Huckabee: Romney's a 'whiner'

Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 6:57 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Huckabee, Romney, Feb. 5

From NBC's Bridget Nurre
After casting his ballot in Little Rock, Ark., today, Gov. Mike Huckabee held a media availability to react to his win in West Virginia. After some pleasantries about the thrill of seeing his name on the ballot after 14 months of hard work, the questions turned to his opponents. When asked for his reaction to the Romney camp's charge of a McCain-Huckabee back room deal in the Mountain State's Republican convention, Huckabee called Romney a "whiner."

"I thought he was saying yesterday no whining. So is it no whining or whining? He can't even keep a straight answer on the whining or no whining question," he said. "He was saying I was a liberal, now he said I was taking votes from him because I was too conservative and pulling conservative votes. So which is it? Am I a conservative taking votes from his conservative views or am I a liberal?"

Did a Washington-style backroom deal earn the governor the state's 18 delegates?

"Absolutely not," he said.

Huckabee's West Virginia win is significant because it is the first contest to have conclusive results of the 43 being held today and the Arkansasan could benefit from the media bump to follow. Pollsters and pundits predicted that the West Virginia convention would be in the Gov. Romney column because the Massachusetts governor had a bigger organization and had spent more money there than his opponents.

Huckabee has become increasingly frustrated in recent days with the push to consider him out of the race, repeatedly proclaiming that his campaign will not end until one of the Republican candidates "reaches 1191" -- the number of delegates needed to shore up the Republican nomination. At a press conference in Little Rock last night, the governor said it was "presumptuous" of Gov. Romney and the media to say he is a spoiler in the Republican race.

In his press conference today, he responded to the spoiler question once more. He insisted, "Nothing suggests that a vote for me would go to him."

However, Sen. John McCain's strength in 2000 and again in the current race to the White House has been among independent voters and moderate Republicans. With McCain enjoying his new "frontrunner" status after his win in Florida, this leaves the far right of the party -- the cherished "conservative" vote -- up for grabs.

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Comments

Huckanbee has a good deal of gaul saying anything about Romney since he is OBVIOUSLY now colluding with McCain to ensure Romney does not take the nomination from McCain. When I heard on the California Christian station that McCain gave his delegates in West VA to Huckabee to ensure Romney did not win there - all we Christians can say is we now hope Romney wins as he looks like the only HONEST candidate left on the block.Huckabee is a Huckleberry and in collusion with McCain - shame on you Huckabee for those of us who thought you were pretty good and had Christian values - BOY WERE WE DUPED BY YOU.........

Janet Doe (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:14 PM)

Huckabee won when he was behind after the first ballot. McCain and Paul supporters came to McCain after being told to by McCain leadership. First McCain lied to win Florida. Now this collusion to deny Romney a win in West Virginia. McCain would destroy this country, the same way he is destroying this party. Vote Romney and shut up McCain and Huckabee and their backroom dealings.

Ed Black (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:19 PM)

This was not a backroom deal or a surrender by McCain. An important tactic as a military man is to know which battles you cannot win and to try to make the best of it. In this situation he did the best he could; deny his main opponent (Rommney) a win. What Huckabee got for it (Other than a win) remains to be seen, but it may be enough to just get a win.

To imply anything diabolical is disengenuous; if a similar opportunity had occurred for Rommney, he would have taken it, too. I'm sure that McCain's WVA chairman had been instructed to do this knowing the situation on the ground.

PEM, Central Jersey (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:21 PM)

Janet Doe,

apparently you are unfamiliar with the convention process commonly used in the American political system. The winner requires 50%+1, Romney did NOT win, and did not DESERVE the win. When McCain supporters saw their candidate was not going to win, they went to their second choice, which is their RIGHT to do.

Stop whining!

God Bless,

Matt

Matt, Houston, Tx (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:24 PM)

Janet Doe.....McCain can't give away delegates. He didn't have any in WVA to give away. He had supporters who want him to be President and they decided that the best way for that to happen was to back Huckabee in WVA. That is the American way and it absolutely is the Caucaus way. If West Virginians feel that it was wrong they need to demand their state party leaders move to an actual primary. The real interesting part will be if the rest of the Caucauses do the same thing tonight. I expect they will.

Stacy, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:27 PM)

How dare Huckabee resort to such . . . politics! What does he think this is?

Everyone should just step aside now and let Mitt win. They are getting far too uppity! Don't they know that he bought and paid for this nomination?

Jonathan, Alliance, OH (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:33 PM)

I participated in the caucus in Nevada. After watching how Romney was robbed in West Virginia, it's time to get rid of everything except a primary. Then there's no backroom deals. Why else would Huckabee attack only Romney. Because he wants the VP, and maybe has already made the deal with McCain. West Virginia, lies in Florida, McCains cluelessness about border security. That's what conservatives want? I don't think so. If you're a liberal, ok. But I want my party back.

