byu

Voters in New Hampshire and Iowa have reported getting phone calls purporting to be research polls, but instead are asking questions emphasizing Mitt Romney as a Mormon.  And not in a nice way: push polls.  And they’re coming from a Utah-based firm!

An individual in Manchester, Iowa, contacted me on Wednesday night saying he received a call with information about McCain’s military service and anti-spending record.

Then there were “lots of negatives on Romney,” said the recepient of the call in an e-mail, including mentions of his “flip-flops,” hiring illegal immigrants as landscapers and extensive discussion of Mormonism.

“Statements were on baptizing the dead, the Book of Mormon being on the level of the Bible, and one about equating it to a cult,” said the Iowan, deeming them “common criticisms of Mormonism.”

The AP adds a little more anti-mormon details:

Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney’s faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.

Strangely, the “research firm” used to do these calls is based in Utah. According to J.A. Miles, it has call centers in Provo and Rexburg and the firm’s founder and chairman is on the advisory board at BYU’s Marriott School Center for Entrepreneurship.

The McCain and Giuliani campaigns have strongly denied their involvement (it’s doubtful Huckabee has money to do something like this). Since it would be so foolish for a campaign to be directly involved, I bet some third-party group is trying to help out its favorite candidate.

Speaking before one of the most conservative schools in one of the most conservative areas in the country (registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 11 to 1), Senator Reid was before an audience that is rarely visited by a prominent Democrat.  Senator Reid’s speech on “Faith, Family and Public Service” (PDF) (video and mp3 audio) did a very good job discussing his humble uprbringing, his conversion, and how his personal beliefs inform his Democratic politics.  

Discussing why ”I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it” was a great demonstration that a faithful Mormon can be a Democrat.  Indeed, Senator Reid couldn’t be a better asset in the Church’s continuing struggle to show that it is politically neutral.  I imagine that the Church was very happy to welcome Reid to show that that it is hospitable to both parties and to highlight the fact that the most prominent LDS politician, ever, is a Democrat.

Unfortunately, Senator Reid’s talk was overshadowed by his comments in a following BYU press appearance where he:

• criticized President Benson and other conservative church leaders who have “taken members of the church down . . . the wrong path”
• implied church members are easily swayed and became politically conservative because they were misled
• childishly insulted our President (not the first time he has done this at a school)
• slammed conservative evangelicals: ”They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.”  (Does anyone see the irony in that statement?)

Whatever you may feel about his opinions, the resulting headlines:  “Reid: Right-wingers have taken LDS Church members down ‘wrong path’ ” and “Reid speaks out against past Mormon leaders” probably aren’t going to help sway anyone who thinks that being a good Democrat and Mormon is a paradox.

Even more embarassing for the Church are his comments about President Bush and conservative christians.   This has received some attention (and justifiable outrage) from conservative blogs but not enough in the Bloggernacle, unlike some subjects.  Not living in Utah, I don’t know how this has played out beyond newspaper articles.

At the end of his speech, Sen. Reid quoted Alma and  and then bore his testimony where he said (transcribed from audio, not in his prepared text but partially included in the BYU press release):

“I want each of you to leave this great education you have and go out and do good things for people.  Represent the Church.  Make people like President Gordon B. Hinckley happy with what you are doing, the life you are leading.”

Senator Reid promptly forgot his own counsel and undid any good he may have done with his impressive talk.  Too bad.

Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid’s BYU speech discussed his upbringing, conversion, and his basic political beliefs and how they have influenced his career and perspective on public service.  Senator Reid’s prepared text can be found here.

Senator Reid had the good sense (if not class) to wait to criticize the political beliefs of past Church leaders, President Bush, and conservative christians in a press conference following his speech.

Some past prominent LDS Church leaders wrongly pressed conservatism on church members, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday during a press conference at Brigham Young University.

The Nevada senator attacked President Bush and evangelical Christians while saying members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints need to worry less about abortion and gay marriage and more about health care, global warming, education and jobs . . .

“I think people in the church have to understand there are issues more important than abortion and gay marriage.”

