Texas’ Perry has Harsh Words for Huckabee
EmailABC News’ Kevin Chupka reports: In an interview to be broadcast Sunday on WJLA, the Washington, D.C.-area ABC affiliate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has some fairly harsh words for Republican hopeful Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has previously made it known that the Texas governor told him during a phone call that it was time to leave the race, but for the first time Gov. Perry is going public.
The interview was conducted by WJLA and Politico.com and features a taped question from Huckabee to Gov. Perry. "I’m still available for you to come to Little Rock and make an announcement that you made the mistake not once but twice," Huckabee tells his longtime friend from Texas, referring to the fact that Perry first endorsed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani before endorsing Sen. John McCain upon Giuliani’s departure, "but you want to fix it, and stand where I think a lot of people in Texas stand, which is with a pro-life, pro-family candidate for president who really wants to make a major change in this country including overhauling the tax system."
Perry responded that, while he thinks highly of Huckabee, "I’ll put my pro-life, pro-tax cutting Texas economy up against Arkansas any day, any time. I want to win the election in November. The fact of the matter is, John McCain can win that election."
As for Huckabee’s continued presence in a race for the GOP nomination that most if not all in the chattering class view as over, Perry says, "We had a mercy rule in six man football in Pan Creek, where I came from, and when you’re behind by 45 points at the half, you just go ahead and salute the other side and say well done, and walk away, before anybody gets hurt… I’d suggest to Mike it’s time for the mercy rule to go into effect."
Huckabee has been campaigning hard in Perry’s state and no symbolism was lost yesterday when Huckabee spoke in front of the Alamo in San Antonio, site of the "last stand" in the battle for Texas independence. That symbolism did not go unnoticed by Gov. Perry either, "I think Mike’s already had his last stand. I think it’s over for the republican nomination. And I respect Mike but it’s time for us as a party to get behind Sen. McCain."
The interview airs on WJLA’s "Capital Sunday" this week, on Feb. 24.
Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Sarah_Jane: While I might be inclined to agree if I had had the chance to vote, I have not, and I would not vote for someone of McCain’s character anyway. So please, let the man run, some of us still have a voice to make known. Also, Reaganfan: Huckabee has been working in states that are not as likely to vote for him in the past few weeks, but he did come close to an upset in Virginia, which should be McCain territory. All that Gov. Perry’s remarks mean is that the Republican party, which has long criticized McCain, have chosen to sell out.
Posted by: Lauren | February 23, 2008, 12:24 am 12:24 am
I hope Huckabee tells Perry to ######### after the primary is over. He’s obviously not much of a friend. I think he should go to Texas the next time Perry has to run and campaign against him. That would rock. I will be sending money to whoever runs against that little ***** Perry in his next election whether they are repub, democrat, communist or jihadist, I don’t much care. I like Huckabee, but I am not evangelical, or religious for that matter, so being vindictive against a turncoat bandwagon jumping goatroping redneck isn’t a sin in my book. He’s a loser and he’s bought and paid for by party. I like Texas, but Thank that town of Podunk for another great governor for sale.
Posted by: axistogrind | February 23, 2008, 1:11 am 1:11 am
I am voting absentee in Texas for Huckabee, and am aware that Governor Perry has sold out to the
the powers that have infitrated our government long ago. They are devoted to creating a North American Union, which was agreed upon by President Bush, Mexico’s Fox and Canada’s Martin In March of 2005. Their goal which is being implemented secretly, without any official voting by the represetatives we have elected. The Texas Department of Transportation and Governor Rick Perry are cramming it up the people of Texas, and Perry has let the contracts for a monumental huge highway system ( Trans Texas Corridor) which is to be the keystone of a plan for millions of acres across the country to be obtained by eminent domain, by Foreign constructions company(‘s) for theprofit of foreigners.
BY ANY DEFINITION THIS IS STEALING PROPERTY OF CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND GIVING THE PROCEEDS IN PERPETIUITY TO LEASE THESE HIGHWAYS OUT TO THOSE FOREIGNERS. (NOT FOR THE MONETARY BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY, A TRUE TRAITOROUS ACT).
Posted by: Patty | February 23, 2008, 1:25 am 1:25 am
Rick Perry is trying to do a favor for his friend the Huckster.
The race is over. You can’t win.
Go back to making paid speeches for $35,000 in front of stem cell research groups, while claiming to be against stem cell research.
Utter hypocrisy. The Huckster loves to flaunt his pro-life credentials, but he’s not so high and mighty that he won’t take money from these groups.
