(2008-01-01) — To further demonstrate his commitment to a positive campaign strategy, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee today showed reporters a Powerpoint presentation of opposition research that his staff has compiled against his top GOP rivals and announced he would not be using any of it in his effort to win his party’s nomination.
The revelations come just a day after Mr. Huckabee held a news conference to unveil to reporters an attack ad against Mitt Romney that his campaign will not broadcast in the waning hours before Thursday’s Iowa caucuses.
In today’s 47-minute narrated presentation, the former Arkansas governor revealed the findings of private investigators, as well as leaks from Democrat operatives, and innuendo “that we haven’t had time to confirm yet”, all of which Mr. Huckabee said “would never be released by my campaign, except to you people at this press conference, whom I have come to know and trust.”
The collection of political ammunition, known to campaign insiders as “the Huckabee dirt bag”, includes potentially-damaging, allegations about Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and John McCain, which “could prove devastating, or even true, if we had time to do more research.”
“But what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul,” said Mr. Huckabee, “which is why I’m not going take the traditional route of highlighting my opponents’ flaws and potential scandals, even though, as you can see, there’s no shortage of material for that.”
To “prove his sincerity,” Mr. Huckabee’s staffers gave copies of the Powerpoint presentation, along with 653 pages of supporting documentation, and dozens of audio and video clips to political reporters at the news conference.
“If I didn’t show this material to you,” he said, “you’d probably think I didn’t really have any dirt on Mitt, Fred and John, and so you would never realize how gracious I have been in refusing to use the kind of garbage that would virtually guarantee a Huckabee victory.”
40 responses so far ↓
1 Beerme // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:26 am
Lends whole new meaning to the term, Huckster, doesn’t it?
Happy New Year!
2 JamesonLewis3rd // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:31 am
God Bless America
Huckabee has become a major disappointment to a great many potential supporters and will soon become an also-ran.
3 Fake, But Accurate » Pursuing Holiness // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:48 am
[...] has the dirt on Huckabee - Huckabee Unveils Dirt He Won’t Use Against Rivals To further demonstrate his commitment to a positive campaign strategy, Republican presidential [...]
4 Fred Sinclair // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:49 am
AMEN TO THAT! BEERME. I knew that there was good reasons for my choice. I’ll vote for him if he gets the party nomination.
Meanwhile I’m praying for a Thompson/Hunter Republican ticket. However regardless of my will or wish -
Rom. 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom. 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom. 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
God Bless America!
Heirborn Ranger
5 onlineanalyst // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:52 am
Happy New Year! back atcha, all…
The candidate who spent a night at a Holiday Inn Express should now take his memories of that experience back to Hope, where he can retire with his prizes of miniature soaps.
A DesMoines newspaper has this beaut of a lede, showing how despicable the Huckster is in running his campaign:
“DES MOINES — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee defended his failure to read the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran in early December, joking in an interview Monday that President Bush didn’t read intelligence reports for four years.”
Like Madame Clinton, he needs to be reminded that President Bush is not in contention for the current race.
(Speaking of the “smartest woman in the world”: She has been cited in two reliable sources/venues, saying that Musharaff should drop out of the election in Pakistan. Duh! He is not running for Prime Minister; he won the Presidency in the fall. Check out powerlineblog thread “Hillary Does Pakistan”.)
6 Maggie // Jan 1, 2008 at 12:09 pm
A special “Hoppy New Year to da Bunny!!
Also a question for Up North Lurkin,
Cold, ain’t it? :<)
Scott,
Great line “which could prove devastating ,or even true”. Hahahahahahhhaahhaa
7 Fred Sinclair // Jan 1, 2008 at 12:36 pm
ola #5 - Perhaps Mrs. Bill Clinton’s quest for the White House is due to a sudden twinge of conscious (never having had one, she had to call in her Guru to explain it) She is overcome with remorse and guilt and wishes to atone by getting the White House back so she can return or replace all of the ’stuff’ her and Bill skipped out of the WH with in cartons. If you or I ripped off what they did, we would be arrested and imprisoned for theft.
Heirborn Ranger
8 upnorthlurkin // Jan 1, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Happy 2008 everyone!! And, Merry 8th Day of Christmas!! I’m renewing my resolution of 2007 which was to totally ignore the attention seeking trolls. It saved me time and the usual rise in blood pressure by just scrolling past their lame attempts to irritate! Along with cancelling my subscription to our local lib rag “The Forum”, I’ve found new peace and serenity!
Maggie: sorry for the drop in temps! It will only last a couple of days though….forcasts call for above zero temps again by next weekend!! Hope you dug out that parka!!
Just read a great tribute to our military progress here. I’d love to see it go viral on the net!!
9 upnorthlurkin // Jan 1, 2008 at 1:45 pm
What happened?! I was posting a link to an article at Jewish World Review and my post just froze up!! See what happens, Maggie? It’s the frigid temps I tells ya!!
