Alan Simpson: The GOP 'won't have a prayer' with 'homophobic' Santorum

Former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson (R) expressed his disgust with Rick Santorum Wednesday afternoon, strongly dismissing any chance at the former Pennsylvania Senator defeating President Barack Obama in the general election and labeling him "homophobic."

Simpson sat down with CBS' Face the Nation Bob Scheiffer in an online interview, describing his preference for Republicans not to bring up social issues on the campaign trail.

"Here’s a party that believes in getting government out of your life, the precious right of privacy, and the right to be left alone," he said. "How then can they be in the hypocrisy of fiddling around with these social issues? We won’t have a prayer.”

The cantankerous Simpson later turned his attention to lambaste Santorum and his anti-LGBT views.

"He is rigid, and homophobic," he said. "He believes that gays and lesbians -- he mentioned in an interview in 2003 about bestially and gays and lesbians, and I think that's disgusting."

WATCH: Video from CBS, which was published on February 22, 2012. (Highlighted mark starts at 3:00)