Posted on 11/16/2007 11:25:24 AM PST by TitansAFC
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Residents in New Hampshire and Iowa have received phone calls raising questions about Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, his Mormon faith and the Vietnam War-era military deferments he received while serving as a missionary in France. Western Wats, a Utah-based company, placed the calls that initially sound like a poll but then pose questions that cast Romney in a harsh light, according to those who received the calls. In politics, this type of phone surveying is called "push polling"—contacting potential voters and asking questions intended to plant a message in voters' minds, usually negative, rather than gauging peoples' attitudes.
A spokesman for Western Wats said he couldn't comment on the company's work. He said they do not do push polling.
The 20-minute calls started on Sunday in New Hampshire and Iowa. At least seven people in the two early voting states received the calls.
Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney's faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.
"It started out like all the other calls. ... Then all of the sudden it got very unsettling and very negative," said Anne Baker, an independent voter from Hollis, N.H.
"If whatever campaign is engaging in this type of awful religious bigotry as a line of political attack, it is repulsive and, to put it bluntly, un-American," Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades said. "There is no excuse for these attacks. Governor Romney is campaigning as an optimist who wants to lead the nation. These attacks are just the opposite. It's ugly and divisive."
Sabrina Matteson, a Republican from Epsom, N.H., said she got a call on Wednesday.
"The first 15 or 20 questions were general questions about the leading candidates," she said. "Then he started asking me very, very negatively phrased questions about Romney. The first one was would you have a more favorable, less favorable, blah, blah, blah, impression of Mitt Romney if you knew that his five sons had never served in the military and that he considered working on a presidential campaign as public service or some such question."
In Iowa, Romney supporter and state representative Ralph Watts got a call on Wednesday.
"I was offended by the line of questioning," Watts said. "I would be equally as offended if someone called and said in the nature of if, 'you know the Catholic Church supported pedophile priests.' I don't think it has any place in politics."
Romney's Mormon faith has been an issue in his presidential bid, especially with conservative evangelicals who are central to his strategy to cast himself as the candidate for the GOP's family values voters.
Baker said the caller initially wouldn't tell her who was behind the call. Eventually, Baker was told the caller was from Western Wats.
Last year, Western Wats conducted polling that was intended to spread negative messages about Democratic candidates in a House race in New York and the Senate race in Florida. The Tampa Tribune and the Albany Times Union reported that Western Wats conducted the calls on behalf of the Tarrance Group.
That Virginia-based firm now works for Romney's rival, Rudy Giuliani. The campaign has paid the firm more than $400,000, according to federal campaign reports.
Ed Goeas, chief of the Tarrance Group, said there is no connection between the Giuliani campaign and Western Wats. They are using a Houston firm to do their polling.
"I know absolutely it's not us," Goeas said. "I can say with absolute, no, it's not us."
Troy Lauritzen of Western Wats said he couldn't comment on what polling his firm was conducting, if any of it was happening in New Hampshire or the company's patrons.
"We don't do push polling. And any work we do for clients, we're bound by confidentiality agreements," Lauritzen said. "Obviously, call the campaign that's supposedly doing it. That would be a better way to go."
Western Wats also worked for Bob Dole's presidential campaign in 1996. Employees said they used such calls to describe Forbes as pro-abortion rights.
New Hampshire law requires the all political advertising, including phone calls, identify the candidate being supported. No candidate was identified in the calls.
That Virginia-based firm now works for Romney's rival, Rudy Giuliani. The campaign has paid the firm more than $400,000, according to federal campaign reports."---
And it happens right at the time Rudy911 is now pouring new money and advertising into NH. Oh well, must be Duncan Hunter's campaign behind this (rolling eyes)...
Someone ping the Romney list and other candidate lists, please.
Rooty must be stopped
Ping.
You’d think after all the negative comments made across the internet about using Romney’s religion as a political ballbat this tactic would have been abandoned by now.
I’m surprised its still going on, if for no other reason than the ‘blow back’ thats going to result.
Its still America, and we still like a ‘fair fight’.
The mud slinging belongs in whatever camp has paid Western Wats to push poll this sleazy stunt.
Wouldn’t you agree? The jury is out on just exactly who is behind it. No doubt, we will know soon. The fact that Rudy’s campaign has given them this money isn’t looking good.
