From Deseret News archives:
New Hampshire unlikely to name poll culprits before primary
Anti-Mormon calls praised McCain, criticized Mitt
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte issued a brief report just five days before New Hampshire voters go to the polls. In it, she pointed to two firms: Western Wats, based in Orem, that made the calls; and Moore-Information Inc., of Portland, Ore., that hired Western Wats.
She said her office determined that while Western Wats conducted the poll, Moore-Information "was involved in developing the content of the transcript for the poll and set the dates for the poll to be conducted in New Hampshire."
A spokesman for Western Wats told the Deseret Morning News the company did, indeed, make the calls but denied that the firm engaged in push polling.
"We don't do push polling," said company spokesman Jeffrey Welch. "We never have and we never will."
Welch said the calls were conducted as a survey. He also said the company cooperated with the New Hampshire investigators, handing over a copy of the survey, along with other related materials.
Western Wats officials also told investigators who had hired the firm to make the calls, he said. The investigation, he said, "did not give us cause for concern," he said.
New Hampshire executed out-of-state subpoenas for Moore-Information to produce documents by Saturday explaining its role and who hired it as a middle man. The Attorney General's Office asked for a speedy hearing on the subpoenas so primary voters could determine who was responsible for the calls.
But an Oregon court scheduled a hearing for Jan. 16 a week after the primary after Moore-Information disputed the subpoena and objected to the deadline.
The news comes as a blow to Mitt Romney trying to become the country's first Mormon president. His faith has been an issue in his presidential bid, especially with conservative evangelicals who are central to his strategy to cast himself as the candidate for the GOP's family values voters.
New Hampshire law requires that all political advertising, including phone calls, identify the candidate being supported. No candidate was identified in the 20-minute calls.
Recent comments
I think Romney's campaign is behind the calls and that the calls are...
Romney is probably behind the ca | Jan. 4, 2008 at 3:59 p.m.
Why do Vietnam deferments still get any ink? I wish I had a...
Not Deferred | Jan. 4, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.
All the candidate claim to be Christian, it would be shameful to...
Shameful | Jan. 4, 2008 at 2:07 p.m.
- Obama, Soviet's Afghan endgame 1:04 a.m.
- Victims of Bhopal demand cleanup 12:55 a.m.
- Pakistanis kill 15 militants 12:47 a.m.
- SLCC campus briefs 12:24 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 12:22 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 12:20 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:12 a.m.
- Editorial: Buy local this Christmas 12:11 a.m.
- Conflicting advice for wise shopping 12:11 a.m.
- Half-baked nonstrategy will not work 12:11 a.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
- Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
- Mitchell said to share LeBaron traits
- Teen girl killed in Kaysville crash
- BCS just keeps dirty laundry on spin
- Utahns growing tired of Bennett
- MWC awaits bowl destinations
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- Woods says he let family down
- Orem pair getting a rep for crime
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
914 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
483 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
405 - Max Hall issues apology
392 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
358 - Utes won't respond to Hall
278 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
244 - Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
237 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
184 - Religion in politics is tiresome
154
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
My husband was teaching his 6th-grade class in Salt Lake last year when...
What a fun game to watch!! I love seeing the Aggs step up huge on defense. I...
Take of your Rose-colored glasses and watch the game again. Y'all got beat...
Hey guys... what does BYU and Swag have in common??......... They both get...
Way to go AGGIES!! Can't wait till UNLV comes into Provo and punks them again.
From an example of a law abiding citizen, Rodney King ..."U of U and BYU...
First, you must bleed that parched, ugly, awful royal blue, because that's...
I did not know anyone in the accident, I am not from this area; but the...
Yum...I want some now.
don't get me wrong, i have tons of respect for coach sloan and what he's done...
If we could only figure out a use ( like the presto-logs from sawdust ) for...


