Report: "Romney Plans Speech on His Mormon Faith"

The Trail blog, run by the Washington Post:

"Romney Plans Speech on His Mormon Faith"

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) has decided to give a speech directly addressing his Mormon faith, much as then-candidate John F. Kennedy did about his Catholic faith before the 1960 election.

The Romney campaign announced Sunday that he will speak about his religious beliefs Thursday at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Tex. Romney's speech is titled "Faith in America," spokesman Kevin Madden said in a statement.

Romney has said for months that he sees no need to make a big deal out of his religion, despite surveys which suggest that for some voters, especially in the South, his Mormon faith makes them less likely to vote for him. A Washington Post poll found earlier this year that his religion was regarded by voters as a bigger stumbling block than Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's race or New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's gender.

Some possible reasons for giving this speech now:

The statement from the campaign did not specify the nature of the speech, or how specific Romney might be in addressing questions about his own beliefs and practices. During Wednesday's GOP debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., Romney was widely panned for his answer to a question about whether he believes every word of the Bible [watch the video here]. He paused and hesitated for several seconds, leading some to suggest that he was calculating the political risks of different answers. The speech could be an attempt to quiet such talk.

In addition, Romney is facing a serious challenge in Iowa, the first state to cast votes. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, has surged past Romney to lead state polls, and he has won the support of many evangelical leaders and Christian conservatives, backing that carries substantial weight in the Republican nominating process. A speech by Romney could be an effort to halt Huckabee's progress.

Related: "Following Debate, Republican Pro-life Candidates Poised for Success" (LSN)