Despite Pressure, Huckabee Stays In Race

Washington Post: Conservatives Rally Around McCain, But Rival Says He Won't Drop Out

(WASHINGTONPOST.COM)  This story was written by Perry Bacon Jr. and Jonathan Weisman.

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At a private meeting of conservatives in the House of Representatives last month, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (N.C.) ridiculed Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), asking why his fellow right-wing activists "shouldn't be physically ill at the prospects of a President McCain."

On Monday, McHenry -- apparently feeling fine -- joined the chorus of voices calling for conservatives to unify around McCain as the likely Republican nominee, and he accused former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee of waging a pointless nomination battle because he is "in there for himself."

The Republican establishment has already begun to embrace McCain, who has built an enormous lead among delegates and whose staff has taken to calling him the "presumptive nominee." McCain on Monday won the support of former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Gary Bauer, a onetime presidential candidate and former head of the Family Research Council. The previous day, President Bush offered to defend McCain against charges that he is no friend to conservatives.

And yet Huckabee shows no interest in stepping aside after his surprising strength in the South and Midwest powered him to eight victories in the past week. Polling shows him trailing in Tuesday's "Potomac Primary" voting in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. But he insists that he will not drop out until McCain has gathered the delegates needed to claim the Republican nomination -- a process that could take weeks.

Speaking to hundreds in Virginia Beach, Huckabee mocked the "national media" and "party bosses" for pushing a "coronation" of McCain.

"By the way, since it's all over, it's an interesting thing someone didn't tell the people in Kansas and somebody forget to tell the folks in Louisiana," he told the crowd, referring to his defeat of McCain in those two states over the weekend. "We are in this race for you and every other conservative American."

Huckabee's refusal to bow to the pressure of almost hourly McCain endorsements has made him the target of some in the GOP, who fear that an ongoing string of embarrassing defeats for the senator could hurt fundraising and delay efforts to refocus the battle on the Democrats.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), who heads a group of 100 conservatives in the House, on Monday urged his colleagues to "enthusiastically support" McCain, sending a not-so-subtle message in a statement that "the primary is all but over whether we like it or not -- no disrespect to Governor Huckabee."

McCain has refused to publicly join in the pressure campaign, saying only that "we have close to 800 delegates," and "last time I checked, Governor Huckabee had very few, so I think I'm happy with the situation I'm in." As of Monday night, McCain had 729 delegates of the 1,191 needed to win the nomination, while Huckabee had 241, according to an Associated Press tally.

Aides said McCain wants to respect the process. "There's an etiquette that takes place," senior adviser Steve Schmidt said. "The McCain campaign respects Governor Huckabee's right to participate for as long as he wishes to."

The string of losses is forcing McCain to do more to reach out to conservatives, dropping campaign literature in Virginia churches and contacting Catholic leaders about the senator's antiabortion record.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a onetime rival who is working to set up meetings between McCain and evangelical leaders, said McCain will start doing better among religious voters once he gets to know their leaders personally. "John's got to get to know them," he said.

But McCain's campaign strategists do not believe Huckabee's presence will create the kind of damage that Ronald Reagan did when he challenged President Gerald R. Ford in 1976 or that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) did to President Jimmy Carter four years later. Both incumbents were weakened by protracted nomination battles and lost in the general election.

By contrast, McCain's losses in conservative areas now could make him more palatable to some moderates in the general election, aides argue. And the continued focus on Huckabee gives McCain time to build his national organization out of the spotlight, one aide said.

"I don't mind having the time that comes with this," an aide said. "It slows down the pace of the game."

Huckabee aides aren't optimistic about winning any of the states in Tuesday's primaries, though they are competing hard in Virginia, and further losses make it closer to mathematically impossible for Huckabee to win the GOP nomination.

But Huckabee seems determined to compete until that is officially the case. His aides said while he has only about $1 million in cash on hand, he's raising about $150,000 a day, enough to continue running his campaign. A competition for Wisconsin comes Feb. 19, but the real focus is Texas on March 4.

In a series of television and campaign appearances Monday, Huckabee and his aides and supporters pushed back against the idea of an early departure. On Saturday, he joked that he planned to stay in because, "I have nowhere to go, right?"

"Even many McCain supporters have told us that they appreciate the constructive role that Governor Huckabee can play in the months to come, because a vigorous discussion will keep all the media 'oxygen' from migrating over to the Democratic contest," Huckabee chairman Ed Rollins and campaign manager Chip Saltsman wrote to supporters.

