Romney Aides Oppose Speech on Religion

[DeepModem Mom]

AP: Romney Aides Oppose Speech on Religion
Nov 11
By PHILIP ELLIOTT

HOLDERNESS, N.H. (AP) - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said Saturday his political advisers have warned him against giving a speech explaining his Mormon faith. During a house party overlooking Squam Lake, Romney was asked by voters if he would give a speech outlining his religious beliefs and how those beliefs might impact his administration, much like then-Sen. John F. Kennedy did as he sought to explain his Catholic faith during the 1960 election.

"I'm happy to answer any questions people have about my faith and do so pretty regularly," the former Massachusetts governor said. "Is there going to be a special speech? Perhaps, at some point. I sort of like the idea myself. The political advisers tell me no, no, no - it's not a good idea. It draws too much attention to that issue alone."

Romney's Mormon faith has been an issue in his presidential bid, especially with the conservative evangelicals who are central to his strategy to position himself as the candidate of the GOP's family values voters. In a Pew Research Center poll in September, a quarter of all Republicans - including 36 percent of white evangelical Protestants - said they would be less likely to vote for a Mormon....

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Questions about Romney's Mormon faith have dogged him during the primary campaign. Just Friday, Sen. John McCain's 95-year-old mother took a swipe at Romney's faith and said Mormons were to blame for the scandal that rocked the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. "As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he's a Mormon and the Mormons of Salt Lake City had caused that scandal. And to clean that up, again, it's not a subject," Roberta McCain said on MSNBC on Friday. McCain quickly distanced himself from the comments, and said both he and his mother have no issues with Mormons.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071111/D8SR9PHO0.html