Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is said to be the first presidential candidate to sign a type of morals pledge put out by the The Family Leader, an Iowa group that promotes Christian conservative social values.
The Des Moines Register said Bachmann quickly signed the pledge and notes that the group’s head, Bob Vander Plaats — who was the state chair of Mike Huckabee’s Republican presidential campaign when he won the 2008 Iowa Caucuses — has said the Family Leader will not support any candidate who declines to sign the pledge.
Some media jumped all over a part of the pledge that condemns pornography:
Humane protection of women and the innocent fruit of conjugal intimacy — our next generation of American children — from human trafficking, sexual slavery, seduction into promiscuity, and all forms of pornography and prostitution, infanticide, abortion and other types of stolen innocence.
City Pages said: “Michele Bachmann pledges to ban pornography if elected president.”
And Minnesota Independent says: “Bachmann signs pledge to ban pornography, same-sex marriage as president.”
As for other candidates and the pledge, the Des Moines paper said:
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, is reviewing the pledge, a spokesman said Thursday night. Several other GOP presidential candidates didn’t respond to requests for comment, including former Michigan Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and retired Georgia businessman Herman Cain.
And it said:
…an aide to to former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said he never signs any pledges. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, said the congressman has reservations, while a representative of President Barack Obama’s Democratic campaign committee declined comment.