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Romney: Huckabee Critique Un-Republican
AP on Breitbart.com ^ | 12/16/07 | Jim Kuhnhenn - ap

Posted on 12/15/2007 10:40:51 AM PST by NormsRevenge

HUMBOLDT, Iowa (AP) - Mitt Romney accused Republican presidential rival Mike Huckabee of "running from the wrong party" for criticizing President Bush's foreign policy as an "arrogant bunker mentality."

Romney defended Bush against Huckabee's charge, which the former Arkansas governor leveled in the January-February issue of the respected journal Foreign Affairs.

"I can't believe he'd say that," Romney said to a gathering of about 100 supporters in a restaurant here. "I had to look again—did this come from Barack Obama or from Hillary Clinton? Did it come from John Edwards? No, it was Governor Huckabee."

Romney has been aggressively criticizing Huckabee, stressing differences over immigration and economic policy in hopes of recapturing a lead he had enjoyed in Iowa for most of the year. Huckabee's Foreign Affairs article, made public Friday, offered another line of attack.

"I'm the last person to say that this administration is subject to an arrogant, bunker mentality that is counterproductive here and abroad," he said. "The truth of the matter is this president has kept us safe these past six years and that has not been easy to do."

Still, Romney carefully stressed that he believed the administration had engaged in missteps during the war in Iraq and said his defense of Bush did not mean he would follow the president's current policy to the letter.

"We were under-prepared and under-planned and understaffed," he said of the war following the fall of Saddam Hussein. "There is no question we weren't perfectly managed."

Romney would not go as far as suggesting that Huckabee's written views indicated he was not ready for the presidency, turning aside a reporter's question by saying "I'm going to let other people make that assessment."

But Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said the article "suggests that he does lack depth when it comes to dealing with other nations."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: critique; huckabee; romney; unrepublican
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He's cut from the same cloth as Schwarzenkennedy. What do you expect?
1 posted on 12/15/2007 10:40:52 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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He's cut from the same cloth as Schwarzenkennedy.

Huck, that is.

Republican presidential hopeful former Massachussets Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to local residents during a campaign stop Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, in Humboldt, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

2 posted on 12/15/2007 10:42:07 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
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To: NormsRevenge; fieldmarshaldj

Wow . Mitt the panderer knee-jerked this issue in record time ...he’s getting faster everyday ...


3 posted on 12/15/2007 10:43:38 AM PST by Neu Pragmatist (Your friendly resident drive-by poster , it's for a great cause ! Stop the RINO's - VOTE FRED !)
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To: NormsRevenge

I assume you’re talking about both Mitt and the Huckster.


4 posted on 12/15/2007 10:43:41 AM PST by NavVet (If you don't defend conservatism in the Primary, you won't have it to defend in the Election)
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To: NormsRevenge

How many of us have criticized the way the war has been fought over the past few years? Most all of us at one point or another. I agree that we’re not running for president, so we’re held to a diff standard.... but I doubt that 1% of FR thinks we have fought this war the way we should have.


5 posted on 12/15/2007 10:44:08 AM PST by kjam22 (see me play the guitar here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noHy7Cuoucc)
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To: NavVet

“We were under-prepared and under-planned and understaffed,” he said of the war following the fall of Saddam Hussein. “There is no question we weren’t perfectly managed.”

Based on that statement, you might well be correct. ;-)


6 posted on 12/15/2007 10:45:24 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
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To: kjam22

It’s too bad the blame for the way the war was fought is not also laid at the feet of those who allowed it to get to the point it got.

Folks can bash the administration all they want, but they ought not forget what came before that brought the mess into being, and also all the little intelligence intrigues and games that have been played out in the media as well, most of them by folks sworn to protect our nation, not place it in danger for their own political agendas..


7 posted on 12/15/2007 10:48:49 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
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To: NormsRevenge

agree 100%


8 posted on 12/15/2007 10:49:50 AM PST by kjam22 (see me play the guitar here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noHy7Cuoucc)
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To: kjam22

Huckabee’s comments were beyond acceptable disagreement. They sounded like the NYT’s editorial board, or something Matt Lauer would say.