10 da Bunny // Jan 1, 2008 at 2:37 pm
“the Huckabee dirt bagâ€
Uh…yeah, no kiddin’. Must be an inbred trait of pols who hail from Hope to engage in the “politics of personal destruction.”
Happy New Year to you Scott, and to all my fellow Scrapplers. And, a special greeting to you, Maggie. Don’t worry, only a few more days, and then you can return home to THAW OUT!
11 Harry Daschle // Jan 1, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Updated news from the Clinton campaign:
Hillary has announced that her idea for a museum celebrating Woodstock, (at a cost of 1 million dollars), will now include,” hits” of Mr. Natural acid as to “enhance” the visitors experience.
There will be warnings posted throughout to NOT take the “tan” or “brown” acid.
She is also trying to exhume the remains of Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, so they can “lie in state” at the museum.
Rumors that Hillary will be attending the opening wearing a haltertop and hot pants are NOT true!
After all, they want people to attend the event.
12 gafisher // Jan 1, 2008 at 3:07 pm
After that embarrassing Press Conference, it was nice to turn on the TV, the radio, the reading lamp, and find the supposed target of the Huckabee ad enthusiastically restraining himself from limiting his negative ads.
Let’s see: nobody from Clinton’s State, nobody from Gore’s State, nobody from Kennedy’s State; looks like McCain’s a shoo-in.
13 prettyold // Jan 1, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Is everyone sure Huckabee is a Republican? We can see he is no Conservative,are we sure he is not just some comedian ,who decided to play an elaborate practical joke?
14 JamesonLewis3rd // Jan 1, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I know it is something that has been going on throughout the political history of mankind; that is, the relentless pursuit of dirt with which to fill the Dirt Bag with which to whop the political opponent (when they least expect it) up side the head with which to make oneself appear to be a superior human being.
Dirt Bag-Filling has become an Art Form honed to an ultra-efficient Industry which is on the job 24/7, and I am not impressed-I don’t see any Socially Redeeming Value there.
But, anyway, Huckabee has shown that he is a mere hack wannabe DirtBagMan-it is unfortunate that he had to sort of throw negative vibes onto unsuspecting and undeserving Conservatives, Republicans, Christians, et al along the way. I think he should have been scratched long ago…..way back when…..whenever it was this lame “race” began…..I fergit…..
15 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 1, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Upnorth
Jeesh, it is 4 degrees out in Fargo at this moment. What ‘cha bellyaching about, it is January. Zip it
With politicians like Huckleberry Hound who needs enemies?
16 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 1, 2008 at 5:15 pm
push
17 mig // Jan 1, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hickster from a hick state. Must be the water, all them Arky politicians are wackadoodle Razorbacks fer sure.
18 gafisher // Jan 1, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Good point, Mig. Anyone from below the Mason-Dixon line isn’t worth considering.
19 upnorthlurkin // Jan 1, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Ms. Righty, it’s -5° with a rather stiff 15mph breeze out of the northwest….making it a bit brisk!! And, it wasn’t me grousing….it was Miss Maggie…
And, and it’s all this dang global warming er climate change….or whatever….Hey Algore….send some of it up here!
20 upnorthlurkin // Jan 1, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I know…how about a global warming pipeline….we could use a bunch of that hot air emminating from Iowa to heat our homes!
21 prettyold // Jan 1, 2008 at 10:07 pm
I Huck were a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers , onthe first play,he would rush out from the sidelines and break both of Brett Favre’s legs then gallop over to whomp Mike McCarthy in the head ,and maybe antagonize a Ref on the way. Then he would expect to be named MVP for Green Bay.
Is the guy for anything? Does he like anyone? This is why he must be a Democrat ,he would rather fight his allies ,than his enemies.
22 prettyold // Jan 1, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Lucky Iowa.Here are the rest ofus, fighting snow and ice and Iowa is just getting a wonderful new supply of dirt. The Clintonista Dirt wasn’t enough,Edwards had to dump in some ,and now a Republican is going to add his share.And he even figured out a new dirtier method. Tell the Press you’re going to tell them,then tell them you’re not going to tell them ,then tell them.
Next summer ,when Iowa Farmers are having the most wonderul crops they have ever grown, they will know whom to thank
23 upnorthlurkin // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Ah yes, Ms. Pretty. Fertilizer abounds down there in Iowa. Bumper crops of corn….I can hear the piggies cheering from here!
24 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Upnorth
We are under a winter storm warning-but other than a bit brisk, we haven’t seen a lot of snow. sigh
All I can tell you is what the government says
22.1 °F / -5 °C Overcast
Windchill: 17 °F / -8 °C
29.99 in / 1015.5 hPa (Steady)
Visibility 5.0 miles / 8.0 kilometers
Wind Speed: 3.6 mph / 5.8 km/h / 1.6 m/s
Wind Dir: 190° (South)
Ceiling: 1400 ft / 426 m
25 camojack // Jan 2, 2008 at 1:22 am
So basically he was for showing the ad before he was against it? Hmmm…
26 Fred Sinclair // Jan 2, 2008 at 2:26 am
Just in - for State of MI (and many others I reckon) Cell Phone conversations accounted for the same number of auto accidents, deaths and injuries as did alcohol. Will we now have MAACP (Mothers against cell phones)?
