Huckabee caught in a lie (See Update)

Posted: Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:40 PM by Rob Merrill

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Huckabee is not telling the truth. He did INDEED attack Romney about what he said about his faith. This just shows you that these guys realize this is their FIRST impression and they are desperate to look like, well, COMPASSIONATE conservatives.

***UPDATE*** (5/7) Many folks, including the Huckabee campaign, took issue with the word "lie" in my headline describing Huckabee pulling back on what he said re: Romney and his faith. Huckabee's answer during the debate about faith and public life was not nearly as direct regarding Romney as his answer was when asked on the ABC program, "This Week" a few weeks earlier. I understand that "lie" is a charged word and this certainly doesn't rank up there with real campaign lies. But it was an attempt by Huckabee to wiggle out of his original criticism of Romney. In the heat of the moment, I chose the wrong word, but I don't regret pointing out what still appears to be an inconsistency between what Huckabee said during the debate and what he said on "This Week." My apologies for waiting until today to address this issue.

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Comments

I like Hardball and Chris Matthews, but Matthews is being way too confrontational tonight in his role as moderator. He should ask the question and allow the candidate their time to answer, not interupt them during their time. He seems to be confusing his role here with his role on his own show.

MikeknaJ, California (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:43 PM)

If he indeed lied, that's pretty serious. Isn't he a minister? Will we latter get an apology or confession?

Evon in STL (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:44 PM)

Did Thompson advocate getting rid of equal protection for homosexuals in the workplace???

Bill F, PA (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:45 PM)

Yes, Thompson did. Not very smart, but he's not going to last long anyway.

bill, chicago, il (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:49 PM)

They all seem to be in favor of religion

Gary Schear Bozeman Montana (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:51 PM)

They're republican, of course they're in favor of religion.

Kyle SLC, UT (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:53 PM)

Mathews too confrontational? I think he's too chummy with this group. He is favoring the candidates leading in the polls, which is not fair. Let's hear them all. John McCain staggered in his start but he's found his footing. Unfortunately, his lust for war will not serve his candidacy well. There is no diversity of opinion in this group, or in their appearance. They look like a bunch of ushers in a church.

Roger Dier (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:56 PM)

Matthews is great, The canidates are the issue. Looks like women, the poor and gays are in for a rough ride if any of these guys get elected. Thought America was the land of the free. How about created equal.

Don, South Carolina (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:09 PM)

Bull. Huckabee was reiterating his point that religion MUST play an important role in our consideration of who leads our country. To do otherwise is to ignore a very important part of their decision making process. Does this affect Romney? Sure. Just as much as it does Clinton too. It was not a direct attack against Romney, so much as a general observation.

Jered Ede, Hamilton, Montana (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:09 PM)

HUCKABEE SAID THE SAME THING THAT CHRIS MATTHEWS READ BACK TO HIM. RIGHT BEFORE HE READ IT BACK! I THINK CHUCK TODD AND CHRIS MATTHEWS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LISTEN OR READ. WHEN ASKED ABOUT FAITH AND ROMNEY BY GEORGE S. HUCKABEE SAID " FAITH DOES MATTER AND IT HELPS DEFINE A PERSON" HE SAID THE SAME THING TONIGHT! Matthews was out of line.

James Boulder (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:44 PM)

First, Chuck Todd - let's listen to the answer before we call something a lie. Second, Chris Matthews - as a moderator you're job is to moderate not to play hardball in the debate. I thought the debate was hosted by Nancy Reagan - not your MSNBC program...

Adam, Columbia, SC (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:08 PM)

Before I fell asleep, I caught Chris Matthews trying to liven things up with the comment to Huckabee about his "lying" about what he said concerning someone's religion being an important part of who they are. I agree with James Boulder that Chris Matthews made it up. After the Democratic Debate last week, Chris Matthews was upset that they didn't attack each other, that the debators were too nice and civil to one another. I guess since he was the one in control of the questions tonight, he decided he needed to make the Republican Debate more "interesting." Chris Matthews is getting on my nerves.

