Huckabee Says Moore Is ‘Sicko’

ABC News’ Kevin Chupka Reports: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee drew on his pound-shedding experience as Arkansas’ governor to criticize Michael Moore’s film "Sicko" in a campaign conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

"I know how much more it cost when I didn’t take care of myself," said Huckabee, gently jabbing the rotund documentarian.

As governor, Huckabee started a personal and public slim down initiative after learning that he had diabetes in 2003. He eventually lost over 110 pounds — a much-touted credential commemorated in his 2005 book "Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and a Fork."

Aside from healthcare, Huckabee tackled Senator David Vitter’s, R-La., indiscretions courtesy of the D.C. Madame, agreeing it’s an embarrassment to the Republican party.  Huckabee, however, did not make mention of the fact that Vitter has endorsed rival Republican Rudy Giuliani.

As Huckabee struggles to break into the top tier of Republican candidates, he noted fellow candidate John McCain’s recent fundraising troubles. He reiterated his campaign’s mantra that they would much rather start at the bottom and rise through the ranks than take McCain’s downward spiral.

As for the impending Iowa straw poll, he continued to caution that it will prove pivotal to his campaign and that there will be a reevaluation of their direction depending on his finish. He would not release any fundraising numbers (even though they will be publicly released Sunday) but assured the press that they had raised enough to make it to the poll on August 11th.

Finally, when pressed about his record as Arkansas Governor (specifically the fact that a man he pardoned was recently arrested on weapons charges) he expressed gratitude that the media had deemed him important enough to dig so deep into his political history.