Huckabee To Deliver Major Speech at National Press Club

Governor Huckabee continues to gain momentum. He will participate in the third GOP debate in New Hampshire, where he will continue to expand upon his highly praised performances in the first two debates. After that, Governor Huckabee will travel immediately to Washington, DC where he will deliver a major speech to the National Press Club, outlining how will lead the nation if elected president.

You don't want to miss that, one. I promise you ;)

BSR

ANNOUNCING TEAM HUCKABEE

OK, conservatives. You've seen what Mike Huckabee can do in the debates. He's a gifted communicator, he's highly intelligent, he's an experienced executive, and he's an AUTHENTIC conservative.

Now its time for you to help take America back. And you can do it for $20.08.

Governor Huckabee invites you to be part of "perhaps the most unique campaign in the history of electing a president."

Check out the new official TEAM HUCKABEE SITE, where you can help take America back for LESS THAN THE COST OF A TANK OF GAS.

BSR

VIDEO: Huckabee Describes Fair Tax Plan on Fox News Sunday

Watch Governor Huckabee's appearance on Fox News Sunday HERE.

Special thanks to Ms. Underestimated, who posted this link along with her thoughts about Governor Huckabee, saying: "I was impressed by Huckabee at the Fox GOP debates, and the more and more I hear from him, the more I like him."

BSR

Mike Huckabee: Authentic Conservative

Welcome Fox News Sunday viewers!

Welcome to Mike Huckabee President 2008, the first blog devoted to promoting the qualifications of Gov. Mike Huckabee to serve as President of the United States. For your researching pleasure, please explore the following links:

Everything you need to know about Mike Huckabe in a single click.

Huckabee YouTube Channel

Mike Huckabee: Pro-Life (Always)

Defender of Our Second Amendment Rights

Huckabee Delivers Eye-Popping Results in Education

On Illegal Immigration: The Kids Matter

Huckabee "A Fierce Defender of Traditional Family Values"

Huckabee on Property Rights

For more, visit our side bar ------>

Thank you for your interest in Mike Huckabee!

BSR

What Kind of Man is Mike Huckabee?

In 1998, when Governor Mike Huckabee had been in office barely two years, two young Jonesboro, Arkansas boys (aged 13 and 11) skipped school, stole several rifles and semiautomatic pistols, dressed in camouflage, and drove to Westside Middle School. One of them pulled the fire alarm and then, as students and teachers streamed out of the building, they opened fire, killing four little girls –all just 11 and 12 years old – and teacher. Eleven more were wounded.

Why are we telling you this?

We were reminded of this story because one of the boys, Andrew Golden, turns 21 today and will be released from prison with a clean record and no supervision.

One of the purposes of this blog is to tell you what kind of man Mike Huckabee is. And we have to tell you, during times of crisis he is at his absolute best.

But you don’t have to believe us. Here’s a forum hosted by the Church of Christ called "The Preacher’s Files." They have the topic of Golden’s release up today and we want to call your attention to the comment made by Joe May of Amity, Arkansas:

“A good friend … was the lead reporter in the shooting and we have talked about it a great deal. My wife's [relative] was sheriff at the time and he and I have talked extensively about it. He shared with me one memory that made a tremendous impact on both of us. Here he is at the school, dealing with all these dead children and a dead teacher, totally unprepared for all this when the door opens and in walks Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee. He said the gov. said not a word, but got down on his knees and prayed with the sheriff and then silently walked out. It made a really horrible day a bit more bearable.”

That’s the kind of man Mike Huckabee is. Rather than get in the way and make those enormously stressed law enforcement officials deal with having a Governor around, he reverted back to his roots as a pastor -- comforting, supportive, and unassuming.

BSR

Changing the World One Haircut at a Time

UPDATED - see below

Gov. Huckabee's great line from the last GOP debate about congress spending money "like John Edwards at a beauty shop" made headlines everywhere.


Now it has turned into an innovative fund raiser for Governor Huckabee.

I'm asking every one of you who come to this blog every day to keep up with the Huckabee campaign to contribute the price of your last haircut to his campaign.

Unlike John Edwards, the price of the average haircut is far less than $400. Governor Huckabee is asking just 400 supporters to contribute their last haircut price to show how the average American lives -- whether that's $15, $20, $25 or whatever. Heck, if you get your hair cut for $5, contribute it!

Lets meet this goal by end of day tomorrow! I just did it -- my haircuts cost $15 (with tip!).

Click HERE to contribute.

UPDATE: Want to increase your contribution by 50% without costing you another nickel? Blogger Kevin Tracy is MATCHING 50% of every contribution made to Huckabee after visiting his blog. So....go to Kevin's blog first! Click HERE to have your contribution matched 50%!

A super special thanks to Kevin Tracy!

This is fun and all, but the real reason you should do this is quite serious. If you, like me, want a smart, proven, authentic conservative in the White House who:


IS GENUINELY PRO-LIFE,


FIERCLY PRO-FAMILY VALUES,


WILL FIGHT FOR A FAIR TAX SYSTEM, AND


A DEFENDER OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT


You want Mike Huckabee.


All you have to do is CLICK HERE. Please DO IT NOW.

UPDATE: Click HERE to have your contribution matched 50%!


Thanks,



BSR

Our response to Marty Duren, SBC Outpost

Marty Duren of SBC outpost wrote a blog entry criticizing Governor Mike Huckabee's decision to pull out of former President Carter's Baptist confab over disparaging remarks Carter made about our current President.

Duren says: "Huckabee appears to hold conflicted position: as long as the issues are potential theological liberalism then he can participate in a meeting. But, when pure partisan politics is involved, he feels the need to decline the opportunity. This, to me, is a clear confounding of the two kingdoms. What conservatives are about to do is pull out of the program ... and then criticize it for being too liberal. You can’t have it both ways."

Duren's post spawned a number of comments critical of Huckabee, so I responded with this:

BSR says:

Mike Huckabee is a true Christian running for President of the United States of America. In a country full of men an women who run for office wrapped in the flag of the church, Huckabee is one who is actually a part of the church. He’s real. He’s authentic. And he is also running for a position that commands respect — most importantly respect from those who have held the job before. You should be supporting Governor Huckabee in this election in every way possible –because to do otherwise puts a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage president in the White House — whether the Dems or the Republicans win.

Shame on you all.

BSR

MySpace for Huckabee

Here's a MySpace blog for Huckabee talking about two new MySpace pages for Huckabee. Please give them a visit and "friend" them.