Jane, Southern Mississippi (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:33 PM)

I think Chuck Todd and Chris Matthews owe an apology to Gov. Huckabee. Chris owes one for attcking Huckabee with nonsense, and Chuck Todd needs to apologize for lying about Huckabee and saying that he lied. I have watched the segment of debate several times now and Huckabee said the same thing both times. Thank God for DVR. Huckabee was consistent on this and every other thing he said tonight. I think he is the only one besides Ron Paul who have been very consistent. The only problem is Ron Paul is consistently radical. Huckabee makes sense and looked the best tonight when he finally got a chance to speak. We all be waiting for your apologies sirs.

James Boulder (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:35 PM)

When did Huckabee attack Romney about his faith?

Chuck Gates, Orange, Calif. (Sent Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:56 PM)

It's incredibly how unfairly Matthews Treated Huckabee. Huckabee isn't the one with the problem of being consistent. Maybe he should have chatted with Romney.

Anthony, Palm Beach, Fl (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 12:18 AM)

I just went back and watched the stephonopolis/Huckabee interview. In the interview, it was clear that George was baiting him to discuss how Baptists think of Mormonism as a cult. Huckabee refused the bait and skirted the question asked by saying, "i don't think anyone knows". And then he went on to say, "What I can tell you is about my faith . . ."

David, Largo, Florida (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 12:24 AM)

Matthews = Worst. Moderator. Ever. The governor did not lie. He stated very clearly that faith plays an important part in a person's life, and if you say that it doesn't affect your decision-making process, then that indicates you don't take your faith seriously. There's a TRANSCRIPT of this exchange with Stephanopoulos that the author of this blog post should read. I dare you to link to it--or else issue a retraction.

Robert, Washington DC (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 1:04 AM)

"I'm not as troubled by a person who has a different faith. I'm troubled by a person who tells me their favorite faith doesn't influence their decisions." In the interview, Gov. Huckabee was asked how Gov. Romney's religion would affect his run for President, prompting this reply from Huckabee. There was no lie, Chuck Todd. Let's try paying a little more attention before posting lies.

Kevin Tracy, Chesterton, Indiana (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 1:36 AM)

Huckabee did not lie. That is absurd. He was simply saying what he said before but in a way that was less directed at Romni. Romni was not attacked, and Huckabee was not "caught in a lie." What an absurd headline. Chuck Todd, come on man, that is simply wrong and silly.

Robert Joseph (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 3:15 AM)

NBC's Chuck Todd Caught in a Lie! If you would have taken a minute to review the transcript from ABC you would have seen that your comment is FALSE! http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=2866795&page=3 If you are going to promote yourself as a journalist the least you can do is fact check before leveling such an accusation. You and MSNBC owe Governor Huckabee an apology

Bob, Somerset, NJ (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 8:45 AM)

Hello -- please see what www.EvangelicalsforMitt.com thinks about this accusation! Thanks, nancy french

Nancy French, Columbia, Tennessee (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 10:07 AM)

Chuck Todd's credibility and judgment went right out the window on this! Not because it isn't forgivable to be ignorant about something that isn't in the center of your radar. But, to charge someone with a "lie" when you don't have documented, indisputable truth of it, is just irresponsible. Todd certainly has nothing of the sort. 1) He doesn't offer any and 2)There ISN'T any, because there was no lie. Chris Matthews was also typically unable to even imagine anything other than the image he has, himself, burned onto his consciousness. Matthews spoke to Huckabee of "backing down." In the interview with George Stephanopoulis under discussion, Stephanopoulis asked whether a comment Huckabee had made about faith was an attack on Romney. And Huckabee said he didn'r think Romney's religion should be a disqualifier. But, what DOES matter about the SUBJECT of religion is that one's faith is not segregated from one's actions and beliefs. These guys are either unprepared or perceptually lost if they don't know that this candidate is the LAST one who would have an interest in or a justification for lying to them. Perhaps, it's just the cynicism of always dealing with politicians.

what DOES matter about (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 10:09 AM)

Chuck Todd, you owe Mike Huckabee a public apology. Here's a post from Evangelicals for Mitt that proves it. http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/huckabee_did_not_lie_about_rom.php

BSR (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 10:28 AM)

I have reviewed both the governor's comments from the debate and the video in question. And, NO the governor did not lie, it was Chris Matthews that had his facts wrong. Below is a video link to the actual interview from This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The segment in question comes up at 9:49 into the interview. I encourage anyone interested to watch the video and see for themselves. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2866727

Mike Campbell (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 11:21 AM)

Still no word from Chuck on this? You were full of piss and vinegar when you wrote that Huckabee lied. Don't be a coward now.

