Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
continues his bid to win over socially conservative voters in early
caucus state Iowa.
The
presidential hopeful earlier this week joined former Minnesota
Governor Tim Pawlenty in calling for the reinstatement of “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell,” the Clinton-era law that bans gay and
bisexual troops from serving openly. (New
figures released Thursday show fewer DADT discharges in 2010.)
On Thursday, Huckabee returned to
railing against Iowa's gay marriage law.
“I pray that God will raise up
spiritual warriors who will say, American will not fall,” Huckabee
said at the Rediscovering God in America conference in Des Moines,
Iowa. “This battle is one that pits good against evil.”
“Real faith is tested. It's not
easy. And I know there are always those who say but if we take such
a stand for righteousness. If we do hold to the idea – as you did
in Iowa, and God bless you for it – then marriage still means that
a man marries a woman and remains faithful in a partnership for
life.”
“If we truly cherish and believe
that, and uphold that, I assure you, it will not always be popular
and we may pay the price for it. And there may be some even here
tonight who will say, will that make some people mad? And the answer
is yes. Will it get me in trouble? Yes. Will it perhaps even cost
me my job? Possibly. But if we gain the world and we lose our soul,
will you please tell me what it has profited us?” (The video from
RightWingWatch.org
is embedded in the right panel of this page.)