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Huckabee Campaign Refutes Romney's Attacks on Troop Surge Support "Which Position Is It, Mitt?"
Reuters ^ | Jan 7, 2008

Posted on 01/07/2008 9:12:11 AM PST by Tlaloc

WINDHAM, N.H., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee's campaign reiterated Governor Huckabee's consistent, steady and unwavering support for General Petraeus' troop surge.

"General Petraeus and our troops are giving their all to provide an opportunity for the Iraqi government to succeed, and setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake. We must remain until we've achieved victory," said Huckabee.

January 12, 2007/ MSNBC Interview

Only two days after President Bush announced his plan for the surge in U.S. troop levels, Governor Huckabee appeared on MSNBC with Norah O'Donnell. During the interview, Huckabee asserted his support for the surge saying: "I think we've got to give him a chance to let it work. Whether it's the right decision, I honestly don't know because I don't have the access to the kind of military and intelligence information that he does. But he's the commander-in-chief, and we've got to give him an opportunity."

January 28, 2007/ NBC's "Meet the Press" Interview

When asked about the President's troop surge tactic on NBC's "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert, Governor Huckabee stated: "I think that's a dangerous position to take, to oppose a sitting commander-in-chief while we've got people being shot at on the ground. I think its one thing to have a debate and a discussion about this strategy, but to openly oppose, in essence, the strategy, I think that can be a very risky thing for our troops."

February 11, 2007/ ABC's "This Week" Interview

On "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," when asked whether Governor Huckabee would have voted for the surge had he been a member of the Senate, Huckabee replied: "you bet I would." With regards to setting a timetable, Governor Huckabee said, "I was careful not to say there should be a specific timetable. In fact, it's like a baseball game, not a football game. You can't put it on a specific clock."

March 27, 2007/ Real Clear Politics Interview

Although Governor Huckabee did express some concern over the use of an over-extended National Guard and Reservist Corps, in an interview with Real Clear Politics in March of 2007, Huckabee stated: "I support the President's right as Commander-in-Chief to make the decisions that he feels like will work and General Petraeus is the person in whom he has placed his trust. I have to respect that he's looking at information that I don't have and he's based this decision on those intelligence reports and the reports that he's getting from his generals in the field."

Sept. 10, 2007 / Press Release on Gen. Petraeus' and Ambassador Crocker's Capitol Hill Testimony

"I appreciate General Petraeus' candid, compelling testimony before a joint House committee this afternoon, along with the insights of Ambassador Crocker. I look forward to their continued testimony tomorrow. I have deep respect and admiration for both of these outstanding men, who have staked their lives and reputations on a successful outcome in what, I believe, is the defining battle, not only of our time, but for Western civilization itself. From their testimony, it is clear that the surge is working; their military objectives are being met; and that a quick or precipitous withdrawal will have dire consequences, not only in terms of massive human suffering in Iraq - but for the region. Undoubtedly, Iran would be a winner in this scenario - rendering the whole world vulnerable. This scenario is unacceptable.

September 28, 2007/ Center for Strategic and International Studies Speech

In a speech given to The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., in September, Governor Huckabee stated that he had supported and continued to support the surge. "Now is not the moment to lose heart or lose faith, too much has been sacrificed and too much is at stake. By not projecting beyond pre-surge levels, we send a strong signal to the Iraqis that we will be there for them and to our enemies that they can't just wait us out."

On the other hand: Mitt Romney supported a timed withdrawal, and now he says he did not.

During the Jan. 5, 2008, presidential debate, Mitt Romney claimed he never supported a timed withdrawal in Iraq. Governor Huckabee challenged this claim and Romney responded, "I do not support and have never supported a timed withdrawal." However, in an April 2007 interview with ABC News' "Good Morning America," Romney voiced support for "a private timetable and benchmarks for U.S. troops to get out of Iraq." Governor Huckabee restated his charge that Romney can't have it both ways saying that "time tables, whether public or private, is a withdrawal. This was the Democrat's position in Congress, which I am entirely against."

Romney's claim that he never supported a timed withdrawal, when in fact he did, begs the Governor's question last night: "Which position is it, Mitt?"

Furthermore, after attacking Governor Huckabee for weeks on his criticism of some elements of the Bush administration's approach to foreign policy -- and demanding that Huckabee apologize to President Bush - yesterday, Mitt Romney changed his tune at a New Hampshire house party. He publicly stated that U.S. diplomacy has been dominated by an "our way or the highway approach."

This is very similar to what Governor Huckabee has been arguing. Does Romney now owe the President an apology?

Paid for by Huckabee for President, Inc. www.mikehuckabee.com

SOURCE Huckabee for President, Inc.

Alice Stewart of Huckabee for President, Inc., +1-501-324-2008


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: nh2008
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1 posted on 01/07/2008 9:12:15 AM PST by Tlaloc
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To: Tlaloc

CHICK FIGHT!!!!!!!


2 posted on 01/07/2008 9:13:12 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian
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To: Tlaloc

Huck would be a great prez. Is it a risk to nominate him? Seems like McCain or Rudy will still end up getting the nom. But who knows as of this point?


