Portman said he hoped whistle-blowers would come forward to let people know what happened.
"There will be cycles, " Portman said, expressing optimism Republicans would learn the lessons of their recent defeats but also acknowledging their current slump.
CNN: King: Ohio the proving ground for GOP's back-to-future bid
Sen Portman said he would like Congress to repeal the provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma), which bans federal recognition of gay marriage.
Sen Portman said he had struggled with reconciling his Christian faith and his desire to see his son have the same opportunities for relationships as his siblings.
"When I was the OMB director, we cut the deficit in half, " Portman said in an interview in Columbus as he made his way to a campaign event recently.
CNN: King: Ohio the proving ground for GOP's back-to-future bid
"The Republican Party needs to have answers, " Portman said.
CNN: King: Ohio the proving ground for GOP's back-to-future bid
"He wanted to tell us that there's something about him that we didn't know, " Portman said, reflecting on the day two years ago his son Will first told his parents he was gay.
Portman said he finds it hard to believe that a couple of "rogue agents" in Cincinnati were responsible for the conservative targeting and that it was done as an efficiency measure to handle a large number of applications, as was initially suggested.
But David Poley of drinks industry body the Portman Group said the problem with making the labelling scheme compulsory was that EU regulations said units could not be included on wine labels.
Rob Portman of Ohio said there needs to be a focus on enforcement before anything else.
Rick Santorum, a social conservative who ran for president in 2012, said Portman's about-face was personal and doesn't reflect the party's broader direction on social values.
"I thought it was the right time to let folks know where I stand so there's no confusion, so I would be clear about it, " said Portman.
"I told Mitt Romney everything, " said Portman with a laugh.
"I think he's happy and, you know, proud that we've come to this point, but he let it be my decision just as you know, it's going to be his decision as to the role he plays going forward in this whole issue, " said Portman.
"My son came to Jane, my wife, and I, told us that he was gay, and that it was not a choice, and that it's just part of who he is, and that's who he'd been that way for as long as he could remember, " said Portman.
And last week, Portman reversed course and said he now supports gay marriage.
The Portman Group, which represents drinks producers, said its members were "determined" to be effective partners with the government in tackling public drunkenness.
Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the Portman Group, which represents the UK's leading drinks producers, said the vast majority of people drink within recommended guidelines.
Henry Ashworth, chief executive of Portman Group, which operates a code of practice for the drinks industry, said it was questionable whether removing the drinks from shelves was the best way to help people who misused alcohol.
Mr. Portman, a leading contender to be the 2012 GOP vice-presidential nominee, said he changed his mind after his son Will told him he was gay two years ago.
Rob Portman of Ohio had recently shifted positions to support gay marriage, a move Mr. Priebus said "made some pretty big inroads" in the direction of the inclusiveness the party seeks.
WSJ: Social Conservatives Raise Red Flags Over Republican Blueprint
Hours after Portman announced that he had reversed his position on same-sex marriage, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he would not second-guess him.
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