Boston Globe: Romney defends Mormon (church) strategy

[Eugene]

Romney defends Mormon strategy
Tax questions raised on church discussions

By Michael Levenson and Scott Helman, Globe Staff | October 20, 2006

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Governor Mitt Romney vigorously defended
a plan yesterday by his political advisers to develop a network
of Mormon supporters for his potential presidential bid, while a
former Internal Revenue Service commissioner said discussions
among Romney operatives and Mormon Church leaders about the
initiative could violate the church's tax-exempt status.

Asked about yesterday's Globe report that Romney's team had quietly
consulted with officials from the church and church-run Brigham Young
University on building a list of Mormon backers nationwide, the governor
said it was only natural that he would reach out to as many donors as
possible as he eyes a run at the presidency in 2008.

-snip-

The Globe story described discussions that have taken place during the
last two months among Romney's political operatives and church leaders
about building a grass-roots political organization through the roughly
40 US alumni chapters of BYU's business school, the Marriott School
of Management. Representatives of BYU and Romney's political action
committee, the Commonwealth PAC, have also been soliciting help from
other prominent Mormons to build the program.

-snip-

Asked if he thought the use of church and university resources for
political purposes posed a potential conflict with federal law on tax-
exempt institutions, Romney said: "That's for them to describe. I don't
have anything to add from what they have already said on that."

-snip-

Full article: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/10/20/romney_defends_mormon_strategy

Related: Romney camp consulted with Mormon leaders

[lwcon]

1. With Church so far up State's butt...

...one can only hope it has the common courtesy to give it a reacharound.

Thanks for sharing this item -- K&R!

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[msongs]

2. dishonesty is the best policy, eh, brigham?

the mormon church is a for profit corporation and everything it does is designed to increase the profit. buying a politician is like buying a vowel to that church. the constitution and laws do not apply to them except when it is expedient or profitable.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Mitt's Magic Underwear Network

As a Mass resident, I can vouch that Mitt Romney is a pile of shit - a serial liar and an all-around scumbag.

Now he wants to assemble his fellow devotees of magic underwear. Oh joy.

This will only harm his chances at the presidency - most of the koolaid-drinkers are already distrustful of the Mormon thing.

[cal04]

4. Consultant's e-mails show Mormon plan for Romney

Despite repeated denials by the Mormon Church and Governor Mitt Romney's advisers, e-mails from a key Romney consultant state that the leader of the worldwide church was consulted on an effort to build Mormon support for the governor's potential presidential bid and that a key church leader has been involved in mapping out the plan. One e-mail also describes Romney's personal involvement in the planning.

(snip)
A church spokesman said last week that it was nonsense to suggest church leaders were working in any way to aid Romney's political campaign, adding that Hinckley did not know of the Romney initiative to build a nationwide network of Mormon supporters.

But a Sept. 8 e-mail from Romney's Utah-based political consultant, Don Stirling, states that Hinckley and James E. Faust, the church's third-highest ranking leader, knew about the effort from another church leader, Jeffrey R. Holland, who had been in close consultation with Romney operatives about it.

(snip)
"According to Kem, Elder Holland has been designated/assumed the role of coordinating these matters," Stirling wrote in the e-mail, which was obtained by the Globe. "Elder Holland surfaced the idea of using BYU Management Society and its locally based organizations as a starting point to rally and organize the troops on a grass-roots level. Elder Holland subsequently surfaced the idea with Presidents Hinckley and Faust, who voiced no objections."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/10/22/consultants_e_mails_show_mormon_plan_for_romney/