Rick Santorum Backs Chick-Fil-A, Joins Mike Huckabee's 'Appreciation Day' And Squares Off Against Dan Savage Once Again

Never a friend of the gay community, former senator and Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum voiced his support Wednesday for Chick-fil-A following the fast food chain's "PR nightmare" last week when the company's president Dan Cathy proclaimed he was "guilty as charged" on his anti-gay stance. Santorum wrote a series of tweets endorsing Mike Huckabee's plan for a "National Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day" that was launched earlier this week. He then went on to excitedly report about the meal he was having with some of his children:

I’m joining @GovMikeHuckabee to support @ChickFilA Aug 1. Stand w us! RSVP now:ht.ly/cugl1 #chickfila Pls RT

— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) July 25, 2012

With two of my boys, Enjoying chick-in-strips and an awesome peach shake at Chick-fil-A. See you here next Wednesday! — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) July 25, 2012

Three older kids @sarah_santorum @dansantorum @johnsantorum just joined us at Chick-fil-A. They like Chick-fil-A sauce on everything! — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) July 25, 2012

Later, Santorum reiterated the sentiment on his Facebook page, calling Chick-fil-A a "wonderful example of the American entrepreneurial spirit" that has "remained committed to running a business that reflects [founder Truett Cathy's] belief in the Bible."

Since Cathy's comments, Chick-fil-A has become a lightning rod of controversy for gay activists and their supporters, losing its collaboration with the Jim Henson Company, of Muppets fame, in the process. Sex columnist and gay activist Dan Savage, who has often sparred with Rick Santorum since creating his "Google problem," quickly joined in the fray, and by Wednesday, the two were drumming up their respective sides of the debate.

"If someone out there wants to make cool, QUALITY t-shirts that say 'Chick-fil-A-Holes,' I'll help get the word out," Savage tweeted Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday morning, the same day Santorum began enthusiastically patronizing the restaurant, Savage was retweeting completed T-shirt designs.

The two have not publicly aknowledged each other in the current debate, though after the viral PR disaster Santorum underwent at Dan Savage's hands, the former candidate probably avoids mentioning Savage by name whenever possible.