Anti-Mormon Calls Causing Infighting, Trouble Within GOP Field

Days after anti-Mormon phone calls were first reported in New Hampshire and Iowa, the source behind the calls remains a mystery, causing speculation and infighting between the campaigns.

Even with evidence suggesting that, in a bit of political schadenfreude, Romney's people may have undertaken the endeavor - in hopes of casting his Mormonism in a sympathetic light - focus has shifted to the other GOP candidates.

One name increasingly thrown around among Republican insiders is the guy nipping at Romney's heels in the Iowa polls: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"Who has the most to gain by this," one operative told the Huffington Post. "It's Huckabee. If Romney were to fall he would be the conservative option to Rudy Giuliani."

A source with another Republican presidential campaign added fuel to the fire by pointing out that the Huckabee's statement on the matter - "The Huckabee campaign does not condone this type of activity" - isn't exactly an "outright" denial.

"Of course it is a denial," Huckabee's spokesperson, Alice Stewart, told the Huffington Post. Moreover, it's worth noting that few if any political connections have surfaced linking the former governor and Western Wats, the company that made the calls.

Other candidates have been equally adamant in insisting their non-involvement. Romney's campaign, for its part, has come out forcefully against speculation that the Mormon candidate could behind the anti-Mormon calls.

"That's preposterous," Romney's spokesman, Kevin Madden, told The Politico. "Emphatically, I reject any insinuation that we would support phone calls attacking our own campaign," he added to the Salt Lake Tribune.

And so, general confusion over who's to blame persists. Still, there is one consensus emerging: that the guilty party would be better served getting it out into the open now rather than as the primary approaches.

"If it was Huckabee or someone else like Romney, they would be better off cutting their losses and saying they were sorry the day before Thanksgiving rather than Christmas eve," a Republican pollster told the Huffington Post. "Because if the Attorney General in New Hampshire does investigate this, and they don't need to do a lot to investigate - it could get messy."

Comments

[WigWamWag]

More Huff&Puff propaganda by hack yellow journalist Sam Stein.

A smear campaign is an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual's or group's reputation, credibility, and character. "Mud slinging", like negative campaigning, most often targets government officials, politicians, political candidates, and other public figures. However, private persons or groups may also become targets of smear campaigns perpetrated in schools, companies, institutions, families, and other social groups.

Smear tactics differ from normal discourse or debate in that they do not bear upon the issues or arguments in question. A smear is a simple attempt to malign a group or an individual and to attempt to undermine their credibility.

Smears often consist of ad hominem attacks in the form of unverifiable rumors and are often distortions, half-truths, or even outright lies; smear campaigns are often propagated by gossip spreading. Even when the facts behind a smear are shown to lack proper foundation, the tactic is often effective because the target's reputation is tarnished before the truth is known.

Smears are also effective in diverting attention away from the matter in question and onto the individual or group. The target of the smear is typically forced to defend his reputation rather than focus on the previous issue.

Smear tactics are considered by many to be a low, disingenuous form of discourse; they are nevertheless very common.

[JackNasty]

Having spent my childhood, teenage years and early 20s behind Utah's Zion Curtain, I am not thrilled by the prospect of enduring anymore theocracy.

I won't be voting for Mitt Romney.

[richsmith]

This is an easy one. Who's Rove out there working for now. You can't really believe that dude's in retirement, can you?

[Grannysue]

I live in Southeastern Idaho the Mormon SLC. To say it's a cult is an understatement, and anyone who isn't a mormon here is treated like they come from a different planet. There are some very nice people in the LDS church don't get me wrong, it's just that the majority around here are a bunch of fruitcakes! We cannot have the fourth of july on the fourth if it's on a Sunday. That's how they work, they call the shots, so no parades, no fireworks until they say so. It's really pathetic, they think GWB Jr. really talkes to God and that everything a Republican says is gospel! Then there's Larry the Toilet two stepper, who hides behind his relegion just like the rest of em. They belittle gays, in every way shape and form, yet you would be totally amazed how many of them are gay themselves. Oh well, every religion has it's flaws, but I do believe these guys wrote the book on wacko!

