Mike Huckabee apologizes to Mitt Romney

Mike Huckabee, the surging Republican candidate for president, may have pulled off another first today: He apologized for a remark he made in a newspaper interview that has not even been published yet.

In an 8,100 word article to appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, the former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist preacher, ignited a political controversy with just 10 of those words. He is quoted as asking, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

This was taken by many as a coded reminder message to evangelical Christians about the strangeness of beliefs in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which claims fellow GOP candidate Mitt Romney as a proud member, and a reminder that, as one Huckabee TV ad put it, he's a "Christian leader."

According to Huckabee, after today's final Iowa debate he walked up and formally apologized to Romney, who graciously accepted.

In a subsequent interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Huckabee said the debate had "a little less fireworks than I anticipated...I was kind of anticipating there would be blood on the floor,  most of it mine."

Huckabee claimed that the quote was a genuine question asked of the reporter who was...

telling him many things he did not know about Mormonism. "We were having a conversation," Huckabee said. "It was over several hours and the conversation was about religion and he was trying to press me on my thoughts of Mitt Romney's religion. And I said I don't want to go there. I don't know that much about it. I barely know enough about being a Baptist."

"He was telling me things about the Mormon faith," Huckabee continued, "because he, frankly, is fairly well-schooled on comparative religions. And so as part of that conversation, I asked the question, because I had heard that, and I asked it not to create something -- I never thought it would make the story.

"After the debate today I went to Mitt Romney and apologized to him, because I said, I would never try, ever, to try to somehow pick out some point of your faith and make it, you know, an issue...I told him face to face, I said, 'I don't think your being a Mormon ought to make you more or less qualified for being a president.' "

"Wolf," Huckabee added, "everybody I've talked to just about wants me to come out and say something about Mitt Romney's faith. I've not taken the bait, but if I don't say something, they say that I'm avoiding it (and) it is really an underlying statement. If I do say anything, then I'm attacking him. So I'm not sure how to deal with that."

Blitzer asked for Romney's reaction. "Well, he was gracious," Huckabee answered. "You know, I hope he knows it was sincere...I'm being much more cautious now because everything is being parsed. And, heck, not just the things I'm saying now. But, you know, we have got a lot of people dumpster-diving right now in the political process, and they're going through every old wastebasket they can find to dig up anything I have ever said."

Welcome, to the so-called top-tier of presidential campaigning.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Debrar]

Barf!! Who believes that Huckabee, a Baptist Preacher with a degree in Theology, is clueless about "Mormons" (The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints)? I don't buy it, especially since history has proven that Baptists attack Mormons from their pulpit, classrooms, neighborhoods, etc.

How naive does he think the American people are? He really expects us to believe that the reported knows more about the Mormon religion than a Baptist? Yep, if you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you.

I'd be interested to see what types of comments are in his old sermons -- interesting that he has destroyed hard drives while in office, and now he has misplaced his stack of sermons.

Hmmmmmm....

[Kevin]

The dirty reporter who got this story in the first place was baiting Huckabee. Mike seems to be the only real gentleman running for office this election. May God bless him

[nate]

Huck the baptist bigot is trying to snake out of this, pretty clear the scare tactics he is using to woo evangelicals in Iowa away from Romney.

[Matthew Beatty]

"Welcome, to the so-called top-tier of presidential campaigning."

You poor, poor souls. As a Canadian, we are only in the very early stages of "negative campaigning" and thankfully in the last few elections we have rejected it. I wish you all the best and I really really hope that you realize how messed up your democracy is. The rest of the world rolls their eyes at your system and your elected officials. Does that fact make you feel defensive? Angry? Do you wonder why? You have so much influence over our culture, environment and economy and this is what your reality is?!?! Best of luck.

(Thanks so much for the neighbourly holiday spirit, Matthew. I'm afraid to say that what Canadians think about anything down here never crosses anyone's mind, except when they clog the roads in Florida and Arizona enroute to the Early Bird specials each afternoon right about this time of the year. Now, why would they leave the heavenly north by the millions and come here like flocks of birds if everything was so terrible? Hmmm.)

[Mark]

I would like an apology. Romney is not the only person he offended. If Huckabee wins the republican nomination he will not get the votes from Utah and Idaho. It may only be nine but I suspect it will be a close election.

[kermit]

Huck is the scariest candidate on either side ...... for the very reason that he and his buddies are using religion to divide. Don't we need a little 'come togetherness' in this country??? As a Republican, I would not vote for Huck. In fact, I would jump into Obama's arms if Huck wins the nomination.....

