Huckabee's Rapid Response Director Addresses The Media En Masse, Apologizes To Club For Growth

Joe Carter, Mike Huckabee's new research director and the man tasked with responding to all those Club for Growth/Arkansas-media oppo dumps against his boss, just e-mailed his media contacts with a missive that's both a plea for patience and a road map to the defensive scheme the Huckabee team will use.

This is only my second day as head of research and rapid response for the Huckabee campaign but I’ve already learned some valuable lessons.

The first thing I learned is that I’m apparently not spamming your inboxes nearly enough. If Jonah Golberg’s experience is any indication (http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmRjMTIwNmNmODMzN2Y0NzE4ZTMwNzY1YjA5Nzk4ZTY=) then I haven’t been keeping you adequately informed about the minutia of Gov. Huckabee’s campaigning. To be honest, I don’t know what he had for lunch, what he’s doing in the next ten minutes, or whether he has a hangnail. All I know is that he’s busy winning over the hearts and minds of voters in Iowa and South Carolina.

The second thing I found is that I currently don’t have the stomach for nit-picky, negative sniping at other GOP candidates. I’m sure I’ll get there; maybe by day 13 or so. If not, then I’ll have shown that I don’t have a future in politics. But until that day comes I thought I’d focus on selling my candidate instead of knocking the others.

So here’s what I propose: Send me the tough questions you have about Gov. Huckabee. It may take me a few days but I’ll give you an answer that I hope you’ll find sufficiently candid and detailed. I don’t expect to win everyone over (e.g., If you think a 7/8-cent sales tax increase to fix dilapidated highways is the sign of a “fiscal liberal” then I’m out of luck) but I do think I can clear up a lot of the misperceptions and faulty labels that are floating around.

And if I can’t sell a solid fiscal, social, and security conservative like Mike Huckabee, then I really don’t have a future in politics.

Thanks,

-Joe

Earlier today, Carter apologized to the Club for Growth -- they were not, he said, "dishonest hacks" -- and promised a substantive reply to their charges very soon.

Comments

"dishonest hacks"

This is as good an example of a Kinsleyan gaffe as I've seen in a while.

Posted by rml | November 27, 2007 10:23 PM

Huckabee is an amazing phenonemon. I hate Republicans. I am a democrat, but this guy's personality is hard to dislike. Don't want him as president, but can't stop cheering for him.

Posted by Oscar | November 27, 2007 10:38 PM

How or where did he apologize to the Club for Growth?

Posted by open slather | November 27, 2007 11:47 PM

If I were a registered Democrat, I would surely vote this man in the primary.

Posted by Mark Rushmore | November 28, 2007 1:53 AM

Joe shouldn't be apologizing to The Club For Growth, they are dishonest hacks.

Posted by Lisa | November 28, 2007 5:54 AM

I agree that Joe shouldn't be apologizing to the Club For Greed- they are completely dishonest.

In the white papers they wrote regarding each candidate's fiscal policies they made excuses several times for Romney and Giuliani's records because they were governing in a primarily liberal state/city. However, in their report on Huckabee they never once mentioned that he governed in a very liberal state. This is irresponsible and misleading.

I drove through Arkansas during Clinton's time as governor and the roads were an absolute mess. The people voted in favor of the 7/8 cent tax increase on gasoline to fix the roads that Huckabee implemented. He also cut taxes over 90 times.

Mike Huckabee is a true conservative and what this country desperately needs. In polls, he is also the Republican candidate beating Hillary by the widest margin.

Posted by Michelle | November 28, 2007 6:09 AM

Dishonest Hacks--couldn't have put it better myself.

Posted by d | November 28, 2007 8:19 AM

I have lived in Arkansas for 17 years which completely covers the time Mike was governor here. This is a liberal Democratic state. A Clinton strong hold. He was elected our governor for 10 and a half years. He's a solid Christian conservative. A little common sense will bring anyone with normal intelligence to the conclusion that this man is a genuine and excellent leader that can bring both parties together for good. He would make a wonderful president. He was a great governor. He is what he says he is. Find someone else like that on the political scene running for president....I dare you.

Posted by rsmith | November 28, 2007 9:20 AM

I served on the Murphy Commission. The Murphy Commission was a citizen driven group empowered by Huckabee's first proclamation as Governor to find ways to streamline and improve AR. State Government. The Commission found, in 1998, that 90% of the State Highway funds were spent on roads with 10% of the highway traffic. It recommended Highway Dept. spending cuts of $40 million annually and had Huckabee followed the Murphy recommendations, then there would have been no need for the fuel tax increase.

Huckabee said that 80% of the people voted for the fuel tax increase. That is false. About 11% of the registered voters (it was a vote in the summer of '03) voted for a bond issue backed by the tax increase. The tax increase, passed by the legislature and backed by Huckabee, was signed into law by Huckabee in April '03. The tax remained regardless of the bond issue vote.

Posted by Murphy Commissioner | November 28, 2007 11:06 AM

"Dishonest hacks" pretty much sums up the Club for Growth and quite frankly, thats being pretty nice. Alot of other words come to mind with I think about the Glub for Growth.

Posted by Peter Bultman | November 28, 2007 12:01 PM

I just want to say you heard it from me first.

TOP TIER
The top 3 republican candidates are, in no particuliar order, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.

LONG SHOTS
Fred Thompson and John McCain will both call it quits in the near future as they have no momentum and are losing ground. Mitt Romney will keep spending his own money for a while but will find that he can't catch Huckabee.

Remember, you heard it from me first.

Cleaner44
Editor of www.thecaseforronpaul.com

Posted by Cleaner44 | November 28, 2007 12:10 PM

Obama became senator of IL with an easy contest against Alan Keyes. It appears that another religious looney right candidate will hand him the presidency !!

Posted by Raj | November 28, 2007 2:33 PM