Mike Huckabee: Postmarked Pakistan

In an interview with CNN's Suzanne Malveaux back in 2007 Mike Huckabee stated that all indications were that Osama bin laden was in Pakistan and that if we had another terrorist attack it would be postmarked Pakistan. He went on to describe American tax dollars being wasted by a government that was not producing results. Huckabee said we needed to be very clear in holding that government accountable for not only the way they treat their people but also in helping us locate and destroy Osama bin Laden.

Politico reports that in November 2007 Mike Huckabee also stated:

"We need to make sure we are clear that if we have an actionable target in Pakistan, that we will take action on that target because if that helps save and preserve American people," Huckabee said at the time, according to CNN, saying he would respond that way if he saw an "imminent threat" within Pakistan's borders. "That's the foremost thing we need to be worried about."

Sen. John McCain criticized Huckabee at the time for it, calling it evidence of political naivete and saying, "I certainly wouldn't telegraph my punches."

In December 2007, Mike Huckabee went on Meet the Press with Tim Russert.  One important issue they discussed was Pakistan:

"One of the things I want to point out about that article, I spoke about Pakistan extensively back in September, and a lot of people criticized the article, saying `You talk so much about Pakistan, and you didn't speak as much about Iran.' You know, a lot of people have criticized my foreign policy views, but the fact is, in light of what's happened in the last week, some of my comments on Pakistan seem almost prophetic."

Mike Huckabee: That South Carolina Report is an Absolute Lie

Are potential opponents of Mike Huckabee trying to push him into the race? Are they afraid of the platform that he has hosting his own radio/cable program? Are they worried about how Huckabee is able to showcase his policy ideas each week contrasting it with President Obama's own failed policies? Do they not like that Mike Huckabee has access to media where he can shoot down the lies being told about him and get out the truth?

It is rather interesting that bloggers and DC insiders want Mike Huckabee to officially declare his intentions on whether or not he will run in 2012. Lest they forget Mike Huckabee has already done that, he clearly stated that it would be his race his pace, that he would miss the first set of debates, that he would prayfully consider a run, and that he would declare his intentions in the summer. Yet they keep pushing for an answer and this week we saw operatives pushing false information. Wesley Donohue, a former worker for Mitt Romney's 2008 campaign was the one who jumped the shark. Starting a story stating that anyomous players told him that Mike Huckabee released his 2008 South Carolina supporters to go work for other campaigns. Donohue-who now works for Gingrich-stands by his story while not releasing any names of those so called informants. Erick Erickson of Redstate was one of the first to actively promote this on twitter.  Matt Drudge-a supporter of Romney's in 2008, linked to the story by selectively placing "Huckabee Out of Race?" right next to the royal wedding pictures of Kate Middleton in her beautiful dress. Perhaps Drudge is worried that Mike Huckabee will be the next one to sit on the Republican throne. To shed light on the whole bizarre story, Mike Huckabee cuts to the chase on the Willis Report and tells the viewers that the story is a flat out lie.

There you have it, Mike Huckabee again says he is still considering a run and will announce his intentions this summer.

Huckabee supporter, GrannyT researched this week's "Huckabee is out activity" and reported as follows: 

Examining the “Huckabee Isn’t Running” Rumors

There have been rumors that Gov. Mike Huckabee won’t be running for President in the 2012 election cycle. I’m writing this to examine a few of those rumors.

Rumor #1: Huckabee has decided not to run and has released his South Carolina Team.
That rumor was squashed almost as soon as the so called story was “leaked”. Many reputable sites had updates on their stories immediately after posting them. One of Huckabee’s key supporters and part of the 2008 Huckabee Team in South Carolina posted the debunking of that rumor on Facebook.
An article posted yesterday evening has a few more quotes from South Carolina former Governor Beasley, Mike Huckabee 2012 Run Looking More Likely, Key Supporter Says
Rumor #2: Huckabee can’t raise money and can’t run a campaign without it.
Huckabee has voiced his concerns for fundraising; so we know that can be a real issue. It has been reported that he has talked to possible financial backers.

Huckabee recently presided over a series of meetings with financial backers in New York — where he hosts his popular television show on Fox News — in an attempt to ascertain whether he could generate the resources he would need to persuade him to set aside his comfortable private life in order to spend more than a year on the campaign grind.
According to aides, the takeaway was positive.

