Romney Almost Compares Huckabee To Bill Clinton

By: Scott Conroy
Topics: Mitt Romney

(CBS)

From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

BELLEVUE, IOWA -- Pardons and commutations. It's an issue on which Mitt Romney has hammered Mike Huckabee over the past couple of weeks. Romney has criticized Huckabee again and again for issuing a slew of pardons when he was Governor of Arkansas.

But at a press conference today, Governor Romney appeared to take it to a whole new level when he mentioned a different former Arkansas governor.

"In the term of President Clinton, I think that policy was used excessively and abused in some respects," Romney said as he held up a packet of papers. "And as governor I had a very similar power associated with clemency related to pardons and commutations in people in our system and I put together this series of guidelines."

Romney went on to stress the importance of not issuing pardons on a "capricious and arbitrary basis" and his belief that victims' families be involved in the process.

"This is something which I think is important as we proceed and wish that during the Clinton years, policies of his nature had been promulgated and followed," Romney said.

When a reporter asked the governor whether he was comparing Huckabee to Clinton, Romney said that he was not. But the comparison seemed obvious.

Romney was in a sunny mood at the press conference, which took place after he spoke to a crowd of about 70 people in Bellevue. The former Massachusetts governor has been brimming with confidence over the past couple of days and has not been afraid to make a prediction about what will happen Thursday night (even though he says in the same sentence that he does not make predictions).

"I think I'm gonna win this," Romney told reporters.

Scott Conroy
Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.
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by Ruidu January 1, 2008 7:57 PM EST: Iowa poll numbers are starting to emerge with Mike Huckabee 2 to 1 over Mitt Romney. It appears in the final moments before the polls, Iowa voters are looking for a candidate with integrity rather than money.; Reply to this comment


by daleesp January 1, 2008 7:24 PM EST: Swifthare,
Like Mitt, you do not have your facts correct. Mitt has provided for tax hikes and fees:
Romney Forced Hike in Local Commercial Property Taxes. Romney "signed a measure that allowed local officials to raise the commercial property tax rate, which cost business owners $100 million, according to Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state''s largest business group." [Quincy Patriot Ledger, 12/16/05; Boston Globe, 10/24/05]; Reply to this comment


by giantrobot2 January 1, 2008 11:25 AM EST: Iowa poll numbers are now starting to emerge with Mike Huckabee 2 to 1 over Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee''s claim to fame with integrity, honesty and charisma is creating a huge buzz in Iowa now. It appears in the final moments before the polls, Iowa voters are looking for a candidate with integrity rather than money.; Reply to this comment


by michaellitz2 January 1, 2008 4:28 AM EST: Mike Huckabee is the FAR better man in this race! It will be SO great to have a man in office that I can truly TRUST with the issues that are so vitally important to me! Thank you Mike Huckabee!; Reply to this comment


by swifthare-2009 December 31, 2007 8:30 PM EST: A person''s prior record really does matter, and it will give you a sense of what to expect in the future.

http://www.taxhikemike.org/

Number of times fined for ethical violations,

Mitt Romney: Zero.

Mike Huckabee: Six.; Reply to this comment


by winghunter December 31, 2007 6:41 PM EST: Why should he stop at comparing him to Clinton?? Everyone else does.
Check both of these clowns records and past;
Search "Candidate Research - Know Who You''re Voting For"

http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/candidate_research_know_who_youre_voting_for/; Reply to this comment


by dannymyers2 December 31, 2007 6:23 PM EST: I think Huckabee''s official Internet site is www.huck-a-buck.com, isn''t it? No, but the way this bigspender raised taxes... it should be. He even outspent Bill Clinton, and that says a lot!; Reply to this comment


by newideas1 December 31, 2007 5:36 PM EST: People forget that voters who are bought don''t turn out to vote and voters who believe do. This is why polls sometimes tell false tales.

Everytime a caucus of voters has had an option of voting online or in person, Mike Huckabee has won because his supporters show up--and pay their own way to get there.

I support Mike Huckabee, and I''ll be there to cast my vote and make a difference.

www.abuckforhuck.com; Reply to this comment