Church Steps Up PR Efforts

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The Politico looks at the Church’s public relation efforts in light of heightened scrutiny (Romney campaign, Cheney BYU visit, PBS documentary, etc.).  The Church may or may not be changing tacts as it seeks a new PR firm.

I found the following particularly interesting:

In contrast to some other religious bodies, the Mormon church remains virtually inactive on Capitol Hill. “Our interaction at that level is minimal,” Otterson says. “That’s not high-priority for us.”

For about two decades, the Mormons have maintained a presence in Washington, primarily to cement relations with ambassadors from countries where the church does extensive missionary work. Since 2005, the six-person staff has been led by M. Kenneth Bowler, 64, who for 16 years ran a $6 million-a-year D.C. lobbying operation for Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. He estimates that only 5 percent of the office’s work deals with Congress or with the Bush administration. When contacts with lawmakers occur, they tend to deal with issues of direct interest to the church. For example, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a church member, notified Bowler that he planned to amend pending bankruptcy legislation to ensure filers could continue to meet their religious tithes.

Thanks to Mormon Stories.