Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. declined to appear on the Lou Dobbs show Friday, saying he wanted to avoid giving more airtime to respond to remarks Dobbs made earlier this week that suggested the state and the LDS Church encourage illegal immigration.

Producers for the CNN business and financial news show called Huntsman's spokesman Mike Mower early Friday, requesting Utah's governor to come on the show to discuss immigration and church policy. However, Huntsman, a Mormon, did not see a valid reason to appear on the show, Mower said.

In addition, Huntsman already had a prior speaking engagement, addressing graduates of Neumont University.

"There is no value in engaging in debate with someone who uttered such an unfair diatribe against the Catholic and Mormon churches," Mower said. "The governor's opinion was Mr. Dobbs said what he said and the governor was not anxious to prolong or give time to his disparaging remarks to the Catholic or LDS churches in the interest of ratings."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had issued a statement Wednesday saying Dobbs' remarks were "without foundation" and that the church does not encourage its Mexican members to move to Utah.

As part of CNN's ongoing coverage of Mexican President Vicente Fox's visit to numerous Western states, which Dobbs has dubbed "Fox's amnesty junket," Dobbs said Friday he was surprised Fox applauded the U.S. Senate's actions impending vote on a controversial immigration bill. He added many U.S. political leaders have welcomed Fox with "opened arms."

". . .and we have apparently in our reporting offended the governor of Utah, Governor Huntsman," Dobbs said. "We've invited him to be here to discuss immigration, church policy or whatever he wants to talk about, but he has declined our offer."

Although the show's producers asked for a statement from Mower to include as reason Huntsman would not come on the show, those comments were not included in the broadcast.

During Tuesday's show, Dobbs responded to President Fox's visit to Utah, where he said: "Mormons have converted a million Mexicans to their faith, and many welcome them to Utah with no regard for legal status." He later went on to say: "I was just struck by the idea that The Church of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church, seems to be looking south just as avidly and aggressively as the Catholic Church to add to a few folks to those pews."

Mower said Huntsman was disappointed in Dobbs comments and said they were "religious slurs masquerading as public dialogue."

"Our goal is not to keep this controversy alive but our goal is to keep the record straight in defending the Catholic and Mormon churches in regards to this issue."

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