Santorum on the "Rogue" Prop. 8 Ruling

As he coasted to victory in three GOP presidential contests Tuesday evening, sparking fresh skepticism about the inevitability of a Romney nomination, Rick Santorum still managed to score social conservative political points by slamming the Ninth Circuit's Tuesday ruling against Proposition 8.

Or he tried to, at least. "The people of California spoke clearly at the ballot box that they wanted marriage defined in the traditional manner of one man and one woman," Santorum said in a Tuesday statement prior to victories in Missouri, Colorado, and Minnesota. "And for a court, any court, to usurp the power and will of the people in this manner on an issue this fundamental to the foundation of our society is wrong."

Santorum asserted that the decision was the latest example of a "rogue" judiciary -- and another reason why the Ninth Circuit, which covers nine western states, should be "abolished and split up."

The court's narrow ruling, tailored to the unique circumstances of California and the passage of Prop. 8, was the object of scorn on the GOP campaign trail by Santorum as well as Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, who said in a statement that the decision "cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage."

Santorum's full Tuesday statement:

"Today's decision by the 9th Circuit is another in a long line of radical activist rulings by this rogue circuit - and it is precisely why I have called for that circuit to be abolished and split up. Marriage is defined and has always been defined as 'one man and one woman.' We simply cannot allow 50 different definitions of marriage.

"The people of California spoke clearly at the ballot box that they wanted marriage defined in the traditional manner of one man and one woman. And for a court, any court, to usurp the power and will of the people in this manner on an issue this fundamental to the foundation of our society is wrong.

"We need to have a Judicial Branch that acts within its Constitutional bounds. We need to have a President that is willing to stand up to the Judiciary. We need to have a President who will fight to protect marriage once and for all with a federal marriage amendment. I am committed to being that President."