Mike Huckabee for President MySpace Blog

BSR

Bill Bennett: Huckabee "Doing great in those debates"

Conservative columnist Bill Bennett kicks off a great interview with Governor Mike Huckabee yesterday by saying Huckabee is "doing great in those debates, I gotta tell you."

You can listen to the entire great interview at Townhall.com. Click HERE.

Huckabee Debate Highlights

Michigan blogger and Huckabee supporter "Michigan Redneck" (love the name!) has done us the favor of collecting all of Gov. Huckabee's best moments in the 2nd GOP debate in one place. Check them out HERE.

Thanks, Michigan!

BSR

David Brody, CBN: Huckabee Not Happy With Cancelled Abstinence Programs

David Brody, of CBN News' The Brody File, wrote to each GOP candidate last week to ask them how they felt about the Democratic Congress' decison to cancel funding for abstinence programs. The first candidate he heard from was Mike Huckabee. Judging from Brody's headline, he was impressed with Huckabee's response.

Governor Huckabee said:

"Abstinence education provides a valuable counterweight to peer pressure and the message young people get from the popular culture encouraging casual relationships and separating sex from love, commitment and marriage. I do not believe in teaching about sex or contraception in public schools. That is the responsibility of parents. "I am disappointed that funding for abstinence education is not likely to be renewed by the Democrat Congress. This reversal only emphasizes how important it is for Republicans to take back Congress and win the White House with an authentic conservative in 2008."I miss the America I grew up in where the Gideons gave Bibles to fifth graders instead of school nurses giving condoms to eighth graders. With so much at stake, it's important that we return to the core values and guiding principles which have made our country great."

According to Brody, "so far, I haven't received any response from the Giuliani, McCain and Romney camps."

Editor's note: Mr. Brody, that is probably because none of them really care about it. They'll only respond if the "mainstream press" asks them about it....which should tell us something about each of them.

BSR

Blogger Interviews

Hey, bloggers. Did you know you can interview Mike Huckabee? He's one of the most accessible candidates ever. You can submit your interview request HERE.

Huckabee Picks Up Key Endorsement

Former South Carolina Governor David Beasley is officially endorsing Mike Huckabee's campaign for president. Check it out:

Beasley to endorse Huckabee

By AARON GOULD SHEININ
The State

Former S.C. Gov. David Beasley will officially endorse Mike Huckabee of Arkansas for president today at the S.C. Republican Party convention, Beasley told The State on Friday.
Beasley served as governor from 1995 to 1999, at the same time that Huckabee was governor of Arkansas.

Beasley’s endorsement is significant as he remains popular with Republican activists. Although he lost his last bid for election, the 2004 Republican Senate runoff, he finished first in the primary.

“Mike is a great guy,” Beasley said. “I know him very well; he’s a close friend, a personal friend.”
More than that, however, Beasley said he picked Huckabee because “he’s the most consistent, pro-family candidate our party is offering. I feel very comfortable with him.”

... Huckabee is coming off a strong performance at Tuesday’s Republican debate, held in Columbia, where Romney was peppered with questions about his changing views on abortion and other key social issues.

That’s one reason Beasley is endorsing Huckabee.

“He’s not a Johnny-come-lately to conservative values,” Beasley said.

In backing Huckabee, Beasley joins Iris and Mike Campbell, the widow and youngest son of the late Carroll Campbell, Beasley’s predecessor in the governor’s office. Beasley said he aims to help Huckabee in other early primary states

Iowa GOP Executive Director: Huckabee "Very Sharp"

Chuck Laudner, the Iowa GOP's executive director, says Huckabee's debate appearances echo his savvy on the campaign trail. "He's very sharp. He's saying the right things, and he's saying them in the right places."

Other Bloggers on Mike Huckabee

Blogger Jim Edwards of ITchurch.com says:

"I’ve never been this excited about a presidential candidate! ... Mike, I know you’ll probably never read this, but I want you to know that you have made a believer out this GenX cynic. Your approach and honesty is exactly what the unmarketable GenXers want. My wife and I are praying for you daily and your campaign!"

Huckabee Calling Out Conservatives

Here's a great report from Tennessee blogger Mike Faulk, who attended the Sullivan County Lincoln Day Dinner last evening where Governor Huckabee addressed a crowd of over 500:

"People say if our party is going to win, we need to be a little bit more liberal than we've been. No. If our party is going to win, we need to be a whole lot more conservative than we have been acting like in the last couple of years," Huckabee told the crowd.

According to Mr. Faulk, "Uniformly, remarks regarding [Huckabee's] speech were positive to glowing. His pulpit days as a Baptist minister who served as Arkansas' governor for more than 10 years was evident as his speech was both filled with meaty content and guttural emotion."

Huckabee stressed the GOP should not retreat from emphasizing that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

He also called Democrats' demands for a timetable to get American troops out of Iraq a "schedule for defeat and surrender."

And he again challenged Giuliani's position on abortion. "If something is morally wrong, then we ought to do everything we can to see that it doesn't happen. ... We are a nation, a civilization, whose uniqueness has always been in our understanding that the life of one was as valuable as the life of all."

TIME: Huckabee "Winning Battle of the Religious Conservatives"

TIME's Joe Klein writes that Governor Mike Huckabee "seems to be winning the battle of the religious conservatives against Kansas Senator Sam Brownback. Huckabee is colorful and funny. ... Brownback appears bland, by comparison..."

Huckabee Climbing

Well, as the dust settles after the 2nd GOP debate, the clear consensus among both the MSM and many major bloggers is that Governor Mike Huckabee is climbing.

Fast.

Here are just a few of the headlines (full stories below).

USA Today: Huckabee "Coming on Strong"

CNBC Chief Correspondent: Huckabee "Best Communicator On Stage"

MSM Heaps Praise on Huckabee

Examiner: Huckabee "Rapidly Ascending To Top Tier"

Right Wing News: "Again, Huckabee Best Overall"

Political Derby: Huckabee "Capable of Cracking Big Three"

Family Research Council: "Huckabee Came to Play"

National Review's J.T. Walker: Huckabee "Earned Right To Be First Tier"

Yuval Levin: Huckabee Belongs With Front-Runners

NRO's Byron York: Huckabee Performance Top Tier

Atlanta Journal Constitution: "A Good Night For Huckabee"

MSNBC: "Huckabee Moves Into First Tier"

Human Events:"Huckabee Graduates"

New Republic: Huckabee "Best Performer"

Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Is It Wrong To Call a Governor 'Adorable'?"