Posted by: bigred | February 23, 2008, 2:03 am 2:03 am
Let’s show Rick Perry what the power of the Vote is all about. First Huckabee will win TEXAS, then Rick Perry will lose in the next election! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Why don’t all these BigWig, brown nosing, smoke blowers let the American people have an HONEST election. The Political tampering is so IN YOUR FACE!
Sheesh, their really ought to be some laws agaist the political insider’s and media’s manipulation of the nominating process.Vote Yes for Huckabee and Hell no for Perry nest time!
Posted by: Rick Perry is a Loser! | February 23, 2008, 2:26 am 2:26 am
There will be a real political conservative shockwave sent to Washington D.C. if Huckabee wins Texas.
Posted by: True Grit | February 23, 2008, 2:31 am 2:31 am
As of Dec. 31, 2007 Total Spent:
Mitt Romney $87,644,955
John McCain $39,145,649
Ron Paul $20,380,121
Mike Huckabee $7,107,364
Posted by: Mike | February 23, 2008, 2:32 am 2:32 am
Well, one thing you can’t say bad about the Huckster. He sure knows how to manage other peoples money.
Posted by: Ricky | February 23, 2008, 2:44 am 2:44 am
Mike Huckabee, per the facts (delegates, states won and the popular vote) is still in third place in a two man race.
In fact, Huckabee barely came in second in Washington state against Mitt Romney, a man who left the GOP race two weeks ago.
That’s got to be emasculating. He says he’ll get out once McCain gets to 1,191 but now Huck wants a brokered convention. I think he just wants to get to second to heal his ego.
Also, Huckabee isn’t spending his own money to continue this losing campaign, he’s spending other peoples money which is an easy thing to do.
And its a win/win for Huck. He gets a bunch of free press for his public speaking business, plays a little guitar and doesn’t have to spend a dime of his own money to promote his business.
All he has to do is spout some rhetoric about disenfranchising voters if he leaves and folks will continue to shell out the cash.
Sad.
Posted by: sheryl | February 23, 2008, 3:56 am 3:56 am
previous poster has it correct – Huck is determined to finish ahead of Romney, whom he loathes.
My loathing of Huck means I hope he never makes it to second place. Just keep jumping the shark, Huck – that’ll make you that much less electable in 2012.
At least you’ll have the lefty talk show hosts to fall back on.
Posted by: sulla | February 23, 2008, 5:25 am 5:25 am
For anyone to call off the election process,and while it is underway,or suggest the candidate to drop out,it is sure an act of fear and cowardice.
There must be something that opponents of Huck fear tremendously.McCain is not good for the GOP,and it is clear consensus.
Posted by: Frankie Lee | February 23, 2008, 6:12 am 6:12 am
ABC News – why are you deleting my posts? My point last night was that I can’t believe that the establishment is so thick headed! The avid supporters for Huckabee (myself included) who love their candidate just use the inflammatory remarks like the ones made by Gov. Perry to double our resolve to see this race thru to the legal end – which is when one candidate acquires 1,191 delegates. If your goal is to reunite this fractured party, I would humbly suggest to you that this is probably NOT the best way to go about it.
Posted by: smarter than you think | February 23, 2008, 7:13 am 7:13 am
Rather amusing how the Huckabee supporters here, and most other places, know very little about the man and his record in Arkansas.
Posted by: Matt | February 23, 2008, 7:31 am 7:31 am
Perry and the Huckster are both liberals in GOP clothing; they deserve each other.
It’s remarkable to conservatives from the north, like me, who actually know how to look at someone’s record and their platform — and not just what church sent them an an ordination certificate in the mail — how easily southern conservatives are bamboozled by hucksters.
Huckabee is Jimmy Carter with a cheesy electric bass, and a reliable anti-abortion vote. He’s also a religious bigot who ran a dirty campaign in Iowa, push-polling Christians with anti-Mormonism. He’s an embarrassment to conservatives and Christians.c“
Posted by: Jerome | February 23, 2008, 8:30 am 8:30 am
If elections are about voting, and a primary is scheduled in Texas, what is wrong with letting people vote ?
Perry, representing the republican powers that be, wants to call it off now. Strange for a governor to want to deny the people in his state the right to have a choice in a primary that is scheduled.
Why single out Huckabee ? Why no comment from Perry about both Huckabee and Paul exiting the race.
Let the people vote Perry !
Posted by: Bill Pierce | February 23, 2008, 8:42 am 8:42 am
Looks like Huckabee supporters are taking a page from the strident Obama supporters, interesting.
