Gingrich Iowa staffer resigns after "cult of Mormon" comment

By: Lucy Madison
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

(Credit: AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

Less than a week after being tapped as Newt Gingrich's political director in Iowa, Craig Bergman resigned on Tuesday for suggesting evangelicals are ready to help God "expose the cult of Mormon."

In a focus group conducted before he officially joined the Gingrich campaign, Bergman, a Tea Party supporter who previously advocated on behalf of Sarah Palin, suggested that a "national pastor" could lead an effort to defeat Mitt Romney over his religion.

"There is a national pastor who is very much on the anti-Mitt Romney bandwagon," Bergman said, according to the Iowa Republican, which sponsored the focus group with McClatchy newspapers. "A lot of the evangelicals believe God would give us four more years of Obama just for the opportunity to expose the cult of Mormon...There's a thousand pastors ready to do that."

In a Tuesday night statement, Gingrich spokesman R. C. Hammond said Bergman's comments were "inconsistent with" how Gingrich wants to run his campaign.

"Craig Bergman agreed to step away from his role with Newt 2012 today," said Hammond in a statement. "He made a comment to a focus group prior to becoming an employee that is inconsistent with Newt 2012's pledge to run a positive and solutions orientated campaign."

The incident demonstrates the risks run by the Gingrich campaign in its last-minute push to staff up in Iowa in the wake of the former House speaker's surge to the top of the polls.

According to the Des Moines Register, Gingrich's Iowa campaign chair says she's never heard Gingrich speak about Mormonism in pejorative terms.

"I've never had any discussion that resembled that with Speaker Gingrich," Linda Upmeyer said of Bergman's remarks. "I have no doubt there are people that reject Mormonism but I've never engaged in a conservation regarding that, ever."

This is not the first time the word "cult" has been applied to Mormonism in reference to Romney during the 2012 presidential election cycle.

In October, a pastor associated with Texas Governor Rick Perry leveled a similar charge against Mormonism - a faith to which both Romney and fellow GOP hopeful Jon Hunstman belong.

Of the October incident, Romney said that while he's "heard worse," the comments have no place in politics.

Lucy Madison
Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by IamaMormom December 16, 2011 12:39 AM EST: This is so old, I know most of you think I am a cultist, but every single one of those pastor have never taken any time to learn of the faith, they have never asked God if there is truth to it. People being close minded and afraid is exactly what i wrong with the republican party. After living in Texas for many years I have never been so persecuted for being a Mormon but yet I have been told so many time that I am the nicest, most honest person many have ever worked with. hmmm open your minds people, you all know a few Mormons (there are approx 15 million of us) do you really think all of those negative thoughts about those people you know and work with, seriously?; Reply to this comment

by phillyfanaticoldtimer December 14, 2011 5:20 PM EST

It seems that every DCPub elitist , the MSM, conserv media outlets-writers, RonPaulbots, the DNC hate Newt and want him gone yet the primary voters seem to want Newt in spite of his warts. I know I will vote for him in spite of the opponents, Ann Coulter, George Will, the MSM et al, and hopefully if Newt wins the nomination, they will all support him. Unless the Indies, Pubs, TEAS, Reagan Dems, and Libertarians after the Paul racist isolationist campaign collapses unite with the Pubs, we will get the horror-socialist Obama and his Quislings in the Senate and House.

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by laureenmillarholt December 15, 2011 4:07 PM EST: I do have to wonder what's happened to freedom of speech in this country when people like Craig Bergman, who obviously opposes Mormonism on the basis of being the cult it is, feels he has to resign bcz of what he believes or thinks.....

I happen to believe that those who are really disillusioned, betrayed & bitterly disappointed in Obummer will find it in themselves to vote Repub this time--no matter who the nominee is--to send Obummer packing back to his radical left-wing friends in Chicago.

by norcalruss December 14, 2011 4:40 PM EST

Craig Bergman resigned on Tuesday for suggesting evangelicals are ready to help God "expose the cult of Mormon."
+++++++++++++++++++
Intelligent people should expose ALL religions for what they are: A CULT!!!

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by laureenmillarholt December 15, 2011 4:08 PM EST: You are wrong. Not all religions are a cult.

Get your facts straight first--then you can distort them anyt way you want to.

Are you an atheist? It happens to be a religion, you know....

by RickCain4150 December 14, 2011 4:27 PM EST

Mormonism is of course a satanic cult cooked up by Joseph Smith, a devout Mason. The problem is the alternative is not much better...Newt Gingrich, a serial liar, serial adulterer and paid for corporate hack.

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by laureenmillarholt December 15, 2011 4:11 PM EST: Well, then, try Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul or Rick Santorum...

None of them have the issues of these 2.

by MurdochSucks December 14, 2011 2:36 PM EST

I heard Romney's a terrorist from Kenya and an illegal alien, and a socialist, and communist, and dictator, and fascist, and related to Satan, and faked his college credentials, and swears allegiance to France, and worst of all... a Muslim[Mormon]... Ha ha ha, where have I heard this hyperbolic rhetoric machine before... Ah, on Fox, that's right. Hmmm, Newt is a Fox Contibutor, perhaps they could be behind both baseless smear campaigns?

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by laureenmillarholt December 15, 2011 4:12 PM EST: You didn't hear that on Fox--maybe the ultra-left wing ms media, but not FOX.

by MurdochSucks December 14, 2011 2:22 PM EST

I knew it was just a matter of time until the classless Newt and his goons in Right Wing politics started the onslaught of anti-Mormon slander. Now we get to sit back and watch the Right Wing destroy itself, frothing at the small differences that will divide and conquer their obsolete party. GOP, The Grand, Obsolete Party.

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by MurdochSucks December 14, 2011 2:27 PM EST: On second thought, it is a little bit nice to see the Right Wing turn their madness on their own. They are going after Mitt Romney with the same asinine fervor they used on Obama after he was elected. Romney, should never have joined the Republicans, he has too much class and integrity for their ilk. Sort of like Ron Paul, but less consistent and more polished.

by thomasmc1957 December 14, 2011 2:17 PM EST

So what, Right Wing Christianity is a cult, too!

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by MurdochSucks December 14, 2011 2:20 PM EST: Amen, Brother! ;-)

by OrangPuteh December 14, 2011 2:06 PM EST

Mormonism is not the problem. Religion is the problem.

Religion poisons everything, especially government.

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by GallowGlass December 14, 2011 4:40 PM EST: The first amendment was designed specifically to separate religion from the government. Basically it says the government should not touch religion at all.... why??? because it is poison.


by Zann-Zel December 14, 2011 2:03 PM EST: "A lot of the evangelicals believe God would give us four more years of Obama just for the opportunity to expose the cult of Mormon...There's a thousand pastors ready to do that."
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That's hilarious! They're already trying to come up with an excuse to make themselves feel better when Obama gets re-elected! : )

OBAMA 2012 : )
YES we can - again!; Reply to this comment