Minutemen founder backs Huckabee
Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:18 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-TreworgyCOUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa --
Huckabee announced this morning the endorsement of Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the anti-illegal immigration and border security group the Minutemen. More to come.
Huckabee also responded on Romney's ad, outlining differences on immigration. “I'm somewhat flattered as I seem to be the recipient of the first negative attack ad in the Republican Primary," Huckabee said. "That's usually a sign of desperation on the part of an opponent who feels that his only way of winning is to attack and to destroy."
More: “The people of Iowa, especially I think, are turned off by negative attack ads, and that campaign can call that [ad] anything it wants, but that's what it is, and it's the first one of the season, and we feel honored to be in the middle of it. My experience is people here kind of want to vote for somebody not just against somebody, and they like to believe that a candidate has enough of a platform that he can stand on it not knock the props out from under the guy next to him.
"If the basis of running for the presidency is, 'Let me tell you what's wrong with the other guy,' not 'Let me tell you what I'd do for America,' I think the people of Iowa -- who have been through this so many times, will say, 'I vote for the guy who has a plan for the future of America' not just somebody looking around and saying, as the tattle tale in the third grade, let me tell you what this guy's doing. We didn't like it when we were in the third grade. I don't think we like it electing a president either."
Huckabee insinuates Romney camp 'desperate,' 'frantic':
"I think they're going to make every allegation in the world. Look how many press releases come out of some of these camps per day. It's kind of like, we found something else, here's something. As long as you guys will report it they'll keep fishing it out there, so we understand that.
"This is politics and everybody understands it. Look I've been through this so many times in Arkansas, you got to understand. I swam through about as turbulent a body of water as anybody ever swims through to get elected to something. Being a Republican in my state was, as I often say, tantamount to being a fire hydrant in a neighborhood full of dogs, so this isn't the first time I've experienced this, and I've experienced it in a lot harsher ways and it'll get worse before it gets better.
"The more desperate and frantic campaigns get when they see how much money they've spend and we're winning, that causes people to do some sometimes desperate things, and that's part of the deal."
Romney campaign responds: "It’s important that voters making a decision about who to select as our party’s nominee know where the candidates stand on an important issue like immigration.
"Governor Romney’s pro-enforcement position is one that Iowans would agree with. Mike Huckabee’s belief that taxpayer dollars should pay for tuition breaks for illegal immigrants is entirely at odds with many Iowans. That is important information for voters to have when choosing our party’s nominee.
"The message being delivered to voters is a contrast that draws distinctions between the two candidates on an important issue. It’s substantive and relevant to the political debate.
"Mike Huckabee won’t refute his position on providing taxpayer-funded tuition breaks to illegal immigrants."
More: "Our campaign has the resources, the message and the organization to compete in all the early primary states. Campaigns are, fundamentally, a contest of ideas and a vision for the future. Governor Romney is committed to leading a party of economic conservatives, social conservatives and security conservatives. In a contest of ideas, Mike Huckabee's record of more taxes, more spending and weak border security positions will lose out because those positions are at odds with our party's viewpoint and our core beliefs."