McCain asks probe of anti-Romney calls
Posted by calcowgirl
On News/Activism 11/16/2007 9:27:32 AM PST · 48 replies
San Luis Obispo Tribune (AP) ^ | Nov 16, 2007 | PHILIP ELLIOTTCONCORD, N.H. --Republican John McCain is asking the New Hampshire attorney general to investigate phone calls to voters that pretend to be polls but raise questions about rival candidate Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith - and make favorable statements about McCain. McCain's campaign says it had nothing to do with the calls but fears voters will think it did. The telephone effort "was made to appear to be friendly to Senator McCain, but we had nothing to do with the poll at the state or national level," campaign vice chairman Chuck Douglas wrote in a letter asking the attorney...
Anti-Romney, anti-Mormon calls being made in Iowa
Posted by Hillary4Penetentiary
On News/Activism 11/15/2007 4:29:25 PM PST · 69 replies
Politico.com ^ | 11/15/07 | Johnathan MartinIn an apparent push poll, a research firm has called Iowa Republicans this week praising John McCain and critcizing Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith. An individual in Manchester, Iowa, contacted me on Wednesday night saying he received a call with information about McCain's military service and anti-spending record. Then there were "lots of negatives on Romney," said the recepient of the call in an e-mail, including mentions of his "flip-flops," hiring illegal immigrants as landscapers and extensive discussion of Mormonism. "Statements were on baptizing the dead, the Book of Mormon being on the level of the Bible, and one...
“Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney’s faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.”
This isn’t ANYTHING compared to what the Hildabeast would
do to a Romney candidacy.
Was there something here that isn’t true?? Near as I can tell,
this is all true.
realize this is the soft underbelly of a Mitt candidacy. If
I was a Mitt supporter, I’d be glad this is coming out now.
If he survives, he will probably fair better in a general. If
not, better to knock him out now than to lose to Hillary.
ampu
Just to make clear, the Tarrance group says it has not hired Western Wats to do any polling for them. They deal now with a firm in Houston.
Here is the respone from Western Wats. They don’t deny it. They just don’t call it push polling.
November 16, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It has come to the attention of Western Wats that several stories in the press are circulating claiming Western Wats engages in a practice commonly referred to as “push polling.”
Western Wats has never, currently does not, nor will it ever engage in push polling.
Often we find there is confusion on the question of what is legitimate opinion survey research and what is commonly referred to as push polling. American Association of Public Opinion Researcher (AAPOR), has good definitional information on push polling
http://aapor.org/aaporstatementonpushpolls. Additionally, interested individuals may find an article which appeared in the Rothenberg Political Report on this topic to be of interest: http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.blogspot.com/2007/03/for-thousandth-time-dont-call-them-push.html
Western Wats is a survey research data collection firm which services the opinion survey research and marketing research industries. Western Wats does not design or determine the content of the surveys it operationalizes by telephone or over the Internet, nor does it analyze or use the data for its own purposes. Confidentiality agreements prohibit us from commenting on specific projects and/or clients.
It's time to waterboard Rudy.
You miss read the article....Western Wats could have been been hired by anyone.
LAST YEAR——The Tampa Tribune and the Albany Times Union reported that Western Wats conducted the calls on behalf of the Tarrance Group.
That Virginia-based firm[THE TARRANCE GROUP] now works for Romney’s rival, Rudy Giuliani. The campaign has paid the firm[The TarrANCE Group] more than $400,000, according to federal campaign reports.”-—
No indication that Rudy or the Tarrence Group hire Western Wats for these calls.
For all that is know so far it could be a fake to hit Rudy.
Western Wats
701 East Timpanogos Parkway
Building M
Orem, UT 84097
Phone: 801.373.7735
Fax: 801.379.5073
Email: contact@westernwats.com
Did you post contact info to me to send a thank you note to?
:-)
Romney Response: Romney communications director Matt Rhoades offers the following statement: "Whatever campaign is engaging in this type of awful religious bigotry as a line of political attack, it is repulsive and, to put it bluntly, un-American. There is no excuse for these attacks. Governor Romney is campaigning as an optimist who wants to lead the nation. These attacks are just the opposite. It's ugly and divisive."
Give them a call and demand they tell you who hired them!
I’m sure they will listen to you.
Or just give them a piece of your mind. :)
Canticle has been defreeped.
“At least seven people in the two early voting states received the calls. “
hmmmm....this smells like a fake-hate-crime.
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