Huckabee: Romney is "Arrogant"

By: Joy Lin
Topics: Mike Huckabee

(CBS)

From CBS News' Joy Lin:

MACON, GA. -- Mike Huckabee unleashed his harshest criticism to date of Mitt Romney today, calling him "arrogant and presumptuous" to think that he's taking votes away from Romney.

"How presumptuous and arrogant must a man be to assume that if I did drop out of the race that the people who voted for me would vote for him?" Huckabee asked at a rally in Macon.

"I'm going to tell u something, there is one of us who grew up in the South like you. One of us who understands how to cook grits, and fry catfish, and who didn't have to be taught which end of a rifle to point, when you point at a white tail deer," Huckabee said in one of the few Super Tuesday states where he's running second in the polls. "We got candidate who says he's a lifelong hunter but never had a hunting license - we call that a poacher where I come from."

"And I want to say something to Mitt Romney: Mitt the people that support me support me because they know where I stand on the issue of human life, they don't know where you stand," he said, referring to Romney's recent conversion to a public anti-abortion rights stance.

"People who support me know that I support the Second Amendment and, in fact, was the first sitting governor in America to have a concealed carry permit, as was my wife. And I'm not confused about the fact that the Second Amendment is not about hunting it's about freedom, it's about protecting ourselves, our families and our property and nobody has the right to infringe upon that. People are supporting me because they know that I am not confused about the meaning of marriage and they know that I am not confused about whether or not the future of this country ought to belong to hard working people who drive truck and who lift heavy things and who get their hands dirty everyday and if our country doesn't work for folks like that it doesn't work anybody."

"Mr. Romney has spent about $100 million [$87.6 million, actually] to have basically the same number of delegates as I have and I've spent about $7 million. You know with the business background he has, you'd think by this point with his Harvard-educated MBA, he'd come to the conclusion that he's not selling his soap very well if it takes that kind of money to have no more market share than I've got for about a fifteenth of the expenditure. So I've got a suggestion, Mr. Romney, rather than Mitt drop out, why don't you give it up and go back to Boston!"

"I want to make real sure that he understands something. This old Arkansas boy is not for sale. He doesn't have enough money to buy me. I'm not some troubled company that he can buy, sell off the assets and send us home. There's a whole lot of people like me in this country who are tired of people waving their checkbooks at us and making us think they own us and they can buys us. Well you can't buy us, you can't even rent us. We're not for sale. We're going to the polls Tuesday and we're going to show America this country is about ordinary people who believe in the extraordinary power of the American dream and we're going to prove it at the ballot box Tuesday."

47 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 47 Comments


by mgpatty February 5, 2008 8:11 PM EST: I really do not understand people who say that Mitt Romney is a true conservative. His record shows that he is anything but conservative. I could quote facts and figures on Mitt Romney''s stance on conservative issues versus those of Romney and McCain, but those are already part of the public record. He''s liberal stance on many issues is well known, but apparently overlooked by many who consider themselves "conservative". Romney is one of the most arrogant candidates that has ever ran for office. If he were to pull out of the race, and it became a McCain Romney race, many believe that the Democrats would be guaranteed a victory. Like it or not, many true conservatives do not, and would not, support Romney or McCain.; Reply to this comment


by marinepatriot February 5, 2008 12:47 PM EST: I HAVE SERVED MY COUNTRY FOR OVER (13) YEARS IN THE MILITARY. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO WATCH (1) VIDEO FOR ME. (THIS IS NOT A R. PAUL VIDEO)

THIS VIDEO HELPS MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN ROMNEY, MCCAIN AND HUCKABEE.

I SERVED YOU AND MY COUNTRY, WILL YOU TAKE JUST 1 MINUTE TO HEAR ME?

HERE IS MY QUICK VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnU3G-HCf9w

SEMPER FI
Dan Campbell; Reply to this comment


by WakeWashington February 5, 2008 7:51 AM EST: Huckabee has denied supporting in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants. But the opposite is true.

During his annual State of the State address in January 2005, Huckabee proposed making "any student graduating from a high school in Arkansas" eligible for state financial aid. He said it was "terribly unjust" to deny such aid solely on the basis of a student''s immigration status, "a status that he had no decision in and no control over."

A Democratic state legislator, Joyce Elliott, had already proposed legislation granting in-state tuition status to undocumented immigrants. During talks with the governor''s staff, Elliott agreed to include a scholarship provision in her bill. She says "he clearly supported the entire bill, and I never heard anything different."