John Podhoretz:"Huckabee Elevates These Debates"

Captain's Quarters: "Huckabee Scored On The Issue of Life"

Powerline: "Huckabee Distinguished Himself"

Michael Steele, GOPAC Chairman: "Huckabee Moved to Top Tier Tonight"

Michelle Malkin: "Huckabee Tops McCain"

2008 Central: "Huckabee Helped Himself The Most"

David Brody, CBN News: "Huckabee Distanced Himself From The Others"

We knew it was coming. We also know it is going to continue. So hop on board the Huckabee train and fasten your seatbelts.

Its going to a fun ride!

BSR

Iowa Christian Alliance Members Announce Support for Huckabee

The tide is turning....

Two Board Members Of Iowa Christian Alliance Announce Support For Huckabee

CONTACT: ERIC WOOLSON 515-681-3967

WEST DES MOINES – Rev. Brad Sherman and Scott Spray, board members of the Iowa Christian Alliance, today announced their personal support for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s campaign for president. Sherman, who is pastor of the Solid Rock Christian Church in Coralville, and Scott Spray of Johnston, lauded Huckabee’s conservative credentials as they announced their support.

“Mike Huckabee is a man of deep convictions, with a strong conservative record of chief executive experience as Governor of Arkansas,” Spray said. “I believe he has the right positions on social, fiscal, and national security issues. Importantly, he has demonstrated an ability to work with people of both parties and get things accomplished without compromising his core values.”

Sherman said, “Phony photo-op politicians are easy to spot – and that is not Mike Huckabee. He is a genuine man of faith who is not only right on the issues, but he also struck a chord in my heart that no other candidate has been able to do. America needs a man like Mike Huckabee now, with the leadership skills and vision to move our nation forward, now more than ever.”

“True leaders are people who stand up for their beliefs and values at critical times,” Huckabee said. “Brad Sherman and Scott Spray are standing up for their core values. Their support means a tremendous amount to me and my campaign. I share their commitment to authentic conservative values such as the sanctity of life, protection of traditional marriage and protection of our religious freedoms – and l look forward to our important work together in the coming weeks and months.”

Full article HERE.

BSR

The State (SC): "Huckabee Gets Boost from Debate"

South Carolina news site The State reports today that Governor Huckabee's presidential campaign got a "boost" from his performance in the 2nd GOP debate.

Overall, the story says, little was changed by the debate, except...

"... The only exception ... is Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor might now be considered the only viable second-tier candidate able to challenge the top three, said S.C. Republican political consultant Chip Felkel."

USA Today: Huckabee "Coming on Strong"

USA Today provides an analysis of the 2nd GOP debate. Their conclusion: Mike Huckabee is "coming on strong."

CNBC Chief Correspondent: Huckabee "Best Communicator On Stage"

CNBC chief Washington correspondent John Harwood, after viewing a clip of Huckabee's comment, praised Huckabee as "a better communicator than anybody else was on that stage last night."

Must-See Video: MSM Heaps Praise on Huckabee

Check out this great article from Media Matters about the widespread praise Governor Huckabee is getting from all over the main stream press. It also includes a great must-see video mash-up of this coverage on news channels everywhere.

"...media figures and outlets ... heaped praise on Huckabee, referring to the line as an 'instant classic,' and predicting that it 'will dominate the news coverage in the days ahead.'

For the full article and video, click HERE.

University of South Carolina Students on FOX: "Huckabee Won"

Here's video of a group of University of South Carolina students who watched the debate and were then interviewed by Fox's Greta Van Sustren about their observations. Their overwhelming conclusion?

Huckabee won.

For the video, click HERE.

Examiner: Huckabee "Rapidly Ascending To Top Tier"

Bill Sammon from The Examiner was impressed with Governor Huckabee last night, writing today that "Pundits and politicians say Huckabee is rapidly ascending into the top tier of GOP candidates, an elite group that until Tuesday had been limited to Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney."

Political Derby: Huckabee "Capable of Cracking Big Three"

The great 2008 horse race blog Political Derby says today: "Huckabee might be surprising folks with his comfortable, confident stage presence...looks like someone capable of cracking the big three."

Family Research Council: "Huckabee Came to Play"

Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research Council said: "We shouldn’t underestimate the larger significance of that great John Edwards joke — it said of Huckabee that he had come prepared to play."

National Review's J.T. Walker: Huckabee "Earned Right To Be First Tier"

J.T. Walker, analyzing the debate for National review says: "Mike Huckabee did more than deliver the night’s best line on how Congress spends more money “than John Edwards at a beauty parlor.” Huckabee has earned the right to be considered a first-tier candidate; he was clever, thoughtful, earnest, and compassionate. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, is dare I say it, Clintonian, in his ability to sound smooth, likeable, and intelligent. The party faithful must admit that Huckabee “fits the suit.” He’s a southern, conservative governor who could be president."

Yuval Levin: Huckabee Belongs With Front-Runners

Yuval Levin, providing debate analysis at National Review Online, says the debate showed why the so-called "top-tier" candidates are top-tier and added that Mike Huckabee "seemed to belong with them" and "may well have come in second in this debate."

NRO's Byron York: Huckabee Performance Top Tier

Byron York of National Review says: "Huckabee did so well, both in California and South Carolina, that if the tiers were determined by debate performance alone, he’d be in the top group."

CNS News: Huckabee "In Control of His Material and Delivery"

CNS News says Governor Huckabee was in control of his material and delivery last night and "did well enough so that the big three is now the big three and a half."

Atlanta Journal Constitution: "A Good Night For Huckabee"

Jim Wooten of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes:

"Huckabee had a good evening, embracing the flat tax and vowing to post an “out of business” sign at the Internal Revenue Service," and notes that Huckabee also "had the line of the night" on taxes and spending when Huckabee said that 'we’ve had a Congress that’s spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop.'

"Funny stuff and the South Carolina audience roared. "

MSNBC: "Huckabee Moves Into First Tier"

MSNBC writes today that last night's debate marked Governor Mike Huckabee's move from the so-called "second-tier" into the first tier, saying:

"Once again, the ex-governor is proving to be one of the field's better performers. He's got a sharp wit and is both plain-spoken and smooth. We haven't seen that combination since another Arkansas governor was running for president."

Human Events:"Huckabee Graduates"

Conservative publication Human Events reports on the debate this morning, raving about Mike Huckabee's stellar performance.

"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee might be hearing his campaign slogan “I like Mike” more often after his confident responses and most memorably his humor."

"It seemed that even the moderators where asking Huckabee top-tier questions. Unruffled he responding to tough questions..."

