I always did like Huckabee...

[galactical]

I'm surprised to even see this on Fox News.

Huckabee Calls McCain Debate Ploy a ‘Huge Mistake’

MOBILE, Ala. — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Thursday that Sen. John McCain made a “huge mistake” by even discussing canceling the presidential debate with Sen. Barack Obama.

McCain’s campaign has said the Republican wouldn’t participate in the Mississippi debate Friday unless there was a consensus on the financial crisis, but Obama still wants the debate to go on.

Huckabee defeated McCain in the Alabama GOP primary in February.

Huckabee said Thursday in Mobile that the people need to hear both candidates. He said that’s “far better than heading to Washington” to huddle with senators.

He said the candidates should level with the people about the financial crisis and say the “heart of this is greed.”

Huckabee said he still backs McCain’s candidacy, but said the Arizona senator should not have put his campaign on hold to deal with the financial crisis on Wall Street. He said a president must be prepared to “deal with the unexpected.”

“You can’t just say, ‘World stop for a moment. I’m going to cancel everything,”‘ Huckabee said.

Huckabee also was critical of President Bush’s handling of the crisis.

He said to lay the $700 billion obligation on the nation “in 24 hours” amounts to “holding the country hostage.”

“I just think the American people ought to be screaming their lungs out, saying to Congress, not so fast. That’s our money you’re giving away,” Huckabee said.

He said the burden of the $700 billion relief package will fall on the next generation and those in their teens and 20s.

Huckabee spoke to reporters before attending a benefit for the Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile. Huckabee is an ordained Southern Baptist minister.

While in Mobile, he also played a little blues guitar with a student group.

Since losing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Huckabee said he has formed a political action committee and advises other candidates.

“I don’t have any immediate plans to seek office,” he said.

[npincus]

1. because of Huckabee we got McCrap instead of Mittens

and I think Mittens would have been a slam-dunk... so, am not thrilled w/the Huckster.

[nxylas]

23. Huh?

You think Mittens would have been easier to defeat than the senile old man and the airhead? Please explain.

[npincus]

28. Romney spent a freaking fortune in Iowa and NH primaries

was running ads about 6 months before anyone, and still lost both... he consistently polled at or near the bottom in favoriblity polling in spite of his expenditures- there is somerthing inherently unlikeable and insincere about him. A g uy who would strap the family pet on the roof of his car for 12 hours is not going to be embraced by more than GOP partisans. I think Mittens did poorly among Independants as well.

[Phoonzang]

25. Mittens would have been able gain considerable ground with the economic crisis.

McCain is just relying on stunts. We'll see how they work.

[patrice]

29. If it had been Mittens the Crossovers would be a whole DIFFERENT bunch of people.

[Curtland1015]

2. WOW! This is blowing up right in McCain's face!

I always liked Huckabee too. A little too "conservativey" for me... but he seems very personable.

[SteelPenguin]

14. yeah personable

I wouldn't vote for him for any office under any circumstances....but he seems like he's probably a nice guy. Like one of those nice conservative religious guys who you can actually have a conversation with, even though you'll never sway them an inch.

[five_horizons]

33. Totally agree

On a personal level I like Huckabee too. He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

But I would vote for used gym socks before voting for him.

[quispquake]

38. Huckabee would have been a LOT of trouble for us...

He is very likable (always enjoy him when he's on Bill Maher). He makes funny jokes (i.e. as opposed to the general conservative jokes that are CRUEL not funny). And he's smart...I really thought McCain was gonna pick him, and I seriously don't think that would have been good for our side...

[Clio the Leo]

3. Anyone know WHY he wasn't picked as VP instead of Palin? ......

.... I mean if McCain wanted to sure up the Republican base, that would have done it.

Bonus: Huckabee actually knows what he's doing.

Bonus Bonus: He tells funny jokes.

[PBS Poll-435]

8. Poor Mike was not gimmicky enough

Plus, he had way too much experience.

Country First.

:rofl:

[moriah]

10. Bonus Bonus Bonus: He has a very smart wife!

From what I hear, Janet writes most of his jokes.

[TwilightGardener]

12. You thought the assassination joke about Obama was funny?

[moriah]

18. I don't think Janet wrote that one.

... it fell flat.

Janet is a very smart woman, I wish SHE would have run.

[gatorboy]

20. He was way too generous as governor of Arkansas.

The base would've been turned off by is work to defend illegal immigrants if it came out.

[moriah]

27. And he spent money on the roads!

As an Arkie, I had a "Get the Huck Out" bumper sticker on my car.

But I do like being able to drive on the beautiful back roads through the National Forest that are much safer now than when my mother took us on them and said a prayer each time. They were banked HORRIBLY for roads that were curvy and steep, and we had many fewer runaway truck ramps for when a big rig lost its breaks on a 16% grade downhill....

