Posted on 01/13/2008 1:01:49 PM PST by TornadoAlley3
Six days before South Carolina Republicans go to the polls, the spat between the Southerners who need to win that crucial primary -- former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- continues to get uglier and uglier, even as both men tread more lightly on the candidate who leads the most recent poll in that state, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"Fred Thompson talks about putting America first, and yet he's the one who is a registered foreign agent, lobbied for foreign countries, was in a law firm that did lobbying work for Libya," Huckabee charged Sunday morning on CNN.
Thompson, who had launched an aggressive attack against Huckabee's record during Thursday night's GOP debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., responded by insinuating that Huckabee is in truth nastier than his sunny demeanor, is unprepared for the presidency, and is making personal attacks while Thompson is "talking about issues concerning this country."
Huckabee has "raised enough money now to get some hit pieces and dredge up personal stuff and personal accusations against me," Thompson told CNN. "And now you're seeing the real Mike Huckabee come out. So, I think we've done a favor to the American people. Because these are serious times, and they require somebody that knows what they're doing and doesn't walk into a situation with foreign representatives and heads of foreign nations with training wheels on."
Since 1980, no Republican has won the presidency without first winning the South Carolina primary. But in this year's unpredictable GOP contest, with any number of possible nominees and no clear frontrunner, the South Carolina primary has taken on extra importance -- for Huckabee and Thompson in particular.
Huckabee needs to demonstrate that his Iowa caucus victory Jan. 3 wasn't a fluke, and that his scotch-tape-and-rubber-bands campaign is capable of going national. For his part, Thompson needs to win somewhere. Anywhere.
Addressing the substance of Huckabee's charges, Thompson Sunday acknowledged he was "in a law firm that did some lobbying work for Libya," but his involvement was minimal. He said he'd registered with the government because of "five minutes' worth of contribution" to discussions about another client, Haiti.
"It was totally consistent with the policies of this country, where a dictatorship had taken over that country and we were opposing that," Thompson said.
During the Republican debate Thursday night, Thompson -- about whom even his supporters complain of less-than-energetic campaigning -- showed remarkable pep and vigor, attacking Huckabee for having overseen a net tax increase as Arkansas governor, for having pushed merit scholarships for the children of illegal immigrants, and for having suggested he would sign a nation-wide ban on smoking in public places. He took issue with comments Huckabee made that the Bush administration had demonstrated an "arrogant bunker mentality" in its foreign policy.
"On the one hand, you have the Reagan revolution," Thompson said during the debate. "You have the Reagan coalition of limited government and strong national security. On the other hand, you have the direction that Gov. Huckabee would take us in. He would be a Christian leader, but he would also bring about liberal economic policies, liberal foreign policies. .. That's not the model of the Reagan coalition. That's the model of the Democratic Party."
Huckabee didn't respond much during the debate, but appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday morning, he took his well-known wit literally below the belt, joking, "I think Fred needs some Metamucil. I think it would help a lot. He was in a bad mood last night."
Campaigning Friday in Michigan, Huckabee went on the attack more substantively.
"It was real interesting hearing Fred Thompson talk about Ronald Reagan last night," Huckabee said. "Because Fred Thompson supported [then-President] Gerald Ford in 1976 and not Ronald Reagan. He supported [then-Sen.] Howard Baker in 1980 and not Ronald Reagan. I appreciate his recent conversion, but some of us were for Ronald Reagan back in the early days; our legacy goes back a little further."
Huckabee also tried to paint Thompson as having been an undistinguished senator.
"Eight years is a pretty long time to get a check from the federal government and not be able to say" he was responsible for any major legislation, Huckabee said.
On Saturday, Thompson called the criticism of his previous support of Ford and Baker as "kind of silly. Howard Baker was my mentor and personal friend in Tennessee for years and years. If you check the record, Gov. Huckabee supported Democrats on a fairly consistent basis in his days in Arkansas politics. I don't think he wants to get into that discussion. We'll see."
Of Huckabee's Metamucil's joke, on Sunday morning Thompson said "his response was to return fire with some potty humor. That's the best he could come up with for the last three days."
He added that he was happy to compare his record to Huckabee's, whom he described as "having raised taxes $500 million more than he cut." He described Huckabee's criticisms of the Bush administration as "blame-America-first comments," and pointed out, correctly, the Huckabee campaign chairman Ed Rollins had called the Reagan coalition dead.
Huckabee, Thompson charged, "talked around the subject and smiled and giggled and told a couple of jokes. When I came back, I said, 'You know, this is about the heart and mind of the Republican Party, because I don't believe it [the Reagan coalition] is [dead].'"
Said Huckabee, "The Writers Guild strike needs to end soon. Fred's got to get some better lines. Calling me a liberal would be laughable in Arkansas, where people recognized -- if anything, they called me this ultra-conservative guy. ... It's always interesting to me, when people get desperate, they start grabbing for anything."
Thompson responded that he had been asking questions about Huckabee's support for closing down the prison at Guantanamo Bay, his support for public programs for the children of illegal immigrants, and the fact that he was endorsed by a teachers' union.