The Church, as an institution, would appear to think otherwise as it has made the rare exception to voice its political opinion on abortion and gay marriage and not health care, global warming, nor jobs.

 On past church leaders,:

Reid said Ezra Taft Benson, active in very conservative politics before he became a president of the LDS Church, and Ernest L. Wilkinson, the president of BYU from 1951-71, were among past church leaders “who were very right-wing people politically.”

“Members of the church are obedient,” Reid said, “they are followers in the truest sense of the word, and I think they’ve taken members of the church down a path that is the wrong path. Look at Joseph Smith. Here’s a man who was progressive, to say the least. He broke from the pack. He did things differently than they’d been done. He was against slavery. He wanted to start a national bank.

The SL Trib adds Sen. Reid’s actual comments on President Benson:

In the past years we’ve had some very prominent members of the church, like Ezra Taft Benson, who are really right-wing people. Members of the church are obedient and followers in the true sense of the word, but these people have taken members of the church down the path that is the wrong path.

Understandably, being a party’s standard bearer can be a tough role to play, but right after speaking about King Benjamin’s example and service to God, Senator Reid took some rather uncharitable digs at President Bush:

“They have focused on just a few issues, flag-burning, gay marriage, abortion,” Reid said. “The country has gone beyond that to other issues. We have a country that needs to do something about health care. Global warming is here. We have a president who doesn’t know how to pronounce the words.”

and at evangelicals:

Reid also told reporters the Republican Party has been driven by evangelical Christians for 20 years. “They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.”

More first hand accounts at Hot Blava and by Gordon Smith at Conglomerate.

The BYU Democrats had their own meeting with with Senator Reid and a photo gallery where the Senator posed with many of its members.

The Salt Lake Tribune has a provocative first write-up of Senator Reid’s BYU appearance today.   “I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.” Fair enough.

But then:

“In the past years we’ve had some very prominent members of the church like Ezra Taft Benson who are really right-wing people. Members of the church are obedient and followers in the true sense of the word, but these people have taken members of the church down the path that is the wrong path,” he said.

I would like to see if there is greater clarification in his remarks as to who “these people” are.  I’m sure he’s just referring to a mundane political disagreement but it sounds like his words could easily be taken out of context.    That would be unfortunate.  He’s not calling President Benson a “phony prophet” is he? 

But, I’m glad he didn’t shy away from being partisan.  His talk promises to be an interesting read.

UPDATE:  Frank Staheli has a first hand account of Sen. Reid’s speech.  He was impressed.

UPDATE 2:  The Deseret Morning News has more thorough coverage on Sen. Reid’s speech.  While there were no protests, there was some unfortunate boorish behavior, “One person did walk out between the end of Reid’s speech and the traditional closing prayer and called out that students should not be deceived by Reid.”

Does it say anything that very conservative BYU won’t be protesting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s BYU appearance today?  Take that in contrast to the hype and hysteria that attended Vice-President Cheney’s commencement speech six months ago.  Maybe it doesn’t mean anything, Reid is LDS after all.  But I imagine many, if not most, at BYU have more in common politically with the Vice-President than the Senator.

Fortunately, the Deseret Morning News has the non-story that no protests are expected during Reid’s BYU visit today. The most that could be dug up are some comments on the Free Republic that someone should bring a protest sign. Hopefully, that’s an empty threat.

As much as I disagree with Senator Reid’s politics and rhetoric as a Democratic leader, I do hope all goes well today.  His appearance will hopefully raise his visibility as a prominent (and Democratic) Mormon that will help the Church and its members smooth over some of the political divides among us.  

I liked Dean Magelby’s closing in his op-ed on welcomg Sen. Reid:

Within the church there can be and should be room for disagreement about political matters. At the 1968 Commencement exercises President Hugh B. Brown encouraged students to “strive to develop a maturity of mind and emotion, and a depth of spirit which will enable you to differ with others on matters of politics without calling into question the integrity of those with whom you differ. Allow within the bounds of our definition of religious orthodoxy a variation in political belief. Do not have the temerity to dogmatize on issues where the Lord has seen fit to be silent.”

Senator Reid will be speaking on faith, family, and public service.