I have disagreed with GWB on how the war was run, and believed for years that Rumsfeld needed to be fired - but I never talked about GWB & the WOT like Huck.

Huckabee channeling Chris Matthews isn’t going to win much republican support!


9 posted on 12/15/2007 10:50:09 AM PST by Mr Rogers (Amnesty is Huckabee's middle name!)
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To: Mr Rogers

I agree. Now if he would only follow that up with a plan to tactical nuke areas of the middle east.... then he’d be “on target”. :)


10 posted on 12/15/2007 10:52:02 AM PST by kjam22 (see me play the guitar here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noHy7Cuoucc)
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To: Neu Pragmatist; NormsRevenge

I can take over. lol. He is right.


11 posted on 12/15/2007 10:52:47 AM PST by libbylu (Mitt is the smartest,the best organized/organizer,looks most like a president,and is CUTE TO BOOT.)
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To: Neu Pragmatist
I thought Mitt’s comments were appropriate and well timed. What Huckabee said sounded like Pelosi or Hairy Reed (:-) couldn’t resist—lol.). I thought he was running for the Republican nomination, not to pander to the leftist socialist, Bush paranoia clan. Romney however spoke to my initial reaction as well and he was right to get this out there ASAP as it disgusted other Republicans as well.

Nothing wrong with Mitt doing his job. He is a politician and wants our vote and not to see it go elsewhere. He also realizes unlike Huck that he what his goal is and that is to win the REPUBLICAN nomination, not the Dem. If Huck is switching when he needs to appeal to us conservatives now what will he do when he is in office?

Can’t fault a man (Romney) for jumping on a hand made opportunity. It is Huck that is off base here jumping on the Sean Penn band wagon with all the other leftist whack jobs.

12 posted on 12/15/2007 10:52:56 AM PST by GOP Poet
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To: NormsRevenge

Huckabee is a populist — the most dangerous kind of politician there is. That’s why he’s sounding more and more like a Democrat in his rhetoric. He’s pro-life and pro-gun, but he’s still a populist Democrat.


13 posted on 12/15/2007 10:53:14 AM PST by Always A Marine
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To: GOP Poet

I agree. The Huckster just dropped to one step above Ron Paul and just below McQueeg in my opinion.


14 posted on 12/15/2007 11:08:37 AM PST by Parley Baer
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To: kjam22

but I doubt that 1% of FR thinks we have fought this war the way we should have.

Not nearly aggressively enough early in occupation! Too damn much “compassion” from W.

Huckleberry looks to be starting a melt-down. Last thing we need is another “man from Hope”.


15 posted on 12/15/2007 11:15:14 AM PST by dusttoyou (FredHead from the git go)
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To: NormsRevenge

Huckabee’s rhetoric against a fellow republican is deplorable. Did he forget he’s in the running to become the republican nominee, not the democratic nominee?


16 posted on 12/15/2007 11:20:41 AM PST by psjones (u)
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To: psjones

If you look at the positions on Huckabee’s website, it seems fine.

There really isn’t a perfect candidate in the race.. nor will there ever be. Even Reagan had trouble dealing with Jihadists.. and direct supervision of projects/events was not his strong suit.

I like Huckabee and Rudi. Romney just is not genuine.. similar to the Clintons. Fred simply lacks energy, and the other candidates are too weak in support.


17 posted on 12/15/2007 11:27:45 AM PST by Count of Monte Logan
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To: NormsRevenge
The press often misrepresents Republicans. For all I know this could have happened here. So, I would like to hear Huckabee’s words in context. But if this is his thinking, then Romney’s response is right on the money (again).
18 posted on 12/15/2007 11:28:08 AM PST by ChessExpert (Reagan dismantled the Russian empire of 21 conquered nations)
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To: Neu Pragmatist

Yeh he actually beat Fred this time.


19 posted on 12/15/2007 11:28:10 AM PST by codercpc
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To: codercpc

Thompson means it when he says it ....Romney the panderer otoh ...well ...


20 posted on 12/15/2007 11:34:35 AM PST by Neu Pragmatist (Your friendly resident drive-by poster , it's for a great cause ! Stop the RINO's - VOTE FRED !)
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