Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty
listed Lady Gaga's gay anthem Born This Way as among his
favorite tracks from the singer, the
Los Angeles Times reported.
The 50-year-old former governor of
Minnesota made his comments during the first of a three-day campaign
tour in Iowa.
Speaking at a fundraiser for the Story
County GOP at Hickory's Hall restaurant, he took a veiled swipe at
GOP rival Representative Michele Bachmann, saying accomplishments
matter more than rhetoric.
“So the interesting question I think
for you, the Iowa Republicans and conservatives, is not are the
candidates saying many or all of the same things. I think the
question for you is have they actually done it. Is this a person who
has the leadership and experience of being a CEO of a large public
enterprise in a tough environment, and not only given speeches and
offering failed amendments, but have they led it to conclusions that
get results?”
In 2004, then-Minnesota State Senator
Bachmann sponsored a constitutional amendment that would ban gay
marriage. Her measure didn't clear the Minnesota Legislature, but
she recently praised lawmakers who approved a similar amendment this
session.
(Related: Michele
Bachmann warned Massachusetts gay marriage would lead to polygamy and
“things much worse.”)
Afterward, Pawlenty described Lady Gaga
to reporters as “interesting, talented, kinda weird,” adding that
the singer's tracks Bad Romance and Born This Way were
among his favorites.