Ed Rollins: Huckabee Will Win Iowa

Political Players: Campaign Chairman Says His Candidate Is Most Like Reagan

(CBS) 

CBSNews.com:A lot of people have referred to Governor Huckabee, some of them in Arkansas, as a pro-life, pro-gun liberal. They say that he raised a number of taxes. He raised spending. Do you think that the reason many members of the Republican establishment are against Governor Huckabee is that he's not the same kind of fiscal conservative as Dick Cheney or George W. Bush?

Ed Rollins: Well, first of all neither of those guys are fiscal conservatives. I mean Cheney was a good vote when he was in the Congress, but they certainly haven't been setting the room on fire vetoing bills or being good conservatives on fiscal matters. I think Mike Huckabee tried to solve the problems of the state of Arkansas.

You know one of the things that he had to do was fix the educational system. The state Supreme Court ordered him to raise $300 million to add an additional $300 million to education. The voters in the state had voted for a highway program that was totally unfunded. He went forth and made it an issue. And then the voters themselves voted for a three cent increase in taxes.

He cut income taxes. At the end of the day the story that's not told is this is a guy who inherited a $250 million deficit. And, at the end of the day, he left $850 million in the treasury.

CBSNews.com: And another controversy that's bubbled up over after the release of Huckabee's Christmas ad is why would he say, Christ? And this comes after he said several years ago that it's the responsibility of elected officials to “take back this nation for Christ.” He says Christ again in the ad.

Why would he make the decision to exclude a number of Americans--Jews, Muslims, atheists--who aren't Christians?

Ed Rollins: Well, I think first of all the celebration of Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. There are billions of people in the world who celebrate Christmas. It's a national holiday.

He is a very strong supporter of Israel. He's been there nine times. He gives an incredible speech on that. I think he respect other people's holidays. But for the vast majority of people in the Christmas season, it's about Christmas. And I think that's what he was saying.

At this point in time let's not be trashing each other. Let's basically stop and spend time with our families and what have you. And it's one of the great holidays of all time that most people have great memories of. So he's not anti-Jews, he's not anti-Muslims, he's not anti-anything else. It's just very pro-Christian Christmas.

CBSNews.com: Does Governor Huckabee have to win Iowa in order to be the nominee?

Ed Rollins: I think Iowa's very important to him. And I think the bottom line is that we think we're going to win Iowa. I don't think we started out expecting to win anything, but I think this is what's created a great buzz.

And I think, to a certain extent, that's where we're putting a lot of our energy. We'd be terribly disappointed--I mean, I think it becomes harder for us to go beyond that, but I think at this point in time if for some reason we didn't win it, which I certainly have no reason to think we're not going to, we're not a multi-millionaire that can spend $100 million of our own money.

We've got to have momentum. We have to keep that momentum. We have to convince people as we're starting that we have a real chance of winning this thing and going all the way. And I think that it's important to win Iowa.

CBSNews.com: What’s your reason-at this point in your life-for joining the campaign?

Ed Rollins: Well, I like him. You know I saw a lot of Reagan in him. And from my perspective I know everybody in this race. Everybody has strengths and everybody has weaknesses.

Many are friends of mine. But I think in Mike Huckabee I saw a guy who over the long haul would become the most viable candidate with the best opportunity to win. And to be a good president because of his ability to communicate, which I think is so very critical and somewhat missing from the present incumbent.

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Ed Rollins is national campaign chairman of Huckabee for President. Rollins has worked for four Republican presidents--including as Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign manager, as deputy chief of staff, as head of both the White House Office of Political Affairs and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He also served as Co-Chairman of the campaign arm of House Republicans. As a consultant, Rollins worked for New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Rep. George Nethercutt, Rep. Michael Huffington, and several African-American GOP candidates whom he has counseled for free. As a public relations adviser, he has worked for dozens of Fortune 500 companies in the US and abroad. Previously a political analyst for CBS News, NBC News, and CNN, Rollins is married and lives in New York.

[ih2005]

Increasingly, Mike Huckabee is what Leadership looks like ( http://snipr.com/leaderlook ). He''s an adroit public speaker; he''s all about calling his listeners to "do something," to awaken them to their own empowerment, and summon them to action in order that "Main Street," and not "Wall Street," will prevail in guarding the values and beliefs upon which the Republic was founded.