I know many of us not so wealthy supporters have been saving in hopes of him running again. So, if Huckabee is getting any kind of interest from some of the more wealthy donors he won’t have near the lack of money he did in 2008. Also, Huckabee still has an army of volunteer grassroots supporters as well as Team Huck that is getting set up across the country. How much money are all of us volunteers worth?
Rumor #3: Huckabee is making good money and building a mansion he won’t want to walk away from.
Even Huckabee admits that his good paying jobs and mansion will have to be part of his decision. But, those of us that know and love Gov. Huckabee know he’s been through that decision before and didn’t let money and a nice house stop him.
From page 5 of Huckabee’s book, From Hope to Higher Ground: My Vision for Restoring America’s Greatness:

By now, Janet and I had achieved a level of comfort neither of us had ever dreamed. We were both thirty-six years old, had three children, a good dog, and lived in a nice five-bedroom home with a pool on a cul-de-sac.
I vividly remember the long walk in the neighborhood we took one winter night. We decided that if we indeed were put on earth to become “comfortable,” then we had hit the target. Ours was an enviable life in many ways, but as we walked and talked and prayed, we decided that the purpose for being on earth is not our personal comfort but to strive to make the world better for our children than when we found it.

I know that book was written a while ago before he started the project of building a new home. So, I’ll include a quote from an article posted this week by KATV in Arkansas, On the Road with Huckabee:

But, it’s Huckabee’s prolonged decision that could be making his biggest employer a little anxious. A report this week claims Fox executives are questioning whether they should have Huckabee on the payroll, while his platform is being used to help his Presidential aspirations. Huckabee was quoted in the report that Fox is not pressuring him to make a decision. His comments to us, suggest if things line up the way he wants, he’s in.
“If I thought I could serve my country, and make this country great again, and help get it back on track by giving it leadership, yeah, I’d do it in a heart beat. I just have to be able to visualize a path to the finish line, and believe that I can do more than the platform that i do have, and it’s a significant one, and i’m not oblivious to that.”

Rumor #4: Huckabee needs to jump in now or it will be too late and his supporters will go elsewhere.
There aren’t many Huckabee supporters that are shopping around for other candidates. Huckabee is still polling very well in polls even with the numerous rumors that he won’t be running again flying around. Many of us are volunteering and working on our own as well as with other volunteers doing whatever we can to prepare to make a Huckabee campaign launch successful if he decides to run again. Huckabee does not have the name recognition problem or the unelectable label he had in the 2008 season. He has repeatedly said he’ll make his decision this summer. In the last video I saw where he discussed when this summer – he said, “Probably June.” Rumor is that is when his FOXNEWS contract is up. Maybe he wants to use the remaining time to think as well as to fulfill his contract commitment.
Here are a few quotes from Huckabee ‘asking folks to keep their powder dry,’ adviser says:

Mike Campbell, who chaired Huckabee’s South Carolina campaign in 2008, told CNN that he called his former boss after a South Carolina blog erroneously claimed that Huckabee had decided against running again in 2012.
The report quickly shot around the web Wednesday and forced Huckabee’s team to knock down the rumor.
Campbell called the blog item “a bunch of bull” but said he decided to call Huckabee anyway.
[clip]
Asked about his presidential intentions, the former Arkansas governor told Campbell, “I am weighing it very heavily and I am considering it as seriously as I have ever been.”
[clip]
Campbell said Huckabee can afford to wait longer than other candidates to enter the race because he has an existing network of supporters in key states ready to help him again, putting him in a “great position” to win the nomination.

Huckabee has said that the last election cycle was too long and people were getting bored with it before it was over. What is wrong with getting things started a little later than last time and being more in tune with previous elections? Do people forget that Ronald Reagan kept his media jobs and didn’t announce until November?
June is NOT too late for Huckabee!
Rumor #5: Huckabee isn’t running he’s just leading people on to sell books and keep viewers.
Quote from On the Road with Huckabee:

“It’s not a decision i’m ready to make yet. I’m getting closer and closer. I’m not playing a game with anyone. I think some people think, oh, he knows what he’s going to do, he’s just playing. I’m very mindful of what it takes to run for president,” Huckabee said.

