From The Road
January 2, 2008 11:43 PM

Huckabee Leaves Television City Quietly

By
Joy Lin
Topics
Mike Huckabee
(CBS)
From CBS News' Joy Lin:

LOS ANGELES – Unless you were a late night comic, Mike Huckabee was in no mood to speak with you. At least not in Hollywood tonight.

That's the lesson CBS News producer Robert Kozberg took away tonight. As Huckabee's limo was pulling away from the production lot of Jay Leno's Tonight Show, CBS Early Show Correspondent Hattie Kauffman tapped on the limo's window for a comment. Rolling down the window, his press secretary said they were on their way to the airport and the car rolled away from television city. Huckabee will be a guest on the Early Show in the morning.

Huckabee managed to slip past Writers Guild picketers with signs bearing slogans such as "What the Huck?" and "Huckabee's a Scab" to be a guest on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. He later stayed for an unannounced taping with the Craig Ferguson show. Craig Ferguson's show has an agreement with WGA, but not the Tonight Show.

"The Governor would only agree to join Jay, an active member of the Writers Guild, for the taping after he was assured that no replacement writers were being used in the show's production," the Huckabee campaign sent out in a press release. "Governor Huckabee believes that the writers deserve to be fairly compensated for the sale of their work. Governor Huckabee is glad that Jay Leno was able to put his 160 employees back to work and he strongly encourages both sides of the current labor dispute to work diligently toward an equitable solution for all parties involved."

For two months now, Jay Leno has been personally paying the salaries of 160 production people associated with the Tonight Show. That staff of 160 is back on NBC's payroll; the writers are not. No writers or replacement writers are being used for the resumption of the show. Depending which way you look at it, Huckabee may have crossed a picket line today.

Earlier in the day, while campaigning in Iowa, Huckabee told reporters during a media availability that he "absolutely, unequivocally" supported the writers and thought that there had been a "special arrangement…and the writers have made this agreement to let the late night shows come back on so I don't anticipate that it's a crossing of a picket line"

"I support the writers by the way…They are dead right on this one," Huckabee said. "They ought to get royalties off of the residuals and long-term contracts. I've written a few books myself. For someone to take your work and they make money off of it – lots of money – and you get nothing…I don't think anybody supports the producers on this one…I think everybody in the business and even the general public support the writers and they should."

When a reporter said no agreement had been reached, Huckabee insisted he understood there was a "dispensation" given to the late night shows. Told that wasn't true, Huckabee nodded and said, "Oh." He looked in the opposite direction for a different question.

Earlier on the bus, Huckabee explained to reporters he had agreed to go on the show because he believed Leno was a "class act." Huckabee retold a story of how Leno phoned him the day after a guest appearance, chatting for fifteen minutes to make sure he had a "good time" and "everything was fair."

WGA President Patric Verrone told CBS News that Huckabee had made a "very provocative and supportive statement today on behalf of writers" and hoped that he wouldn't cross the picket line.

"In the past, presidential candidates like Ronald Reagan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, wouldn't have crossed that line," he said.

WGA confirmed the Huckabee campaign's statement that they had not been contacted by the union prior to stating his misunderstanding of the WGA-Leno situation on the bus.

Tonight on Jay Leno's show, the host noted that Huckabee that he had "come from nowhere with hardly any money."

"I'm just trying to keep from going back to nowhere as fast as I can," Huckabee responded with a laugh.

CBS News Deputy Bureau Chief Bruce Rheins contributed to this report.

Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by northeast48 January 3, 2008 1:27 PM EST
Also, if television is of no importance, why did he leave Iowa to bother being there?
Reply to this comment
by northeast48 January 3, 2008 1:25 PM EST
Exactly, a television show, he needs assistance to figure that one out?
Reply to this comment
by hwy71so January 3, 2008 12:39 PM EST
I''m sorry, but a writer''s strike is merely ENTERTAINMENT. Its of little importance in regard to the governing of this country. We''ve got more important concerns to worry about.
Reply to this comment
by northeast48 January 3, 2008 11:30 AM EST
If Huckabee doesn''t know what is going on with a writer''s strike, how is he going to understand what is going on with the war? You can''t cross a picket line and be a man of all the people. If you think he is such a great guy, go to his sermon. It does not mean he is destined to be President.
Reply to this comment
by chucktruck2 January 3, 2008 10:53 AM EST
Mitt Romney has my vote .Secure the fence and be Christian. Family first.
Reply to this comment
by davide73-2009 January 3, 2008 9:01 AM EST
Wednesday evening, the CBS News with Katie Couric gave a totally biased and disgraceful report about the Huckabee campaign in Iowa, showing its own poll with Romney in the lead, instead of the Rasmussen or Zogby polls that show Huckabee in the lead, and all but assuring that Huckabee''s campaign would be history after tomorrow.

When Huckabee wins Iowa, CBS will have convicted themselves with their own words. The people of this country are just about finished being bullied by the corporate media. The time is coming when they will be held accountable for their actions. CBS is disgraceful and deserves to be eliminated from the airwaves. They make a mockery of the notion of free press in this country.
Reply to this comment
by prezzinon January 3, 2008 5:48 AM EST
I must say that it was indeed a refreshing interview that Mike Huckabee did at the Tonight Show. He was eloquent, genuine and witty - no wonder why Jay and the audience responded in a positive way. The more I listen to Mike, the more I''m convinced that he deserves to be the next president of this great country of ours. I believe he will be the voice of the people and not just another traditional politician who will only represent the high and mighty. Go Mike!!!
Reply to this comment
by aburns8 January 3, 2008 5:19 AM EST
Huckabee''s platform can be boiled down to "I''m Christian, so vote for me."

This guy is an ethics nightmare. Hillary will eat him for lunch. She is well funded and will be able to dig up everything on Huck - She will even find a way to do data recovery on the hard drives Huck smashed when he left office.

Anyone but Huck - he''s unelectable.

A vote for Huck is a vote for Hillary!
Reply to this comment
by ih2005 January 3, 2008 5:12 AM EST
Mike was AWESOME, and he ROCKED with the Tonight Show Band - almost as GOOD as his FAIRTAX advocacy: http://snipr.com/nextrung

GO MIKE! GO FAIRTAX!
Reply to this comment
by oscar19861 January 3, 2008 4:52 AM EST
I have to admit:
Huckabee was great.

This interview and performance will go a long way to assuring Americans who had concerns about him being too extreme. He is very intelligent and nuanced. Not rigid as the stereotype.

That show was a winner.

Huckabee is a real talent!
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