Saturday, December 22, 2007

Huckabee to Rush: Let's Talk

Huck offers olive branch to Rush, asks for him to get in touch
www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1207/Huck_offers_olive_branch_to_Rush_asks_for_him_to_get_in_touch.html

December 22, 2007


SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The best-talking Republican politician in America has a message for the best-talking conservative voice in the country: Let's talk to one another.

Mike Huckabee, taking questions from reporters after a town hall meeting here, responded to the torrent of criticism that Rush Limbaugh unleashed during his broadcast yesterday by turning the other cheek — and then heaping on the praise.

"I love Rush Limbaugh; I've always loved his show," Huckabee assured. "I think he’s been great for the conservative movement."

The former Arkansas governor conceded that he hadn't sought Limbaugh out to set the record straight — but that he would like to.

"I don’t have his number," Huckabee explained. "If you have it, Jonathan, why don’t you give it to me. I’d love to talk to him."

"Maybe put it on the Web that if he’ll call me, I’d love to visit with him."

Stung by an anonymous Huckabee supporter's comments to Marc Ambinder that derided the influential talker as taking his cues from the "D.C./Manhattan chattering class," Limbaugh used his Friday show to defend himself.

"I'm part of the Cape Girardeau-Middle America axis," Limbaugh said, alluding to his Missouri hometown.

He called the attacks "Clintonian" and accused Huckabee's campaign of "trying to dumb down conservatism in order to get it to conform with his record."

Asked if he thought Limbaugh was an elite conservative or grass-roots conservative, Huckabee quickly said, "Oh, I think he's a grass-roots conservative."

Questioned why the talk show host would attack him, Huckabee shrugged.

"Ask him. I don't know. ... All I can do is hope that Rush loves me as much as I love Rush."

Over to you, Rushbo.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice non-answer, Governor. Rush Limbaugh rightly called you on your liberal record, and even said that John McCain is more conservative than Gov. Huckabee.

Now it comes out today that Gov. Huckabee received 35k from a company that performs embryonic stem-cell research. I guess he's not the pro-life hero that all his supporters want him to be?

Anonymous said...

I don't see that "coming out." Sorry.