I’ve read and heard from numerous places that it’s starting to look and sound more like Huckabee is “leaning towards” running again. An article posted on the Washington Examiner last night says:

These days, among the people who have known and worked with Huckabee, there is a growing sense that he’s leaning toward another run for the White House.

Update: I just found another article that was posted today that goes along with this blog article. Check out Huckabee Seems Likely To Run

Mr. Huckabee is the de facto front-runner for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. More precisely, he is the only candidate in the race (so far) who commands the support of the party's social conservative base and its most important region (the South).  So what he does or does not do will have a big impact on what happens after he makes known his decision.

Mike Huckabee on the Tragic Tornado Destruction

As Governor of Arkansas for 10 1/2 years, Mike Huckabee directed emergency response teams after storms such as the devastating ones we had this week. Huckabee offers his prayers to those families affected by the storms destruction while also showing optimism for responding to the aftermath.

Mike Huckabee posted these comments on his facebook:

Our hearts and prayers are with the people affected by the tornadoes
by Mike Huckabee on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 2:00pm

Yesterday, the South and much of the country was again slammed by savage storms. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center reported receiving 137 tornado reports on Wednesday night alone; and all of this comes right on the heels of the devastating storms from earlier in the week.

It is often in our darkest days that we see how brightly we can shine; as communities come together in the wake of tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by these storms in recent days.

Mike Huckabee Best Bet to Beat Obama in Iowa

Mike Huckabee continues to be the Republicans best bet to beat President Obama in 2012 and flip Iowa back into a Red state. PPP released their latest data showing Mike Huckabee tieing President Obama in Iowa. Huckabee's polling numbers have risen while Obama's have declined.

Public Policy Polling

Iowa 2012 Presidential Survey

* Mike Huckabee 45% (43%)
* Barack Obama 45% (47%)

* Barack Obama 45% (47%)

* Mitt Romney 41% (41%)

* Barack Obama 50% (51%)

* Newt Gingrich 39% (38%)

* Barack Obama 51%

* Donald Trump 35%

* Barack Obama 53% (53%)

* Sarah Palin 36% (37%)

Among Independents

* Mike Huckabee 44% (42%)
* Barack Obama 40% (41%)

* Barack Obama 41% (40%)

* Mitt Romney 37% (38%)

* Barack Obama 47% (49%)

* Newt Gingrich 34% (34%)

* Barack Obama 54%

* Donald Trump 35%

* Barack Obama 52% (49%)

* Sarah Palin 33% (38%)

Among Republicans

* Mike Huckabee 88% (79%)
* Barack Obama 5% (10%)

* Mitt Romney 81% (76%)

* Barack Obama 6% (11%)

* Newt Gingrich 79% (73%)

* Barack Obama 9% (13%)

* Sarah Palin 73% (67%)

* Barack Obama 10% (17%)

* Donald Trump 66%

* Barack Obama 9%

Survey of 1,109 Iowa voters was conducted April 15-17, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 2.9 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 38% (37%) Democrat; 33% (37%) Republican; 29% (25%) Independent/Other. Political ideology: 30% Moderate; 22% Somewhat conservative; 20% Very conservative; 19% Somewhat liberal; 8% Very liberal. Results from the poll conducted January 7-9, 2011 are in parentheses.

H/T The Argo Journal for data compilation

PPP Nuggets:

Obama is now knotted at 45% with Mike Huckabee, winner of the 2008 caucuses and current leader of the early 2012 delegate race, per Tuesday’s release. In January, Obama led, 47-43.

If Trump were to lose the GOP nomination and launch an independent bid, he would eat severely into Romney’s support and essentially none into Obama’s. Obama would lead a three-way race with 43% over Romney’s 27% and Trump’s 21%. Trump brings Romney down from 81% to only 56% of the GOP and from 37% of independents to only 22%.

“Obama could have a much harder time of it in Iowa next year than he did in 2008- unless the Republicans bail him out with a Trump or Palin like nominee,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.