[Matthew Beatty]

Great response.
We do love our "Before 5pm $6.99 All-You-Can-Eat Buffets"
But us Snowbirds, as we prefer to be called, are purely there for the climate.
We love to pat you on the back for your low taxes, but only because we know we have that citizenship in our back pocket that allows us to sneak back up to Saskatchewan for that hip replacement or low-crime rate.
Honestly though, we have are so much like you, yet have managed to avoid this clear overlap between church and state which your elections hold. Some of our elected officials are religious. Some are not. We totally recognize where you are coming from with respect to picking representatives that have similar beliefs, but for some reason, we care about political beliefs, not religious ones. And we do not care who or what informs the former.

(Good points all. Remember the first white folks in New England were religious refugees, so not too surprising that the society that would evolve would contain more religion than one farther north that began with the hunt for fur. This government down here was based on rejecting a monarchy and suspicion of authority establishing all kinds of checks and balances on it while the one up north had independence handed to it eagerly by the British who feared an expansionist U.S. that just leapfrogged BC to buy Alaska and resented British support of the Confederacy. In Canada, the federal govt. was the only power with the strength to do what needed doing in such a huge sparsely settled place. And down here the suspicion remained. So many superficial similarities between us; so many fundamental differences. Thanks for reading the blog.)

[MBurton]

Huckabee's 'innocent question' about what Mormons believe is the most underhanded demagoguery I've seen this entire campaign. To cherry pick a Mormon doctrinal nuance he knows to be a point of contention with Evangelicals is bad, but even more inexcusable is his claim that he knows nothing about Mormonism. He probably gave a sermon per year entitled "The False Doctrines of Mormonism" from his pulpit. Criticize Romney's public record and neophyte stance on abortion all you want, but don't take this campaign to a new low by playing one religion against another. Before politics, Romney built an anassailable record of executive success in the business world. What has Huckabee done except live off of other peoples' donations?

[jack s.]

ok ya the reporter that got him to say that was egging him on for ages.
besides i don't know if they belive that. though i am pretty sure that if you look back many years ago that was part of their doctrine.
but i dont think they believe it now.
but hey if you think that wasa a bad quip then you don't know what politics are.
mike is gonna get the nom and either stomp hillary or fight to the deeath with obama.
mark my words.
ps i pray for all the cantidates. (though i must confess my prayers for ones from "the other party" are hard to get out sometimes.)
try it. it really changes the way you think about them- fellow sinners in need of a savior.

[Travis]

An honest apology would have been:

"After the debate today I went to Mitt Romney and apologized to him [for attacking his faith], because I said, I would never try, ever [again] , to try to somehow pick out some point of your faith and make it, you know, an issue..."

I liked Huckabee and thought he was honest. I was wrong.

[jim sparks]

Huckabee didn't have to apologise. He didn't have to talk about it on CNN. Politicians get quoted out of context all the time, and it was the New York Times - not exactly a bastion of conservatist sympathies. So, he said something he didn't mean, or it was taken in a way he didn't mean. He confessed, apologised, and has moved on. Romney appears to have accepted it. A pity that so many individuals in these posts can't do the same.

[Odell]

Why the apology?

Mormons do believe that in the pre-existence (pre earth life) we all lived as spirit children of Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father wanted us to have the opportunity to come to the earth and gain a body and experience so that we could be like him. He knew that we would make mistakes and would need a Savior. Two plans were presented by the most advanced of his spirit children, Lucifer and Jesus. Jesus' plan would permit each to make his or hew decision to follow Christ whereas Lucifer's would require only obedience and no election. Christ's plan was chosen and Lucifer and one-third of the hosts of heaven were cast out and forever forbidden to progress to godhood.

What I have explained is Mormon Doctrine. I was raised in the LDS Church, served a two year mission and married in an LDS temple.

Huckabee may have intended to insult Romney but he got the essence of the Mormon belief correct.

[Elbeau]

Here's Huckleberry at yesterday's presidential debate: "I'm still in awe that this country would afford kids like me the opportunity to be a president"

Why in awe? All you had to do was flash "Christian Leader" in your TV add, then go to Salt Lake City to preach that "we need to reclaim this nation for Christ", then claim that God was making your poll numbers go up, then tell the media that Romney needs to explain whether or not his religion is a cult, then start spewing anti-Mormon talking points today.

Then there's my favorite part when he apologized to Mitt today saying that he "really doesn't know much about Mormons". Sure. Did he miss that day when he was getting his theology degree? Or when the Baptist Convention sent tens of thousands of "cult-kits" to the various Baptist congregations, did his get lost in the mail? When he was pastor at two churches, did the issue really never come up?

