Michael Steele and Mitt Romney trade barbs over Mormonism

Michael Steele and Mitt Romney trade barbs over Mormonism

By John Amato Monday May 11, 2009 2:26pm

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/michael-steele-and-mitt-romney-trade-ba

Michael Steele is fighting with more Republicans. This time it's with Mitt Romney:

In an unusual move for the person tasked with being his party's top cheerleader, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is shining a light on the political vulnerabilities of one of the GOP's top figures and a likely frontrunner for the 2012 Republican nomination — former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Now Romney's team is hitting back.

Steele, guest-hosting on Bill Bennett's radio show Friday, cast doubt on Romney's conservative bona fides and blamed the Republican base for rejecting Romney last year because "it had issues with Mormonism" and was unsure of Romney's commitment to opposing to abortion rights. Those comments aren't sitting too well with Romney's political team.

"Sometimes when you shoot from the hip, you miss the target," said Romney spokesman Eric Ferhnstrom. "This is one of those times."