Schultz said that during the last presidential elections, President Obama was attacked with various issues, such as birth certificate questions and his faith. He suggested that the Republicans should first reflect within their organization first before they hurl out accusations.

Senator Hatch gave out the remark in response to a question at a political event last Tuesday night in northern Utah. Hatch is a Mormon who will seek a seventh term in the Senate. According to Dave Hansen, Hatch’s campaign manager, the senator was referring to the possibility that Obama’s campaign and friends will attack the Mormon Church. They hope that this would not be the case but they worry that the Democrats would resort to it during the campaign.

Majority of Utah residents belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Romney won the 2008 Republican primary with 91 percent of the vote. According to Craig Janis, a worker for Utah Democratic Party, Hatch’s claim reflects poorly on Democrats living in Utah.

Janis said that divisive and unsubstantiated claims about religion should not be brought up during the presidential campaign. He added that the United States was founded on the principles of respect and freedom of religion. He hopes that Senator Hatch remembers that as a statesman, he is held at a higher standard of conduct. He reminded the senator to choose his words more carefully in the future.