[gatorboy]

39. The thing is, Hick actualy did govern. He didn't really shove these conservative social issues on us

like Palin apparently did up in Alaska.

And speaking of the roads, it wasn't that long ago that McCain was hemming and hawing over Arkansas' pathetic little $2.5 million budget to pave the dirt roads as "wasteful". Fuck that guy!

[moriah]

42. I could wish he hadn't signed the marriage amendment...

... but hey, I can't have everything.

As far as paving dirt roads... some really need it. I lived down one. I often drove a dirt road from that place all the way to the nearest town, it did have pavement on the steepest portion thank Goodness.

Not sure if you've ever driven from Leslie to Chimes or Tilly, but you can either take 65 down to 254 and then head west, or you can take a cutoff road that comes up directly up the hill from Leslie, then end up on 254. The hill is paved, fortunately. :)

[patrice]

26. because he's Male.

McCan't bought into the man-hating that was/is emanating from certain quarters.

[patrice]

4. Is he a genuine Populist?

I was scared to death that McSame was going to pick Huckabee as VP.

[nxylas]

9. I think so

I think that's why he wasn't picked. The GOP grandees would never stand for it.

[TwilightGardener]

11. No. That was an act.

[olkaz]

17. He actually pretty much is.

If he wasn't such a religious nut, he'd actually be close to a centrist democrat.

On economic issues, he is actually quite reasonable.

[kenny blankenship]

5. Hey back off! Everybody needs "personal days"

Let John McCain take his.

[liberalMOmama]

24. Personal days are okay

But I think he really needs to retire and play lots and lots of golf, preferably in Scotland.

[moriah]

6. Yeah... what's going to happen if we have a financial crisis and ....

... then China threatens nuclear war?

"Sorry, Hu Jintao, but I have to put you on hold, we've got a crisis to deal with and I've suspended all government."

[TwilightGardener]

7. People forget what a psycho whack-job Huckabee is--and was a petty thief too.

Can't stand him--he's Palin in pants with more experience.

[iamthebandfanman]

16. exactly

a group of canadians from a television show tricked him into thinking canada had a 'national igloo' that needed to be saved because it was melting back when he was gov too... lol


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfSN4fnXwKM&feature=related

[Myrina]

13. ... it looks like EVERY TIME there is a crisis, McCain hides.

'Hero' or ZERO ??


Inquiring minds want to know ... :shrug:

[qanda]

15. He should share those points with Clinton

I'm sure the right feels the same about Huckabee as many on the left feel about Clinton

[LeftinOH]

19. I never liked him = fundie, provincial doofus.

[southpaw]

21. Didn't like him then

Don't like him now.

Broken clocks and all that.

Throw in a few sour grapes...

[blueclown]

22. Huckabee steps off the reservation.

Will the GOP stand for this?

[Essene]

30. He's my favorite religious-right theocrat =D

[spanone]

31. i can't stand the right wing sob, regardless

[genna]

32. His 'aw shucks' is a front for some mean spirited-ness. Look at how wonderful McCain was UNTIL he

ran for President in 2008.

He was loveable, affable and a hell of a guy until he showed his true character. Look you all forgot how horrible he was in some of those jokes about Obama's health safety and well-being. His assassination joke was a week before Hillary's throw off on Obama.


I don't like Huckabee's conservative views on most things either.

[THUNDER HANDS]

34. he was the only one with a legit shot at beating Obama this year

[TlalocW]

35. The Huckster is a dangerous fundie nutjob

The main difference between him and the others is that he can dial that side of him back and come off, "Aw, shucks," in a way that people like.

But instead of a malevolent grin while, say, taking away a woman's right to choose, it would be a down-home, good ol' boy one.

TlalocW

[cboy4]

36. Fundie in disguise. You'd see him get more extreme if he

were one of the candidates.

[orwell]

37. While he is right about most of his comments...

...I am amazed at how so many of the Pugs are suddenly concerned about the deficit/debt. We are on the books for over 400 Billion this year alone plus another 100 Billion plus off books for the disaster in Iraq.

We currently owe close to 10 Trillion on the debt, largely the result of three presidents, Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.

Spare me the born again conversions. Look at your own house Mike.

[RoadRage]

40. Alright.. we've got Huckabee.. they've got Bill Clinton..

Glad to see that each "team" has a guy that thinks is playing for the other team.

Not that I think any of it matters.. people who like & respect Bill are still voting Obama. People who like & respect Hickabee are still gonna vote McCain.

[gatorboy]

43. And they're both planning for 2012.

[Arkansas Granny]

41. I didn't agree with many of Huckabee's political views, but basically I believe

he is a decent person. I gained a lot of respect for him in the Katrina aftermath and what he did for the evacuees who came to Arkansas. He showed real compassion and spearheaded the effort because it was "the right thing to do".