Iowa HQ Blog
-
ABC News' Bret Hovell reports: Two presidential candidates, vying for the nomination of the same party, shared a battleground-state stage Thursday not as rivals, but as friends and colleagues, leaving behind the personal attacks and snappy one-liners that have characterized much of this cycle’s race for the White House.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and Arizona Senator John McCain came together in Sioux City, IA, to discuss issues of healthcare and social security at a forum sponsored by the AARP.
Absent from the conversation were the other six candidates for the Republican nomination, all of whom turned down the AARP’s invitation. Huckabee and McCain were scheduled to take thirty-five minutes each to discuss their views and answer questions from the audience, but McCain proposed the idea of sharing the stage together, which Huckabee accepted.
To read more click here.Politically Speaking was at the event and has more coverage.
Comment (3 Comments)
-
-
I would like to invite you to come see my band, Capitol Offense, and me perform at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on October 26. I am particularly excited about this concert because not only do we get to play at the historic Surf Ballroom, but former lead guitarist from the rock band Boston, Barry Goudreau, will be joining us on stage.
If you aren't familiar with the Surf Ballroom, it's the last place Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper played in 1959 before their plane crashed a few miles away.
While we aren't as good as those three legends-with the exception of Barry Goudreau of course, we are good enough to play there (or at least we hope!).
Our goal is to fill the Ballroom with a few hundred of my closest friends, so I hope you'll join us!
The show is from 7-10 p.m. My family, members of the band and I will be mixing with the crowd throughout the night, and we look forward to seeing you.
Here are some addtional details for the event:
1) General Admission - $10 per person or $25 per family
2) Platinum Sponsor - $2300
- 10 event tickets
- 4 backstage passes - gets you in Pre-Concert reception and
picture w/ Gov. and Band
- 1 signed Guitar
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 tour jackets
- 1 concert poster
3) Gold Sponsor - $1000
-10 event tickets
- 2 backstage passes - gets you in Pre-Concert reception and
picture w/ Gov. and Band
- Signed drum sticks
- 1 tour jacket
- 2 t-shirts
- 1 concert poster
I am really looking forward to the event and hope you, your family and friends will be there. If you are interested in attending this event and are ready to buy a ticket, visit our website to purchase your ticket today.
When you complete the contribution form you must enter the following code in the box labeled "Donor Code:" HE41.
Someone from our campaign will followup with you by email to determine how many tickets you need.
I encourage you to buy your tickets today while space is available! You can do so by clicking here. Remember to enter HE41 into the Donor Code field on the contribution page.
-
UPDATE: Kathy Wells at Michigan Redneck had a number of great posts.
Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post had this to say:
Judged by who can offer a serious approach to economic policy, the hands-down winner in the Republican race so far is Huckabee, who combines intelligence, candor and comfortable familiarity with the issues and a practical approach anchored in solid conservative beliefs.
If only the political press were as impressed with the quality of a candidate's program as with his name recognition, it would be Huckabee, not Thompson, who was energizing the Republican contest.
Bull Dog Pundit from Ankle Biting Pundits:
Mike Huckabee: Another good performance. Like McCain he really taps into the economic anxiety that many people feel, especially in Michigan. I almost wish Huckabee had more money, because I think he could compete with the big boys and give them a run. But maybe I’m biased.
Amber Arellano from the Detroit News:
1st Place Winner -- tie: former Governor Mike Huckabee and U.S. Congressman Ron Paul. Both leaders spoke to Americans' core concerns, especially here in Michigan as we face painful deindustrialization without any meaningful response from the White House.
Huckabee offered up sensible policy ideas on energy and terrorism. He also scored major points among many of us in the Rustbelt -- and anyone concerned about the downward economic pressure on the Middle Class -- when he pointed out the future need for unionism.
When American CEO's are making 500 times what the average U.S. employee does, Huckabee said, it "creates a level of discontent" that provides a fertile ground for unionization, "a natural outgrowth of that discontent." He added that we would see a huge union growth in the future.(HT: One Mom)
Christian Hine has some good post debate thoughts posted on his blog www.SaveTalkRadio.com:
We agree with his assesment here:
In the few questions that Mike Huckabee was allowed to answer, he clearly shined through. In fact, while applause was very limited in this debate, Huckabee’s answers on a hypothetical Iran first strike situation and on health care generated support from the audience. He is also starting to have an impact on the language of the tax debate. His support of the FairTax and the overwhelming grassroots efforts by FairTax supporters have actually gotten Romney talking about “embedded taxes” and McCain talking about making the tax code “flatter and fairer”. When your candidate is the one that the others are emulating, that is a sign of success.
Alex Harris at I Heart Huckabee has the video of Governor Huckabee's appearance on Hardball after the debate and roundup of some great coverage including one of our favorite comments so far:
Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone:
That Mike Huckabee hasn’t caught just a little bit of fire is a mystery to me. He’s charming and funny, and always seems reasonable even when he’s preaching to the freepers. I don’t know why the James Dobsons of the world are threatening to leave the party rather than throwing their weight behind this Southern Baptist minister with a concealed-carry permit and a “covenant marriage.” Someone whose phone calls Focus on the Family actually returns ought to ask Dr. D. just that.James Walpole from SC Huckster has a report card on the debate.