New Republic: Huckabee "Best Performer"

Adam Kushner of The New Republic says: "The best performer, to my mind, was Mike Huckabee. Aside from a standout line (Edwards in a beauty shop), he obviously thinks in paragraphs. And he just seems earnest without being polemical. Also, I thought his answers on clemency (for a Horton-like killer) and national sacrifice were quite moving. "

Huckabee Video: "Congress Spent Money Like John Edwards in a Beauty Shop"

Here it is. Video of Governor Huckabee's "instant classic" line from tonight's debate.

Click HERE.

Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Is It Wrong To Call a Governor 'Adorable'?"

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online asks if its wrong to call Huckabee "adorable," calls him "such a likable, uplifting guy."

John Podhoretz:"Huckabee Elevates These Debates"

National Review Online's John Podhoretz says: Huckabee "... ...really elevates these debates with his smooth and eloquent presence."

Captain's Quarters: "Huckabee Scored On The Issue of Life"

Great conservative blogger Captain's Quarters on Mike Huckabee's performance in debate #2: "... Mike Huckabee, who got the biggest laugh, scored more substantially on the issue of life and made himself look presidential."

Powerline: "Huckabee Distinguished Himself"

John Hinderaker at Powerline says: "the one who most distinguished himself was Mike Huckabee."

Michael Steele, GOPAC Chairman: "Huckabee Moved to Top Tier Tonight"

Michael Steele, GOPAC Chairman, just said live on Hannity & Colmes that "tonight was a night a separation and I think Huckabee moved into the top tier tonight."

Right Wing News: "Again, Huckabee Best Overall"

Well respected conservative blogger John Hawkins of Right Wing News thought Huckabee won the first debate and he thinks Huckabee won again, saying:

"... again thought that Mike Huckabee did the best overall."

Michelle Malkin: "Huckabee Tops McCain"

Super conservative blogger Michelle Malkin like Huckabee's remarks, saying:

"Mike Huckabee tops McCain: Congress spending money like John Edwards at a beauty shop. Big laughter and applause."

"Score."

She later updated the post with this link to video of the remark:

(Update: Video of Huckabee John Edwards remark here.)

Blogger Bob McCarty: "Huckabee Steals The Show"

Says McCarty:
"...former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee who stole the show with a single line, saying members of Congress had been spending money “like John Edwards at a beauty shop!”
The crowd at the University of South Carolina’s Koger Center of the Arts in Columbia — and, no doubt, members of Fox News Channel’s national television and radio audience — erupted with laughter and applauded loudly for almost a minute before moderators ... regained control."

The Real Sporer: "Huckabee Even Better This Time"

Iowa blogger The Real Sporer weighs in on Huckabee's performance in debate #2 saying:

"I thought Gov. Huckabee did a very good job last time and even better this time. He seemed more presidential and remained very likeable. He articulates the conservative positions well. He still may seem too nice to be POTUS. He had multiple great lines. John Edwards at a beauty parlor was fan-tastic! Gov. Huckabee did a very good job of appealing to fiscal conservatives with his answer to Gov. Gilmore’s critique his tax cutting credentials."

2008 Central: "Huckabee Helped Himself The Most"

2008 Central ranks the candidates in tonight's debate in order according to who they think improved their ranking the most, putting Mike Huckabee in the #1 slot.

David Brody, CBN News: "Huckabee Distanced Himself From The Others"

David Brody of CBN news weighs in early, agreeing with us that Huckabee performed really well tonight, saying:

"Overall, I thought Mike Huckabee did really well again tonight. He was smooth and likeable just like he was a few weeks ago in California. He had the line of the night when he said 'Congress has spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop'. Classic. C'mon, even Edwards had to laugh at that one. (OK, maybe not). Tancredo, Hunter and Brownback all did much better tonight but I still think that Huckabee has distanced himself from the others."

Huckabee Hits a Home Run

Huckabee Hits Home Run in Debate #2

Debate #1 - Reloaded

The series of posts you see below this one are a review of many MSM reports about Governor Huckabee's terrific performance in the first GOP debate.

Enjoy.

BSR

Right Wing News: "Huckabee the Winner"

Conservative blogger John Hawkins of Right Wing News has named Gov. Mike Huckabee the winner of tonight's debate.

Says Hawkins: "Man, Huckabee is really helping himself I think. He is showing that unlike our currrent President, he can express himself."

Syndicated Columnist Mark Shields: Huckabee "Authentic"

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields, appearing on News Hour with Jim Lehrer to analyze the GOP debate, had this to say about Governor Huckabee: "Can I just say on Huckabee ... I thought Huckabee came across as authentic, as well as likeable. And then there was a naturalness to him. He answered the questions. He didn't have talking points."

NYT Columnist David Brooks: "Huckabee Elevated Himself"

NYT Times Columnist David Brooks appeared on News Hour with Jim Lehrer to analyze the candidates' performance in the GOP debate. Here's what Brooks had to say:

BROOKS: I thought the person that helped themself the most was Mike Huckabee.

JIM LEHRER: Mike Huckabee?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, he came across as extremely personable, the sort of person...

JIM LEHRER: Here's a guy who is hardly a household name.

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, but I think he came close to entering the top tier or really elevating himself. First of all, he was a good personality, a very relaxed, warm presence. Second thing, he actually branded himself. You know, you've got 10 guys up there. Distinguish yourself. And he actually distinguished himself as sort of a populist, straight-talking person from out in the country.

National Review: Huckabee "Reassuring"

NRO's Jim Geraghty says Gov. Mike Huckabee had "something reassuring about him" in tonight's debate.

Wizbang: "I Like Huckabee"

Wizbang reacts to tonight's debate by saying "I learned a lot more about Mike Huckabee tonight and decided I like him too."

NRO's Peter Robinson: Huckabee "Really Helped Himself"

Peter Robinson from National Review also liked what he saw out of Gov. Huckabee, saying "Only one man in this debate so far has really helped himself: Mike Huckabee. Relaxed and funny—he got off the only really funny line when they were all asked whether they'd amend the constitution to let Schwarzenegger run for president—Huckabee is also articulate and determined. Giuliani is proving fascinating, but not in an altogether reassuring way. But Huckabee? This guy is coming across as likeable, smart, and maybe even up to the job."

John Podhoretz: Huckabee "Most Likable and Eloquent"

National Review's John Podhoretz watched tonight's debate and saw what the rest of America saw. Say's Podhoretz: "Mike Huckabee ...is really terrific...I'd say halfway through that he is far and away the most likable and eloquent candidate on that stage."

RedState's Erick Erickson: "Keep an Eye on Huckabee"

Erick Erickson, managing editor of the great conservative blog RedState, participated in a Bloggingheads.tv interview with The Hotline's Conn Carroll after the first GOP debate. Says Erickson:

"Huckabee came across as being presidential. Of all the 2nd tier candidates, Huckabee is the one we need to keep an eye on."