[MA2007]

Take it from someone who lives in Massachusetts and has seen this guy campaign (unsuccesfully) for Senator and later become Governor - he will do or say anything to win. In this liberal state, he said whatever he felt people wanted to hear, and unfortunately, the voters were naive enough to buy it. He may be a successful businessman, but I feel that he could use a few more classes on business ethics - oh wait, he underfunded the state colleges, so where would he take that class?. I absolutely believe he would have his campaign make these push-polling calls to attract attention and look like the victim, thereby eliciting sympathy, while at the same time not releasing any information that's not already out there.

[MissTerry]

The denial by Romney's spokesman is SO carefully worded, it's got to be Romney's people doing it:
"Emphatically, I reject any insinuation that we would support phone calls attacking our own campaign." -- He "rejects" them? What does that mean?? Who says that? He's not denying it. Note that he's "rejecting" the insinuation being made, not the truth of it. Or "we" - which we? He and Romney? What does "support" mean? Monetary support? They haven't directly paid for the calls? "Attacking our campaign" - the calls aren't attacking the campaign, they're attacking (??) Romney's religion.

[Godstuff]

Is there telephone service on "Planet Kolob?"

[Mort]

Don't you guys get tired of passing out the same, tired hate and misinformation? When someone tries to set the record straight, it goes in one ear and out the other, because you keep coming back with the old tripe.

Maybe it's too much to ask that you at least try to be civil, even if you refuse to learn the truth. Truth... that's a laugh around here. Gossip and meanness reign supreme.

[duggie]

If the religious beliefs of EVERY candidate were held up to examination before elections, GW BUSH would NOT have been elected. His version of Magical Supernatural Craziness authorized a Holy War with Islam. Actually, he jumped on the crazy wagon with Israel.

Expose what candidates believe and Americans would have to confront the dangerous nonsense they've been bankrolling.

[TakeNoNeoConPrisoners]

An additional ten commandments redacted from the dead sea scrolls
by early "religious conservatives" has been found:

11-Thou shalt not place the pursuit of personal monitary gains above your God
and all other endeavors in life to the detriment of others and the earth.
12-Thou shalt not start wars based on lies and deception.
13-Thou shalt not ignore the calls from your fellow men who may be in dire need.
14-Thou shalt not torture other men.
15-Thou shalt not be intolerant of others based on sex, race or religion.
16-Thou shalt not build a society of man based on war and imperialism.
17-Thou shalt respect the earth and the environment.
18-Thou shalt protect and nourish your family, offsprings and your relatives.
19-Thou shalt respect education, knowledge and science as benefactors to
a better way of life.
20-Thou shalt not use business and politics as an opportunity to exploit
others, for power or wealth.

[Nyla785]

Sounds Rovian to me. Someone keep an eye on Rove's contacts.

[Moshe]

Whoever is doing this is a vile bigot, and this type of rovian garbage has no place in a civil society.

We have seen the results of rovian politics, and it has made our nation a much more divided, more mean spirited place in which things like torture and thumbing your nose at the Rule of Law have become acceptable in many circles.

I'm Jewish, so the only Mormans I ever see are the ones knocking on my door. Nonetheless, they seem infinately more decent than anyone that would start a secret smear campaign against someone else based simply on that person's sincerely held religious beliefs.

This should be thoroughly investigated, and those at the bottom of this should be exposed as the vile, cowardly bigots they are, and prosecuted if warranted.

[shag11]

I don't see how they can't expect religion not to be an issue, they make it one regularly. They use religious catch-phrases all the time, as a means of pandering to the religious right. Give me a break, you are what you eat.

[Progress08]

That Giuliani's name isn't mentioned means that it was him.

Republicans; On a race to the bottom since 1962!

[sa]

the old dennis miller:

romney...g­ees...this guy looks like
bryan ferry with a fuckin' mba...
the last time i saw hair tonic like that it was in prince william sound...
choo choo...
HEY! a little less robot - mitt! -
talk about a glove that doesn't fit!
the tin man had better moves -
how about using some of that oil can
on the major hingeables...