Romney: ‘I will not take God out of our platform’

Mitt Romney weighed in for the first time on the Democratic platform initially removing the word “God,” saying that was something he would never do.

Romney began a campaign appearance in Virginia Beach, Va. on Saturday by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before turning to the platform controversy.

“That pledge says “under God,” and I will not take God out of our platform,” Romney said to cheers. “I will not take God off our coins, and I will not take God out of my heart.”

During their convention in Charlotte, the Democrats’ platform was changed from 2008 to remove references to God. But after criticism, party leaders decided Wednesday to put God back into their platform — but not before one of the most awkward moments of their convention.

The Democrats proposed an amendment both to reinsert God and a clause stating Jerusalem was the capital of Israel — which also was criticized after it was removed — but it took the Democrats three voice votes to actually approve the change, as the “yay” votes were met with near equal opposition with loud “nos” and some boos. The president’s campaign said Obama called for “God” and “Jerusalem” to be re-inserted into the platform when he learned they had been removed.