To his credit, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney was gracious in accepting Sen. Sam Brownback’s apology for an e-mail questioning Romney’s Mormon religion that was forwarded by one of Brownback’s campaign staffers in Iowa. "Now and then campaign workers make mistakes," Romney said. "It’s a good thing when people who are friends like he and I are can reach out and point out that was unintended."
Romney said Brownback told him that "religious attacks don’t have any place in politics." Brownback’s spokesman also said that Brownback was "personally hurt" by what happened and that the staffer had been reprimanded.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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18 Comments
Was the email accurate?
The email was not accurate. I promise you that I worship the same Jesus Christ as other Christian faiths. We worship the same God as other Christian faiths. We choose not to criticize someone when that time is better spent worhsipping and helping others.
There’s nothing there – Brownback apologized, Romney accepted. It’s a non-news story.
This how mature adults respond when they make a mistake.
Nothing to see here folks, move on.
Campaign staffers are encouraged to look for any weakness to attack an opponent on. Just because someone on Brownback’s staff mentioned the Mormonism doesn’t mean Brownback agrees or would use it as a means of attack.
Goodness, did I just stand up for Brownback?
Why didn’t Brownback fire this campaign staffer that sent the email out questioning Romney’s religion?
Whether it named Romney or anybody else, I would not want any campaign staffer tied to my name thinking he/she could send out such an email and have it not cause a furor. Is Brownback really sorry for the email or is he sorry because it gets his name in the public and certain fundamental Christians would be all for him for standing up for their ‘true God’.
It makes me wonder what the motive was behind this entire fiasco?
Brownback is a decent guy.Disagree with him all you want, but he is for real, nothing fake or phoney about him.
There will be problems for Romney on the Mormon issue, but Brownback was absolutely correct to take the lead on this and give some direction to his staff.
Back in my “activist” days, when I did more than just write for this Blog, I had a taste of “intolerance” on the right. I delivered a stack of “voters guides” on various issued to a Mormon Church.
I was reprimanded by a sincere but misguided person, on the theory that I should not involve non-Christians in the pro-life cause, on some vague moral ground that I did not understand.
I was upset at the political stupidity of that position.
The late Wanda Fuller, a pro-choice Republican, once told me: “Politics isn’t about saving souls, it is about getting souls to the polls.”
Very good advice!
I told the woman who scolded me, on the Mormon issue, that I would deliver voters’ guides to a Budhist Temple if I thought it would win any votes.
She mumbled something about “you Catholics!” and that was the end of it.
I am proud of Brownback, he showed class on this one.
This whole affair reeks of classic Kansas Republic Party dirty tricks.
Back in 1974, when Dr. Bill Roy challenged then-freshman Senator Bob Dole an ad appeared in Atchison, KCK, Hays and other strongholds of Roman Catholics that accused Roy of being an abortionist. It was a blatant lie. Dole immediately showed up and issued a non-apologetic apology, blaming rogue staffers for producing the ad, milking the Roy-as-abortionist falsehood with statements such as, “I have no evidence that Roy performed abortions, and even if I did, I’d consider it inappropriate to use it as an issue….”
The Brownback anti-Mormon e-mail played out exactly to Dole’s pre-Internet 1974 playbook right down to the “I don’t think it’s appropriate” non-apology.
Anyone who listens to evangelic radio — a key constituency for Brownback’s chances of survival in August’s Iowa Straw Poll — has heard hours of so-called “Christians” trashing Mormons as a “non-Christian” “cult.” The campaign staffer’s excuse — that she was sending out the anti-Mormon smear in hopes some reporter would “fact check” the allegations — rings hollow. Especially since she remains on Brownback’s Iowa staff.
No surprise here when Paul Rosell is proud of a dyed-in-the wool Republican. The point of this whole story is that Brownback tolerated such boorish behavior from one of his staffers in casting suspicion on Romney’s religion. If Brownback has any hope of getting above his dismal poll ratings, he will have to get over himself that he is God’s choice for president.
