A Complte Tragedy In Arkansas

What a tragedy!  Today a guman charged into the headquarters of the Arkansas Democratic Party and shot their chairman, Bill Gwatney.  He is now dead.  The suspect is also dead after the police shot the suspect following a chase.  The following is a statement made by former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee:  

Bill Gwatney’s death is a senseless act of depraved violence that touches all of us. Bill was in the state senate during my tenure as Governor and Lieutenant Governor and I knew him well. He was a very effective leader for his party and an event like this certainly makes all politics seem small and insignificant. Today, no one in our small and wonderful state is a Democrat or Republican, but we are all Arkansans who join together in praying for the Gwatney family as well as those staff members at the party headquarters who witnessed this horror. We are thankful for the quick and effective actions of the police agencies in seizing the suspect. I can never understand why anyone could believe that the taking of another person’s life could solve anything. This is a real tragedy.

I would also like to offer my prayers to all involved and their families.  What a sad day in the state of Arkansas. 

Press Release: McCain/Huckabee Summit On August 13th

Wow!  I hope this goes well.  My prayers go out to all involved:  

PRESS RELEASE:

Top McCain Campaign Adviser from Virginia Headquarters
to have Summit with Huckabee's Michigan Grassroots Coalition

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, Damons Restaurant Hotel, 4960 Towne Center Rd., Saginaw, MI, at 7 pm
Private Room (Court of 2 Sisters).

The Summit is organized by Huckabee's Michigan Grassroots Coalition, a widespread and dedicated group of Social and Economic Conservatives committed to Mike Huckabee's principles, leadership, and conservative agenda. Huckabee's supporters continue to remain active across Michigan, working to elect conservatives to public office, such as Jack Hoogendyk to the U.S. Senate, who is speaking at the Summit.

This Summit with Marlys Popma, McCain Advisor, seeks to find common ground with Sen. John McCain on important issues that affect the conservative voters in Michigan, in hopes of coalescing with the Michigan Huckabee Grassroots Coalition to deliver Michigan, a key battleground State in the November election.

Economic and tax reforms will be addressed at the Summit, such as the Fair Tax (a key element of Mr. Huckabee's platform). These will be represented by Ron Babin, Deputy State Director of the MI Fair Tax Org., and FairTax Executive Daar Fisher.

GOP Senators: "Act Now On A Balanced Energy Plan"

Things Are heating Up!

The latest E-mail from Mike Huckabee and HuckPAC:  

Well it's summer and things are predictably heating up.  Not just in your backyard but on Capitol Hill as well.

Republicans in the House and Senate are fighting for a balanced energy plan to bring relief to families everywhere.  All week Republican legislators in the House have staged a rally demanding Speaker Nancy Pelosi call back the Congress for a special session and an up or down vote on a comprehensive energy plan that includes offshore drilling.

In the Senate, Republicans have gone to the airwaves with a simple but powerful message demanding action on a balanced energy plan.  You can see their video here.  I am proud to say it includes two Huck PAC endorsed candidates:  Lamar Alexander and Elizabeth Dole.  After you watch the video I encourage you to share it with family and friends.

Second, please help us close the gap on our goal of 2,000 contributions by August 20.  Since last Thursday we have had 485 individuals make an online contribution towards our goal.  If you haven't made a contribution yet, please consider doing so today.  With a contribution of $10 or more we will count your contribution towards our goal.  If you are willing to match the average contribution of your fellow supporters, it is $65.  Regardless of what you contribute, what is important is that you participate.  Huck PAC is fully funded by individuals like you. 

Finally, and this is something we are all excited about, I wanted to share an idea we had and get your feedback. Everyone knows how committed our supporters were during the campaign.  Time after time we overcame long odds to shock the pundits because of the hard work of our volunteers.  In September we want to launch a campaign to mobilize Huckabee supporters once again, this time in support of our favorite candidates.  With your help, we will set a goal of X hours and then track the hours on our front page like we used to track dollars raised online during the campaign.  Participating volunteers can help any candidate of their choosing.  All they need to do is tell us who the candidate is and then login on our website the number of hours they volunteered for (so they are counted towards our total).  The candidate you help does not have to be a Huck PAC endorsed candidate.  If this effort is successful, we will launch it again in October and set a higher goal for our team.

Do you like this idea?  Please vote here.

And if you do like it, please help us set our goal of "Volunteer hours" for the month of September by voting here.

To recap, if you have a moment please do three things for me today:  watch this video, make a contribution towards our August online fundraising goal and tell me what you think about our Volunteer idea in September.

Fighting for our values,

Mike Huckabee

Ed Rollins "VP Is Not Mike"

Go over to my friend One Mom's Blog and read her latest post.  According to aforementioned post - Ed Rollins, Huckabee former Campaign Chair, said on CNN last night that McCain's running mate will not be Mike Huckabee.  If that is the case than I can be sure that my calendar this Fall which was reserved for woriking my butt off for a McCain-Huckabee ticket is free.  I can now plan other things to do instead.  

