SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Mitt Romney has some unlikely defenders. Utah's Democratic Party leaders can think of a thousand reasons they will never vote for Romney. And yet, even they are condemning a video making the rounds on the internet that charges Romney and all Mormons are racists.
"He believes the faith of his fathers that black people are black because in heaven they turned away from God." - Attack Ad
Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Jim Dabakis, Chairman of the State Democratic Party, said, "We were made aware of a video today and we believe that it disturbed not only Democrats, but fair-minded people everywhere."
More to the point, he called it, "political pornography."
"Mitt Romney was a part of an officially racist organization until he was 31 years old." - Attack Ad
"It seems to be the last form of discrimination that is tolerated. That is, discrimination against the LDS people," Dabakis added.
Then there was Cathy Stokes. A long time civil rights activist from Illinois, Stokes retired in Salt Lake City. She is African-American, a Democrat and a Mormon.
"The faith of his fathers is racist." - Attack Ad
Stokes remembers well Mitt's father. George Romney was both a successful businessman and republican politician. George Romney was Governor of Michigan, a candidate in 1968 for the republican presidential nomination, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
What's more, Stokes says the senior Romney was an outspoken advocate for civil rights. "George Romney was in the forefront of the civil rights movement and he is held in high esteem by many people," she explained.
"Do we really want a racist in the White House?" - Attack Ad
"To call LDS people racist is just wrong," Dabakis said.
Utah Democratic Party leaders have no idea who is behind the internet ad. For all they know, it could be a Democrat. No matter, they're challenging that person to stop hiding and accept responsibility for what they see as a nasty bit of character assassination directed not only against Romney, but all Mormons. Even Cathy Stokes.
