9 controversial Rick Santorum quotes

As soon as the conservative ex-senator stepped into the national spotlight, critics began attacking Santorum's long history of odd claims and far-right beliefs

Rick Santorum is no stranger to controversial opinions, saying earlier this week, for instance, that he opposes welfare programs that "make black people's lives better."
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Most pundits are attributing Rick Santorum's 11th-hour Iowa sprint from the back of the Republican presidential pack to a statistical tie for first place to something Santorum did right, says Ezra Klein at The Washington Post. "But there's a simpler explanation, too: Santorum finished in the top three because he was lucky." Nobody took him seriously until mere days before Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, so Santorum never got the media scrutiny and voter vetting that sank his once-high-flying rivals. Well, people are taking Santorum seriously now, and he's getting all kinds of scrutiny. Here, nine of the zanier or more controversial things Santorum has said over the past decade:

1. Opposing birth control

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