3 posted on 01/07/2008 9:20:50 AM PST by guitarist
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To: Tlaloc

I distinctly remember being disappointed with Huck last year over his lack of support for the surge.

Huck can spin this however he wants, he did not fully back the Pres.


4 posted on 01/07/2008 9:31:12 AM PST by mission9 (It ain't bragging if you can do it.)
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To: guitarist

So you’re voting for the pro-illegal immigrant, big government, nanny state candidate ?


5 posted on 01/07/2008 9:31:27 AM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: BillyBoy; unspun; nckerr; wastedpotential; Sola Veritas; AFA-Michigan; JohnnyZ; Yomin Postelnik; ...

ping


6 posted on 01/07/2008 9:33:06 AM PST by Tlaloc
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To: Tlaloc

He’s such a quick wit! What a great President he’s be, what with his one-liners and Bible quoting and his adorable Ozarky family!


7 posted on 01/07/2008 9:33:19 AM PST by Nonstatist
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To: Tlaloc
OK, when a candidate is putting out his OWN releases, and the best he can do to prove he supported something is THIS:

asserted his support for the surge saying: "I think we've got to give him a chance to let it work. Whether it's the right decision, I honestly don't know because I don't have the access to the kind of military and intelligence information that he does. But he's the commander-in-chief, and we've got to give him an opportunity."

That's pretty sad.

8 posted on 01/07/2008 9:50:17 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: mission9
Huck supported the president's right to make military decisions, not the surge itself.

It's not an unreasonable position, because Huck obviously doesn't have the same information the President has.

However, he really didn't support the surge itself.

Romney supported setting goals, but keeping them private so that they couldn't be used against us by our enemies. It's only common sense to expect that your military has set goals for itself, and drafted up a timetable. You need to have goals.

Romney did not support the Democrats call for a public timetable, which would have been a horrible mistake.

Both Romney and Huck are distorting each other's previous comments.

9 posted on 01/07/2008 9:53:49 AM PST by untrained skeptic
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To: Tlaloc

What’s this? Al Rueters supporting the Huck.


10 posted on 01/07/2008 9:55:31 AM PST by Parley Baer
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To: guitarist

Huck’s dog-torturing son would certainly be interesting.

Sorry, animal torture how Jeff Dailmer (and many serial killers) got started; there are obvious serious family issues.


11 posted on 01/07/2008 9:55:54 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian
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To: TheThirdRuffian

That’s a first, guilty cuz of family members: Ronald Reagan’s son Ron is crazy, Hugh Rodham—heck, Hillary’s husband!, Jimmy Carter’s brother, Obama’s father was a Muslim, etc. etc. Where does it end?


12 posted on 01/07/2008 11:14:46 AM PST by guitarist
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To: guitarist

All of the above are in the range of “normal”

An animal-torturing son (while a Boy Scout, not adult, mind you) means something happened (or failed to happen — e.g., proper instruction and guidance) in the home.

Pure speculation, but typically when a child torture animals, the animals are a “sacrifice” (so to speak) for displaced anger -— i.e., the animal bears the brunt of rage against some other person (or the boy himself) that the boy cannot or will not express.


13 posted on 01/07/2008 11:47:08 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian
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To: TheThirdRuffian

well, he wouldn’t be the first wild azz preacher’s kid I’ve known.


14 posted on 01/07/2008 12:22:44 PM PST by grandpa jones (Responding To The Epic Threat)
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To: grandpa jones

True.

A PK girl with red boots taught me a few things when I was a boy . . .


15 posted on 01/07/2008 12:35:17 PM PST by TheThirdRuffian
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To: CharlesWayneCT

Oh heck, I didn’t have “the access to the kind of military and intelligence information that he [Bush] does. “ BUT I backed the surge.

Huckabee is such a twofaced wimp.


16 posted on 01/07/2008 12:46:50 PM PST by Gator113 (My short list..Fred, Hunter, Romney.)
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To: Tlaloc
Huckabee, McCain, and Romney, could keep each other occupied for years just sniping back and forth over the recent significant “revamping” they have done to their own records.
17 posted on 01/07/2008 12:52:11 PM PST by Route66 (America's Main Street - - - Fred D. Thompson / Consistent Conservative...The One with Gravitas)
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To: Tlaloc

In my opinion those are good points at a bad time. For the sake of our common cause as conservatives, it would probably be best if Governor Romney disabled Senator McCain’s campaign in New Hampshire.


18 posted on 01/07/2008 8:32:52 PM PST by Kurt Evans (This message not approved by any candidate or candidate's committee.)
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Heavenly Father, let Your will be done in the New Hampshire primaries, in Jesus’ name. Amen.


19 posted on 01/07/2008 8:36:55 PM PST by Kurt Evans (This message not approved by any candidate or candidate's committee.)
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To: TheThirdRuffian

Let’s posit that Huck was an overly tough father. Does that change someone’s vote? Judge him by his decade in little rock, and the campaign. He’s made plenty of mistakes there. Stick with that.


20 posted on 01/08/2008 5:47:45 AM PST by guitarist
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