(CNN) - Craig Bergman, Iowa campaign director for GOP presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich, stepped down from his role Tuesday amid reports he made a controversial comment about Mormonism.
"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," said R.C. Hammond, press secretary for Gingrich.
According to the Des Moines Register, Bergman called Mormonism a 'cult' on Wednesday when talking to a focus group. The newspaper attributed the remark to The Iowa Republican, a conservative news website.
"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," Bergman reportedly said. "There's a thousand pastors ready to do that."
The comments come two months after a Dallas pastor tied to Texas Gov. Rick Perry created a firestorm when he referred to the Mormon faith as a 'cult' and discouraged Christian voters from supporting Romney, a Mormon.
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Giuliani: Gingrich may be stronger than Romney
From CNN Politics
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Monkey See Monkey do
"God would give us" Where's God registered to vote? WE elect the President, not some evangelical's version of the Almighty.
Those republicans can't help themselves when it comes to hate, ignorance, religious bigotry and intolerance....keep talking!
Hum bug, blah blah blah, grow up (adults)? you speak worse than children. You speak words you know not what you speak about. Get over yourselves of your own blemishes & stop using a religion as your sorry weapon to push someones or peoples button. Speaking this way shows your true weakness..................
Yes...as in the news above on the forum.. I to recognize ssome republicans the leading two .. resemble the rear end of a ....And act like it.. We all know Newton.. his real first name by the way..considers Mormonism a cult..
Yeah but did you hear about the conflicts between Ron Paul and his staff members? Me neither.
ALL religions are cults for the weak sheep........So the Mormons think the Garden of Eden was Missouri contrasted with Evangelicals thinking the world is 7000 years old….I mean really why would I put any FAITH into either of these concepts as being more valid or true. And of course The Pope apparently presides over the largest pedophile ring on earth yet claims…..guess I am going to hell for stating the obvious!
People need to grow up. All religions are cults by definition. Had Jesus appeared with band of followers during the 60s, he and his followers would have been branded a cult. Peter Jennings did a special on ABC, that addressed this and other issues. I wish they would re-broadcast it.
Religion is a cult.
I believe the Mayans were predicting the rise of Newt's head in 2012. The far right is to stupid to realize that this man will never be elected president.
And the problem withhis comment is...? Aren't ALL religions a cult??
Real Classy. This is the kind of garbage these conservative Evangelicals believe. And Newt is their man no matter his history? That's disgusting and shameful. I wish Mitt would fire back at this complete B.S.
I love how this employee steps down for negative comments. Gingrich has made plenty of negative comments about Romney yet continues to pledge not to.
Well conservatives, you were just fine when Newt was insulting the Palestinians and calling them an invented people. You were fine with it because they are middle-easterners and presumably Muslim (although many are Christian).
Now tell us what you think about Newt insulting American Christians (Mormons)? Or is that ok because they are not Southern Baptists, the only "good" Christians for a good ole Southerner to like? Oh do tell us please?
The difference between religion and a cult is just the number of members and how many people that have elected in Government. Not that I'm a Romney fan, he's a hypocrite but wasn't Kennedy and the fact he was Catholic considered an issue too?
People with small minds dwell on small issues. I guess that will never change.
It is a cult and he called it as it is. No problem that I see.
Boohoohoo is anyone surprised?
Our cult is better than your cult – just
ask us!
It took him THIS long to realize Newt is a head case? Slow learner!
Hell, ALL religions are cults.
it is a cult
Great. Now CNN, can we please move on to Ron Paul? Ron Paul is going to make corporate media look ridiculous and I am just going to sit back and enjoy.
"...inconsistent with Newt 2012's pledge to run a positive and solutions orientated campaign". How does this square with Gingrich's desire to see 9 year old poor youth working as school janitors and his statement that Palestinians are an "invented people".
So how can anyone take Newt's pledge seriously after his ethic violations and lying from the past? Just this year he said that he didn't take any money from Fanny and Freddy. Two days later he remembered it wasn't that much. I guess to a rich republican millionaire the final amount he owned up to of $1,600,000 doesn't seem like much , but to the rest of us in the middle class it does!
Every 4 years,the GOP gives us a watered down RINO clown who can not stir people's passions and who ends up destroying the Republican brand.The exceptions to this were probably Coolidge and Reagan in the last 100 years.This may be another of those moments.We can only work,hope and pray!...Go Ron!!!!!!!!!!