Romney Defends Father Against Polygamy Comment

Scottsdale, ARIZONA - Mitt Romney defended his father, George Romney, after Montana's Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer said the Republican presidential front runner's dad grew up on a "polygamy commune."

During an interview with Fox News Chief Political correspondent Carl Cameron on Friday, Romney, who is a practicing Mormon, emphatically stated, "My dad's dad was not a polygamist. My dad grew up in a family with a mom and a dad and a few brothers and one sister."

Saying he hadn't seen the comment Romney told Fox, "They lived in Mexico and lived a very nice life there from what I understand and then when he was 5 or 6 years old there was a revolution in Mexico, They escaped... My dad had a very tough upbringing."

Schweitzer made the comment in an interview - when talking about Romney's problems with Latino voters, he said its "kinda ironic, given that his family came from a polygamy commune in Mexico, but then he'd have to talk about his family coming from a polygamy commune in Mexico."

Romney's father, George, was born in Mexico and moved to the US as a child before becoming the CEO of American Motors and the Governor of Michigan.

Mormonism allowed polygamy at one time, but banned the practice in 1890.

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UPDATE -- Eric Stern, Senior Counselor to Montana Governor Schweitzer has provided the following statement to Fox News:

"The Governor meant what he said, precisely. It has nothing to do with Romney's faith or his Church. Rather, he was describing the strategic conundrum that Romney faces: that Romney is in serious trouble with hispanic voters because he took an ultra-right-wing position on immigration during the primary; that to reach out to hispanic voters, Romney would probably like to be able to discuss the fact that his father was born in Mexico; but, that this is awkward for Romney to discuss, because it requires discussing, as well, the fact that his father was born into a polygamy colony."