Note: The Huckabee comments come at approximately the 12 minute-30-second point of the video.

Rolling Stone: Huckabee "Outclassed Romney"

Rolling Stone magazine, in its coverage of the first GOP debate, said: Gov. Huckabee "was funny and charismatic. His anti-CEO schitck — sticking up for 50 year old guys losing their pensions should win him points with the Lou Dobbs crowd. He out classed Romney for sure."

Political Derby: Huckabee "Really Stood Out"

The great horserace blog Political Derby provides this assessment of Governor Huckabee's performance at the debate: "If one of the objectives here was to distinguish yourself from the other nine, then Governor Huckabee clearly did just that. The health-conscious Arkansan used this venue as an opportunity to articulate his positions on Iraq, global warming and abortion.
And can we please get his writer a raise!? Huckabee had several well crafted zingers in this debate, but the best one came pretty early on:

"Clearly there was a real error in judgment, and that primarily had to do with listening to a lot of folks who were civilians in suits and silk ties and not listening enough to the generals with mud and blood on their boots and medals on their chest."

Oh, the alliteration! Mike showed off his oratory skills in the small windows of time granted to him in this debate. It would be interesting to see him go head-to-head with a smaller GOP field down the road.

Editor's note: Hey, Political Derby, great analysis but you should know that Governor Huckabee doesn't have writers who do his thinking for him. Thats all him. He's a truly gifted communicator.

BSR

Dick Morris: Huckabee "One of the Winners"

Famed political consultant Dick Morris said on Fox News today that McCain, Romney and Huckabee were all winners in last night's debate. About Huckabee, Morris said:

"Huckabee was the most original and interesting of the candidates. His unique style came through when he defended his pro-life views by asking why, if we “move heaven and earth” to find hikers lost on Mt. Hood or in a coal mine, we don’t defend human life in the womb. His explanation of how his faith leads him to embrace global stewardship in the face of climate change and to want to punish Enron-style executives who fleece their workers was both novel and intriguing."

MSNBC: A Good Night for Huckabee

MSNBC's post-dabate round-up ranks the performance of each candidate. About Governor Huckabee, they say: "On the stage with him were his equals, not his betters."

Yuval Levin: Huckabee Looked Top Tier

Yuval Levin, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and senior editor of The New Atlantis magazine, took part in a post-debate symposium last night. Here's his take:

"If you knew nothing about this race except what you saw tonight, I suspect you would guess the three leading candidates were Romney, McCain, and Huckabee...all three were poised, sharp, and reasonably presidential."

South Carolina Columnist: Huckabee "The Surprise"

Kathleen Parker, a nationally syndicated columnist from South Carolina thinks Huckabee took second place in last night's debate, saying: "Runner-up goes to Mike Huckabee. Smart, pleasant, knowledgeable, and straightforward, he was the surprise in the Cracker Jack box."

Falwell's Shadow Will Loom Large Over Tonight's Debate

The sudden passing of Dr. Jerry Falwell just hours before a debate that was already expected to center on the social issues that he helped make politically potent will add a significant amount of added attention to those issues.

The shadow of Dr. Falwell will not lay comfortably on the shoulders of some of the so-called "front-runners," namely Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani.

Romney, who switched from being a long-time pro-choice candidate as a Massachusetts politician to being pro-life when he decided to run for president a few months ago, will have much to explain about his sudden change of opinion. Romney also has some explaining to do on other key social issues like gay rights and marriage.

Guiliani, who has flipped and flopped and squirmed over the abortion question to the best of his ability, only to decide finally to address it head on and go for the GOP nomination as pro-choice candidate -- in direct opposition to the party platform -- finds his campaign quickly losing steam. Guiliani also has a liberal stance on gay marriage.

On the other hand, Falwell's shadow will rest easily on the shoulders of Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has been unwaveringly pro-life for his entire career, is a fierce defender of traditional family values, and opposes gay marriage.

Any added emphasis on these issues in tonight's debate as a result of the Reverend Falwell's passing will only benefit Governor Huckabee, himself a former Baptist minister. Even before this, insiders were predicting Huckabee will get added attention tonight.

"Huckabee proved to be the most likable" in the first debate, GOP strategist Joe Gaylord said earlier today. "So he has the opportunity...to have more people pay attention to him."

BSR

Reverend Jerry Falwell Dies

We've just learned the Reverend Jerry Falwell has died. God bless you, Reverend. We have your family in our prayers.

BSR

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Statement by Former Gov. Mike Huckabee on Dr. Jerry Falwell
"I've known Dr. Falwell since the mid 70's. I've been to his church and spoke at the university last fall. He was one of Christendom's great leaders who stood by his convictions and never lost his common touch. Many did not know about his sense of humor and compassion for people from all walks of life."

MSM on Mike Huckabee

Here's a report by South Carolina columnist Nancy Morgan, who attended the barbeue with Mike Huckabee on Saturday night in South Carolina.

Pay attention to what she says because her reaction is EXACTLY the same reaction we've seen over and over again when people get the opportunity to meet Governor Huckabee for the first time (excerpt):





'Conservative's Dark Horse?'
By Guest: Nancy Morgan on May 13, 07

...After an average BBQ dinner at an average political event, host Mike Campbell introduced Governor Huckabee. Average looking, down home and folksy. Not at all what you’d expect a politician to be. As he proceeded to speak, I started sitting up straighter and leaning forward.
I didn’t hear any ‘talking points’ or political double speak. No bland phrases meant to cover all sides of an issue. What I heard was straight talk that, by golly, sounded like it came from the heart.

"As he proceeded to speak, I started sitting up straighter and leaning forward."

...First up was education. A pretty safe bet and one designed to appeal to the greatest numbers of voters. Looking at his website later, I realised that he wasn’t just mouthing words. His record in Arkansas displayed an impressive record of education reform. And RESULTS.

Next came a ringing endorsement of the Fair Tax. Hey, this guy is starting to impress me. Especially when he called for an end to the $10 billion IRS industry. You go, guy!
After a while, every phrase he uttered resonated with me. “Over taxation, over regulation, over litigation...” Phrases last heard from Ronald Reagan and in complete accordance with this Reagan conservative.

"After a while, every phrase he uttered resonated with me."

Other issues important to Huckabee included energy independence. And, lo and behold, he actually proposed America use its buying power as leverage to get Saudi Arabia to step up to the plate at the risk of losing all the oil money we send over there. Sounded like a plan to me.

