Romney: Don't Stop Believin'
CARROLL, IOWA -- At the end of a town hall meeting, Mitt Romney told the crowd of about 100 that he would take one more question, and it turned out to be one that proved to be the most interesting of the event: "Are you going to put prayer back in school?"
"You know we ought to allow in ceremonies— graduation ceremonies and public events that we have— the ability to recognize the creator," Romney said.
"I'm not looking for us to have prayer in the classroom every day and to have teachers leading in prayers, but I don't think we should prohibit God from public places."
Religion has become one of the dominant topics swirling around the GOP race here, as Romney's Mormon faith has been an issue throughout the campaign, and the new frontrunner — Mike Huckabee — has made his own Baptist faith one of the cornerstones of his campaign.
Romney harkened back to the highly-publicized speech on religion he recently gave in College Station, Texas, when he said that nativity scenes and Menorahs ought to be kept in public places during the holiday season and that Americans should recognize that the United States was founded by men of deep-seated faith.
"The founders of this nation were fundamentally believing people," Romney said. "Oh they came from different faiths and different religions but they believed in a creator and they believed in the concept that if you do believe in a creator, you recognize that we're all equal and God loves us all."
After Romney thanked the small crowd and put down the microphone to shake some hands, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" played over the PA system.
