.Following up on Dave’s prior post on the subject, here’s a little more fuel for the fire that is the anti-Mormon push-poll phone call fiasco….
Two people who spoke to the press about the calls heavily implicated John McCain because they said the calls imparted flattering information about him. While the reports appear to seemingly depict interviews with random phone call recipients, it turns out that this is not the case. Both people are being paid by the Romney campaign; a fact they both withheld from the media. Ooops!
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One of those people told two different stories to two different media outlets. Double-ooops! Here are the facts:
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Marshan Roth – who described her call to the Salt Lake City Tribune — apparently forgot to mention she’s on the Romney payroll for $500 a month, and has received $3,000 from the campaign in total as a GOTV consultant since April. Rather, she simply said she was "leaning toward backing Romney."
"Marshan Roth, of Fairfield, Iowa, got a call on Wednesday night. It started out like a regular poll, she says, but then asked positive questions about Sen. John McCain and delved into disparaging things about Romney. She was asked whether she knew that Mormons have ‘baptized thousands of dead people’ and that the Book of Mormon was more important than the Bible to Mormons. ‘It was sick. It really was. It made me just furious,’ says Roth, who is leaning toward backing Romney. ‘If you didn’t know enough about McCain, you’d think he was the white knight coming in on his charger saving the world and that Mitt Romney was tantamount to the devil.’"
Rose Kramer is described by the press simply as “a Romney supporter.” She’s actually one of the co-chairs of Romney Iowa Faith & Values Steering Committee and is receiving $1,000 a month as a GOTV consultant ($6,000 total since April). Writing in last Friday’s McLatchy Newspapers, David Lightman reported
"Rose Kramer was at her Dubuque, Iowa, home, waiting for the TV show ‘House’ to start at 8 p.m. Tuesday when a pollster called and started asking her about John McCain. After a few polite questions, the caller started saying unflattering things about Mitt Romney. Kramer, a Romney supporter, got so angry that she missed the opening of her show. ‘I was still ranting at my husband,’ she said."
Kramer appeared to change both the date and time of the call when she spoke to Real Clear Politics about it, saying it was 8:30 on Wed. night, making no mention of "waiting for House to start at 8" Tuesday night claim.
"Rose Kramer, an Iowa voter who backs Romney, told Politics Nation the call, which she received around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, began with typical screening questions on whether she planned to caucus and if she had caucused before. After an initial ballot test — on which she says Romney’s name was listed last — the pollster offered five questions about John McCain, all of which she characterized as ‘glowing.’ Kramer said she asked the caller whether he was working for a campaign; he said no, his was an independent research group."
Two different people interviewed by the media, both apparently working off the same talking points and both forgetting to mention their official ties with the aggrieved campaign? I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. Yeah– that’s it!