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.
and Cheyenne Press..... and aspaagus and.....
I wouldn’t discount the Mormon factor too much.
I was shocked when my very conservative husband announced he wouldn’t vote for Romney under any circumstances.
I usually do the research around here, because he is totally uninterested in the political process, but my husband was under a Mormon supervisor, and he got an earful about underwear and planets and gods and whatnot. He was not impressed.
Rudy, although he strongly denied it.
McCain, although he too denied and wants an investigation.
Huckabee, because Mitt is his main competition in Iowa and because he's a political neophyte (this is a real dumb move)
Romney, because he can play the victim, attempt to neutralize the "Mormon" issue weeks before the voting begins, and dominate a couple of news cycles.
asparagus?
I missed that one.
Pissant too. Hopefully he will be back.
Wow, are Romney supporters getting axed too, or did she violate other rules?
More reason to vote for one of the least conspicuous candidates who is an actual Conservative.......Rep. Duncan Hunter.
“On another point, I will never vote for Rudy, however, I could manage to hold my nose, close my ears, close my eyes and vote for Mitt, just because he is talking the talk. And before anyone else says it, I know he has not walked the walk and is lying about his past. All I am saying, is if it came down to it, I could vote for him.”
And I’m just the opposite of you... :-)
***************
I wouldn't either. People are kidding themselves if they think it isn't an issue, maybe not for a great many, but perhaps for enough that it will affect the outcome in the unfortunate event that Romney wins the nomination.
But it could have been a Romney supporter trying to be helpful.
I read some other blogs and some commenters were saying that there a lot of mormons who work there, college age kids. I find it hard to believe that they would do that.
Or perhaps some PAC not affiliated with Huck, but that still wants him to win.
An idiotic move, whoever did it. Frankly, if you're going to attempt a push-poll, you would do it the day or two before the caucuses, not this early.
She was dumb and argued with Jim. Cheyennepress did too.
When JR calles you a troll its best to shut the hell up! LOL
Here is the thread where it happened.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924909/posts
O.K. but Huck is not dumb enough to hire a company in the middle of Mormon country. Only a complete dufus would do that.
Trust me-I have many reasons for not voting for a repug version of slick willie. Religion ain’t one of ‘em.
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.
______________________________________________________
Please reread this section. I don't think it says what the headline says at all. This is as disingenuous as the other misleading headlines that have gotten posters banned or had their headlines changed in the past few days.
It says, last year the same type of calls were made in the Senate campaigns. AT THAT TIME they were made by Western Wats via the Tarrance Group.
Rudy, NOW uses the Torrance Group (which he has paid $400,000.) but that the Tarrance Group IS NO LONGER using Western Wats. They are now using a company based in Houston.
This is not the Kevin Bacon game (everybody in the world being linked by a factor of 6).
I am not saying that Rudy could not be behind it, but your linking of a company that used to do work for a company that Rudy now employs (and that company no longer uses the Western Wats company) can not be deemed to make Rudy guilty.
Now let's see if the administrators use the same judicial authority as they did yesterday when they changed a misleading headline from Spiff.
Me, too. But when you add the people who might have voted for him, but won’t vote for a Mormon....
I'm not. Worked with a group of Mormon's back during 1980-1982. Some nice people and a few rotten apples. While I've got some issues with aspects of their religious beliefs. Its Mitt`s liberal politics that turn me off most. But I like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. ;^)
This is why I hate Mitt Romney. A classless fool.
From the Politico. All the other guys are defending Romney, saying this is beyond the pale. SO what does Romney do? He comes out and blames McCain/Feingold. What a jerk.
McCain had this type of thing done to him in 2000. Well before McCain/Feingold became law.
“I think the attempts to attack me on the basis of my faith are un-American,” Romney said at a press conference in Nevada, as seen in a video sent by his campaign. “This is a time when we’re preparing for Thanksgiving, a time when we’re going to be celebrate the fact that this nation was founded in part to allow people to enjoy religious freedom. We celebrate the diversity of different thougthts and beliefs. And the idea that people would attack religion at a time like this is frankly un-American.
Without prompting, Romney then predicted that there “will be those that ask, ‘how in the world could this happen? How is it that we don’t know who’s doing it?’”
“In that regard, you know, you have to look back at the legislation that is known as McCain-Feingold,” Romney said.
“The bill leaves an enormous, gaping loophole and says that if you form a 527 or 501c4 you don’t have to disclose who the donors are,” Romney said. “They can give an unlimited amount. The result of that legislation you’re seeing played out in politics today.”
Deeming the bill a “monster” that needs to be repealed, Romney argued that the calls show “just how ineffective it has been in removing the influence of money and underhanded politics.”
UPDATE: McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker responds to Romney’s charge:
“It is appalling, but not surprising, that Mitt Romney would seek to take advantage of this disturbing incident to launch yet another hypocritical attack. It’s the hallmark of his campaign.”
“Back when Romney was calling for taxing campaign contributions and banning PACs, and before McCain-Feingold was passed, push polling was, regrettably, alive and well in American politics. Anyone who spent a day in South Carolina in 2000 knows that.”
Hazelbaker includes below her statement a trove of research detailing in-depth Romney’s past support for campaign finance measures. As a candidate for the Senate in 1994 and governor in 2002, Romney backed restrictive campaign finance proposals meant to curb spending in both federal and state races.
And Hillary. Because she would rather run against Rudy and unleash the bagful of dirt she has to bury him in the General.
Read the comments here. Romney is not winning any fans.
From the Corner.
Those Anti-Romney Calls [David Freddoso]
Western Wats, the company making the calls, is based in Orem, Utah. One of its dialers, Amanda Earnshaw, has maxed out to Romney for the primary. The company’s founder, Ron Lindorf (he sold it years ago), is noted here as a founder of the BYU Business School.
Does it strike anyone else as strange that this would be the firm hired to make anti-Mormon phone calls?
11/16 03:02 PM
Ahhh... so they weren’t doing “push polling” but they may have been doing “survey research”
http://www.westernwats.com/polling_accusation_response.htm
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.
This will hurt Romney bigtime.
Supporters of his, doing push polling, pretending to slam Romney?
This is a big story.
As to his contention that TWO employees of Western Wats in Utah contributing to Romney is significant, the guy is clueless.
They have "over 1500 employees and 12 locations around the intermountain west."
Of all the possibilities of who did it, I put Romney right behind Mickey Mouse. I don’t think he had anything to do with it.
“realize this is the soft underbelly of a Mitt candidacy.”
Wow. So the worst possible thing you can say about Mitt Romney is that he is a Mormon. That says a lot of things - very positive - about the kind of person he is and the character, competence, and accomplishments he brings to the race.
HILARY did it
I don’t think Romney did it either.
I think it was his supporters.
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