This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
WASHINGTON - Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign apologized Monday for circulating a Salt Lake Tribune story that raised a question about whether Mitt Romney would fulfill a disputed Mormon legend about saving the Constitution in the last days.
The Giuliani campaign had distributed The Tribune story to some bloggers, prodding Romney's campaign to balk at whether Giuliani was attempting to make Romney's LDS religion an issue in the campaign.
"I sincerely hope that the Giuliani campaign did not send that e-mail out to reporters in an effort to provoke questions about a fellow candidate's faith," Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said in a statement. "They may have just been passing it along for other reasons, but given the focus of the article, they should be more careful since it could very easily be seen as an effort to question Governor Romney's faith. An action like that would be terribly disappointing."
Giuliani's campaign quickly backed off, however, calling the distribution of the story "a regrettable mistake."
This "is not acceptable," said Tony Carbonetti, Giuliani's senior campaign adviser. "We extend our sincere apologies to Governor Romney and reaffirm our commitment to running a clean campaign."
Giuliani's deputy campaign director, Katie Harbath, distributed the story Monday morning in an e-mail to bloggers, according to The New York Sun, which obtained a copy of the message. "Thought you'd find this interesting," Harbath reportedly wrote.
The Tribune story focused on Romney and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavowing the so-called "White Horse Prophecy," which, Mormon lore says, has the Constitution hanging "by a thread" in the last days and a member of the faith riding in on a metaphorical white horse to save it.
The prophecy was also brought up in the presidential campaign of Romney's father, Gov. George Romney, in 1968 and that of Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2000.
Romney's faith may be a hurdle in his campaign given that many voters nationwide view the LDS religion with some hesitancy. Several polls have shown a swath of Americans - anywhere from 17 percent to 43 percent - who say they won't even consider voting for a Mormon.
Romney has said voters want a candidate of faith but not one of a specific faith.
He told The Tribune earlier this year that he puts no stock in the White Horse Prophecy, which is not accepted as doctrine by the LDS Church.