Herman Cain Exclusive: Tells Brody File He Will Support Constitutional Amendments on Life and Marriage

In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain says he would support a pro-life amendment to the Constitution and would use the bully pulpit to push pro-life legislation.

He also said he now supports a federal marriage amendment to the Constitution.

Herman Cain met with me one-on-one for a few minutes after the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Des Moines, Iowa.

You can read watch the interview and read the full transcription below:

David Brody: What is the lesson that you are learning from all of this would you say?

Herman Cain: The lesson that I’m learning is that I’ve got to be careful of being pigeonholed because people can take a piece of tape and edit out the first half and only pull out one snippet that could start a firestorm. The tape that you are referring to, I said specifically, ‘I am pro-life, from conception, no abortions, no exceptions,’ but they only focus on a later part of it where they were trying to pigeonhole me with a specific situation.

So, the lesson learned is beware of being pigeonholed, because you know they can pull it, and take it out of context.

Brody: Are you for some sort of pro-life amendment to the Constitution that in essence would trump Roe v. Wade?

Cain: Yes. Yes I feel that strongly about it. If we can get the necessary support and it comes to my desk I’ll sign it. That’s all I can do. I will sign it.

Brody: (In your Faith and Freedom speech) You mentioned marriage as well so you’re also, just so I understand, you’re for a constitutional marriage amendment as well?

Cain: I think marriage should be protected at the federal level also. I used to believe that it could be just handled by the states but there’s a movement going on to basically take the teeth out of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, and that could cause an unraveling.

So we do need some protection at the federal level because of that and so, yes, I would support legislation that would say that it’s between a man and a woman.

Brody: The social conservative groups, one of the things they’re telling me is that they want a president that’s going to use the bully pulpit on the life issue. It doesn’t mean you have to get bogged down on all of this, but they want to see a president if not advance the legislation, at least use the bully pulpit to talk to America about this issue. What’s your sense on that?

Cain: I believe that the office of the presidency and the bully pulpit should be used for that because I happen to believe that we have many instances where, if you appeal to people’s hearts, you can change their minds.

I had the experience of visiting a facility in Houston, Texas not too long ago. It was a women’s facility, I can’t remember the name. I happened to be there that day, what they do, they work with young ladies who have gotten pregnant and they think they want an abortion. It was so moving to walk in there, and they introduced me to a young lady who had decided not to have an abortion, and see that pretty baby there.

If you touch the hearts of people you can get people’s minds to change, but you have to show them the beauty of not aborting a life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest leaders this country has ever seen. How did he bring about the movement that resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964? He touched the hearts of people.

That’s what a president needs to have the ability to do, in order to change peoples’ minds.

Brody: As president of the United States, you can be a business man and also somewhat of a social conservative warrior as well?

Cain: Yes. You sure can. You sure can because if people trust you, they will believe in you and they might rethink some of their thoughts on some of these social issues.