The National Association of Home Builders drew GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich to speak at a Columbia, S.C., rally that was part of its Rally for Homeownership" campaign against elininating the mortgage-interest deduction on income taxes.

Gingrich has been campaigning in South Carolina ahead of this weekend's presidential primary voting.

"Presidential primaries often upend traditional roles," The Wall Street Journal said in noting that Gingrich usually speaks about keeping government out of businesses, while the NAHB is lobbying to preserve a government incentive in the housing market.

Gingrich "pledged his support for the concept of home ownership and the mortgage interest deduction and called for the repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul bill, which he said would jumpstart the housing market," the Journal reported.

Video of his talk is available on C-SPAN.

Gingrich spoke with a backdrop of a concrete-block wall and framing timbers.