Posted on 02/28/2008 6:43:54 PM PST by Kurt Evans
Mike Huckabee said today he's staying in the Republican presidential race because Sen. John McCain might have run afoul of the Federal Election Commission and be unable to campaign for much of the rest of this year...
"He wrote these laws," the former Arkansas governor said, adding they were "one of the worst things to happen to American politics."
"It may very well be that the law he pushed comes back to bite him."
At issue is Mr. McCain's request last summer to take part in the federal matching funds program for the primary election and his request earlier this month to withdraw from it.
If forced to remain in the public financing system, Mr. McCain would be tied to strict spending limits that he is already approaching. He would essentially have to shut his campaign down until after the nominating convention in September, which could make Mr. Huckabee a more attractive general election candidate.
Mr. Huckabee, who has not applied for public funds, would have no such restriction...
The Democratic National Committee has filed a challenge, and the FEC chairman has said he wants more information on whether Mr. McCain has already received anything of value from his participation in the program. That could include securing a bank loan on the promise of government funds or, the DNC says, it could also include securing a place on the ballots in some states without having to gather signatures.
The McCain campaign has asserted a constitutional right to withdraw from the system...
Complicating Mr. McCain's path is the fact that the FEC can't muster a quorum and can't rule on his case. Mr. McCain says that's not needed and that he can withdraw unilaterally, but former FEC commissioners say that is not a settled question.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
McCain still needs more than 300 pledged delegates to lock up the nomination:
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/gopdelegates/index.html
GOP support for Huckabee remains stable near 30 percent nationwide:
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/daily_presidential_tracking_polling_history
Huckabee issue positions:
http://mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.Home
“The McCain campaign has asserted a constitutional right to withdraw from the system.”
Obviously McCain only intended for his campaign finance laws to trample on the constitutional rights of others, but not his own.
I love that picture of Huckabee and Hunter. Oh how I wish they were the Republican '08 ticket.
“The biter bit.”
Never thought I’d root for the DNC, but I hope they give McCain massive amounts of hell over this. I might even send Huck a little money to encourage him to stay in.
Since Huckabee is under no danger of raising anywhere near enough money to hit the campaign finance limits, and he is certain to file for matching funds when reality finally sets in, what difference does it make?
Except that it’s hard enough for our candidate with the democrats being stupid, without our own candidates contributing to the stupidity.
Because between the two of them, they got about 30% of the republican vote.
Meanwhile, McCain will be our nominee, and will draw 20% of the white democratic vote.
But some people would really rather lose elections.
BTW, didn’t Huckabee say he was going to make Duncan Hunter the Defense Secretary?
So isn’t it just a bit disingenous to suggest Hunter would be his VP pick?
After all, I think Huckabee will pick God as his co-pilot....
“I might even send Huck a little money to encourage him to stay in.”
I’m confident such a gift would be efficiently converted to conservative convention delegates:
https://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Contribute.Home
https://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.Home
“BTW, didn’t Huckabee say he was going to make Duncan Hunter the Defense Secretary? So isn’t it just a bit disingenous to suggest Hunter would be his VP pick?”
No and no. Governor Huckabee only said Congressman Hunter would be “extraordinarily qualified” to be Secretary of Defense. That hardly means he’s unqualified to be vice president.
“But some people would really rather lose elections.”
Yes, I’d rather lose elections than abandon my principles.
One of my principles is not to lose elections to unqualified far-left liberals.
I’m surprised your principles include letting people like Obama have the Presidency.
I’m also surprised that as a conservative you think your principles are based on who runs the country, so that the election of someone who isn’t perfect would somehow effect how YOU live your principles.
This is all technicality and BS.
McCain applied for Federal Funds, but before he got them he became presumptive nominee and funds started to roll in.
So now he doesn’t want to be pigeon holed with Federal Funds.
So all aholes who want to see him lose are exploiting technicalities to raise hell.
