Minnesota Representative Michele
Bachmann has thanked Iowa voters for ousting three judges who favored
gay marriage, POLITICO.com reported.
Bachmann, who is considering a 2012 run
at the White House, told a crowd of home-schooling advocates in Des
Moines that she supported the decision.
Social conservatives who objected to
the Iowa Supreme Court's 2009 unanimous ruling that brought gay
marriage to the Midwest mounted an aggressive campaign to have three
of the justices up for a retention vote removed.
“If you have judges who thwart the
will of the people, you send them packing,” Bachmann told about
1,000 people, repeatedly referring to judges as “black-robed
masters.”
“Thank you, Iowa, for what you have
done to uphold the Constitution,” she added.
Opponents of gay marriage continue to
pursue the remaining four judges. Former GOP gubernatorial candidate
Bob Vander Plaats, who spearheaded the drive to remove the judges,
has called on the remaining justices to step down. Legislation that
would forcefully remove them has also been introduced.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former
Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, who are also considering
presidential bids, also addressed the crowd.