Since you brought it up I went and found what was said in the interview word for word.
But I, I also pointed out in my address, as you know, in, in College Station that, that I would accept no guidance or, or input of an inappropriate nature from anyone in any religion. The, the leaders of a faith have their responsibility and authority in the sphere of their faith, but in the sphere of public, of the public domain, they have, they have no authority.
MR. RUSSERT: So if President Hinckley told you it would not be in the best interest, in his judgment, for you to run for president, you would still run if you’d made that decision?
GOV. ROMNEY: I would have listened to a lot of people on a lot of topics, but the decision was mine, and the nature of my faith is not to have church officials tell you what to do. I believe very firmly in the principle of, of free agency, people making their own decisions and doing what they think is right.
MR. RUSSERT: Did he encourage you?
GOV. ROMNEY: He didn’t offer any advice on, on, on a run for office whatsoever.
I really thought I was done with that last post but I guess not.
It is just what I said and what Russert was asking about, Romney met with Hinckley in 2005 to seek approval for the run, in 2007 the totally disreputable(a man famous for being unable to tell the truth) Romney admits to the meeting, but avoids the subject by saying merely, “He didn’t offer any advice on, on, on a run for office whatsoever.”.
Sunstone Magazine two years earlier had reported on the meeting in a more thorough manner.