Romney Camp Balks At Steele's Mormonism Comments

When guest-hosting Bill Bennett's radio show last Friday, Republican National Committee chair stumbled into another embarrassing public statement. Overshadowed by his comments on empathy was a harsh critique of potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"Remember, it was the base that rejected Mitt because of his switch on pro-life, from pro-choice to pro-life," Steele told a caller. "It was the base that rejected Mitt because it had issues with Mormonism. It was the base that rejected Mitt because they thought he was back and forth and waffling on those very economic issues you're talking about."

Romney's people, understandably, objected. "Sometimes when you shoot from the hip, you miss the target," said Romney spokesman Eric Ferhnstrom. "This is one of those times."

Gail Gitcho, the Republican National Committee's new spokesperson, sent out a statement, her first (but probably not her last) clarifying the chairman's remarks.

"Chairman Steele regrets the way his comments have been interpreted. Chairman Steele believes Mitt Romney is a respected and influential voice in the Republican Party and looks to his leadership and ideas to help move our party and our nation in the right direction."

In an amusing coincidence, Gitcho worked for Romney during the presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Romney himself made a rather bold statement on Laura Ingraham's radio show last week. Asked about his perceived swipe at Sarah Palin, the former governor said. "Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh are two of the most influential voices in our party and thank heavens for that."

Comments

[Shay McDaniel]

WiltonDiary proports:
"Facts:

Mormons do not believe in Jesus Christ!

Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden is sourth of Saint Louis, Missouri!

You decided." Yeah, the real name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--sounds like they don't believe in Christ eh? The Book of Mormon states: "We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins". Yeah, really sounds like the Mormons don't believe in Christ--get your facts straight. Do you know where the Garden of Eden is..? ..and if some person 'thinks' it may be in a certain location--does that make it false? Get overself and learn a few things before you go spouting off about a church you don't understand or know NOTHING of.

[wilray]

DNA disproves Mormonism. Joseph Smith lied.

[VSamuels]

Exactly.

But, millions of whites outside of Mormonism and inside of Mormonism are psychologically comforted by the various scenarios told and re-told about how they as people came in to being as a race of people. It is why in my experience, I have met many whites who claim to be a part of every ethnic origin imaginable, but African; they simply can not bring themselves to acknowledge any African blood coursing through their veins in spite of the history of millions of mulattos fleeing 'in and from' slavery in slave states to places afar in the north.

This isn't mere reluctance, since most are quick to see 'white' ancestry in black folks like Hallie Berry, Derek Jeter or Barrack Obama; but, a self-denial of human origin which can be controlled only by defending the idea of purity from the African. Yes, the African can have white in him or her, but perish the thought that the white can ever be seen discussing the idea that he or she has black in them.

Yes, perish the thought!

[CeeCee]

"Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh are two of the most influential voices in our party and thank heavens for that."

Really? "Thank heavens for that"??

I thought you had a modicum of heart and brains, Mr. Romney. Obviously I was wrong.

[stayyoungmyfriends]

Romney, just curious, were you serious on Palin and Limbaugh, or is that another one of your poor attempts at humor!

[stayyoungmyfriends]

Yikes an RNC chairman with hosting a radio show. Isn't he supposed to be uniting the Republican party?!

[RRonin]

Steele has given the Torture Party an excuse for getting all empathetic on his ass. He criticized the Mormons (a major source of funding) and now he's got to go! He'll be out of the heezie fosheezie!

[joeyfoto]

I had hoped to come up with a more apt metaphor for the Republican Party, but I can't shake the image of a circular firing-squad. Michael Steele shoots from the hip but misses hitting himself in the foot only when he plinks-off another Republican, this time Mitt Romney..

It's not that Steele is a horrible guy; he's got an impossible job. He's tasked with building a pyramid of bare-foot gymnasts while standing on broken glass. The Fundamentalist base is so toxic with institutionalized bigotry, that whoever attempts to mount it, ends up bloody. America has, in the majority, had it with the Fundamentalist's obsession with unproductive agendas but Republicans need them or they have no one left in their tent. Yet, if they keep their base of Fundamentalist fanatics, they can only play in the shade of American politics. Can this GOP rebuild itself into competitive national party with out without this base?

I think that's an interesting way of stating the obvious, but the dilemma is profoundly complex. As my old friend Jim Shea used to say: "A drowning man will grab for anything even the anchor chain.." Is that why Dick Cheney said that if he had to choose he'd take Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell, to represent the future of the GOP? No one who could shoot straight is that stupid. That is a monument on the grave of a dead political party. Where do they go from here? We'll see...

