Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
has reiterated his call to undo repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,”
the soon-to-be repealed law that bans gay and bisexual troops from
serving openly.
Pawlenty created a stir three weeks ago
when he told the American Family Association's (AFA) Bryan Fischer
that as president he would work to reinstate the law.
On his radio program, Fischer asked
Pawlenty if he would sign a bill that would bring back the gay ban.
“I've been a public supporter of
maintaining 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and I would support reinstating
it as well,” Pawlenty, considered a moderate Republican, said.
During a Monday appearance in Iowa at
The Family Leader's Presidential Lecture Series, Pawlenty went
further, adding that he's OK with withholding funds for implementing
the law's repeal.
“We have to pay great deference, I
think, to those combat units, their sentiments and their leaders,”
he told the crowd. “That's one of the reasons why I said we
shouldn't have repealed 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and I would support
reinstatement.”
When asked by Think
Progress' Igor Volsky if he would support “rescinding the funds
for implementation of repeal,” Pawlenty answered: “That would be
a reasonable step as well.” (The video is embedded in the right
panel of this page.)