The last-minute group endorsement of his candidacy didn't help Rick Santorum pull off a second longshot win in South Carolina on Saturday. The former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania finished third, behind Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. 

And then he got glitter-bombed.

The glitter-bombers in this case were affiliated with gay rights groups and the Occupy Charleston movement, according to a report from the Summerville Patch. In addition to the glitter, protesters chanted "bigot" at Santorum, whose fervent stances against same-sex marriage and frequently inflammatory references to homosexuality have been a pitch to social conservatives but also made him something of a nemesis to supporters of gay rights.

Over at The Huffington Post, there's a rundown of previous glitterings of the former senator over the course of his campaign for the Republican nomination.

On a more serious note, Santorum hit the cable circuit Sunday morning to insist that there is no need for him to quit the Republican race, which seems to be shaping into a Gingrich/Romney contest. Santorum sees the coming primary battle in Florida as one on "neutral turf," the candidate said on CNN, according to a report from Bloomberg. In the CNN interview, Santorum hinted at what will remain in his pitch to conservative voters, especially because of the ascendance of Newt Gingrich: Newt has had scandals that Santorum hasn't.

“I would disagree with Newt that he is the conservative standard bearer,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “He is a very high risk candidate.”

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Ted Mann