Will the Anti-NRA folks demand laws making cell phones illegal, or background checks and waiting periods to purchase cell phones? Will the cell phone manufacturers put out bumper stickers, “Cell Phones don’t kill people. People kill people.”
Will cell phone related deaths result in Cell phone manufacturers being sued?
A whole new era opening for lawyers!!!
Heirborn Ranger
27 gafisher // Jan 2, 2008 at 5:32 am
Fred Re#26, with Governess Granholm in charge Michigan’s first step will be a new tax (the universal cure) on cell phones. Then we’ll have a costly campaign of sloganeering via cryptic roadside signs (“You Talk, You Walk” for the program which confiscates the driver’s license of anyone caught driving while connected, for example).
Lost in all this will be the fact that the statistic does not so much describe increased risks in cell-phone usage as a reduction alcohol-related accidents.
28 Fred Sinclair // Jan 2, 2008 at 7:02 am
gafisher: Whicheverway the one thing you can count on is them figuring a way to tax it. We think it’s bad now. Left unchecked (and/or eradicated) today’s grandchildren will grow up, forced to live with video cams in their bedrooms so the government can levy an entertainment tax for each time they are intimate with their spouse. Followed of course with carbon offset tax of thousands of dollars for each new baby born (including carbon credits for each baby aborted.)
btw aren’t the enviro-whackos claiming that God screwed up…. “Gen. 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”…..when they engage in spray painting fur coats? I think anyone remotely near a fur coat, holding a can of spray paint deserves what we used to call a “Five fingered knuckle sandwich.” Of which I’ve served up more than a few over the course of years. - Haven’t been lucky enough to get me an enviro-whacko yet - (sigh) there’s always tomorrow (If the Lord wills).
The special clothes and shoes worn by the Israelites, coming out of Egypt, that did not “wear out” over a 40 year period - (a Sears and Roebuck’s Kenmore washing Machine would have been very welcome). Adam and Eve’s clothes - made by God Himself - WoW! Better than any of the rags worn to “The Oscars” today!
Heirborn Ranger
29 Hawkeye // Jan 2, 2008 at 7:56 am
BTW… Belated Happy Birthday to Camojack! Hope you had a good one yesterday. Wish I could have made the party, but I was still recovering from New Years Eve…
30 boberinyetagain // Jan 2, 2008 at 8:03 am
Hi de ho and a Happy New Year to all!
31 The Ron Paul Money Dud | Adam's Blog // Jan 2, 2008 at 8:56 am
[...] Scrappleface: Huckabee unveils dirt he won’t use against his rivals [...]
32 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 2, 2008 at 9:10 am
What? I missed Camojack’s birthday??? Oh dear me. Well do you reckon I could still give him a happy birthday message?
Why not?
Happy Birthday Camojack
33 upnorthlurkin // Jan 2, 2008 at 10:59 am
HappyBirthday, Camo…..careful, you’re catching up with the rest (best) of us!!
34 boberinyetagain // Jan 2, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I second that! the 50+ crowd needed more members!
35 Libby Gone // Jan 2, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Boberin,
Does that mean I can’t play with the big kids?
darsh!
Happy New Year all!!!!
36 boberinyetagain // Jan 2, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Libby, seen but not heard…
How many to go for you?
37 boberinyetagain // Jan 2, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Libby, exceptions can be considered, how far off are you? i’m guessing about 10 years…
38 boberinyetagain // Jan 2, 2008 at 3:05 pm
now the first post appears…sigh
39 camojack // Jan 2, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Hawkeye:
BTW… Belated Happy Birthday to Camojack! Hope you had a good one yesterday. Wish I could have made the party, but I was still recovering from New Years Eve…
That’s the problem with a January 1st birthday; lots of folks are “still recovering from New Years Eve”.
OTOH, my birthday is a National holiday…which is as it ought to be.
Ms RightWing, Ink:
What? I missed Camojack’s birthday??? Oh dear me. Well do you reckon I could still give him a happy birthday message?
Why not?
Happy Birthday Camojack
Thanks! 50 down, ? to go.
upnorthlurkin:
HappyBirthday, Camo…..careful, you’re catching up with the rest (best) of us!!
Nah, you’ll stay ahead of me on that score, but thanks.
boberinyetagain:
I second that! the 50+ crowd needed more members!
We “Baby Boomers” have to stick together…
40 PanamaRed // Jan 3, 2008 at 1:11 am
Ya gotta hand it to Huck, he said he has studied every trick the Clintons had used, can’t get him for lying….yet! I was watcing the Commie Broadcasting System and you’d think only Hillary, Obama and Edwards were running for office. Then they messed up and talked about the ad that can’t be shown and Romney’s going negative. Those people in Iowa sure do go to a lot of trouble to be first IMO.
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