Ok...sure. I mean, he must be right, how could he be wrong...he's a minister.

[dgj]

I agree that Huckabee is playing the innocent card here. As one blogger put it, Baptist preachers and even their congregations know a lot about Mormons, especially how to hate them. I live in the Bible Belt and have been in many churches and in almost any Baptist church, there will have a pamphlet, free of course, and even classes on how to fight or bible bash with Mormon missionaries. (Mormon missionaries are instructed not to bible bash because contention is of the devil). Just imagine my mixed feelings when going to a Baptist church that was rented for hooding ceremonies from medical school when I found a some anti-Mormon literature in the foyer. On one hand, I was thrilled that he had medical school behind him and on the other hand, saddened and angry that people would write so cruelly and misinformed information of my chosen religion. I think it only appropriate the President of the Medical University know what kind of biggoted people they are giving money to in renting their facility.

[Michael Snyder]

Folks like Huckabee & Romney along with Ron Paul offer the only hope for change / recovery in America. It's too bad we have a lot of bottom feeders who need to find any negative information they can, even if it's decades old to throw into the mix.
The political reporting in this country sucks. Yes I said sucks! If the Fourth Estate could actually report on the issues that affect us and not concentrate on personal peccadilloes this process might have a chance. But as it it I expect the press to hang onto every bit of dirt they can claim an "exclusive, first reported here, only on, (fill in the blank)" scoop no matter if the information is unsubstantiated, decades old or just plain false.
We've seen how well that kind of mentality works as we stand on the brink of a world wide depression: or is that world war three propagated by the golden boy of the religious right, GWB.
Having blown that call; the press is now doing their best to pronounce Hillary the de-facto president a year ahead of the election. Let's get real people!
It takes a real man to admit when he's wrong. (guess Huckabee's already light years ahead of Bush) To walk across the stage and publicly apologize in the presence of the press is beyond any of the Democratic candidates and shows deal decency on the part of both gentlemen.
Perhaps the press should catch a clue from their behavior.

[Bean]

I'm not Christian, so I don't have a dog in this fight. I'm wondering why it's considered beyond the pale to suggest that Jesus and Satan might be brothers when it's considered perfectly normal and mainstream to maintain that God had a son who was born to a Virgin.

[Martin]

If anyone is dumpster diving they should look into the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. It was held in Salt Lake City, and members from the convention when out in pairs to evangalize Latter-day Saints.
Huckabee attended the conference, and even spoke, and yet he tells us now he does not know about Mormons? Sorry Mike, nobody is buying it. You may have been able to get away with that in years past, but in the internet age you will be exposed.
I am sure media outlets are drooling at the prospect of having video of Huckabee giving a sermon on Mormonism. I know I would be watching with rapt attention.
The only question is who will find it first - the major news outlets or the bloggers.

[Heather Czerniak]

I don't see how Mr. Huckabee would have to apologize at all, considering that Mormons themselves have a few sins of their own that they have yet to atone for. Looking at their history, it's obvious as to why the majority of them live in one state.

[Jan]

According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormons) own web site. They say that Jesus is the brother of Satan. Here's the link.
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-6,00.html

So what is Huckabee apologizing for? It is a fact, not a smear.

[Michael Allen]

I can not believe all this whiny rhetoric about questioning a Mormon Prsesidential candidate about his beliefs. On his radio show today Glen Beck cried all day about how mean OL Huckaby offended poor wonderfull Mitt Romney. I wonder if Glen would have cried over a Muslim candidate? If a Mormon candidate swears obediance to a Mormon leader in Utah who he believes speaks directly to GOD and is infallible ( Mormons are required to do this). Then this could be a legitimate political concern to many voters.

[Wendi]

The Huckabee comment does count as a smear because it is a comment that will get most evangelicals riled. To be a Southern Baptist minister and not be aware of the "outrageous" things in our LDS theology is laughable. Most people don't stop to listen why LDS theology makes the connection, they just knee jerk to the statement. Frankly, I could come up with a hundred better "shock jock" statements about my faith.

It doesn't change the fact that Huckabee knew that comment was sensationalist and geared to making nervous evangelicals, who have been trained from childhood to "fear the cultist Mormons" even more nervous. Nothing like preying on fear to make people do what you want.

[Paul R]

I don't think any of this matters much...if the Republicans choose either Mike or Mitt they will lose the presidency-both are too far out of the mainstream to be elected. I generally think Republicans are a intelligent bunch and that their voters won't be dumb enough to nominate either of these two.