On Iraq, Gov. Huckabee flatly declared surrender is not an option. “As a country, we would lose our credibility and our honor.” He didn’t equivocate or mince words. He outlined the consequences of premature withdrawal from Iraq and declared them unacceptable. That’s good enough for me.

Huckabee ended his speech without any of the usual flourishes. He wasn’t staged, he wasn’t pandering, he was just himself. Low key, passionate, sincere and straightforward. Very impressive.

A check of his website (www.exploreHuckabee.com) confirmed and reinforced my first impression. Gov. Huckabee was Governor of Arkansas for 10 1/2 years with a solid list of accomplishments.

He’s a former pastor. He’s pro-life. He’s socially conservative. He’s a strong fiscal conservative with a record to back him up. He cut taxes 90 times as Governor to say nothing of enacting the first major broadbased tax cut in state history. Oh, he also enacted the Taxpayers Bill of Rights.
His welfare reform program cut welfare rolls by almost 50%.

He was re-elected in 1998 with the largest percentage of votes ever received by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the very liberal Democrat state of Arkansas. That’s in addition to receiving 49% of the black vote. Remember folks, this is Clinton country and Gov. Huckabee is very much a Conservative.

Upon reflection, Gov. Huckabee seems to have all the qualifications conservatives are anxiously looking for and not finding in the current crop of contenders. He stands for all the issues dear to conservatives. He seems to be the whole package.

I’m going to keep my eye on him and hope against hope that I’m not disappointed once again. And though I hadn’t planned on tuning in to the Republican debate next Tuesday, I think I’ve changed my mind. I just want to make sure this guy wasn’t a figment of my imagination.

Nancy Morgan is a conservative editor and columnist living in South Carolina. http://rightbias.com/Default.aspx

Bye,Bye Rudy

John Hawkins or Right Wing News says Rudy Guiliani's pro-abortion GOP nomination bid is dead on arrival. We knew that two years ago.

Says Hawkins:

"According to the New York Times, Rudy is about to admit that he's pro-abortion.
...Mr. Giuliani hinted at what aides said would be his uncompromising position on abortion rights yesterday in Huntsville, Ala., where he was besieged with questions about abortion and his donations to Planned Parenthood. 'Ultimately, there has to be a right to choose,' he said.
Asked if Republicans would accept that, he said, 'I guess we are going to find out.'
Mr. Giuliani acknowledged that his stance on abortion alone might disqualify him with some voters, but he said, 'I am at peace with that.'”

"I'm glad Rudy is 'at peace,' with losing over his abortion stance, because no matter how much money and name recognition he has or what strategies he tries, this is going to be the final nail in his coffin. Combine those two crippling mistakes with the rest of Rudy's flaws, which you can read about here, and Rudy may as well go ahead and drop out of the race because it's all over but the crying ... no matter what his poll numbers look like at the moment."

Editor's note: I'll add something else to this. Guiliani is smart enough to have known all along his candidacy as a Republican is a joke. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for a while, thinking he might actually have been planning to run as an independent (his only prayer of winning -- and even then, very slim). But the fact that he apparently really is going to run as a Republican, despite knowing he cannot possibly get the nomination, means he has really just been fleecing all the poor, deluded, politically uneducated saps who've been giving millions to his campaign. That's not just sad, it's not good for the party, which has lots of more qualified candidates who have had to work extra hard to get their messages out because Guliani used his celebrity to suck up all the attention for his red herring campaign.

BSR

Another New Huckabee Blog

Check out the new Massachusetts for Huckabee blog.

BSR

Welcome New Bloggers for Huckabee Member

A very special welcome to our newest Bloggers for Huckabee member New Mexico for Mike Huckabee.

Hop on over and give them a nice warm welcome!

BSR

Mike Huckabee, NASCAR, and Barbecue

Hey, South Carolinians,

Here's your chance to meet Gov. Mike Huckabee and see why he is THE candidate for you. On Saturday he'll be at the Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington and then later that night he'll be at a big barbecue at the DeBordieu Colony Rec Center in Georgetown.

BSR

Saturday, May 12, 2007

2:30 p.m. ET – Attends the NASCAR Dodge Avenger 500 Race, Darlington Motor Speedway, Darlington, SC.

7:00 p.m. ET – Attends barbecue hosted by former SC First Lady Iris Campbell at the Rec Center at DeBordieu Colony, Georgetown, SC

Farewell, Krusty

A great blogger who had the wisdom and open-mindedness to recognize Gov. Huckabee's potential very early has been driven from the blogging business. Hershel Krustofsky of Iowa's top conservative blog The Krusty Konservative has quit.

It seems he was just being too effective.

Farewell, Krusty.

BSR

Chuck Todd Updates Huckabee "Lie" Post

A check of the MSNBC First Read blog shows that Mr. Todd has updated his original "Huckabee Caught in a Lie" post as follows:

***UPDATE*** (5/7) Many folks, including the Huckabee campaign, took issue with the word "lie" in my headline describing Huckabee pulling back on what he said re: Romney and his faith. Huckabee's answer during the debate about faith and public life was not nearly as direct regarding Romney as his answer was when asked on the ABC program, "This Week" a few weeks earlier. I understand that "lie" is a charged word and this certainly doesn't rank up there with real campaign lies. But it was an attempt by Huckabee to wiggle out of his original criticism of Romney. In the heat of the moment, I chose the wrong word, but I don't regret pointing out what still appears to be an inconsistency between what Huckabee said during the debate and what he said on "This Week." My apologies for waiting until today to address this issue.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. We can agree to disagree about your interpretation of Governor Huckabee's prior remarks.

BSR

Chuck Responds...But What Is He Saying?

UPDATE (see below)

On the night of the first GOP debate, NBC political director Chuck Todd posted a note to MSNBC debate website claiming that Governor Huckabee had been "Caught in a Lie" when he claimed he had not attacked Romney's faith in a prior television appearance.

Overwhelmingly the transcript of the prior interview, public opinion, and Romney supporters themselves ALL say Todd was wrong -- Huckabee did not lie.

Since the night of the debate we have been pursuing Chuck Todd in an effort to get him to correct his slanderous accusation.

To his credit, today we heard from him. Here's his email.

Subject: FW: 16 Hours Since Chuck Todd Slandered Mike Huckabee: Where's Chuck?
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 09:44:29 -0400
From: "Todd, Chuck D (NBC Universal)"
To: bluestaterepublican@yahoo.com

i was referring to a question Huckabee was directly asked about Romney's religious faith in a previous interview... I read Huckabee's response at the time as a shot at Romney

Lets analyze this for a moment. Todd says "I read Huckabee's response at the time as a shot at Romney" is not quite a correction or an apology, but it certainly seems to be a bit of a retreat from "HUCKABEE CAUGHT IN A LIE." We've emailed Mr. Todd to confirm whether he still thinks Huckabee lied. We assume he doesn't, in which case we are going to want to know if Mr. Todd plans to publicly correct his statement, which was seen by thousands of visitors to the MSNBC blog, or whether he thinks his little ol' email to little ol' us is enough.