Huckabee expressed disappointment when the measure failed. "I don''t understand the opposition to it, I just honestly don''t," he said, according to an April 14, 2005, Associated Press report.; Reply to this comment


by WakeWashington February 5, 2008 7:50 AM EST: Huckabee has denied reducing penalties for meth dealers but the opposite is true.

As governor, he signed a 2005 Arkansas law that gave some meth offenders more credit for good behavior. Instead of serving 70 percent of their sentences, they''d have to serve at least half if they behaved.

When simple denial has failed to get Huckabee off the hook, his campaign has defended his actions noting that the law did not affect sentences of meth offenders convicted before it took effect.

The Hucksters say only 125 inmates have been sentenced under the new guidelines and so far no meth offenders have been released early under the new law.

They say the state''s prison chief backed the 2005 proposal and said it would help ease the crowding of Arkansas'' penal system.

But, they never mention the sentencing proposal faced opposition from several lawmakers engaged in the war on drugs who said the measure would hurt their efforts and do little to address the state''s packed prisons.; Reply to this comment


by WakeWashington February 5, 2008 7:47 AM EST: The former Arkansas governor earned his Huckster nickname as well as a great YouTube moment of shame when he challenged Romney%u2019s support of the troop surge during ABC%u2019s New Hampshire debate.

During the debate he attacked Romney with this boldfaced lie: %u201CI supported the surge and you didn%u2019t.%u201D

The YouTube clip shows exactly how dishonest Huckabee is. Two weeks after Romney had issued a January 2007 press release supporting the surge; the Huckster does an interview deliberately distinguishing himself from other candidates by withholding support for the surge.

In the Jan. 24, 2007 interview on MSNBC%u2019s %u201CLive,%u201D Norah O%u2019Donnell asks:

%u201CWe have a Rudy Giuliani, who supports the president%u2019s plan on Iraq. We have Governor Mitt Romney, who also supports a troop surge. How are you different from any of those candidates?%u201D

Huckabee: %u201CWell, I%u2019m not sure that I support the troop surge, if that surge has to come from our Guard and Reserve troops, which have really been overly stretched.%u201D; Reply to this comment


by sleepdecay February 5, 2008 2:35 AM EST: More HuckaBS from the Huckabust!!; Reply to this comment


by giantrobot2 February 4, 2008 10:34 PM EST: *** ALERT ****

Tony Perkins and James Dobson of FRC (Family Research Council) value voters guide that I just received today clearly shows they are supporting Mike Huckabee for President.

Out of all the questions they asked of Republicans and Democrates, Mike Huckabee scored 100% in all questions.

It also shows that Mitt Romney''s liberal positions are still showing through him in the questioning.

It says Mitt Romney supports human cloning and embryo destruction. Plus it says Mitt Romney would vote for passage to water down the Federal Marriage act of 1996.

Plus it says Mitt Romney will vote to allow passage of law that allows the Government to take away private land of it''s citizens whenever it wants to.

Do Republicans want a liberal like Mitt Romney running our party or a true conservative like Mike Huckabee running our party?

It''s clear that Tony Perkins and Dr. James Dobson are supporting conservative Mike Huckabee in the value votes results I just received today.

If you are a conservative who has admired what Tony Perkins and Dr. James Dobson has down for the nation, please go vote tomorrow for Mike Huckabee who they are clearly showing they are supporting.; Reply to this comment


by michaellitz2 February 4, 2008 10:26 PM EST: Well said Governor Huckabee!! I''m with you all the way!! I''m not going to let Romney''s millions OR the endorsements of party insiders dissuade me from believing what I KNOW to be true!!! Namely that YOU are by far the best Presidential candidate that this party has seen since RONALD REAGAN!! And more than that, you are the ONE candidate who unequivocally, unquestionably SHARES MY VALUES AND POSITIONS! Now! Yesterday! and Tomorrow!!; Reply to this comment


by lexy311 February 4, 2008 8:25 PM EST: A vote for Mike is a vote for Mike. THATS IT.

People also needs to remember NAFTA SUPERHIGHWAY(North American Union) Huckabee opposes this!! McCain, Romney, Obama, and Clinton are ALL FOR IT. I only hope Americans wake up before it is too late.; Reply to this comment


by dannymyers2 February 4, 2008 6:01 PM EST: Conservatives support Mitt Romney. Huckabee want''s to be McCain''s VP... how conservative is that? McCain is running on the promise to once again "reach across the isle". Wow, what a surprise! Do Republicans really want someone who will cave in to Democrats and abandon conservatives for the nth time? That''s John McCain all over. Just ask his preferred running mate... John Kerry.

Mitt Romney is the only conservative choice for President.; Reply to this comment