[Louinjax]

The thing is, Mitt Romney would say that it's the right and privilege of every person to worship or not worship God according the the dictates of their heart. Hickabee, however, stops short of this equality stance, and only offers that it is not his place to offend another person on religion. Huckabee couldn't offer someone like Romney the same right to worship God, because Huckabee doesn't believe Mitt Romney worships the same God that Huckabee does. Now who do you suppose is the better Christian?

[Lou]

Michael Allen, above, stated, " If a Mormon candidate swears obediance to a Mormon leader in Utah who he believes speaks directly to GOD and is infallible ( Mormons are required to do this)."

It's a well known method of yellow journalism to cite as fact certain falsehoods about Mormons (swearing 'obedience' to a Mormon leader, and that a Mormon leaders is 'infallible'), especially when he thinks no one is going to challenge him.

Would it surprise mister allen to know that what he said just contains a lot of half-truths at best? I didn't think so. Such rhetoric is flung into this forum just to incite an already inflamed topic. He's just throwing gas on the fire, and getting the gas all over himself at the same time. Sad.....

Lou

[Willard]

I just can't handle having a President named "Huckabee".

He's a liar. That comment was blatantly inflamatory and meant to stick in evangelicals minds long after the "Oops I didn't mean it" apology.

I am not Mormon nor strongly Christian, but I did have a Mormon roommate in college and many, many many Mormon neighbors in our last neighborhood, and to be honest but not dispariging, they were all very nice, but some of the things they believed were very, very scary. I watched a little too much *mind control* going on there and it was very frightening. Historical reality, such as large scale wars that were supposed to have occurred on our soil only a couple hundred years ago that left zero physical evidence. There was a little problem with *reality* as it related to historical evidence, and anyone who follows this kind of doctrine blindly, I have to question their judgement.

And to respond to Canada..."I really really hope that you realize how messed up your democracy is. The rest of the world rolls their eyes at your system and your elected officials. Does that fact make you feel defensive? Angry? Do you wonder why? You have so much influence over our culture, environment and economy and this is what your reality is?!?!

Defensive? Angry? Wonder? Are you kidding? How about humiliated, mortified, stunned at what our country has been reduced to, and feeling powerless to change anything in the face of the corporate money and power that own and run our country. Please just don't insult all of us by suggesting that we are actually standing around talking about how terrific things are here. We're all horrified and panicked at how much worse things might get as long as the corporate right can inflame the religious extremists and their fear mongering to take over and get their way. I mean, we have our own home grown Taliban right here in the US at the bidding of the rich and in total conflict with their own interests (and unfortunately most of the country). It's frightening and sad to watch this happen to the only home I have ever known. Just be happy you don't live here.

[Louise Pharand Doren]

To "Bean" & "Jan",

there is no need to pick up the complete heresy of one religion, and no need either to insult Catholics by challenging that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. A religion that endorses polygamy smacks of an entitlement complex, male hedonism, more than it does resemble the law of Nature. What's more, it is inherently un-American in instituting a sub-system of authority through its excessive paternalism and clan-ness, It is an inhibitive type of faith to the eyes of liberal Christians. And its sanctimony lacks foundation. We can only aspire to be God-like, not be cheap imitations that try to rivet the minds of their peers with subservience and oppression.

(O.K., folks. The Church banned polygamy a century ago. Let's try to keep the dialogue on positive points we can discuss intelligently and skip the stereotypes and myths.)

[lnardozi]

Huckabee never finished the seminary, so I can KINDA believe him when he said he didn't know about Romney's religion. Of course, comparative religion is a sort of low level class, but give him the credit for not being studious and drop it. He DOES believe in creationism, so at least he was awake PART of the time. I wonder how he does on other religions stuff. I know he got his Baptist girl friend Diane O'Connell a government job even though she had no experience. Cost Arkansas 1.6 million, so I guess he fails at not lying. Let's see, he stole $60,000 out of the taxpayer fund so I guess he missed that class about not stealing. He tried to pay himself as a consultant in his own Senatorial election, so he missed that class on not cheating too. He opened a wedding registry at Target and Dillard's while he was governor so his grateful subjects could buy him presents when he and his wife renewed their vows. Hm - guess he missed that class about not coveting his neighbor's possessions too. Wait - maybe there's a simpler explanation. Maybe the Huckster thinks YOU'RE stupid. After all, he DOES support the FairTax, which doesn't tax corporations AT ALL, and millionaires and up at the same rate as someone who is near poverty level - i.e. less than 5%. Here's the thing - religious people really ARE religious. Who among them wants any truck with THIS devil?