"These are substantive issues," Thompson said. "These are not personal attacks. If the governor wants to get into personal attacks and things that happened some years ago and things that they've done and allegations, there's enough on the record in Arkansas that will keep us busy for the rest of this campaign."
Or at least until Saturday.
I don’t defend Huck on Gitmo.
As for straining at gnats, that’s exactly what perturbs me about FredHeads. Most of what I’ve posted on this thread today is to give a dose of their own medicine. Admittedly, some of the arguments are convoluted, but nonetheless as valid as lot’s of garbage I see posted by Fred supporters.
Hucks taking a lot of undeserved, double standard hits — and he was absolutely right in the debate: It’s a whole lot different governing, than jawboning in the Senate. As an example, where was Fred as the immigration crisis was looming and he was in a Repubican majority? Why should we believe he’ll be any better now? As for Huck, Reagan raised taxes as Governor in California, yet we hold him up as the virtuous tax cutter.
I think part of the problem is conservatives don’t know what they want right now, let alone knowing how to get there. The truth is, we face major problems in this country and all the easy answers are used up.
There were no College Republicans I was aware of on campus in 1980, and by ‘84 I was in radio and a “political” reporter.............LOL!!!!
I had the absolute beejeeezus scared out of me when Pres. Bush 41 gave a speech in Dover, DE. My office was less than a football field away from his podium and my desk faced where he was speaking. I was used to the wind rattling the mail slot on the front door, but that nose of that dog the SS guy had was NOT expected!!!!!!!!! Nor was the face of the dog in the window as it ran it’s nose through my flower box.
Sen. Baker helped shepherd Pres. Reagan's agenda. He later served as his Chief of Staff. Mike Huckabee's campaign is now making robocalls in Michigan and South Carolina, asking Democrats to cross over and vote for him in the primary election. I won't even bother pointing out Mike Huckabee's many positions in Arkansas that would make any conservative cringe.
I ask you, who has been more loyal to the conservative principles? Sen. Baker or Mike Huckabee?
I have to agree with you there, but I also have to admit it is one of the few things you have posted in this entire thread I agree with, and I read through this entire thread before I posted to it.
Yes, it doesn't matter how you voted recently as Senator or governor. It only matters who supported in the GOP primary in 1976 and 1980..
This is a known lie as to Fred throwing her away. The divorce happened about sixteen years before he married Jeri.
Other things are wrong with your statement.
Sarah has been interviewed in local Tennessee papers and does not say what you are saying.
So quote a source. Got a link for this lie?
Just to get a taste of Baker's thinking look here. Of course the ultimate choice, Kennedy would be considered a swing vote. A rather nasty term in Freeperland. But admittedly, Baker was the loyal lieutenant to Reagan. If Baker would have been calling his own shot, I'd guess we'd gotten another Souter type justice.
I would expect no less than a hard core conservative on the scale of Scalia/Roberts/Alito from Huckabee.
“Reason being is that Ford was the Veep at the time”
Check your history son. In 1976 Ford was the sitting incumbent president.
You have had so many wonderful taglines. Bravo.
Huckabee does nothing for me. I hope I won’t have to vote for him either in primaries or general election. SCAreee.
Thank you.
Still, other White House officials seemed to put some distance between Mr. Baker and the decision to nominate Judge Bork, which is creating a major confrontation with Congress. One associate of Mr. Baker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the chief of staff had no qualms about the judge's qualifications or ideology, but was concerned at the prospect of a tough confirmation battle in the Senate, where Mr. Baker was the Republican leader for eight years.
''Bork will be a good choice,'' Mr. Baker said in the interview. ''He'll have a tough time getting confirmed but he is stunningly smart.'' 'It Was Reagan's Decision'
So what is wrong with this statement? He was right. Bork was smart, but he did have a tough time getting confirmed.
Yep.
I would expect no less than a hard core conservative on the scale of Scalia/Roberts/Alito from Huckabee.
I did not see anything damning in that NYT article regarding Baker. Mike Huckabee has made worse comments regarding our current President and the administration's process.
As for judicial appointments, I have a difficult time trusting a man who plays fast and loose with a quip and with facts, such as Huckabee. I have a difficult time trusting a man who seemed to give out clemencies like crackerjack toys.
I agree. But nobody is as crazy as McCain. His position on illegals is the worst!
I’m not suggesting there’s anything damning. But think about it. If Bush’s Chief of Staff talked like that about his SC nominee, we’d all be through the roof. It hardly sounds like Baker was ready to go to the wall for Bork.
Also, I see some personal migration in Fred Thompson. He may have agreed with Howard Baker more on certain issues in the 1970s and 1980s.
On a personal note; I have met people who worked with Howard Baker and Fred Thompson in the 1970s. They were rock-solid people of high principles. Surrounding yourself with good people counts an extra point or two with me. Even if I disagree on certain issues, when it hits the fan, I will trust a person more if they have used that wisdom.
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