LYNCHBURG, Virginia — Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence called on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to denounce staff emails critical of evangelicals and Catholics, referring to new Wikileaks revelations, as he spoke to thousands of students at Liberty University Wednesday.
Pence told the students, this morning “we learned from another email release that a campaign official in [Hillary Clinton’s] campaign, back in 2011, actually said that conservatives chose the Catholic faith because they ‘think it is the most socially acceptable politically conservative religion.’ And she added in her email, their rich friends wouldn’t understand if they became evangelicals… It’s extraordinary.”
Pence was referring to a Tuesday Wikileaks email release which revealed Hillary for America Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri wrote regarding the conservative movement Catholics, “I imagine they think it is the most socially acceptable politically conservative religion. Their rich friends wouldn’t understand if they became evangelicals.” Palmieri’s email was in response to an email from Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress John Halpin to Palmieri and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
Halpin had complained about such Catholics, writing, “It’s an amazing bastardization of the faith.” Halpin also attacked Rupert Murdoch and Robert Thompson over raising their children Catholic and Murdoch for baptizing his children in the Jordan River in Israel, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
Pence declared to the thousands of students gathered, “If only on behalf of a Catholic running mate, Hillary Clinton should denounce those bigoted, anti-Catholic, anti-evangelical remarks and her campaign staff should apologize to people of faith, and do it now.”
Clinton’s running mate is Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine professes to be a devout Catholic despite some political views that conflict with teachings of the faith such as the pro-life position. According to writer Megan Sweas, Kaine has a 100% pro-choice voting record.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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