In an account of the debate last night between Christopher Hitchens and Al Sharpton on the question of "Is God great?," the New York Times buried news of what appeared to be an attack by Mr. Sharpton on the Mormon religion. The comment has since been picked up on by at least one radio personality, conservative talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Mr. Sharpton said: "As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that — that's a temporary situation." The comment came in the midst of a discourse by Mr. Sharpton on the religious origins of the civil rights movement. And, of course, it comes in the wake of the Don Imus controversy, in which Mr. Sharpton played a leading role.
Today, the Romney campaign issued the following statement: "It is terribly disheartening and disappointing to hear Reverend Sharpton offer such appalling comments about a fellow American's faith. America is a nation of diverse faiths and common values, and bigotry toward anyone because of their religious beliefs is unacceptable."
The Sun's calls and emails to Mr. Sharpton's spokespeople were unreturned as of this writing.
The audio of the full event is expected to be posted here sometime tomorrow.
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