Pawlenty: Bring Back DADT

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, a possible Republican presidential candidate for 2012, said Wednesday he would support an effort to reinstate "don't ask, don't tell."

Pawlenty was speaking on the American Family Association's Brian Fischer's radio show about a range of gay rights issues, including marriage equality, GOProud's involvement at the Conservative Political Action Conference, and the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian personnel.

In addition to expressing his support for reinstating "don't ask, don't tell," he said prohibiting marriage equality is not only a legal issue, but "an important cornerstone for our society and our culture."

He added, "Families and traditional marriage is so important to that, and I don't believe all other domestic relations should be on the same platform as traditional marriage. I just don't buy, and so I've been a strong supporter of traditional marriage. I also think who you appoint to courts in this regard is important, and we don't have litmus tests, so to speak, but we want strict constructionists and people who take a conservative view toward the interpretation of our laws."

Go to Right Wing Watch for more of the exchange.