Ed Black (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:36 PM)

Go Huckabee!

lynne (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:54 PM)

Let's see ... I'm McCain, not gonna get 1st or 2nd, I can sabotage my main competitor ... Yea, I have my guys endorse the #2 guy to push him past the #1 guy.

I really wish Romney would drop out and stop stealing Huck's votes. Roadkill Romney should have dropped out after losing NH. $$$ is the only reason this flip-flopping empty suit is still in the race.

DCortez, Houston, Texas (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:11 PM)

Ed Black, Janet DOE: Why don't you run next time and show us how it's done. There is a lot at stake here, our future as a nation. You don't want certain folks pretending to be COMMANDER-in-Chief; you want the real thing. Rich Mitt, the Mormon Twit or Black Hussein, or the Billary soap opera NO! John is the only real presidential apprentice. Wise up.

Doc, wv. (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:13 PM)

Relax folks, It is a legit maneuver in WV but, that is all it does. Huckabee gets WV but still is a national scale loser. Even if it secures a McCain the general and he offers Huckabee a VP slot on the ticket it will backfire. Romney has such a huge support base that if they decide to pull votes from the party as a result, the democrats will walk away with it. The tactics may be legal but it is really bad for the GOP. McCain has always been better for democrats but this may be the best gift he has ever handed them.

Sane in UT (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:24 PM)

Huckabee has served McCain well - he puts forth lies (Bain capital owns Hannity?)and other distortions of the truth. There WAS a backroom deal in WV and the press has reported as such. The idiots who fault Romney because he's rich (he WORKED for a living) or because he's Mormon (Mormons are Christian regardless of what the typical Baptist preacher tells you). I would expect liberals to behave that way but not conservatives. As a conservative, I was willing to support McCain if I absolutely have to BUT I will sit this one out if Huckabee is on this ticket...I think he is the biggest phony in this race. The Republican party is finished if we elect these two ill tempered babies!

Tammy (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:52 PM)

It is nice to see the country's political system really working for the people. It just shows the kind of people trying to run the country. The only reason Huckabee is still in this race is to steal votes from Romney so McCain (Democrat) from Arizona can win the nomination. It is going to be a great presidential election when you have a 2 Democrats running against each other. It really give true Republicans a choice. Keep fighting Mitt!!!

Paul, Boston, MA (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 9:01 PM)

Janet Doe you were never for Huck at all. You are a Romneyite. Go Huck!

R. Williams (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 9:03 PM)

I vote that Romney is a whiner, but on the other hand whiner's need representation in government too. Richard Nixon once famously said that mediocrity needed representation too when criticized that his supreme court nominee was a mediocre choice. Stupidity got representation with "W". I hope we go for representing all the people this election.

nuanced (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 10:09 PM)

I find this issue of people making a big deal out of Mitt Romney being Mormon a bit disturbing. I can't read a single article where somebody doesn't bring up the religion issue. Why does nobody in the media bring up the fact that Harry Reid, yes the Senate Majority Leader (a Democrat) is Mormon? If this was truly an issue of would the leaders of the Mormon church then control the country it would have been addressed at least in part with Harry Reid as well. I beleive this is just another way to fight against a good conservative candidate. On another note if you pay attention at all in politics you would know that Huckabee is now only vying for the VP seat. This is how McCain is going to "get the conservative (Christain)base behind him" Everybody and I mean everybody agrees Huckabee has zero chance of getting in the White House unless it is on someone elses coat tails. I have a lot of reasons to be conservative but I am running out of reasons fast to be republican. I really hate to say this but maybe just maybe it is time for a change. What do you think about that McCain? I didn't like your platform in 2000 and I don't like your platform now?

Mitch, St Louis, MO (Sent Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:04 PM)

I used to like McCain and Huckabee. Their characters in the past few weeks have been revealed. They sicken me! What was done in West Virginia (though legal by the "rulebook") shows their lack of integrity. Though I was taken aback by the McCain-Huckabee deal, what really shocked me was the Ron Paul supporters deal. I thought of all people, Paul supporters would have integrity. I guess Paul supporters in West Virginia are much like some of the McCain (all but 12) and Huckabee supporters lacking character and integrity. I won't be doing any business with people of that state!

Wayne (Sent Wednesday, February 06, 2008 12:10 AM)

Mitch, because Mormons are still considered to be a cult. Calling themselves Christians doesn't make them Christians: If I stand in a garage and call myself a car, I'm still not a car. The cult has some weirdo beliefs such as 1) Jesus and Satan are brothers (see renowned Mormon John A. Widtsoe's work Evidences and Reconciliations, Pg.209), and 2) that it's OK to marry multiple wives (even though the cult backed away from this doctrine eventually because too many of them were getting into trouble with the government over that). There's also been many books out on the wide-spread child molestation that goes on in the Mormon culture. It's one thing to have the head of the Senate be a Mormon, as the American people didn't elect him to head the senate. But when it comes to ELECTING the head of the USA, most voters hesitate - and with good reason!

Melissa Ramos (Sent Wednesday, February 06, 2008 8:15 AM)

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