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), one of five members of Congress to endorse Huckabee, said Monday that he has heard nothing from McCain backers about Huckabee dropping out. Nor, he said, should he.

Competition will help hone McCain's message and battle-test him for the general election, Inglis said, adding that Huckabee has energized a wing of the Republican Party and could be an attractive running mate.

"He'd bring some excitement to the ticket and a dimension that seems to be in short supply in Republican circles -- the ability to talk about issues of the heart, to express emotions, passion and understanding for people of ordinary means," Inglis said. "That's what Mike Huckabee has in bucketfuls."

Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.), another Huckabee supporter, agreed. "John McCain went from being nowhere last August," Linder said. "He had the gumption to pull himself into this race all by himself. He's not going to be embarrassed by this."

But Huckabee still has a delicate job -- drawing distinctions with McCain on the stump while not going too far or attacking him by name. His stump speech now has a heavy emphasis on not allowing a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and his support of constitutional bans on same-sex marriage and abortion -- positions that contrast with those of McCain.

"What has the Senate done lately, other than try to put before you an immigration bill you hated so much you burned and melted their phone lines until they finally got the message that they work for us, it's not the other way around?" he said to loud applause Monday.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello Fellow Americans

What you got today Fuzzy,

Well

Today I got a Nightmare or Dream for you, you know that period between waking consciousness and la la land.

Any way I dreampt, I was walking along a cow trail
amidst some standing oaks and rolling hills, kinda like what you might see in Ohio,
any way I came upon an earthen Cow barn kinda shed,
and walking inside looking at the Anvil and Stuff
I found a corpse, I recognized it immediately by the Stove Pipe hat as Abe Lincoln, except he had long black stringy french braided hair, any way I went to walk away and I could see his bony hand reach out and grab the cuff of my pant leg like he wanted to talk, so I started screaming let go of me. any way I woke up, I think it was the life force of Honest Abe,

Fuzzy you don`t believe in silly dreams ?
I do somebudy said you should have listened to him,
but I just took it he didn`t like my politics and to let the nation be.
so that`s it who ever you folks pick is good enough for me.

Sincerely your sleepless Bear
Fuzzy

[bdrlnt4rl]

ok people, this is just an observation, but hucky has unleashed the wrath of god. check out the states that hucky won, and check out the devestating tornados that struck those state, and only those states. i am only praying that my state is not a hucky supporter. i am also buying a storm shelter just in case.

freak storms hits all of the states hucky won. freaky for sure.

[boatdocster]

This really sums up the problems in American politics -

The ''party'' does not really care about the peoples desires, just about advancing the nominee and keeping power.

It would be great if America discarded the two party system, and went to a straight popular vote for all contests.

Drop the requirement to voice your party affiliation in order to vote - that sounds like a Russian requirement from the cold war days!! (You must swear allegiance to the party in order to vote comrade).

[bdrlnt4rl]

that is like telling god his son died in vein because we do not have to try because once saved always saved, let go have a beer.

and yet, their blessings will be greater than the ones who do try but are not christian. make sense???

[bdrlnt4rl]

that excuse only shows weakness and passing the buck, per say

[bdrlnt4rl]

bd: it''''s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. then some will fall back on "we''''re all sinners, and i am forgiven by the blood of christ"
****************

that does not even make sinse because i thought the whole purpose was to strive to do and be better and stronger, and that is a cop-out excuse.

[bdrlnt4rl]

i do not understand that they teach love one another, but if you fly by a different kite, go to another church, they hate you and make up lies and persecute what you believe. that just is not christ like and that is what they teach, to be like christ. i just do not understand. huckabee already proved that by his obvious hatred toward romney and his belief.

[honestabe8]

bd: it''s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. then some will fall back on "we''re all sinners, and i am forgiven by the blood of christ"

[bdrlnt4rl]

i dont understand when someone teaches one thing, but yet does another. i dont understand that they teach not to be hypocrits, but yet when it comes to following commandments, they are the biggest hypocrits out there. i just do not understand.

[honestabe8]

I don''t understand how people can go from "An intelligent being created everything" to "Therefore Jesus died for your sins". This strikes me as pretty illogical.

[bdrlnt4rl]

i am very serious with my questions because it confuses me on how people call themselves christian and yet do these things.

will you please explain to me why christians say ''''do what jesus would do'''' but yet not except on sunday. oh, wait they go out to eat after church, so they do not even keep the sabbath holy. that has always confused me.

is it christian to pick and choose what commandment one should follow?

and yet there is no answer to my serious questions. makes me wonder if my thinking is true.

