Herman Cain will not sign Family Leader pledge

Herman Cain, a former minister, became the latest Republican presidential candidate to reject a pledge from the Iowa-based social conservative group Family Leader to oppose same-sex marriage.

Although Cain said he supported the group's mission, whose pledge has caused a stir for language (which has since been removed) that suggested that the state of marriage among the black community was better off during slavery, he said that he would not sign the pledge.

Cain stressed that he suppports the aims of the pledges authors, "and share their vision and commitment to supporting traditional values in American society," he said in a statement. "I am, and will continue to be, an ardent defender of traditional marriage and will work to preserve and protect the sanctity of human life, which I believe begins at conception. While I commend their intent regarding the pledge, I believe my stated position encompasses their values without the need to sign the pledge."

Cain's announcement arrived after two other GOP presidential hopefuls, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, also rejected the group's calls to sign the pledge.