[Happylib]

My favorite video clip of all time is Romney "kickin it" with the young, urban kids saying "who let the dogs out?" So phony, so cheesy, so classic!!!

[libslayerguy]

Speaking of cults, if the GOP shoe fits...

http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/langone_michael_checklis.html

Almost every symptom applies to today's modern winger.

[Rockwell]

Steele's comments were accurate. The Republican base did not want a Mormon on the ticket.

I was raised Southern Baptist and they used to show videos telling us that Mormonism was a dangerous cult. I think they also kidnapped good christian kids and fed them to a twelve eyed monster or something like that. The details are sketchy. But the point is, the Mormon's, loyal Republicans that they are, don't understand how much the Southern Evangelical Right Wing (aka, the Republican base) distust and despise them.

Of course, being raised Southern Baptist, I was taught that Jesus loves everyone, but apparently anyone not Southern Baptist was going to burn in Hell. It was a confusing theology.

[WiltonDiary]

Facts:

Mormons do not believe in Jesus Christ!

Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden is sourth of Saint Louis, Missouri!

You decided.

[Nerdboy2317]

Is that why they call their religion the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? Much like Roman Catholics and Protestants built their religion upon the Torah by adding a new book of testaments and Islam built on those two by adding a testament of their own, so has the LDS added its testaments to those of the Bible and Torah. Their book tells them that Jesus came to the new world, worked his miracles and taught us to love one another. I don't know if any of them are right, but none are more valid than the other.

Oh, I'm agnostic, btw.

[King Cashaw]

Yes, Mormons do believe in Jesus, just not in the Traditional way.

[Rockwell]

That's funny. I was raise south of St. Louis. And while it was pretty, I have to confess it wasn't paradise.

[freethinkergirl]

God watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And he has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and t0rture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and ch0ke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!

But He loves you.

[King Cashaw]

I have lived in Texas, and this is why we should let them go.

[LuciFarr]

Isnt it evil for a god to take delight in torture and burning and anguish and screams until the end of time?

And I'm supposed to believe he loves me?

I'm just finding it hard to reconcile torture and love.

[ZimboChick]

lol

[AZdesertdog]

does anyone remember the Mittens photo op at a KFC in Iowa last year? he stared at the chicken like it was from Jupiter, and then asked for a knife and fork.

guess when you're a priviledged elitist, you never dine on something as declasse as fried chicken. and let's not forget his explaination of the fact that none of his many able-bodied sons were serving in Iraq: "they are serving the country by working for my campaign". uh-huh.

[loveobamas]

Funny, I thought the goopers turned away from Mittens because even that gullible herd decided he was a sleazy, insincere, unprincipled hack attempting to run his more or less moderate record through a shredder to pass himself off as a frothing winger. He should probably thank Steele for giving him cover.

[danonchalant1]

Yeah, that too. But it was more that he's a Mormon!

[loveobamas]

Steele is a joke and Mitt can't replace Republican Leader Rush Limbaugh. Now talk about change if the Christian Base turns to Mitt the M.o.r.m.o.­n as their leader. Yes Mitt would love to lead the M.o.r.m.o.­n.s to the White House and approve of men having many wives as servants. Next Mitt would line the Supreme Court with M.o.r.m.o.­n Justices and well forget the US Constitution. Remember how the M.o.r.m.o.­n Religion started with a strange man who was the only one who saw what he said happen while others blindly followed. No need to look to the bible with President Mitt.

[bluejoni2525]

It's that BIG TENT of the Republican party don't you know ?

[BabaLou7]

You betcha!

[BuzzingAlong]

How does the right-wing evangelical base feel about witch doctors, especially Sarah Palin's witch doctor who drove the demons out of her.

[libslayerguy]

They love a witch doctor as long as it is Palin's witch doctor. Same goes for anti-US seccesionists and unwed teen mothers, too.

[AxelDC]

Steele is correct on this one: Mormons may be some of the most loyal Republicans out there, although Democratic Senator Leader Harry Reid is a Mormon, but Evangelicals hate Mormons. Evangelicals make up too important of a voting block for a Mormon candidate to win, especially in states like Georgia.

Sorry, Mitt, but you are a victim of the prejudices of your own party. I'd feel sorry for you, but you support a party that encourages this sort of behavior towards other groups, and Mormons are not exactly the most tolerant bunch (Prop 8). Maybe getting a taste of their own medicine will teach Mormons about giving such blind loyalty to a party that harbors so many anti-Mormon sentiments.

[WiltonDiary]

In other words Mitt get rid of the apron and bloomers and
turn your life over to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or
youre coffee and coke in 2012!

[danonchalant1]

Just ask the convert Pawlenty! Was a Catholic, now a reborn Evangelical!