WATERLOO - God was in the air during Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's stop at Galleria de Paco Monday night: The restaurant features a re-creation of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel spray-painted on the ceiling.

The candidate spoke primarily about the importance of family and traditional values during his 20-minute visit. When Romney veered into politics for several minutes, he emphasized traditional marriage, private free-market health insurance and a strong military.

He received perhaps the loudest applause of the evening when he told the crowd he did away with bilingual education as governor of Massachusetts.

On a day when rival Mike Huckabee held a press conference to show reporters an attack ad against Romney that he decided not to air, Romney did not criticize or even mention any of his Republican opponents.

Earlier in the day, Romney spokesman Tim Albrecht told the Courier's Des Moines bureau that Huckabee tried to have it both ways by showing the ad to reporters: To stay positive but also attack negatively.

Romney's decision not to address the issue sat well with Karolyn Zbornik of Waterloo, a supporter. She said her only gripe with Romney was his campaign's decision to air negative ads against Huckabee.

"I was excited that he didn't say one negative word about Huckabee," she said. "I believe in all he says and stands for, but I think his negative campaigning drove people away."

In fact, Zbornik said she would pass along word of Romney's positive message to several friends - all church-going Huckabee supporters - she was meeting for New Year's Eve.

"I'm going to say, 'Really think about it and pray really hard,'" she said. "Because at this point, it's all about prayer."

In an appeal to social conservatives in the audience, Romney introduced Jay Sekulow, a Christian conservative lawyer who argues life and traditional marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Sekulow has met with church leaders in Iowa on behalf of Romney, though he didn't meet any Monday night.

It's Romney's stance on social issues and immigration that has David Kinkade, an electrical technician from Waterloo, leaning toward the former governor. Kinkade said the foremost challenge the U.S. faces is the war on terror.

"If we don't stop these (terrorists), we're lost," he said.

Even so, Kinkade said he never considered John McCain, who touts his foreign policy expertise, because he considers the Arizona senator's stand on immigration too liberal.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.