Of course this is unofficial and unverified until McCain announces his choice but if this is the case and he has not chosen someone like Huckabee (some like Palin or Steele) than I have better things to do than support am establishment ticket.  I'll concentrate my grassroots efforts elsewhere thank you very much.  Not to mention pray that we can make it through four years of Obama.  I have no faith that an establishment ticket will win.  to answer a question I will probably get , yes I will will be voting for McCain but there's only one reason for that and that is balance of power.  Without Huckabee on the ticket (or someone like him) I have no other reasons to support the ticket.  

Do note that this is the knee-jerk reaction from my emotions.  After working so hard for so long (I started working as a member of the team almost exactly one year ago) for Mike during the primary not choosing him (or someone like him) as his running mate, John McCain will be hurting my feelings initially.  Will I get over the hurt feelings before November?  Probably.  However I can't say that for sure.  McCain has a golden opportunity (even more valuable now that the House and Senate could be in play depending on how the fight for Energy on Capitol Hill plays out).  If he wants to throw it all away and be Bob Dole reincarnate that's his prerogative. 


 

Mikehuckabee.com Redesigned & Live

Last week Governor Mike Huckabee's Twitter account notified us that the site Mike Huckabee used for his Presidential run was going through a redesign and would be live soon.  I have been checking it out from time to time since and every time I did check it was making its usual redirect to HuckPAC.  However the new site seems to be live now.  Go check it out!  

The site is very nice looking and right on the front is Mike jamming out on his bass guitar (after a few more glances there seems to be a set of rotating pictures of Huck).  So other than that what is new?  There is a news page which has links to news articles about Governor Huckabee and a schedule of his appearances around the country and in the media (although there is a glitch because the events are not in the right order).  There is also a page with links to see videos of the Governor making speeches and making other appearances.  Mike's new page will also promote his many fine books and the one to be published and released this November.  Maybe the most interesting thing about the website is there is a link to his next venture which is the Vertical Politics Institute.  Do note the fantastic quote by President Reagan on the page! 


Looks like a great site Governor!  Well done!  I can't wait to see the new site take off and how it will compliment all your other projects and tie them all together.  

NOW SHOWING: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington II

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI really hope most of Y'all understand the movie reference.  However for those of you who don't I will explain.  Mr. Smith Goes To Washington was one of the many fantastic movies of 1939.  Starring in the inspiring drama is one of the greatest actors to grace the big screen, Jimmy Stewart.  The movie is a true lesson in civics and should be required viewing in every classroom through this great land.  That brings me to what is currently happening on Capitol Hill.  

Last Friday was the last day before the Summer Congressional Recess.  There was a push in The House to cancel the Recess until a solution was reached on the current Energy crisis.  the motion lead by House Republicans failed by a single vote as there were several Democrats who voted in favor of it.  So before lunch of Friday Nancy Pelosi ended the session, adjourned for five weeks and promptly left to go on vacation and promote her new book.  

However several Republicans refused to leave and continued to speak on the House floor in protest.  They continued despite having the lights and microphones cut off to an enthusiastic crowd of tourists that were invited down to the floor.  they continued for six hours and left for the weekend.  Personally I thought that the show was fantastic but felt that they should keep it up.  It was wonderful news when I found out that the protest resumed on Monday morning.  We are now in Day 4 of the Energy Revolt Each day more and more House Republicans are showing up to continue to protest and urge Speaker Pelosi to call a special session to have an Up or Down vote on the Energy Bill.  They have been joined today by Former Speaker of the House and Chairmen of American Solutions, Newt Gingrich (R-GA).  


There are many ways to stay up to date on the REvolt.  First you can get the latest from the blog of House Minority Leader, Boehner's (R-OH) Blog and Twitter feed.  You can keep up with the grassroots arm of the movement by clicking HERE.  Way to go! Keep it up!  We need Immidiate solutions for our Energy Crisis.  Pelosi needs to wake up or find her majority dwindling come November!

Mike Huckabee To Fill In For Neal Boortz?

According to my friend Lisa, in a post at the Huck'sArmy Forum, Neal Boortz announced toxday that Governor Huckabee will be filling in for The Talkmaster on Friday September 5th.  I definitely hope that is the case.  I wonder if Mike will travel down to Atlanta to do the show.  That would be really cool! 


Meanwhile Mike will be filling in again for the legendary Paul Harvey this Thursday and Saturday.  In addition Huck will be on Hannity & Coulmes on Fox News Channel this Thursday night. 

"Totals & Highlights Right After This!"

Image via WikipediaNote - In time this post will be edited to include links to audio and video that will no doubt be posted on the Net of Skip's work.  


There is only one other time that I have felt the same way I do writing this passage tonight.  Back on February 18th, 1998 famous baseball broadcaster, Harry Caray had just passed away.  I spent many a summer's afternoon listening to him call games for The Chicago Cubs on Superstation WGN.  In fact I think I go back all the way back to my early childhood doing that.  I grew to love and admire him and his voice was like the ne of a very close friend.  The loss I felt that winter's day is very similar to the loss I feel right now.  However the loss feels closer to home.  