[taotxzen]

The Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people.

He said, My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed, arrogance, resentment, intolerance, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good; it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion.

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, Which wolf wins?

The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed.

[taotxzen]

The reason I mentioned humanity, to me basic humanity is embracing all, not just those of the same persuasion.

Many Evangelicals refuse to validate the remainder of the world: other religions are false even for their followers, we should be suspicious of different cultures, alternative lifestyles are to be condemned. Some of this is do to Christianity being a very ethically based religion, right and wrong, good and evil, heaven and hell. Often people get so stuck on judging those that they dont understand that they forget about loving thy neighbor and trying to foster their own humanity.

[taotxzen]

I will give you a metaphor for the difference between Progressives and so called Evangelicals. During the California energy crisis which included dangerous rolling blackouts over the entire state, that we now know where created by Enron as a profit opportunity, the %u2018Evangelicals%u2019 laughed and cheered. Now that the south is facing its most severe drought in history Progressives are hoping for rain to relieve them.

%u2018If you can see your path laid out %u2028in front of you step by step, %u2028you know it''s not your path. %u2028Your own path you make with every step you take. %u2028That''s why it''s your path.

The world is full of people that have stopped listening to themselves or have listened only to their neighbors to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what the values are they should be living for.

One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that.%u2019

Joseph Campbell

That is the true essence of spirituality.

[taotxzen]

McCain on Iraq, Follow the Bouncing Ball

Washington, DC - A new video released today by the Democratic National Committee shows John McCain''s real record on Iraq. In the run up to the war, John McCain parroted the Bush Administration''s misleading rhetoric. Just like President Bush, McCain said the war would be easy and that we''d be greeted as liberators. Only in the throws of the presidential campaign did he try to have it both ways by complaining that the American people "were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach."

John McCain never admits that, just like President Bush, he said victory would be easy.%u2028

%u2028Now, McCain says we''ll be there for 100 years, but refuses to say how he plans to pay for it -- even as he panders to the right wing of the Republican Party by promising to extend the fiscally reckless tax cuts he once opposed.

[taotxzen]

(cont)

"The more Americans learn about John McCain''s real record on Iraq the more they''ll realize he''d following the same failed course as President Bush," said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera. "A staunch supporter of the failed Bush policies from Day One, the truth is John McCain was part of the right-wing chorus that claimed victory in Iraq would be easy.


He was wrong then and he''s wrong now."

August 2006: "We had not told the American people how tough and difficult this could be. It has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach." [McCain in Columbus Ohio, Press Conference, aired on CNN, 8/22/2006
McCain: "And I believe that the success will be fairly easy." [CNN, Larry King Live, 9/24/02]

(cont)

[taotxzen]

(cont)

2007: Russert: "Go back, Senator, to 2002 - the administration saying we''d be greeted as liberators." [MSNBC, 1/10/2007]%u2028%u2028

2003: McCain: "There''s no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators." [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/24/03]%u2028%u2028

McCain: "I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time." [CNN Late Edition, 9/29/02]%u2028%u2028

Questioner: President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for fifty years."%u2028McCain: "Make it a hundred... That would be fine with me, I hope it would be fine with you." [McCain Town hall in Derry, NH, 1/3/08]%u2028%u2028

2002: "We''re not going get into house-to-house fighting in Baghdad" [CNN Late Edition, 9/29/02]%u2028%u2028

2003: "It doesn''t take a large number of people to cause difficulties in house to house fighting we''ve just seeing right now in southern Iraq." [MSNBC, 3/24/03]%u2028%u2028

"We have not told the American people how touch and difficult this task would be... they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach." [CNN, 8/22/2006]

[abbe91]

A should read for Huckabee ;-)

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/McCain_Collected_100_000_From_Abramoff_s_Firm_3

[abbe91]

"In other words, I don''''t care that evolution is 99.999999% consistent with all known evidence, while creationism is contrary to the weight of overwhelming evidence. Both should be taught as though they are just opposite sides of the same coin.

Posted by singinprick at 07:45 PM : Feb 12, 2008"

Yes, and astrology should be taught as well in astronomy classes.

[honestabe8]

singingrick: regarding homosexuality, i asked you yesterday why you felt it was a choice, and you responded with "it''s a choice". restating a hypothesis doesn''t prove the hypothesis. this technique is effective for the Drug War proponents, but we all know they are scummy liars, anyway.