Mike Huckabee,  Mitt Romney,  President 2008

Mike Huckabee Watch: Huck Pulls the Plug on Negative Romney Ad in Iowa

*****Update: Scroll Down for News Presser Video*****

Update: Romney Campaign response below

Mike Huckabee and wife at Iowa News Presser

Mike Huckabee in an Iowa news presser (lined with charts of anti-Romney opposition research) announced that he was not going to air a negative Romney television ad he filmed yesterday.

However, among laughter of the assembled press he played the ad.

Mark Halperin has a bootleg copy of the ad here.

The New York Times blog calls Huckabee’s stunt a “remarkable play” – maintaining the high road while providing the oppo research for others to do the dirty work.

Telling you what’s in the ad, of course, plays into Mr. Huckabee’s strategy of getting his message out — Mr. Romney is bad — while being able to say his hands are clean.

He spoke at a dais in front of a huge banner that said, “Enough is Enough.” Placed around the room were poster boards criticizing Mr. Romney for various things.

The press will be cynical and some will call Huckabee a hypocrite but the anti-Romney message is clear and out there. And, Huckabee can say he took the “high road” as his campaign moves onto South Carolina where the next Huckabee-Romney war will be waged.

Flap will publish the ad when it becomes available on You Tube.

Stay tuned……

Update:

Videos of the Huckabee news presser are now available:

Part 1, including the running of the negative ad

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=SNZnUf6ygcg[/youtube]

Part 2
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=-7a5LzzN-oI[/youtube]

Update #2:

The Romney Campaign Response:

From Romney Campaign Spokesman Kevin Madden:

“We’re proud that Governor Romney has run a campaign about the issues that are important to voters. Governor Romney has worked hard to talk about the vision and experience he has when it comes to keeping taxes low, cutting wasteful spending and securing our borders. He’s worked hard to make his case to voters about leading a Republican Party that will strengthen the American family.

“Mike Huckabee’s troubling record is clearly not holding up well under scrutiny.

“To say one thing one minute and then turn around and show an attack ad to reporters the next will, obviously, leave folks with a very cynical view of Mike Huckabee and his message.”

“Mike Huckabee has turned from nice to very hot-tempered now that his record has been examined by voters.

“It’s Mike Huckabee’s record. It’s definitely a tough record for him to defend, but it’s still a record that belongs to Mike Huckabee.”

To day there is NO LOVE LOST between Romney and Huckabee is an understatement. The same goes with the McCain and Romney campaign.

How does Romney ever expect to unite the GOP party apparatus behind his candidacy should he win the nomination?

Flap can see many GOP voters supporting the independent candidacy of Michael Bloomberg rather than voting for Romney.

Would McCain, Huck and Rudy REALLY support Romney?

Nope – Probably lip service ONLY.

Update #3

Carl Cameron from Fox News offers his analysis:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5FeLw3Vnr0[/youtube]

An Iowa Caucus MOMENT?

What is up with Mike Huckabee?

Update #4:

Mike Huckabee channels Ronald Reagan’s 11th GOP Commandment in pulling the negative anti-Romney ad.

Mike Huckabee’s comments to Wolf Blitzer a moment ago, about the ad he decided not to air.

“A lot of cynics are going to say this is all contrived and planned. I don’t care what they say.”

“If it costs me the caucus, it does.”

“I don’t want to run an ad where I feel like have to take a shower when I’m done.”

“We didn’t give out DVDs, which we were prepared to give out. We said ‘we’re just not gonna do it.’ …The video didn’t work, so it’s not usable anyway.

“If we’re going to wrap ourselves in the mantle of Ronald Reagan, let’s wrap ourselves in the tone of Ronald Reagan. Let’s remember his 11th Commandment, which said, ‘Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.’

Asked by Wolf Blitzer if he has a message to Mitt Romney: “He’s free to run his campaign any way he wishes. He can say anything he wants about his record, and.. he can say anything he wants about my record. We’re going to run a positive campaign.”

Will more Iowa GOP votes be forthcoming for Huckabee due to this gambit? Or, is he planning ahead to South Carolina anyway?
Previous:

Mike Huckabee Watch: Romney Owes Me an Apology

Mike Huckabee Watch: Huck Responds to Romney Negative Ads

Mitt Romney Watch: Romney Accuses Huckabee of Being Soft on Meth

Mike Huckabee Watch: Calls Romney Desperate and Dishonest While Defending John McCain Against Negative Romney Ads

Mitt Romney Watch: New Romney TV Ad Goes Negative on Huckabee Foreign Policy; Update: Huckabee Calls Romney “Dishonest”


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