Thompson Highlights Huckabee Misstep

By: John Bentley
Topics: Fred Thompson

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley:

PELLA, IOWA -- Just three short blocks from where Mike Huckabee was speaking at The Pizza Ranch in Pella, Iowa, Fred Thompson had harsh words for the Iowa front-runner from the Smokey Row Coffee House.

"I think that statements like 'we need to apologize' – I'm not sure what Governor Huckabee meant when he said we needed to apologize for this assassination," Thompson said, referring to a Huckabee quote that his campaign later clarified.

"I'm more concerned with what people around the world will think when they see a presidential candidate was apologizing for the assassination of former Prime Minister Bhutto."

It was a rare unprovoked attack on Huckabee. Thompson has been reluctant to single out his opponents by name recently, and he was answering a question about the Democrats reaction to the assassination when he made the statement.

Thompson said his main concern was how that remark, where Huckabee offered "our sincere concern and apologies for what has happened in Pakistan," could be misinterpreted by other countries.

"I wish he would clarify that because I don't want that to be mistaken by other people around the world in terms of the implication that the U.S. somehow owed someone an apology about that assassination," Thompson continued. "That's hard to understand."

The Huckabee campaign tried to help the senator understand. They later clarified that the governor meant "sympathies," not apologies.

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by giantrobot2 December 30, 2007 11:39 AM EST: Iowa voters have honor and integrity. They will be bought like pawns from the extremelly rich like Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

Iown voters want a candidate who will earn their respect the good old fashion way. Mike Huckabee has been out on the campaign trail doing just that. Out of all the candidates, Mike Huckabee is the best known for being the most humble, charismatic and trustworthy candidate.

Iowa voters will not be fooled by super wealthy who want to buy the presidency. Iowans have integrity and honor.; Reply to this comment


by giantrobot2 December 29, 2007 1:43 PM EST: Everyone should go to Mike Huckabee''''s web home page and watch the brillant speech he gave in Washington about terrorism.

It was magnificant, he went into great depths as to why the terrorist are fighting us. Mike Huckabee is an extremelly intelligent man. He really understands the root cause of the issue. He wants to drill down and resolve the root cause, not just put out a fire.

Fred doesnt havent a clue what he is talking about, really! He rambles on in speeches leaving the viewer perpexed as to what he just said.

Fred Thompson is one of those I dont want to get in their and fix the details guy, he is the type of person who rambles on with speeches trying to confuse the listener that he knows something.

Mike Huckabee is the "roll up the sleeves" type guy. He wants to get to the root cause. He wants to "prevent it" not just "fix it" attidude.

Go watch his speech, it was totally magnificant. Mike Huckabee is extremelly intelligent.; Reply to this comment


by drnewknee December 29, 2007 12:27 PM EST: Iraq can''t have an Islamic priest as president but it''s OK for the U.S. to have an ordained minister.; Reply to this comment


by edw987 December 29, 2007 12:23 PM EST: To answer the critics about Pastor Huckabee''s foreign policy experience: Pastor Huckabee punctuated a point about hiring John Bolton as his foreign policy advisor yesterday by discharging his shotgun over the reporters'' heads. In the ensuing ruckus, he didn''t have time to mention that he is also advised by Kofi Annan, Henry Kissinger, and Mikhail Gorbachev. The other thing that has not been mentioned is an explanation of Pastor Huckabee''s comment about Pakistanis entering the US illegally. What Pastor Huckabee probably meant was that rather than coming in from Mexico, the Pakistanis could be smuggled in by cargo containers originating from the so-called geographically shared eastern border with Afghanistan. This would make sense because, as Pastor Huckabee mentioned, martial law is being enforced in Pakistan, so that everyone else must remain inside their homes which would allow terrorism suspects to slip into the containers unnoticed for journey to the US. Pastor Huckabee apologized for the Pakistani affair because he is a true Christian and that is what Christians do.; Reply to this comment


by ih2005 December 29, 2007 12:03 AM EST: For Gawd''s sake, we''ve been shelling out billions to Mushareff, expecting to help usher in Democracy; we worked to pave the way for Bhutto to return, and then we didn''t demand that adequate security be provided?? What was Bush/Rice thinking?

Huckabee is on target! And Fred is one sleepy dude who ought to go and enjoy his beautiful (and personable) wife (whom I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with, personally, up in Mackinaw earlier this year).

Mike has a clear sense of what he wants to accomplish on a variety of issues, and he''s pretty clear on them. Witness: http://snipr.com/reaganhuckabee; Reply to this comment


by dominodonkey December 28, 2007 11:13 PM EST: DSHOUP3 i assume you are a tree good bush bad genius that thinks all bad things came because of W. you won''t be happy until one of the dems takes us to socialism but i assure you that bush makes huckabee look like a 1st grader.; Reply to this comment


by Ruidu December 28, 2007 10:14 PM EST: Arkansas72, you play for the other team....

It%u2019s who will remove the %u201CFor Sale%u201D sign from the White House stupid, not who has the most foreign policy credentials!; Reply to this comment


by swifthare-2009 December 28, 2007 9:40 PM EST: On Dec 4, 2007, Mike Huckabee said on the Don Imus show,

"I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night."

This guy needs to run for President of comedy central not President of the United States of America! It is downright scary that some take this guy as a serious candidate for President.; Reply to this comment


by swifthare-2009 December 28, 2007 9:37 PM EST: On Dec 4, 2007, Mike Huckabee said on the Don Imus show,

"I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night."

This guy needs to run for President of comedy central not President of the United States of America! It is downright scary that some take this guy as a serious candidate for President.; Reply to this comment


by dominodonkey December 28, 2007 9:34 PM EST: I''m from arkansas and i have seen huckabee''s political ideas for long enough. the guy taxed everything from used cars to labor. he never found a felon he didn''t love and the only thing he did the entire time was a pickle diet. my vote is for fred. huckabee talks a good game but that is all he has.; Reply to this comment