Pawlenty Endorses Iowa "Same-Sex Marriage Is Worse Than Smoking" Group

"The Family Leader and other organizations have taken a position in favor of traditional marriage. I don’t distance myself from that position — I embrace it. I support the notion that we, as a society, should continue to elevate traditional marriage, that it should remain as between a man and a woman, and that all other domestic relationships are not the same as traditional marriage.

"That’s my view. It’s not something that I’ve changed or evolved on or need to distance from because I strongly believe it. I don’t think it is radical or extreme to say that marriage should be between a man and woman. I don’t think that is extreme at all. That’s the way it has always been. That’s the way that society has viewed it for all of these years and centuries. So, I don’t think I’m on the extreme side of the issue." - Former Minnesota governor and likely 2012 GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, siding with the Iowa group that says same-sex marriage is worse for your health than smoking.