Washington D.C., Aug 1, 2007 / 08:19 am
Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback said rival Mike Huckabee should apologize for a supporter's "prejudiced whisper campaign" against him for being Catholic.
According to a report by The Associated Press, Rev. Tim Rude, pastor of Walnut Creek Community Church, sent an e-mail to Brownback supporters pointing out that Huckabee is an evangelical Protestant and Brownback is not. In the e-mail, Rude calls Huckabee — a former Arkansas governor and an ordained Baptist minister — "one of us."
"I know Senator Brownback converted to Roman Catholicism in 2002," wrote Rude. "Frankly, as a recovering Catholic myself, that is all I need to know about his discernment when compared to the governor's."
Rude apologized Tuesday, saying he never meant to sound critical of Catholicism.