Rick Santorum Says 'Pursuit Of Happiness' Doesn't Apply To Gay Folks

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says the Declaration of Independence's 'pursuit of happiness' doesn't apply to gay folks.

The former Pennsylvania Senator, who surprised with a fourth place finish in Saturday's Iowa Straw Poll, addressed a small crowd on Friday at a campaign stop for the National Organization for Marriage's (NOM) Value Voters Bus Tour.

NOM paired up with the Family Research Council (FRC) and the Susan B. Anthony List in organizing the four day tour in opposition to the legalization of gay marriage.

“Every speech I give, I talk about the Declaration of Independence,” Santorum said. “Where rights come from God. That's where they come from in this country. It's different than any other country in the history of the world. We said our rights come to each and every one of us from God. That is the source of our power to govern. Yes, the consent of the governed, but where do the people get the power from which to exercise? It's in keeping and trying to pass laws that is consistent with God's law. God gives you the rights. He doesn't give them to you and says, 'Do whatever you want.' He gave them to you and said… Well, look at later on in the Declaration they refer to nature and nature's God. That we are to live by the natural law and God's laws.”

“That is what when they talked about the 'pursuit of happiness.' If you go back and read the definition in Webster at the time of the Declaration, or certainly thereafter, what 'happiness' was defined as doing good. Doing good, doing what is moral. So the pursuit of something ordered and morally good is what our founders were saying.”

“Which is in other words living your life consistent – taking those rights and living them consistent with God's law. That was the goal and the aim of America.”

“Someone has to speak out and remind Americas who we are. Someone has to get up and we have to say that America, as I said last night, is a moral enterprise.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)

During Thursday's debate, Santorum received generous applause when he said in reference to his opposition to gay and lesbian couples marrying: “I respect the 10^th Amendment. But we are a nation that has values. We are a nation that was built on a moral enterprise. And states don't have a right to tramp over those because of the 10^th Amendment.”

(Related: Are Rick Santorum's Lincoln references comparing gay marriage to slavery?)