While I am not supporting Romney, or anybody else at this point, Brownback should immediately dismiss the staffer who did this. I am appalled at the “christians” that would think his Mormonism should be a campaign issue.
Long time poster,
Interestingly, the specific staffer who engineered Dole’s “dirty tricks” in 74 would have nothing to do with Brownback today.
On the bigger issue, though, this whole business of “you’re not a REAL Christian” or “You’re a Republican In Name Only” or “You only pretend to be a Democrat” etc etc etc gets pretty damned old. I’m always amazed at the arrogance of anyone, _ANYONE_, who claims to speak for what a “real” Christian, or Moslem, or Buddhist, or Republican or Democrat or whatever, is.
The definition of a Christian is easy: Someone who believes in the divinity of Jesus. The details of how that belief is practiced are unimportant to the label.
“Tom” –
Obviously the staffer who pulled the Dole smear in 1974 and the woman identified by Brownback as the one who sent the anti-Mormon e-mail are not one and the same. But there’s such a thing as institutional memory in how political campaigns and parties operate. Hang out at the party conventions and you’ll hear old-time Democrats telling war stories about how Norb Dreiling got Bob Docking elected Governor four times in the 60s; or how Bob Dole accused Bill Roy of mudslinging when the abortionist smear ads were revealed in 1974.
Brownback’s response to the anti-Mormon smear was vintage Dole.
Long time poster,
No need to put my name in quotes; it really is my name. :)
My comment about the Dole staffer wasn’t meant to imply I thought you thought the same person was working for Brownback 33 years later. It was more a commentary on how oddly politics has moved in odd directions in that time.
Dirty Tricks?Come on folks, how about Claude Pepper telling everyone over 65, in an official looking letter, that government and social security benefits would end if the Republicans were elected?
Yes that was Florida, but Democrats, nationwide, have plenty of dirty tricks in their past.
This was a dumb thing for a staffer to do, but staffers can be counted on to do dumb things.
Romney isnt out for blood, it seems.
And yes, I am proud of Brownback, on this one, he handled it exactly the right way.
“Econ 101″ –
You’re pretty naive. Romney wasn’t being “gracious.” He’s running, not walking, away from getting into a pissing match with evangelicals. Mark my words, you’re gonna hear plenty about Mormons’ sacred underwear and allleged “kookiness” of the LDS “cult” from the likes of Pat Robertson and James Dobson before the Iowa staw vote in August.
(As if Opus Dei weren’t just as weird.)
OMG, I LOVED NORB DREILING!!!!!!!
Now THERE is a name of a REAL democrat! Bless his heart. I know he was a tough ol’ bird, but damn, I loved him. He taught me most of what I know about political campaigns.
“I was upset at the political stupidity of that position.”
Duh paulie. We are upset by YOUR political stupidity all the time.
And Tom, I agree about the religions, but I do have one question.
Do you think Jan Pauls and Candy Ruff are REAL democrats? Or just in name. Because they dont stand or vote for a DAMN THING that has any relationship with ANYTHING concidered to be a traditionally democratic value.
Why do you think jan pauls never has an opponent? The dems hold the seat and she votes like a republican. What’s not to love?
:::Big EFFIN Eye roll:::
The definition of a Christian is easy: Someone who believes in the divinity of Jesus. The details of how that belief is practiced are unimportant to the label.
Posted by: Tom | June 19, 2007 at 06:05 PM
Sorry Tom, you don;t get a bye on that one. Even demons recognized the divinity of jesus (Mathew 8:)
WHat one does with that recognition is entirely important to the label
I am behind Brownback 100% but as a christian I see no reason for Sam to have to defend his beliefs. There are monumental differences in the beliefs of the LDS and Brownback. Why should Sam have to step down from something he is so passionate about? If it were Romney I would feel the same way.
I think the point is his or his staffs’ beliefs about Romney’s Mormon beliefs being not christian has no place in the political struggle for office.