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DEL.ICIO.USSays Broun: Apologizes for his wife’s comments about Whitehead and religion, but says his campaign wasn’t involved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got an e-mail from Paul Broun, one of two Republican candidates in tomorrow’s run-off for the 10th District congressional seat.
In the note, Brown disavowed an e-mail he says that his wife Niki sent out to Christian friends — and said he would apologize to rival Jim Whitehead for portions of the message that raised questions about Whitehead’s faith.
In the e-mail first published at peachpundit.com, Niki Broun wrote:
It is not my place to judge Jim Whitehead’s spiritual condition but I’ll just tell you that a pastor in Hartwell invited Paul and Mr. Whitehead to speak at his church.
Paul accepted gladly, as he has in many churches. Mr. Whitehead said he felt uncomfortable speaking in churches and didn’t think you should mix church and state.
In this morning’s note, which references this post, Paul Broun wrote:
The facts are these:
The Paul Broun Committee absolutely did not send that e-mail.
Independent of the campaign, in a loving attempt to help me, my wife e-mailed a few of her friends. She was basically asking them to pray for us and to do what they could to get their friends to turn out and vote. This is a wise thing in a mid-summer special run-off election projected to have low voter participation. Niki never meant for her email to be for widespread distribution.
I am glad that Niki, my wife of almost 23 years, loves me and was trying to help. The portion of the e-mail that shares our testimonies [and which you did not include] is accurate.
However, in her zeal to be helpful, and feeling the pressures that come with a political campaign (which may be tougher on the spouse than the candidate), she went beyond what she should have. Appearing to question Mr. Whitehead’s spirituality was inappropriate. She and I have discussed this matter. We feel an apology to Jim and Peggy is in order. And I do apologize to them.
I make no apology for being a Christian or for representing the Christian perspective on issues when such issues arise. However, I have a genuine commitment to fairly represent every citizen and every community of the 10th District. That commitment, indeed, that responsibility, goes beyond political party, ethnicity, socio-economic status or place of residence.
We talked to John Stone of the Whitehead campaign this morning. He said the Broun campaign has made no contact with the Whitehead campaign, but says Whitehead in fact appeared at the Hartwell church in question, on Father’s Day — but only to speak about his father.
Campaigning for votes in church does, in fact, make Whitehead uncomfortable, Stone said. He quoted his candidate as saying, “I just feel it’s the money-changers-in-the-temple thing.”
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Kepper
July 16, 2007 3:06 PM | Link to this
Welcome to the campaign, Yoko……
By Bill Greene
July 16, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
This isn’t news to me. I found out right before the election that Niki Broun had met with the pastor of a church in a northern county who was strongly supporting me, and set up a meeting between him and Paul — a meeting where Paul sought to convince the pastor that his Christian testimony was somehow “better” than mine, and strong-arming him into sending an email to all of the members of his congregation (the majority of whom supported me) that he “might” be voting for Broun.
She also has been writing letters attacking Jim Whitehead for not wanting to campaign in churches. I’ve asked Whitehead personally about that, and he has a strong conviction that a church is not the place for politicians to campaign. He’s more than happy to speak at churches — IF they want him just to give his testimony, or speak about his work with youth groups, or talk about his father on Father’s Day. But he simply disagrees with campaigning in churches, period.
And finally, just recently, I received a call from one of my strongest supporters throughout this whole campaign — from the very first day I started running — who told me that Niki Broun had called him and told him that I had endorsed Jim Whitehead because I was now “on the Jim Whitehead campaign payroll.”
Well, let it be known: I am definitely not on the Whitehead campaign payroll. And I’m sick and tired of the POLITICS AS USUAL “games” that Paul Broun has been playing during this campaign. Broun told me at the beginning of this race that he was going to run a completely clean campaign, not an attack campaign, etc. Like he has at other times, he was simply lying.
One of these two men — Jim Whitehead or Paul Broun — is going to win the runoff election on July 17th, and be the next Congressman from Georgia’s Tenth District. When it comes to whom to support in this race, for me, it boils down to a simple character issue:
Jim Whitehead has never lied to my face.
Paul Broun has.
Please vote Jim Whitehead for Congress in the July 17th runoff election. Thank you.
Bill Greene
By Tony
July 16, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this
Well either person is an embarassment to the district. No matter who wins, the people of this district lose. You have religious nut Broun and bumbling idiot who cannot even say anything without looking like a moron in Whitehead. Is this the best that the district can come up with?
By Mark Chastain
July 16, 2007 6:36 PM | Link to this
Well, I had previously viewed this race as being the little guy versus the establishment, and I would always root for the little guy in that case. But, I’m a local elected official (county commissioner), and will run for other offices some day. I’m also an ordained Baptist minister, and I would never use church as a campaign theater, even if asked to. I would be happy to meet with the church members and discuss politics and my candidacy, would be elated to do so as a matter of fact. But my feelings are that regular church services are sacred services and should not be infiltrated by politicians, they are reserved for what you typically expect in a church service, not a campaign rally. Let a seperate time and maybe even a seperate location be set for speaking to a church group.
Mark Chastain Ellijay
By Tony
July 16, 2007 6:37 PM | Link to this
Since the claim has been made Bill what did Paul Broun lie to your face about?