From The Road
February 2, 2008 2:30 PM

Romney Mourns Mormon Church President Hinckley

By
Scott Conroy
Topics
Mitt Romney
(CBS)
From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Just three days before Super Tuesday, Mitt Romney took precious time off the campaign trail to pay his respects at the funeral of Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who died Sunday at the age of 97.

Sitting next to his wife Ann in the second row of the 21,000-seat Latter Day Saints Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Romney listened to Church leaders and family members share both warm and lighthearted memories of Hinckley, whose presidency produced a significant expansion of Mormon temples around the world and achieved some success in normalizing the faith to non-believers.

Although he did not campaign this morning in Utah — a Feb. 5th state widely seen as a lock for the former Massachusetts governor, who ran the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics — Romney conducted eight satellite interviews this morning for media stations in Alabama, Minnesota, North Dakota, Tennessee, Georgia and Montana.

Romney has dispatched his family across the country as he tries to pick up enough delegates on Tuesday to remain competitive with John McCain in the race for the GOP nomination. Romney's eldest son Tagg is campaigning in Maine, while his youngest son Craig stumps in Georgia. Middle son Josh returned to Salt Lake City this morning after taking a red-eye flight from Alaska, where he campaigned on behalf of his father.

The governor has a rally scheduled in Minnesota this afternoon—another state in which the campaign believes he can compete for a victory against McCain.

  • Scott Conroy

    Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.

Add a Comment
by otterlds February 3, 2008 7:11 PM EST
Two corrections:

1) Gordon B. Hinckley was not the President of the %u201CMormon Church,%u201D nor is Mitt Romney a member of the %u201CMormon Church.%u201D

2) The Conference center has nothing whatsoever to do with the %u201CLatter Day Saints.%u201D

Both Romney and Hinckley are Latter-day Saints, members of the Church of Jesus Christ (hence the Church%u2019s full name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). %u201CMormon Church%u201D is a highly offensive slur, while %u201CLatter Day Saints%u201D are members of an obscure Protestant group of about 200-300 people, concentrated in Wisconsin.

HTH!
Reply to this comment
by becauseicare February 3, 2008 6:45 PM EST
Firstceb - are these Catholics aware that Huckabee spent some time slamming them almost as much as he slammed the Mormons. You might want to check that little fact out!

Mitt Romney has a record of conservatism - people who doubt it should go to a good source and not to the anti romney sources. I don''t like John McCain but if I have to I will vote for him UNLESS Mike Huckabee is on the ticket - I would never bring myself to vote for a man as dishonest as he is.
Reply to this comment
by marinepatriot February 2, 2008 9:19 PM EST
I DOUBT IT, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY CATHOLICS OUT THERE STILL WONDERING WHO TO VOTE FOR, YOU SHOULD GO TO WWW.CATHOLIC.ORG TO READ ABOUT HUCKABEE

CATHOLICS ARE SAYING HUCKABEE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS:

*******CATHOLIC VALUES********

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE ARTICLES THE CATHOLICS ARE PROMOTING:


http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=26591
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26696
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=26620
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=26621
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26698
Reply to this comment
by bdribus February 2, 2008 7:46 PM EST
I wish he had been so devoted to his faith back when he was trying to out-Kennedy Ted Kennedy.
Reply to this comment
by denn034 February 2, 2008 7:37 PM EST
Whether one agrees with Mormonism or Hinckley or not, one does have to like his commitment to his faith.
Reply to this comment
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