(Reader Beware: A reminder that all comments here by readers, some of whom may have a stake in one candidate's campaign, are unverified.)

[Randy]

Why do Mormons have this siege mentality? There is no Baptist group which has more active members, so if it's a question of attracting a following it's pretty much a neck and neck race. What's unfair about asking questions? What's wrong with apologizing for being the source of a misunderstanding. OR is it really a misunderstanding? Do Mormons feel it's necessary to 'spin' their doctrine so that it sounds 'christian' or are they really Christian? Just because 10 Spanish speaking men are named Jesus, doesn't make one of them a transcendent god. Just because Mormons describe Jesus doesn't mean they are talking about the same Jesus as Baptists. It's kind of like Allah and God, is that the same person?

[Steve Crain]

Found it interesting on the way home this afternoon to hear Mike Huckabee play the "victim" on an NPR interview-noting that he wondered why he was being attacked for his faith more than any other of the candidates. That he alone in a definitive one-sided manner was being called to answer questions about his faith.

Sorry Governor Huckabee, but this is one of the most disingenuous statements I have ever heard in any political campaign. And frankly something that I would not expect from a true follower of Jesus Christ.

We must realize how absolutely corrupting the political process is when an ordained Baptist minister stoops to such outright lies. To take potshots at what another holds sacred is absolutely uncivilized at best.

Our Canadian friends may be right about our political process. Where is the civility? The honesty? It all seems to go away in the quest for political (or religious) power. Honestly, there seems to be no more "win-win" among our politicians. No more what is best for America and her citizens, but what is best for me-the candidate. Honesty and civility be damned.

Come on America, it is time to demand honor and honesty from our leaders!!

[hecowe]

Randy asks about the Mormons' "siege mentality." Maybe it has to do with being driven from New York to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois to Nebraska to Utah by mobs who murdered, raped, and plundered the Mormons -- yes, here in the USA with all its religious freedom. Maybe it has to do with burying children and loved ones in unmarked graves along a 2000-mile trail as they sought to find a place where they could worship God and Jesus Christ (the one born in Bethlehem and the one that died on the cross for our sins) according to their own beliefs. Maybe it has to do today with people who twist our beliefs into ugly half-truths that make us sound like freaks and circus dogs. Maybe it has to do with "Christians" whose pastors have told them not to talk to us --even for high school kids to work in the same lab group in science or a congregant to work for a Mormon employer -- for fear we'll use our "Mormon suggestology" to kidnap them into our religion. Maybe it has to do with people who think we really do have horns on our heads, underneath all that blond Utah hair. Maybe we're tired of having you tell us what we believe shoved down our throats before we can get a word in edgewise.

The Religious Right won't have us, and, frankly, we're okay with that. We've done just fine on our own. Siege mentality? I wonder why...

[trey]

What is "mormon suggestology?"

[hecowe]

I have no idea what suggestology is-- but we've been accused of it, nonetheless. Some sort of crazy hypnotism, is my best guess. You'd think as a lifelong member of the church I would know about this big secret -- I could hypnotize my producers and get a big percentage on the front end, or negotiate an end to the Writer's Strike by wiggling my Bewitch-ing ear lobes.

It's insane. Woooooo...! (Cue ghosties, cue clouds floating across full moon...)

[TS Smith]

they sought to find a place where they could worship God and Jesus Christ (the one born in Bethlehem and the one that died on the cross for our sins) according to their own beliefs.

hecowe,

Is Jesus Christ God? No long winding writer answer. A simple yes or no.
Is Jesus Christ God?

Maybe I could come to a wedding at the temple sometime..oh thats right I'm not allowed inside. But you are welcome at my church anytime.

[VSteven]

TS SMITH: Yes, Jesus is GOD. Repeat, YES Jesus is God. The same that atoned for the sins of mankind in Gethsemane, died on a cross on Gogotha and was resurrected with a body of flesh and bones. Is that clear enough?

The Temples are not LDS meeting houses (chapels) where we worship on Sundays (the Temples are closed on Sundays). We have meeting houses in every city and most towns in the US. You are welcome (indeed, encouraged) to attend any of them.

The Temples are Dedicated to God and are where LDS members who have declared their willingness to live, both publically and privately, Christ-centered lives make sacred, eternally binding covenants with Him. Unfortunately, through their own life choices, even many LDS are unable to make these covenants in the Temple.

When you are ready to make the same commitment that millions of other people have made and you have sybolized that personal commitment by being baptized LDS, you too can make the same covenants to God in the Temple that they have.