We'll keep you posted.

UPDATE: No further comment yet from Mr. Todd in reference to our email looking for clarification, but we notice something interesting. He emailed us at 9:44 AM this morning and said "I read Huckabee's response at the time as a shot at Romney."

Then, just 5 minutes later, at 9:49 AM, he posted this comment on the original "Huckabee Lied" story on the MSNBC blog:

"Lie" was strong... I'll admit that... but he did mislead viewers. He absolutely was being critical of Romney at the time.
Chuck Todd (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 9:49 AM)

Hmmm. Hold on a second.

9:44 AM to BSR: "I read Huckabee's response at the time as a shot at Romney."
9:49 AM to the MSNBC blog: "He absolutely was being critical of Romney at the time."

Do these statements, coming only 5 minutes apart, seem inconsistent to you? Or at least conveniently "nuanced?"

Chuck, thank you for so bravely retracting the "lie" accusation (if only in the tiny little comment section many days late and while your headline still screams "HUCKABEE CAUGHT IN A LIE"). Very manly of you.

Does anybody else see this as an abuse of journalistic ethics? Ought not the headline be revised? Ought not the original post be taken down and replaced with an update? Ought not a new post be put up by Mr. Todd explaining his change of opinion about the original accusation?

Now, another question. Can you please lay it out for us what, exactly, you think Huckabee did say in his Stephanopoulos interview that "absolutely was being critical of Romney at the time" ?

To make this easier for you, here's the transcript:

[1]10:23:37 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) Governor Romney, his religion, he's a Mormon, has become a – is going to become a big part of this campaign clearly. You're a southern Baptist, former southern Baptist preacher.

[1]10:23:45 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) Uh-huh.

[1]10:23:46 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) And that denomination teaches I believe that Mormonism is a cult. How big a hurdle is that going to be for Governor Romney in this campaign?

[1]10:23:56 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) Well, you know, I'm not sure and I don't know that anyone knows. What I can tell you is about my faith and what it means and I think people ought to look at every person who runs for office and they ought to ask them questions about who they are and what they are about and what drives their decisions. I'm not as troubled by a person who has a different faith. I'm troubled by a person who tells me their favorite faith doesn't influence their decisions. Because if a person says to me, here's my faith but it doesn't influence me at all, what it says to me is my faith isn't very significant.

[1]10:24:21 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) How does it influence yours?

[1]10:24:22 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) It totally drives it. It makes everything click for me and that will explain to you why I have a passion for life but it means my pro-life position doesn't end at the birth canal. That I believe that a life is more than the gestation period. I believe life begins at conception. I just don't think it ends at birth. And that's why as a governor I fought hard to see children have medical insurance and decent schools and safe neighborhoods and drinking water and affordable housing because that's consistent with me being pro-life. I don't want to see some single mom, you know, worry and struggle that she's not going to be able to have food for her kids. I don't want some wife to have the daylights beaten out of her by some abusive husband and have nowhere to turn. Those are things that are driven because of my faith. That's not a political position. It's a faith position.

We look forward to hearing from you,

BSR

Other Bloggers on Mike Huckabee

The great New Hampshire blog Green Mountain Politics by blogger "Monday Morning Clacke"r says this today:"...if you're a Republican Primary voter still shopping for the 'right' candidate we think you should take a good hard look at Mike Huckabee.We think you might really like what you see."

There's MUCH more, so be sure you check out Monday Morning Clacker's entire post.

BSR

Other Bloggers on Mike Huckabee

Here's a great analysis from the Elephant Biz blog: "I'm beginning to understand how Huckabee managed to win a number of statewide elections in heavily Democratic Arkansas. His handling of the [evolution] issue - standing up for what he believes without demanding that anyone agree with him - is a deft way to handle the issue. And while Huckabee's disbelief in evolution may cause snickers in some quarters, it's likely to resonate with Christian voters in conservative Iowa and South Carolina, who may be pleased by a candidate who won't shrink from his own faith views just because they aren't politically correct or may invite ridicule. Beyond Huckabee's own faith views on the origins of mankind, he's smart to turn the discussion to the issue of what should be taught in our public schools. Most Republicans, regardless of whether they believe in evolution or in a literal reading of Genesis 1, agree that local governments and local people - not Washington - should control the curriculum of their local schools."

Mike Huckabee Does Not Believe in Evolution Alone

During the GOP debate, Chris Mathews asked who among the candidates did not believe in the evolution theory. Only three candidates raised their hands: Governor Huckabee, Senator Brownback, and Congressman Tancredo.

None were given the opportunity to explain their views, however, and many members in the main stream press and bloggers raised their eyebrows - as if believing in creationism is not a mainstream belief.

They're wrong.

A recent Newsweek survey presented people with three explanations for the origins of human life: that humans developed over millions of years, from lesser to more advanced forms of life, while God guided the process; that God played no hand in the process; and that God created humans in their present form.

The first option is a sort of hybrid creation-evolution theory. The second option is evolution as explained by science, and the third summarizes the idea of creationism.

Governor Huckabee clarified his position on evolution in the New Hampshire press the day after the debate, saying: "I believe that the creation has a creator. I believe there is a God. And I believe God put this whole creative process in motion. How he did it and the time frame in which he did it, I honestly don't know."

78% of respondents said creationism or a hybrid of creation-evolution most closely matched their beliefs.

Huckabee is not alone in that position. Nearly half the sample in the Newsweek poll, 48 percent, said the creationism option was closest to their beliefs, and 30 percent chose the hybrid option.

Just 13 percent of the sample chose evolution alone as the best approximation of their view of human development.

Those results have been mirrored in a series of Gallup polls that have asked nearly the same question at several points over the past 25 years. As recently as 2004 an ABC News poll found 61 percent said the creation story in the Bible -- that God created the world in six days -- is "literally true."

Not only that, but a Time poll conducted just last fall showed that 49 percent said it is possible to believe in both evolution and "divine creation by God."

ABC News provides more about Huckabee's position: Huckabee said he has no problem with teaching evolution as a theory in the public schools and he doesn't expect schools to teach creationism. "We shouldn't indoctrinate kids in school," he said. "I wouldn't want them teaching creationism as if it's the only thing that they should teach."

