Romney pal takes blame for dust-up</p><p>LDS Church denies claim it backs Mitt

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 10/23/2006 | Thomas Burr,Joe Baird, Peggy Stack

[Utah Binger]

Romney pal takes blame for dust-up LDS Church denies claim it backs Mitt

A longtime friend and major campaign contributor of Mitt Romney took the blame Sunday for a politically damaging controversy about the Massachusetts governor reportedly seeking LDS Church help setting up a nationwide network of Mormons to advance his expected 2008 presidential bid. "I'm to blame for this whole mess," Romney confidant Kem Gardner told The Salt Lake Tribune, saying characterizations of what were "innocent" discussions between the governor, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and church officials were "unfortunate."

The Boston Globe printed e-mails Sunday from a Romney political adviser, recounting a meeting with Gardner and Romney's son, Josh, about efforts to garner church support for a program to organize Mormons in support of a Romney campaign. In the e-mails, Don Stirling, a paid consultant for Romney's political action committee, told Sheri Dew, the chief executive officer of LDS Church-owned Deseret Book Co., that church President Gordon B. Hinckley and a top lieutenant, James E. Faust, were aware of the effort and raised no objections - a claim strongly denied by the LDS Church.

[Utah Binger]

Priesthood meeting was a-poppin' yesterday!

[JRochelle]

Anyone with a brain knows that the LDS church and its leaders want Mitt Romney to be president.
And they will do what they can to help that effort.

Next time they will just be more secretive about it.

[Reaganesque]

According to the Globe editorial, Mitt is accused of having asked Jeffrey R. Holland to organize a group of BYU alumni for a fund raiser. What the Globe fails to mention is that Jeffrey Holland was President of BYU for most of the 80's and 90's. I also find it fascinating that in the same issue of the Globe, they have another article that breathlessly anticipates the election of Congress's first Muslim representative. So, Muslim good, Mormon bad. Or in other words, Democrat good (regardless of religion, because hey, the important thing is, their true religion is Liberalism), Mormon bad (because most Mormons are Conservatives).

The Globe then clearly annuciates their opinion on relgion and politics: "Non-Catholics were unduly fearful that the worldly Kennedy would take orders from the Vatican." In other words, he was Catholic in name only, so it was OK. Heaven forbid that any Presidential candidate actually believes this religion stuff! Ewwww!

[allouchsit]

How would you know what the LDS church and its leaders want? If you really knew anything about these matters you would know that the LDS Church does not endorse particular political candidates.

[allouchsit]

Where?

[JRochelle]

Duh.
Of course they don't publicly endorse anyone. They would lose their tax exempt status if they would.

But if you think that they are not going to help Romney behind the scenes, you are naive beyond words.

If you read the emails, there is the evidence. Why would the guy lie to a fellow Romney supporter? Why was Romney's son meeting with a high-level person in the LDS church?

[Utah Binger]

Where?

Silly questions deserve no answers.

[HostileTerritory]

I agree. Why should anyone care if the LDS faithful support one of their own and would like to see him succeed? Any other religious or ethnic group would behave no differently. It's embarassing to watch people deny the obvious, but I do understand the sensitivity issues the LDS church faces if it's accused of throwing its substantial weight around in the primaries.

[lady lawyer]

I've met with high level leaders of the church. So what? President Clinton met with high level leaders of the church during campaigns. But Utah is the only place in the nation where Clinton came in third, behind Perot. The church leaders allow lots of courtesy calls.

The governor of Utah is a stalwart member of the Church. His grandfather was a general authority. He has endorsed McCain.

Stories like these are all nasty innuendo.

[lady lawyer]

PS. I have been against Romney's candidacy for this very reason. I don't think he can win because the evangelical base will either oppose him or stay home. But, in the meantime, the church will take all kinds of undeserved shots.

[sitetest]

I don't support Gov. Romney for the presidency, and if he's the Republican nominee, it is unlikely that I'll vote for him.

That being said, I just don't see what's such a big deal about this. If the folks of the Latter Day Saints want to organize and support his candidacy, well gee whiz, that's what politics is about.

[greyfoxx39]

This is ridiculous. There is no need for any "secret" or underhanded meetings with mormon officials. Given the choice, mormons will support mormons without any influence or urging from leaders.

[lady lawyer]

That being said, I just don't see what's such a big deal about this. If the folks of the Latter Day Saints want to organize and support his candidacy, well gee whiz, that's what politics is about.

Because this isn't about reason. This is about gut-level, ignorant religious bigotry.

[HungarianGypsy]

I am LDS and do not care much for Mitt Romney, since he seems to Left leaning. On the other hand we have people in Arizona complaining that the LDS church isn't political enough. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1719323/posts Just can't win.

[JRochelle]

Could you clarify what the "undeserved shot" is?

[lady lawyer]

I do understand the sensitivity issues the LDS church faces if it's accused of throwing its substantial weight around in the primaries.

I don't think we have "substantial weight" anywhere but Utah and Idaho. And Mitt wouldn't need a special organization in either of those states. Everybody knows he is Mormon. If the Mormons are inclined to vote for him because of religion, they will do that without any special organization. And, whoever is the ultimate Republican nominee will carry those states without any special organization.

[lady lawyer]

This series of articles, trying to paint the Church as some kind of dark political conspiracy.

[lady lawyer]

Plus, all the stupid things people say about our theology.

[TChris]

But if you think that they are not going to help Romney behind the scenes, you are naive beyond words.

Yeah, don't you get it!? It's a vast Mormon conspiracy, man!

Sheesh!

[HostileTerritory]

I don't think we have "substantial weight" anywhere but Utah and Idaho.

The LDS church played an important role in protecting marriage in the 2000 referendum campaign in California. Not many people take part in primaries, and a mid-sized group of engaged people can help a candidate break away from the pack if they vote when others aren't. Maybe not in South Carolina or New Hampshire, but there are key primaries in Arizona, Washington, and Nevada very early in the process where the numbers are there. And of course it's good to have personal connections for fundraising no matter where the donors live. Joe Lieberman has been able to draw from Jewish donors elsewhere in the country, why should Mitt Romney be held to a different standard?

Please don't take this the wrong way--I know you have to battle against conspiracy theorists all the time, even here, from people who have misperceptions about your church. I almost wish this country were mature enough to accept that this is how democracy works and there's nothing bad about it.