Huckabee Insists No Trick With Ad

[Pale Rider]

Huckabee Insists No Trick With Ad



2008-01-02 03:02:59
By LIBBY QUAID Associated Press Writer

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee insisted he wasn't trying to pull a fast one when he played a negative TV commercial for the media even as he promised not to air it for voters.

"It was not trying to be tricky; it was trying to be as honest as I could," the former Arkansas governor said Tuesday. "If I'd have really wanted to be tricky, I would have let the ad run three days and then say, 'No, I've had a change of mind."

Huckabee had called a news conference Monday to say he was going negative in Iowa, where he is in a tight race with Mitt Romney, and to play the ad that was going to hit the airwaves.

Instead, he said he had a last-minute change of heart and would not air it. Yet he played the ad anyway, prompting incredulous laughter from the media.

Reporters peppered him with questions about it on Tuesday.

"You know, at the time, I thought it was an important way to prove that we actually had it," he said of the ad. "Probably if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have shown it. And you would have said 'Aww, show it, you don't really have one,' and then you would've beaten me up for not showing it.

Complete article... (http://charter.net/news/news_reader.php?storyid=14281491&feedid=224)

[Pale Rider]

I think the ole Huckster has a sneaky side that's just starting to show. He's got a plan and an excuse for everything. Reminds me of Clinton.

[Kathianne]

I think the ole Huckster has a sneaky side that's just starting to show. He's got a plan and an excuse for everything. Reminds me of Clinton.

LOL! I've been dying to post this in context:

http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2838


Huckabee Unveils Dirt He Won't Use Against Rivals
by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace · 32 Comments

(2008-01-01) — To further demonstrate his commitment to a positive campaign strategy, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee today showed reporters a Powerpoint presentation of opposition research that his staff has compiled against his top GOP rivals and announced he would not be using any of it in his effort to win his party’s nomination.

The revelations come just a day after Mr. Huckabee held a news conference to unveil to reporters an attack ad against Mitt Romney Mitt-Romney-MBA Sep-07 that his campaign will not broadcast in the waning hours before Thursday’s Iowa caucuses.

In today’s 47-minute narrated presentation, the former Arkansas governor revealed the findings of private investigators, as well as leaks from Democrat operatives, and innuendo “that we haven’t had time to confirm yet”, all of which Mr. Huckabee said “would never be released by his campaign, except to you people at this press conference, whom I have come to know and trust.”

The collection of political ammunition, known to campaign insiders as “the Huckabee dirt bag”, includes potentially-damaging, allegations about Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson Fred-Thompson-Failed-Hearings Nov-07 and John McCain, which “could prove devastating, or even true, if we had time to do more research.”

“But what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul,” said Mr. Huckabee, “which is why I’m not going take the traditional route of highlighting my opponents’ flaws and potential scandals, even though, as you can see, there’s no shortage of material for that.”

To “prove his sincerity,” Mr. Huckabee’s staffers gave copies of the Powerpoint presentation, along with 653 pages of supporting documentation, and dozens of audio and video clips to political reporters at the news conference.

“If I didn’t show this material to you,” he said, “you’d probably think I didn’t really have any dirt on Mitt, Fred and John, and so you would never realize how gracious I have been in refusing to use the kind of garbage that would virtually guarantee a Huckabee victory.”

[darin]

what a buffoon. "I have this bad info, and attack ad...watch it! BUT I won't use it." blah blah blah...I think the Huckster layed an egg w/ this one. :(

[avatar4321]

what a buffoon. "I have this bad info, and attack ad...watch it! BUT I won't use it." blah blah blah...I think the Huckster layed an egg w/ this one. :(

No kidding. not to mention the "facts" in his attack ad were completely false. For example, he said Romney didn't sentence anyone to the death penalty. (he really isnt one to complain about this to begin with) but he doesnt mention that Massachusetts doesnt have the death penalty. What the heck does he expect. Romney going around to the various prisons with a shot gun to take out the most egregious criminals? I mean some of us might think thats a good idea but it is against the law.

So basically Huckabee criticized Romney for not breaking the law. its ridiculous.