Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) appeared on Hardball tonight, and used the opportunity to rail against social conservatives giving the Republican party a bad name. He first took them to task for pro-life legislation ("Who the hell is for abortion?...They're hideous, but they're a deeply intimate and personal decision, and I don't think men legislators should even vote on the issue"), then aimed his sights on anti-gay forces, singling out another former Senator, Rick Santorum (R-PA), by name.

We have homophobes on our party. That's disgusting to me. We're all human beings. We're all God's children. Now if they're going to get off on that stuff—Santorum has said some cruel things—cruel, cruel things-about homosexuals. [...]

I'm not sticking with people who are homophobic, anti-women, moral values—while you're diddling your secretary while you're giving a speech on moral values? Come on, get off of it.

[ThinkProgress via Towleroad]