Most importantly, Huckabee is ONE with the FairTax grassroots movement ( http://snipr.com/fthuckabeeonirs ). Romney''s recent WEAK response to FairTax questioning on %u201CThis Week with Geo. Stephanopoulos ( http://snipurl.com/stephanopoulosdebate )%u201D drew a sharp contrast between Huckabee and all other presidential front-runners who will not embrace it. Huckabee understands that what''''s wrong with the income tax can''''t be fixed with "a tap of the hammer, nor a twist of the screwdriver." That his opponents cling to the destructive Tax Code, the IRS, preserving political power of granting tax favors at continued cost to - and misery of - American families, invigorates his campaign''''s raison d''''etre. %u201CMain Street%u201D will have to demand ( http://snipr.com/scrapthecode ) that their legislators deliver the bill to Huckabee, if elected.

[quo_vadis-2009]

"Huckabee, if you''''re going to foreground religion, then you need to act with integrity. Denying the cross that you "used" for your ad demonstrates that given the option, you''''d rather be funny than honest and devious rather than devout."

I watched that ad 3 times & never saw anything other than a window pane (I thought it was a window - till the "cross" furor, then I looked at it closer & realized that what I thought were lights on the window are baubles on a shelf). This man has been open & honest about his faith despite the ridicule & abuse that is being heaped on him for it - why on earth would he start making subliminal messages now? What would be the point?

This whole thing is so incredibly absurd! What is so threatening about the cross anyway? And on what basis have you determined that the man is lying?

If Huckabee loses Iowa, it will be because our country has given over its heart to money & cynicism...

[milton07722]

Huckabee''s record stands for itself. Look at his own constitutency. They are NOT happy with him and his stands. Ron Paul''s record speaks for itself too. He is the only candidtate who will do what he says and will begin the process to restore the republic to what it should be. Vote Ron Paul!

[alanrobisch]

Fundies should stay in church and out of public life.


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Posted by fibonacci_ at 08:02 PM : Dec 22, 2007

Interesting who else will you prevent from having their constitutional rights. maybe anyone who is a muslim Or simply anyone you don''t like.

[ptden]

I think we should call him....Suckabee

[fibonacci_]

Fundies should stay in church and out of public life.

[tbweb]

I predicted Mike Huckabee''s rise to the top of the GOP Ticket when he was sitting at rock bottom, Huckabee''s problem was always a lack of money. The other scary candidate is Ron Paul whose followers are fanatical!

[edf12]

What did Rollins really say?

First, Rollins says, "I think the bottom line is that we think we''''re going to win Iowa." (Notice the word ''''think'''').

Second, the headline of this story reads, "Ed Rollins: Huckabee Will Win Iowa." (Notice the word ''''will'''').

Last, and of course the most egregious, DrudgeReport says, "Huckabee''''s National Chairman Guarantees IA Victory..." (Now the word ''''think'''' has become a ''''guarantee'''')

Let the spin continue.....

[edf12]

No question, it is terrible what Huckabee''s son did to that poor dog back when he was 17 years old. But Presidential candidate Romney has his own dog tale which reflects on his judgement.

At this rate, we''ll need Bindi Irwin to pay our nominees a visit.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1638065,00.html

[jjrogers1]

Ummm isn''t it better to spend millions of your own money, than millions of other people''s money?

[notsure2008]

Why the Cross Matters

Consider the number of things we would need to believe in order to trust that Huckabee and the professionals who filmed his Christmas ad were unaware that the book shelves looked like a cross:

1) The photographer never noticed that the lighting made the book shelf look like a cross.
2) They filmed the ad in one take and no one previewed it.
3) The slow pan from the book shelves/floating cross to the Christmas tree was a happy accident.
4) Thousands - perhaps millions - of people saw an image that looked very much like a cross, but Huckabee and his crew of professionals didn''t notice this at all.

I''m unable to believe any of the above possibilities, and I doubt anyone else could, either. Given that, we''re left with one conclusion: Huckabee and crew either planned the cross or noticed it after the ad was completed and thought it was a wonderful touch. Fine.

However, here is where things get dicey. Rather than acknowledging that the way his ad was filmed did indeed create the image of a cross, he denied the whole thing. His answers in response to the "floating cross" question were both funny and glib. Unfortunately, THEY WERE NOT HONEST.