DNC filed complain - if that doesn’t show McCain is innoncent then nothing will.
“One of my principles is not to lose elections to unqualified far-left liberals.”
One of my principles is not to support an unqualified far-left liberal just because he calls himself Republican.
Technicality - no corruption here. He was broke. He wanted to get help early. However, he won and that has helped his campaign raise money. If he took Federal Money, he won’t be able to raise personal money. He doesn’t want to limit himself now because he has some money coming in.
HE WOULD PROVE THAT HE NEVER GOT ANY BENEFITS FROM FED MONEY HE DIDN’T YET USE.
Then all these losers complaining can go to hell.
LOL--Constitutional right...you mean like Free Speech?
I'd rather have those people stay home than vote Democrat down-ticket.
I think Ive found a new tag line!
Then, when it was no longer in his best interest, he decided to withdraw that request so as to not have to follow the rules. Rules of which he has been a strong proponent.
Claiming that he is innocent because the Democrats are complaining is pure idiocy.
Either the rules allow him to withdraw his request, or they don't. If they don't he should be subject to the rules.
If that means he can't run an effective campaign, then he should step aside. He shouldn't be allowed to ignore the laws that he supported just because it hurts his campaign.
However, if McCain is effectively forced to suspend his campaign, I would suspect that Romney will unsuspend his campaign, and despite having dropped out of the race for a while he still has a slight lead in delegates over Huckabee.
Huckabee has no chance of winning the nomination. Even if he somehow forces a brokered convention, he has no hope of getting the nomination.
When nothing happens and he comes out unscathed then we would find out how complaing about nothing is the real idiocy.
The Irony is hilarious. Seems like a stupid law, hopefully nothing comes of it. (unless its Huckabee getting the nomination)
Ron Paul had thousands show up at his rallies, too. That didn’t translate into votes.
That cartoon should be a WHINO with a gun labeled extremism.
Vote for Mike Huckabee in the remaining primaries. Don’t reward McCain for gutting the 1st amendment.
Pepole paid hundreds of dollars for tickets to see “Hannah Montana”, but I don’t think they’d elect her President.
It’s not the 10,000 people who worship you. It’s the 60,000,000 people you need to VOTE for you that is important.
Huckabee never pledged to make Hunter his SOD. What he said was Hunter was a terrific candidate and would make a great SOD. There's clearly a place for Duncan Hunter in a Huckabee adminstration, and both men like and admire each other.
On other hand, you had legions of freepers here "talking up" the imminent possibilities of a future Thompson/Hunter" ticket, when in reality the two campaigns had nothing to do with each other and the two men wouldn't give each other the time of day. In fact Hunter pointed on several occasions that he disagreed strongly with Thompson's attempts to portray himself as a Minuteman clone when his record in office didn't stand with Hunter at all(this didn't stop Thompson's supporters from hailing Thompson as the second coming and then taking potshots when Huckabee also "adjusted" his views on immigration)
And I'm not even going to get into the freepers who continually whispered about a conspiracy of Huckabee being a "stalking house" for McCain because he didn't attack McCain vigorously enough for them, while ignoring the fact their guy Thompson was a "close personal friend of McCain" and wouldn't lift a finger to say ANYTHING bad about him.
You tell me which statements were more disingenuous. I'm still waiting for Fred to lift one finger to support Hunter and Huck to announce he's going to "Giuliani's running mate" as all the loud mouths here ASSURED us would happen.
I’ve had the fortune to get in on two of Mike Huckabee’s rallies this month. That man is working HARD. Each rally was well attended, and a real joy. His speeches concerning conservative principles are moving, and I truly believe he has a palpable measure of momentum.
Get ready for a lifetime of losing.
I'm not 100% sure of this, but my understanding is that he can withdraw the request before he receives any funds. Since McCain did not receive a dime yet, it is within his rights to withdraw.
“Yes, I’d rather lose elections than abandon my principles.”
Huck paraphrased that line in his concession speech.
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