AUDIO
There were some bizarre twists in the Republican presidential race in Iowa Wednesday night. A key Michele Bachmann backer announced he’s now supporting another candidate and a caller on a telephone town hall meeting suggested Newt Gingrich is a polygamist.
On Wednesday afternoon state Senator Kent Sorenson stood with Michele Bachmann as she held an event in his hometown of Indianola, but last night Sorenson stood on a stage in Des Moines to announcement that he’s supporting Ron Paul now.
“Tonight’s a little tough for me. I’ve been serving as Michele Bachmann’s state chair over the last year and while Michele has fought tremendously for my conservative values, I believe we’re at a turning point in this campaign,” Sorenson says. “…When the Republican establishment is going to be coming against him over the next few days, I thought it was my duty to come to his aid.”
Bachmann spoke with reporters following her Iowa bus tour last night and she accused the Paul campaign of paying Sorenson “a large amount of money” to make the switch. A spokesman for the Ron Paul campaign denies the charge and says Sorenson is not being paid. Earlier in the evening, a caller in a tele-town hall brought up Newt Gingrich’s two divorces and current marriage to Callista.
“I’m a Bible-believing Christian,” the man said. “And Jesus very specifically states in the Bible that divorced people are really still married, which I think technically means now that you’re a polygamist and I’m wondering what you’ll do to legalize polygamy in U.S. if you’re to be elected president.”
Gingrich called that a “fairly unusual question” and told the man he would oppose any effort to legalize polygamy. Gingrich is also a recent convert to Catholicism and revealed during the call that he has had his two previous marriages annulled.