Posted on 12/23/2007 5:41:56 AM PST by don-o
DAVENPORT, Iowa - To hear Mitt Romney tell it, Republican Mike Huckabee shares more with Democrat Bill Clinton than a hometown in Hope, Ark., and a stint as Arkansas governor.
Both men, Romney suggests, have left-leaning governing philosophies, particularly on taxes and spending.
"Governor Huckabee's record is more liberal than our nation needs right now," the former Massachusetts governor said in Iowa last week, seeking to link his GOP presidential rival to the former Democratic president who is loathed by many Republican loyalists.
Retorted Huckabee: "This nonsense about being a liberal is pure nonsense."
Romney started giving Huckabee that brand — and implicitly linking him to Clinton — as polls started showing a tight race in the first state to speak in the GOP nomination fight. Romney had led in Iowa for months, but Huckabee's recent rise here and elsewhere has prompted Romney to go after his opponent.
The effort may be paying off. Polls show Huckabee's double-digit lead dropping to single digits less than two weeks before the caucuses.
Romney's aides argue Huckabee's record as governor undercuts his claim that he's the only authentic conservative in the race. Romney himself has stopped short of explicitly saying his rival is simply another Clinton, though he's less shy about it in campaign literature mailed to thousands of Iowa Republicans.
He wouldn't bite this past week when pressed on whether Huckabee and Clinton were one and the same.
"They're very different people, and obviously the area of concern relates to spending and taxation. We think of Bill Clinton as being a tax raiser and a spender," Romney said — then mused that he had read somewhere that Huckabee had raised more taxes than Clinton when they were governors.
Asked whether Huckabee was more like him or Clinton, Romney sidestepped.
"I think you have to look issue by issue," he said.
I doubt the vast majority of them will.
Its a story of being politically shifty.
Clinton plays right from left.
Huckabee plays left from right.
A slick game of trickery however you play it.
Which is how we ended up with Jimmah
Both would say anything at all if they thought it might get them one more vote.
"Honest, I never noticed that glowing white cross that floats across the screen for 16 seconds and disappears behind my holy head."
Hows about a link to the story behind that pic?
Thanks!
Yep, you’ve got it nailed. The Huckster runs from the right, then governs from the left.
But really, comparing him with Jimmah??
That’s a bit harsh. At least the Huckster seems to be on America’s side in the war on Terror.
Huckabee not being a liberal is pure nonsense.
Huckabee is a liberal wearing a cheap suit with a joke tie.
BINGO!
The comparison stands when you recall how Jimmah's born again personna got him a lot of unquestioning supporters; especially in the South
Huckabee is a liberal who holds a couple of good conservative positions (such as on abortion). He’s for open borders, softness on crime, a welfarist nanny state, and the usual liberal blather on most things.
I can’t support his candidacy.
I can just see it now, how Hillary brings down Huckabee, over Huckabee's dog killing, airport gun toting, obese son David , who paid a fine of over 6 thousand dollars in Pennies, then we will all be stuck with Bubba and Hellary again.
I am so tired of the clintons and their clone, Huckabee.
Thanks!
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