Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is making some interesting decisions. He signed the SBA-List pro-life leadership pledge, perhaps it was not necessary to do since he has a pretty solid issue on life issues, but he signed it anyway. I think signing the pledge was a good political move. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney didn’t sign the pledge and based on his questionable record he really needed to.
Governor Pawlenty then wisely decided not to sign The FAMiLY Leader’s “Marriage Vow” which was poorly worded, horribly subjective, incredibly long, and with it being couched with “vow” language is biblically problematic (at best). He and others decided not to sign while former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) signed it (and I’m sure they probably wished they didn’t).
Another pledge has emerged and I’m fascinated by who has signed and who hasn’t. National Organization for Marriage has a marriage pledge which Bachmann, Santorum and Romney has signed. The pledge is pretty simple and concrete and has five points:
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Support and send to the states a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman,
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Defend DOMA in court,
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Appoint judges and an attorney general who will respect the original meaning of the Constitution,
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Appoint a presidential commission to investigate harassment of traditional marriage supporters,
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Support legislation that would return to the people of D.C. their right to vote for marriage.
This is pretty straight forward… those who say this is a states’ right issue like Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and Herman Cain I wouldn’t expect to sign. Pawlenty has been pretty good on this and has a solid record, but politically why in the world would you not sign the pledge if Romney does? Do you really want him to appear like he’s more on the right on this issue?
Strange. With the national influence that NOM has, what’s to gain by not signing the pledge especially when you’ve been campaigning on these issues in Iowa?
Update: Pawlenty signs the pledge.