Romney Rejects Controversial Marriage Pledge

Mitt Romney is rejecting an anti-gay-marriage pledge concocted by an Iowa Christian group, becoming only the second GOP candidate—after Gary Johnson—to do so. The controversial 14-point pledge, already signed by Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum, calls on candidates to "defend and uphold" marriage as uniting one man and one woman, and to reject pornography, "comingling attracteds" in military accommodations, and Islamic law.

The group behind the pledge has removed a preamble suggesting that black children born into slavery had more stable family structures than exist today. Romney "strongly supports traditional marriage," but the oath "contained references and provisions that were undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign," a spokeswoman tells the AP. Other GOP hopefuls, including Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich, haven't said whether they'll sign the pledge. (More marriage pledge stories.)