Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum criticized a "Saturday Night Live" skit that poked fun at his anti-gay marriage views by showing him seated at a gay bar in the Castro section of San Francisco.
Santorum -- depicted by actor Andy Samberg in the sketch, titled "Yet Another GOP Debate" -- suggested that the segment was "bullying" during an interview with New Hampshire radio station WGIR on Sunday. The former Pennsylvania senator said he had been "hammered" by "the left" for his support of conservative principles.
"The left, unfortunately, participates in bullying more than the right does," Santorum said. "They say that they’re tolerant, and they’re anything but tolerant of people who disagree with them and support traditional values."
Santorum has made a name for himself as a staunch defender of conservative values. He called the repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy "detrimental" for gay soldiers and said nothing when a gay soldier was booed by audience members at a GOP debate.
More recently, Santorum bemoaned gay soldiers who "shower with people" during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." He has also claimed that the key to a successful economy is traditional marriage.
Santorum said on Sunday that he would continue to stand up for the traditional values "that made this country great," despite being a target of the comedy show.
"I welcome the criticism, go ahead," he said.
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