BSR (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 1:28 PM)

Huckabee didn't lie, Chuck Todd is the liar! NBC should fire him! Go over Huckabee's actual comments, not the crap that spewed from dopes like Chris Matthews and Chuck Todd. Chuck Todd is a drag on humanity, he is not a good person!

NHGOP (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 5:21 PM)

I listened to both comments and I couldn't tell the difference. I think Chris Matthews is the one with the problem he was really getting on my nerves acting like he was in the debate instead of the asking the questions. Huckabee DID NOT LIE .. he would rather take a bullet than lie.

Abigail the Great Gipper (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 5:43 PM)

Chuck? Hello? No Comment? Just gonna throw out false statements and not professional enough to retract your statement with overwhelming evidence you are wrong?

Bob, Somerset, NJ (Sent Friday, May 04, 2007 10:11 PM)

The problem here is rather obvious: Huckabee is proving himself to be a solid, serious candidate, and the media doesn't like that because they feel it is their "right" to decide who the front-runners are. Huckabee's rising seriousness as a candidate is shocking them, and they resent it. The press wants a primary battle between Guiliani, McCain, and Romney, and Huckabee is threatening to disrupt that plan. Further, most of these talking heads think they've already singled out and identified who will do what, who needs to win what, etc. They've "picked their horses" so to speak, and suddenly here comes Huckabee, the only candidate among the pack who actually has any moral substance (although he himself is too modest and honestly humble to say this himself, which is another point that speaks volumes about the man). I have long said Huckabee would be the Republican nominee in 2008 -- I made this bet with family members over two years ago, and everyone thought I was crazy at the time. I believe this even more now, and the difference is none of them is calling me crazy anymore.

Rollin Truth (Sent Saturday, May 05, 2007 11:38 PM)

Congratulations Chris. You have performed quite the feat. Media personalities were being rehabilitated, but your comments halted that progress and now there is a very long way to go to rehabilitate my view of the ethics of that section of the populace. In fact, your comments pushed you to the other side of the universe, when before you were only on the other side of the galaxy. Which is quite the gap from where you need to be.

David W. Lincoln, Edmonton, Alberta (Sent Sunday, May 06, 2007 7:05 AM)

"Lie" was strong... I'll admit that... but he did mislead viewers. He absolutely was being critical of Romney at the time.

Chuck Todd (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 9:49 AM)

Thank you, Mr. Todd, for clarifying. I would point out though, that many in the Romney camp don't feel Governor Huckabee attacked Romney either, as indicated by this post at Evangelicals for Mitt: http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/huckabee_did_not_lie_about_rom.php Regards, BSR

BSR (Sent Monday, May 07, 2007 6:30 PM)

Once again NBC shows itself to be biases media outlet. I applaud the Republicans, however, for not refusing the venue and giving the public an opportunity to see the candidates, even though the debate was not well run. As for the misrepresentation of Huckabee's comments with George S., that is a shame since it is easily verified and Huckabee vindicated. He declined the opportunity, given with such easy by George S., to attack his rival on the topic of religion. He said, what many believe, that beliefs that don't affect you and how you live, don't count. Period. Let's all remember, Clinton was Baptist.

Margaret, Garland, Texas (Sent Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:01 AM)

I was just looking at the MSNBC Exit Poll from Nevada and noticed something interesting. Among Protestant voters, 43% voted for Romney and 13% voted for Huckabee. Among Catholic voters, 35% voted for Romney and 5% voted for Huckabee. Among LDS voters, 95% voted for Romney and none voted for Huckabee. Among "Other Christians", 30% voted for Romney and 17% voted for Huckabee. Among those who identified themselves as "born-again/evangelical Christians", 37% voted for Romney and 23% voted for Huckabee. All of that says that conservative evangelical Christians voted overwhelmingly for Romney while no Mormons voted for Huckabee. It seems that evangelical Christians are seeing Huckabee for who he is and what he really stands for thanks to groups like Evangelicals for Mitt. If you want to know why evangelical Christians are turning their attention and support to Mitt Romney, see

www.evangelicalsformitt.com.

It's a great site and you'll learn a lot about the issues.

Phil, Aberdeen, NC (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:10 PM)

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