PPP Twitter Nuggets:

Obama won Iowa by 10 in 2008. Now he's tied with Mike Huckabee and only leads Mitt Romney by 4:

Numbers suggest that if GOP goes with Romney, even a non-Trump far right 3rd choice could have big impact:

Trump polls at 21% as indy in Iowa. Gets 31% of GOP vote, runs ahead of Mitt with independents:

Obama leads Romney by 4 in Iowa. With Trump as 3rd candidate, Obama leads Romney by 16 there:

Mike Huckabee responds to Glenn Beck's Foolishness

I used to like watching Glenn Beck on Foxnews until he went off the rail. Beck used to give concrete examples of the failures of President Obama's policies and Reid/Pelosi's overreach. But Glenn Beck has once again taken his obsession with Progressives to the extreme and used his radio show to denounce Mike Huckabee. Today, Mike Huckabee responded with his usual clarity and wit.

Response To Glenn Beck
by Mike Huckabee on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 8:36am


"This week Glenn Beck has taken to his radio show to attack me as a Progressive, which he has said is the same as a “cancer” and a “Nazi.” What did I do that apparently caused him to link me to a fatal disease and a form of government that murdered millions of innocent Jews? I had the audacity—not of hope—but the audacity to give respect to the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to address childhood obesity. I’m no fan of her husband’s policies for sure, but I have appreciated her efforts that Beck misrepresented—either out of ignorance or out of a deliberate attempt to distort them to create yet another “boogey man” hiding in the closet that he and only he can see. The First Lady’s approach is about personal responsibility—not the government literally taking candy from a baby’s mouth. He seems to fancy himself a prophet of sorts for his linking so many people and events together to describe a massive global conspiracy for pretty much everything. Sadly, he seems equally inept at recognizing the obvious fact that children are increasingly obese and that we now see clinical evidence of diseases in children that as recent as 20 years ago were found only in adults, such as Type 2 diabetes. The costs to our nation are staggering in increase health care expenses, but it even effects national security with now 75% of young men between the ages of 17 and 24 are unfit for military service primarily due to obesity! His ridiculous claim that John McCain and I collaborated and conspired in the 2008 campaign is especially laughable. Is he not aware that McCain and I were competitors---not cohorts? Beck needs to stick to conspiracies that can’t be so easily de-bunked by facts. Why Beck has decided to aim his overloaded guns on me is beyond me. But he ought to clean his gun and point it more carefully lest it blow up in his face like it did this time."

Perhaps Glenn Beck should take aim at the real liberals in our country who continue to spend, rack up debt, and squander our country's liberties instead of attacking Mike Huckabee. Lest Beck forget, Mike Huckabee was re-elected twice in a Democrat state and only left due to term limits with an approval rating in the 60's. He was a successful governor who was rated one of America's 5 Best Governors.

Mike Huckabee reacts to Standard and Poor's Warning

Mike Huckabee reacted to the Standard & Poor's warning by posting the statement shown below on his HuckPAC website. You can leave a comment by clicking here:

April 20, 2011 - 04:10 PM
Standard & Poor's: A Warning
by Mike Huckabee


"The American people have been raising their voices for many months telling Washington politicians to get our fiscal house in order. To no one's surprise, Washington has simply gone on doing what it seems to do best - spending money we don't have.


Enter Standard and Poor’s – an entity known to investors worldwide as a leader of financial-market intelligence. S&P just issued a warning to America: get serious about reducing your deficit, or risk losing your AAA financial rating. We all know how hard it is to borrow money with poor credit, and if the United States loses its AAA rating it would mean America would have to pay higher interest rates on money we borrow. For a government that doesn't want to put away its credit card, this could be a catastrophe.


S&P bases creditworthiness on facts, not just words, and it is not convinced that Washington will seriously address our mounting debt. It hears talk about deficit reduction but sees only incremental changes and the wild demonization of anyone who actually tries to do anything about it.


While losing the nation's top financial rating may have a cataclysmic impact on our nation’s debt, it would also be devastating to every day Americans. The cost of doing business will increase and that means companies are going to pass that increase on to you – most goods you buy will simply cost more and we will all pay higher interest rates. The bottom line - the cost of living will increase.


House GOP Leader Eric Cantor called it a wakeup call. But the White House? Well, they issued a statement brushing off S&P’s warning as a political judgment they disagree with and said - we shouldn’t make too much of it. Still, they said Joe Biden will meet with Congressional Leaders next month and they’ll be talking about a deficit reduction plan.


We just hope that he can stay awake for the whole meeting…"

Mike Huckabee's take on Paul Ryan's Budget Cut Proposal