Personally, we think Kevin Tracy gets it right.
Kudos to One Mom for her live-blog of the debate. She did a GREAT job.
We will have more debate reaction soon.
-
-
Today I received a strange email that I wanted to share with you. An old friend on a rival presidential campaign sent me a friendly heads up that an email was circulating in Iowa reportedly from me that said I was leaving Mike Huckabee's campaign to join Mitt Romney's campaign.
Well imagine my surprise.
I had made a few phone calls this morning and sent a few emails but you would think I would remember that one.
Here is the text of the email:Dear Friends,
Thank you for all of you help with the Huckabee Campaign. It is critical that citizens, such as yourselves, remain active in Iowa's political process, standing up for the issues that are important to you and your families and fighting for a stronger Iowa.
As I travel the state, I am continually reminded of its potential. It is time for a President who offers Iowans hope, security, and true prosperity.
Building a stronger nation will require high levels of accountability in our national government. It is time that our government stops spending more than it takes in. This will mean eliminating waste and focusing on long-range planning rather than quick-fixes. We do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.
As you know I have been supporting a great man in Mike Huckabee on his quest to lead our nation. I regretfully announce after not meeting our fundraising goals in this last quarter, I have decided to leave the Huckabee campaign and join Mitt Romney. I invite you to join the Romney team and work with us to realize a bold vision for the future of the nation we love.
Mitt Romney is a man of true integrity with a strong commitment to faith and family. He has the executive experience that no other candidate can offer. I have had the opportunity to meet with him several times and believe that he has the resources and the needed organization to lead our nation.
Please visit mittromney.com to get involved, sign up for updates, and learn more about our campaign.I will hold an official press conference in Des Moines Wed. Oct 10th, 10am at the State Capitol; I encourage you to bring you friends and family as we lead our nation forward to defeat Hillary Clinton.
Sincerely,
Bob Vander PlaatsI find this email especially funny today given that just yesterday a new Iowa poll came out with Governor Huckabee moving into third place ahead of Mayor Giuliani and Senator McCain and just a few points behind Senator Thompson. Since Ames Governor Huckabee has been steadily rising in the polls and dirty tricks like this one should make everyone realize that the other campaigns are starting to notice.
-
Washington Post reporter Dan Balz picks up on what we all know...
Click here to read about an Iowa surprise.
-
The Des Moines Register has a new story and poll out today:
There’s been a shakeup, however, in the rest of the field.
Thompson, a former Tennessee senator who officially entered the race for the Republican nomination a month ago, grabs second place in the new poll at 18 percent. The poll was conducted while he was finishing his second campaign trip to Iowa last week.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor who demonstrated surprising strength in the Iowa Republican Party’s straw poll in August, has moved up in the pack by claiming the support of 12 percent of likely caucus participants.
“He’s a driven man of principle. He’s very personable. He’ll look you right in the eye when he talks to you,” said Greg Lascheid, a 46-year-old Alden resident who met Huckabee at a campaign stop in Ames last summer.
Support for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain has eroded.
Giuliani, at 11 percent, is in a virtual tie with Huckabee for third place. But his level of support was 6 points higher in the Register’s last presidential poll in May. McCain and Giuliani ran neck-and-neck then as the nearest challengers to Romney. Thompson wasn’t included in the May poll because he hadn’t declared his candidacy.
McCain, who has had to retool his national campaign, has dropped to fifth place in the latest Iowa Poll, at 7 percent.
For more, click here.
-
Governor Huckabee is currently in Florida where is meeting local supporters and attending a fundraiser.
THonline reports on some of the Governor's recent jokes in Iowa.
CBS News looks into the Governor's message at the recent AARP Convention.
IowaPolitics.com has a brief bit from a recent campaign stop in Eastern Iowa.
Help us out by encouraging your friends to become the Governor's MySpace friend. Click here to head to our page.
Be sure to check out the Governor in the Values Voters Debate tomorrow at 6:00 PM ET.
It will be streamed live on AFA online http://www.afa.net
It will be broadcasted on the radio on http://www.afr.net
(Click on Listen Live 24/7 & select channel you want).
-
Governor Huckabee is in sunny California today where he will speak with media, and attend a fundraiser in Beverly Hills.
The Huckabee Hound shares a pro-Huckabee song found on YouTube...catchy!
The National Journal has more on Sen. Thompson's response to Gov. Huckabee's request for a Lincoln-Douglas style debate.
TechRepublican looks into the Governor's recent addition of Eventful buttons to the website.
The LATimes reports on new poll numbers released showing Governor Huckabee's continuing momentum in the three key early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
If you're a student interested in helping out the campaign please send your name and school you attend to students (at) explorehuckabee.com. Please make the subject line "students".
Check back later today for more updates.