Posted on 09/28/2007 5:21:00 PM PDT by pissant
WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee ripped the Bush administration's war against terrorism Friday, delivering a bold and potentially risky speech that could establish the former Arkansas governor as the maverick among top Republican candidates and test his party's loyalty to President Bush.
''This administration's bunker mentality has been counterproductive both at home and abroad,'' Huckabee said in opening a broad indictment of Bush's style and policy.
The speech came after several top Republican candidates started distancing themselves from Bush, vowing change on such issues as illegal immigration and federal spending even as they endorsed Bush's foreign policy.
By going much further than his rivals have in attacking Bush, Huckabee could draw attention to a campaign that's inched up in polls in recent months but still lacks the money and organization that can compete head-on with better-known, better-financed candidates such as Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.
In first-to-vote Iowa, for example, an average of four recent polls put Huckabee fourth among Republican candidates with 10.3 percent, ahead of John McCain and within five points of Giuliani and Thompson, but far behind front-runner Romney, according to RealClearPolitics.com.
His strong stand also could give him the kind of maverick image that McCain courted in 2000, which appeals to independent voters in states such as New Hampshire, where they can vote in the Republican primary.
But it also could turn off the majority of Republicans who still like Bush.
''He's trying to carve out a responsible alternative to the administration's foreign policy,'' said Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University in Iowa. ``But I don't know that it will do him any good in the Republican Party. While there is a lot of grumbling in the Republican Party about Bush, they're still pretty loyal.''
On one hotly debated issue, Huckabee endorsed Bush's surge of troops into Iraq, urging more time for that to work and criticizing Democratic proposals to get troops out as an invitation to chaos.
But beyond that, he differed with Bush across the map, using language more often heard from Democrats. He accused the administration of shunning allies and turning world sentiment against the United States.
''They've done a poor job of communicating and consulting countries much as they have, frankly, the American people,'' Huckabee told about 150 people at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a center-right think tank in Washington. ``Our prestige in the world has been marred.''
On Iran, he said Bush blew a chance to improve relations right after the 2001 terrorist attacks and that the United States should be talking to Iran today.
''When we first invaded Afghanistan, Iran helped, especially in dealings with their ally, the Northern Alliance,'' he said. ``They wanted to join us in fighting al Qaeda. ... The CIA and State Department supported a partnership. Some in the White House and beyond did not. And when President Bush included Iran in the axis of evil, everything went downhill pretty fast.''
Even with today's sour relations, he said the United States should talk to Iran and use the promise of better relations and increased trade as well as the threat of economic isolation to persuade the country to abandon its nuclear program.
''The administration has quite properly said it will not take the military option off the table. But if we don't put some other options on the table, eventually the military option becomes the only viable one. Right now we're proceeding down only one track,'' he said.
He all but echoed Democrat Barack Obama in opening the door to strike al Qaeda in Pakistan even without that government's approval, saying the Bush administration has a ''muddle of policy'' there.
He questioned whether Bush was in charge at a critical point in the hunt for al Qaeda. He said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called off a 2005 raid into Pakistan to nab Osama bin Laden's top deputy because the mission had grown just large enough that he thought it would need the Pakistan government's approval.
``Why did Rumsfeld call it off and not President Bush? Did the president even know about it? ... When I'm president, I will make the final call on such action, not my secretary of defense.''
''When we first invaded Afghanistan, Iran helped, especially in dealings with their ally, the Northern Alliance,'' he said. ``They wanted to join us in fighting al Qaeda. ... The CIA and State Department supported a partnership. Some in the White House and beyond did not. And when President Bush included Iran in the axis of evil, everything went downhill pretty fast.''
``Our prestige in the world has been marred.''
Huckabee....take a hike, you moronic democrat.
Buh bye Huck.
Hey Mike....this won’t win you any points man.
Wow, put my foot in my mouth. Ive been saying he was a decent guy.
No more.
during the recent debate he was pandering and it was obvious. clearly he’s being advised to go in a second direction. what a shame, he’s well spoken and had a shot.
None of the GOP candidates are running as a continuance of Bush, nor should they. But Huckabee went so far, one can only assume he’s courting the Ron Paul vote.
I had previously posted an editorial speculating on Huckabee being the Vice Presidential nominee. In light of this speech, that’s obviously not a good idea.
I guess he is going after the Ron Paul crowd.
What bunker mentality? Bush's bunker doesn't even have any walls!
ping
I going to post the exact same thing.
...and abandon it's support of Shiite terrorists in Iraq, Syria, Hamas, Hezbullah, Chavez, turn over all terrorists within its borders, disband the Al Quds Force, release all political prisoners, pay reparations to all US servicemen and families killed maimed by it's proxy army in Iraq, allow free elections, resign, etc, etc, etc
There's more to Iran than just a nuclear program....
“Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee ripped the Bush
administration’s war against terrorism Friday, delivering a bold
and potentially risky speech that could establish the former
Arkansas governor as the maverick “
“Maverick”?
More like Moronic Panderer For Votes from Hispanic members of the
US Military.
Not the first time Huckabee has tried a shameless attempt to get
Hispanic/Latino/Illegal support!
I suspect he’d be shocked to see a majority of US Military doing
hitches in Iraq and Afghanistan saying “stay the course”,
“complete the mission” and “don’t let my buddies (OF ANY STRIPE)
die for nothing!”.
Huckabee has drunk from the same well as Bubba and Hillary!!!
Huckabee: Hispanics (illegals) Offer U.S. ‘Second Chance’ Arkansas Governor supports amnesty
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1749993/posts
At thiu rate he won’t even get the Mens Room crowd...what an idiot
Its a damn shame. I was solidly behind the guy. Now... I’m not so sure. Suggesting that we talk to Iran is completely off the table with me. And the ‘world opinion’ rhetoric is straight out of the Liberal playbook.
Thanks for the heads up.
This idiot is a republican?
Nope, “President Huckabee” just doesn’t quite sound right.
“Wow, put my foot in my mouth. Ive been saying he was a decent guy.”
You must not have seen his race pandering last night, when he was throwing the Republican party under the bus.
Get a life Mike.
To think I thought he would be someone I would back a year ago, not a chance now.
Speaking of President Bush blowing chances, Mike Huckabee has, IMO, blown whatever residual chance he had of being a meaningful political figure in Arkansas. The RATS have all of the candidates they need and the only route for Republicans is up so we will look for candidates who are committed Republicans to run for office. I will not vote for a person who tries to climb the political ladder on the back of good, decent, fellow Republicans. I especially abhor Republicans who cater to the the quote, Worldview.
Huckabee’s been criticizing Republicans by name for months, which is why I never considered him.
He should spend his time attacking the Dems.
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