Huckabee, if you''re going to foreground religion, then you need to act with integrity. Denying the cross that you "used" for your ad demonstrates that given the option, you''d rather be funny than honest and devious rather than devout.

[edw987]

Huckabee represents more of the same - maintaining the status quo. Right now we have $1 trillion in US tax money and debt going to militarism around the world that should rather be used in the US for social obligations, to repair the infrastructure like collapsing bridges and power grid, and to pay down the national debt. Our rights and freedoms are being taken away. For example, the FBI is building a new huge database. Our country is being sold to the Chinese. The politicos are peddling their influence to the multinational corporations for campaign contributions. Ron Paul is the only major candidate who does not take graft. Ron Paul says the Federal government''s purpose is to protect individual freedom and liberty. That''s what the US Constitution says. Property rights of the individual count. No eminent domain taking away our property in his administration. He is the only candidate like Washington and Jefferson, the only wise and true candidate. True patriots want Ron Paul for president.

[suomi78006]

Huckabee is not and has never been a conservative. What more needs to be known? Is he really Ron Paul''s huckleberry?

[vinnie91]

MCVet, you are a beauty. You just confirmed the type of people that make up the Democratic Party and why liberal radio never succeeds. You also sound very intelligent and informed. Thanks for making my case.

[mcvet]

It is just a shame that some Republican campaigns have stooped to these sewer tactics.


Posted by EdF12 at 07:54 PM : Dec 21, 2007
+ report abuse

After the LIES and dirty tricks of Bush/Rove I hardly see how the Republican''s (Fascist) can go much lower. The Party has set a standard for Incompetence and Gutter Politics unlike any in the History of this nation. Sieg Heil Bush!

[vinnie91]

When Huckabee and his national chairman Rollins, attack both Bush and Rush what are they thinking?? Bush has the guts to defy the liberal NY/Hollywood media and do what''s right in Iraq, while Rush is responsible for the biggest turnaround in political history from a previous completely controlled liberal media (Vietnam days), to a conservative movement that finally turned a 40 year democratic controlled congress over to a conservative controlled Republican congress in the 90''s. Conservatives won''t forget this, then to have Huckabee and Rollins go after these two hero''s? Nuts!!

[oldat45]

Ed Rollins: Well, I think first of all he is not an establishment candidate.

Olden Atwoody: Of course, he''s not establishment. He is a Christian whack-o.

"Dear Lord, please protect me from your followers..."

[diggyme]

Mike is a communicator like Ronnie and Mike is a man of honesty, integrity and is an outsider. I love Rush, and Laura Ingraham, and Glenn Beck, but I think all three have Mike Huckabee wrong, very wrong. They think that just because he comes out of nowhere he can''t be elected. I think that he will show the nay sayers wrong again as he has before. He is a nightmare for Hillary because with Huckabee she will have to tell about her horrid experiments with Arkansas schools, which he fixed, and her husband''s abismal record on the infrastructure, which he fixed, and a host of other equally embarrassing situations.
Huckabee is a true man of the people, all the people, and he is like Reagan, an outsider, not a "shadow governement" man like the mayor of NY, or the Gov or Mass, or the Senator from Arizona.
He is my man.

[diggyme]

Mike is a communicator like Ronnie and Mike is a man of honesty, integrity and is an outsider. I love Rush, and Laura Ingraham, and Glenn Beck, but I think all three have Mike Huckabee wrong, very wrong. They think that just because he comes out of nowhere he can''t be elected. I think that he will show the nay sayers wrong again as he has before. He is a nightmare for Hillary because with Huckabee she will have to tell about her horrid experiments with Arkansas schools, which he fixed, and her husband''s abismal record on the infrastructure, which he fixed, and a host of other equally embarrassing situations.
Huckabee is a true man of the people, all the people, and he is like Reagan, an outsider, not a "shadow governement" man like the mayor of NY, or the Gov or Mass, or the Senator from Arizona.
He is my man.

[oldat45]

Ed Rollins: Well, I think first of all he is not an establishment candidate.

Olden Atwoody: Of course, he''s not establishmnet. He is a Christian wack-o.

"Dear Lord, please protect me from your followers..."