Reservation for 400 under Huckabee
Posted: Monday, January 07, 2008 5:32 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy
CONCORD, N.H. -- The day before the New Hampshire primary, Huckabee campaigned on the theory that the fastest way to gain votes is through the stomach. At Parker's Maple Barn in Mason this morning, Huckabee held a double breakfast event before traveling to the Barley House here for the unveiling of the Huck-a-burger.
At 7:30am, more than 100 people were lined up outside the Maple Barn for the first of two campaign events held back to back. More than 200 people filled the restaurant at 8am, ate breakfast and listened to a fairly typical stump speech from Huckabee and his ever-present sidekick Chuck Norris. Then when the speeches were over and the plates were cleared, the crowd filed out and the staff quickly readied the restaurant for the crowd of nearly 200 that waited outside for Chuck & Huck Round 2.
The campaign trail double feature got better as it went along. After a fairly confrontational presidential forum last night, Huckabee seemed more willing to subtly go after his most aggressive opponent, Mitt Romney.
"Will the president understand that the second amendment is as important as the first amendment is to preserving our freedom," Huckabee said, setting up some jabs at Romney who has had a questionable record of honesty on gun rights.
"When politicians are asked about the second amendment and their answer is, 'Well I like to go hunting, I'm a lifelong hunter,' but they don't have a hunting license -- beware. And when they're not sure whether they own a firearm, and then find out they don't -- beware. When it turns out they support restrictions on the second amendment -- beware. But beware most of all, because if they answer the question about the second amendment starting talking about hunting, it means they don't understand the second amendment."
The sportsmen community in New Hampshire is a fairly substantial voting block, and by citing some examples of weaknesses in Romney's second amendment record -- without saying his name -- Huckabee seemed to be making a last minute push for the gun-owner's vote.
On the press bus on the way to Concord after the event, Huckabee spoke to reporters more about Romney and his claim to not know about the use of the word 'amnesty' in his ad about John McCain.
"He said, 'Well, I didn't see the spot,' and I'm thinking, but you came on camera and said 'I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message,'" Huckabee said. "Did you approve the message? Did you approve it and not know what you said? Or did you not approve it, and it went out anyway? That's a real issue. That's a serious thing to say I didn't watch my own television spots.
"I can manage the whole country, but I'm not sure what I'm spending millions of dollars to say on TV, and I think that just lacked all credibility. To say I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message -- don't know what it said, but by golly, I approved it."
Huckabee left here to fly directly to New York for an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, before flying back for a rally in Rochester tonight. He is hoping to stage a repeat of last week's Iowa caucuses, when the day before the vote, Huckabee appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and then won the caucuses by a surprising margin.
"Wouldn't that be nice," said Huckabee's communications director Alice Stewart.