Posted by: cba | February 23, 2008, 8:50 am 8:50 am
Mike Huckabee is the best presidential candidate that I can remember running in my 78 yrs of living. I have always supported the Republican candidate, mainly because of it’s conservative platform. This year however, it is not the Republican party that I am endorsing…it is Mike Huckabee, and now I see the true colors of the GOP, and it’s not very pretty. NO, the democrats are not going to get my vote either. Those who suggest Huckabee’s record of Governor of Arkansas is less than exemplary, are only fooling themselves. Why then was he voted one of the top five Governors by Time Magazine? Governor Perry, I suggest you are not a true friend of Mike Huckabee by saying he should drop out of the race and get behind John McCain for the good of the party. I say Phooey on the party right now, and let the BEST MAN WIN. Mike is the only one who can win over either Obama or Clinton in November. McCain will be dead in the water when he has to debate either of them. That is why he has not agreed to a debate between he and Huckabee…he knows he would lose big time.
Posted by: Eleanor Bauer | February 23, 2008, 10:45 am 10:45 am
Jerome, Matt and others. What don’t we know about Huckabee that makes us all so dumb? We know that he is incredibly articulate, humorous and insiteful. We know that he took a state that was full of corruption, in debt, and with poor infrastucture and schools and drove out a lot of the old guard, made the roads and the schools among the best, and left with an 8,000,000 surplus.
We know that he took measures to protect the environment, and took in 75,000 temporary residents after hurricane Katrina and found places for them to stay in the church camps around the state without making them suffer through massive paperwork and sifting first. Those camps were staffed with volunteers from their own churches, and the people were fed and given warm beds and comfortable places to stay until they could return home or make better arrangements.
We also know that he has been given numerous opportunities to attack his opponents, and kindly refused, even when pushed. We know that when he has been attacked from almost anyone who could attack him that he has stood tall and went on in spite of the opposition. We know, that we, his supporters have encouraged him to continue on, and if we hadn’t, he probably would not have.
We also know that he is spending our money to do it, just like McCain is spending his supporters’ money to run his campaign. The main difference there is who those supporters are. By the way, he is the only one who is not also spending government time and money on his campaign. Yes guys, we know our man pretty well, do yu know yours?
Posted by: Lauren | February 23, 2008, 10:53 am 10:53 am
Concerning Gov. Perry and his remarks about Huckabee.
“We had a mercy rule in six man football in Pan Creek, where I came from, and when you’re behind by 45 points at the half, you just go ahead and salute the other side and say well done, and walk away, before anybody gets hurt… I’d suggest to Mike it’s time for the mercy rule to go into effect.”
That shows me that Gov. Perry is a quitter, a loser, and man that doesn’t finish what he starts.
Posted by: Sam | February 23, 2008, 12:02 pm 12:02 pm
Perry is a dictator, and antidemocratic minded person who does not believe that democratic principles should be respected. If there is no fear, then leave the process follow its natural course i.e. votres have to decide and not Perry or McCain or Mike or Noris.
Posted by: BKMC | February 23, 2008, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
we also know that mike huckabee was ltd. governor running for the senate and was in the lead but when the current governor was caught in corruption he gave up the senate seat ambitions in washington to become governor for 10 yrs. that says alot about the mans priority and charactor!
Posted by: mike | February 23, 2008, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Thank you Patty for puting the facts out there! I have studied and learned about Perry and Politico. Huckabee is the only way to “save” this country from this mass Amendment back door bologna! I hope Huckabee SHOCKS the NATION and protects our borders,…the list goes on. Appreciate your insight and hope others learn it quick! Come on Texas help save the grand ole USofA! Others are starting to get restless, must be the heat is a threat. If they can’t stand it, why don’t they get out of the kitchen? This suggesting Huckabee needs to go, why you call yourself an American when you disagree with the electing process of our country? Explains why alot are pro to the new world order, rather communist not American. God Bless America!
Posted by: regionfive | February 23, 2008, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
Unlike Perry, I will not sacrifice my principles and vote for who looks like he is going to win. I vote my values and Huckabee stands for those principles If McCain gets the nominee and he doesn’t have it yet CAN YOU SAY 1191 It all goes to the Democrats in more ways than one. I will not vote for McCain, Ill stay home in november So will my family of 300.
Posted by: christina | February 23, 2008, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
Huck: How Many Times do you have to be
Rejected by the voters to take the Hint!
Hoping that the Party Hacks will
Rig the Nomination for you is Pathetic!
Go Home and stop helping the Democrats
you Traitor!
