokes, making off-cuff barbs and jabs at opponent Mitt Romney. While picking out bowling balls, he told a young man to avoid using pink balls.

“You’re not going to use the pink ball,” the former Pennsylvania senator said. “We’re not gonna let you do that. Not on camera.”

Santorum then added,

“Friends don’t let friends use pink balls.”

This inevitably sparked the immediate outcry from many LGBT rights groups. The prominent of those – The Human Rights Campaign, criticized the harsh opposer of same sex marriage in a statement,

“This is another example of Rick Santorum intentionally making ignorant statements that have a real impact on LGBT people,” Human Rights Campaign’s Fred Sainz said in a statement. “Kids have enough to worry about. They don’t need Rick Santorum telling them that using a pink bowling ball is a bad thing.”

Beyond the controversial quirp, Santorum’s bowling skills have been described by the Huffington Post as “lacking”, was then quickly rebuffed as it has been reported on a previous stop the Presidential candidate bowled a “turkey”. When asked about the accomplishment, Santorum responded,

“I was bowling in Sheboygan yesterday with a bunch of folks at a tournament and threw three strikes in a row,” he said during the Sunday interview. “That’s a turkey. That tells you that you’ve got someone here who can relate to the voters in Wisconsin, just like those of us in western Pennsylvania who grew up in the bowling lanes.”

It is unclear whether the GOP hopeful has any other stops planned at future bowling centers.