So, we ask you, who is not in the mainstream? Who did not raise their hands?

BSR

Excerpts from the Washington Post.

Chuck Todd Owes Mike Huckabee a Public Apology

By all accounts, Governor Huckabee had a very good night last night at the first Presidential Debate. It was marred, unfortunately, by a baseless and outright false accusation from a member of the main stream media.

Chuck Todd, NBC's politial director, jumped to a hasty conclusion during the debate last night, posting an unfortunate note to the MSNBC blog headlined "Huckabee Caught in a Lie," claiming that Gov. Huckabee lied when he said he last night that he didn't attack Romney previously for something Romney said about his faith.

Todd breathlessly rushed to write (including the all-capped words) "Huckabee is not telling the truth. He did INDEED attack Romney about what he said about his faith. This just shows you that these guys realize this is their FIRST impression and they are desperate to look like, well, COMPASSIONATE conservatives."

Well....Chuck is wrong. In fact, not even the Romney people agree with him. Here's the full transcript of a post from Evangelicals for Mitt titled: "Huckabee Did Not Lie About Romney."

"You know, the media knows so little about religion that they can't even identify a rude comment about faith. Gov. Huckabee, for the record, has not slammed Gov. Romney's Mormonism, contrary to what Chris Matthews insisted last night.

After the debate, Chuck Todd's headline read, "Huckabee Caught in a Lie."

[Todd said] Huckabee is not telling the truth. He did INDEED attack Romney about what he said about his faith. This just shows you that these guys realize this is their FIRST impression and they are desperate to look like, well, COMPASSIONATE conservatives.

But here is the full transcript of the interview in question:

[1]10:23:37 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) Governor Romney, his religion, he's a Mormon, has become a – is going to become a big part of this campaign clearly. You're a southern Baptist, former southern Baptist preacher.

[1]10:23:45 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) Uh-huh.

[1]10:23:46 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) And that denomination teaches I believe that Mormonism is a cult. How big a hurdle is that going to be for Governor Romney in this campaign?

[1]10:23:56 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) Well, you know, I'm not sure and I don't know that anyone knows. What I can tell you is about my faith and what it means and I think people ought to look at every person who runs for office and they ought to ask them questions about who they are and what they are about and what drives their decisions. I'm not as troubled by a person who has a different faith. I'm troubled by a person who tells me their favorite faith doesn't influence their decisions. Because if a person says to me, here's my faith but it doesn't influence me at all, what it says to me is my faith isn't very significant.

[1]10:24:21 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS) (OC) How does it influence yours?

[1]10:24:22 MIKE HUCKABEE (2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) It totally drives it. It makes everything click for me and that will explain to you why I have a passion for life but it means my pro-life position doesn't end at the birth canal. That I believe that a life is more than the gestation period. I believe life begins at conception. I just don't think it ends at birth. And that's why as a governor I fought hard to see children have medical insurance and decent schools and safe neighborhoods and drinking water and affordable housing because that's consistent with me being pro-life. I don't want to see some single mom, you know, worry and struggle that she's not going to be able to have food for her kids. I don't want some wife to have the daylights beaten out of her by some abusive husband and have nowhere to turn. Those are things that are driven because of my faith. That's not a political position. It's a faith position.

In other words, [Evangelicals for Mitt says] Gov. Huckabee kindly refused to the offer to call Gov. Romney's religion a cult, he took the high road, and he talked generally about how faith informs his own politics. He said, "I'm troubled by a person who tells me their favorite faith doesn't influence their decisions." Well, as we all know, Gov. Romney has never said his faith doesn't influence his life and leadership. Gov. Huckabee was making the correct point -- faith matters -- without passing judgment on his fellow candidate.
And for this, he's accused of backing away of his previous "criticism." This incident further shows that the media wants to drive a wedge amongst conservatives on this issue -- and that we're smart enough not to let them. Good job, Gov. Huckabee.

Posted by Nancy French on May 4, 2007 09:31 AM

Thank you, Nancy, for setting the record straight.

Shame on you, Chuck Todd, for trying to manufacture news.

BSR

Huckabee Prepares to do Battle

We've been waiting for this for a long time. Knowing Governor Huckabee the way we do, we know he is going to do very well in the GOP debate tonight at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA.

Here's a news report about tonight's debate (the first GOP debate) which also includes confirmation from the Huckabee campaign that he will be participating in the South Carolina debate on the 15th (the "first in the South" GOP debate).

Things are about to get interesting.... ;)

BSR

MIKE HUCKABEE PREPS FOR FIRST DEBATE, CONFIRMS MAY 15 SC DEBATE

LITTLE ROCK, AR – On Thursday, May 3, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will join his peers in the first Republican Presidential Candidates Debate for 2008 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is hosting the debate in conjunction with MSNBC and Politico.com. The debate will air exclusively on cable’s MSNBC, with full coverage on MSNBC.com. It will air at 8pm ET / 7 pm CT/ 5pm PT.

Earlier this week, Huckabee’s campaign officially registered to get on the 2008 South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary ballot with the hand-delivery of a check by political veteran Mike Campbell for $25,000 to Katon Dawson, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.

“I’m certain once America has the opportunity to hear Governor Huckabee’s message of hope and opportunity, they will join our family in recognizing that he is the true conservative in the race for President,” said former South Carolina First Lady Iris Campbell, whose family has played an integral role in the election of every Republican Presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan.

Completing the registration process with the South Carolina GOP confirms Governor Huckabee’s participation in the second Republican Presidential Debate, scheduled for May 15, 2007.

The South Carolina Debate will be hosted by the South Carolina Republican Party and broadcast commercial-free, starting at 9 PM ET / 8 pm CT live nationally on Fox News. The debate will take place at the Koger Center on the campus of the University of South Carolina and will be moderated by Brit Hume.

“I’m looking forward to discussing the issues with my fellow Republican candidates. I’m confident my authentic conservative message will resonate with voters throughout South Carolina – and across America,” said Huckabee.

“I’m certain once America has the opportunity to hear Governor Huckabee’s message of hope and opportunity, they will join our family in recognizing that he is the true conservative in the race for President,” said former South Carolina First Lady Iris Campbell, whose family has played an integral role in the election of every Republican Presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan.

Earlier this year, Mrs. Campbell agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of Huckabee’s presidential exploratory committee in South Carolina.

Mike Campbell, who serves as a National Senior Advisor to the campaign in South Carolina, said, “I’m excited for the upcoming debates so that American people can see the authenticity of Governor Huckabee’s conservatism, his optimism and plan for America’s future.”