Posted by: reaganfan | February 23, 2008, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm
Some people just don’t want to “get it”, and I pray Huckabee shocks the socks off this nation by Texas upholding there tradition of being level-headed people, for the good of this country! Oh yes, I thought the issue was Huckabee believes in God, so referring to Dobson as his Master, must be an Obama fan referring to a candidate as master, only place you hear that lingo these days. I support Mike Huckabee and his policies!
Posted by: regionfive | February 23, 2008, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm
In November I will write in Mike Huckabee not McCain.
I don’t believe in compromise when it comes to things serious like voting for the leader our country.
Posted by: Sam | February 23, 2008, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
My parents are talking about starting Texas Republicans for Hillary — they’re crossing over to vote for Hillary to save the nation from an even MORE LIBERAL (who’d a thunk it?) Barack Obama. The press has given him a free pass, and his Kool-Aid drinkers — even the political pros — can’t name a single one of his accomplishments or say what he’ll do once he’s in office. Of course, I feel much the same way about American Hero Juan McCain, but at least he says he’ll CUT taxes and spending, not RAISE both while we head into a stag-flation free-fall.
SNAP OUT OF IT!! Just say no to Obama!!
Posted by: hecowe | February 23, 2008, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
Huckabee Can’t Win???
Try this sincerio
Ombama ends up as the democratic nominee and Huckabee goes Independent
Huckabee would get the majority of Clinton Supporters, I guarantee it, I am one of them!
Posted by: Ed | February 23, 2008, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Reaganfan, There is something you and others don’t seem to get here, Huckabee has no big press endorsements, or big media connections unlike many of the other candidates. That is why he has been sidelined in the media, not just now but from day one. The media (particularly Faux News) has aggressively set out to discredit him because he isn’t like the others- Mostly, they haven’t either been bought by him, or been trying to buy him. You see, some times honesty doesn’t pay too well, but what I learned years ago is “A person of integrity expects to be believed, and when they’re not, they let time prove them right. Time has been coming up pretty favorably for Mike lately, I hope it’s not too late.
Posted by: Lauren | February 23, 2008, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
More delusional Huck supporters.
He has received fawning media coverage for the last 3 months. In no way shape or form has he been “sidelined” by the media.
He’s on TV every freaking night.
He might not be getting an enormous amount of coverage compared to the frontrunners, but that’s because HE HAS NO CHANCE OF WINNING!
Romney dropped out 2 1/2 weeks ago and is still ahead of the Huckster.
McCain only needs 200 or so more delegates to wrap up the nomination.
The Huckster needs 900. It’s not mathematically possible.
His 15 minutes are up. Thankfully.
Posted by: bigred | February 23, 2008, 9:52 pm 9:52 pm
Here is what I have to say to Perry…….Let Huckabee be Huckabee
Posted by: Vectorpedia (Rick) | February 24, 2008, 9:08 am 9:08 am
Republicans behave.
Democrats are just beginning their fight, and a big one to boot. They’re gonna have them a WAR. It’ll get ugly
Mike, salute to you. Well done, Let the candidate
take over. Reps shall take over the big house.
Posted by: gloriak | February 24, 2008, 11:18 am 11:18 am
Big Red,
John McCain has been winning what states? Are they states he will win in november? No. Northeast states and rustbelt states like wisconsin are useless. He won new york and california…wow, that’s gonna help come november. New Jersey, delaware, maryland, DC…yeah, he’s really got a chance there. Those are liberal republican states, which means there aren’t nearly enough of them to prevail there, even if he wins indepedents. I am going to vote for Mccain and I’ll be happy with it, but don’t try to pass off BS about Huckabee being rejected by the conservative voters. If you can’t see that you are no student of politics, and nothing but a casual uninitiated observer. You better hope Huckabee does endorse McCain when the time comes, or he could take a good share of the cultural conservatives with him and go home, and I am pretty sure that they will do what he says at this point. Try winning without them this fall…you people are sure stupid for bashing huckabee supporters. They are a pretty big component of who the establishment needs in the fall. In fact, I am not sure it wouldn’t be in huckabee’s best interest to not endorse and hew to the hard line principles of conservatism along with Dobson. Might do him good in 2012 with the base…he would have stood up to McCain to the end and stood for real conservative values, despite its unpopularity. It would be dangerous, but it will guarantee Mccain won’t be an obstacle in the white house. You want these people to stay home, keep it up. I like mccain but am getting angry enough about this holier than thou attitude towards huckabee to say heck with it and stay home. None of us, including Reagan himself are Saint Conservatives on all issues.
Posted by: axistogrind | February 24, 2008, 11:25 pm 11:25 pm
bigred
if you ever want get that used car salesman feeling – go meet Rick Perry.
Wanna meet someone genuine go meet Huck.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | February 25, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am