Harry's son, Skip Caray, longtime voice of the Atlanta Braves on radio and on TV, was silenced yesterday afternoon.  He passed away peacefully in his sleep.  Skip was 68 years old and was due to hit 69 next week.  As the afternoons were spent listening (yes listening...I am legally blind) to Hzrry, summer evenings were spent listening to Skip Caray call the Braves games on the radio (and yes on TBS too).  Skip called games for the Braves for over 32 years, during fantastic winning seasons, and horrible years spent in the basement of the Division. 


The feeling is like losing a very close friend, a comforting voice in the dark night.  However it is a friend that you never met in person.  Regardless it does not lesson the feeling of loss.  No longer will we be able to know where a fan came from who caught a foul ball.  We will also miss the unique humor and wit that he blessed us with.  There is no doubt even the most boring of games will be less entertaining without Skip to keep things rolling along with a humorous anecdote or story.  

So long Skip.  We love you and will miss you!   Say hello to your father for all of us.   

I am Not A Bigot - My Misgivings With Mitt Romney

I've sat here for the past week and read article after article indicating Huckabee supporters are bigots because we opposed Mitt Romney because of his Mormon religion. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Even the notion of this is downright bologna and absolutely ridiculous! I am downright sick of this, and I would like to set the record straight on this topic. I realize that this post is going to run long, but please hear me out and afterwards you can comment.

First of all, I'd like to touch on the fact that there are definitely things to like about Governor Mitt Romney. He is, and has been, a very successful businessman. In addition, the awesome job Romney did to make the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City a complete success against very long odds, was downright incredible. Also admirable is the way Romney fought the Democratic State Assembly on tax increases in Massachusetts by going straight to the people. Indeed, Mitt Romney has done great things that must be admired.

The religion of someone who wants to run for President is completely irrelevant. I could care less that Mitt Romney is a Mormon. In fact, I did not know that Mitt was a Mormon until after I had made my choice to support Mike Huckabee. I will not tell a lie - there are many misgivings I have with Governor Romney, but none of them have anything to do with his Mormonism.

The following is a list of the misgivings I have with Mitt Romney, and why I did not believe he would make a better President than Mike Huckabee:

1. Trust: There was no reason to believe I could trust Mitt Romney. While Romney has been a very successful businessman, not many of them can be trusted. It’s a simple fact, that in the business world when things are not going well, businessmen tend to change the image to turn the tide. During his Presidential campaign, Mitt Romney tried to do this many times. Not once did Mike Huckabee try to change his image. In addition, in his political history, Mitt Romney has flip-flopped so many times on the issues that he looks like the Republican version of John Kerry. To me personally, the social issues, I am referring to abortion, gay marriage, etc, are not important to me. However, what is important is how consistent you are on them. As for many other Huckabee supporters, not only are the inconsistencies important, but the issues he speaks about. That is a big sticking point. Therefore, we have no reason to believe Mitt Romney will do what he says he would do.

2. I resent the fact that Mitt Romney was trying to buy the election. I have no problem with the fact he had a lot of money to throw around, that's not the point. While Romney was able to write loan checks to fund his campaign, other candidates were limited by the (unconstitutional in my opinion) McCain-Feingold limitations. Again, I have no problem with a person being able to raise and spend as much money as he/she wants. It is the fact that Romney had millions at his own disposal, and there was no way anyone else could catch up because the maximum any single supporter could donate to their candidate was $2,300. In addition, since Romney had no lack of cash, I believe that he used said cash to buy off people and their support, especially those in the Conservative media and radio and TV pundits who were very positive towards Romney and extremely negative towards Mike Huckabee.

3. Mitt Romney just does not connect with me. Again, this has nothing to do with his Mormon faith. Compared to Mike Huckabee, Romney is as authentic as an aluminum Christmas tree. Mitt Romney comes off as slick, polished, and snobbish. Romney does not seem to me to be a man who understands the plight of the common man, and he certainly doesn't seem like someone who would care. On the other hand, Governor Huckabee is down to earth, honest, authentic, and trustworthy. He speaks my language, and I am not just talking about faith-speak. Mitt Romney was born into a successful, political family and seemingly with a silver spoon in his mouth. Mike Huckabee was born into poverty comparatively. Mitt Romney speaks for Wall Street; Mike Huckabee speaks for us on Main Street. Romney just doesn't connect with us at all. I am not envious of wealth because there are many people with wealth who do the right things and treat people the right way. I have yet to see any evidence of that from Governor Romney.

4. Mitt Romney refuses to even consider the Fair Tax, the single best economic stimulus package we could ever come up with. Mike Huckabee not only considered it, he supports it and embraced it as a plank in his economic policy plan.

5. Mitt Romney showed no respect and downright disdain for his fellow contenders for the GOP's nomination. Every chance he got, he slung mud on each one of them, especially towards candidates who wanted to take the high road and focus on the issues instead of attack ads. To his credit, Romney was not the worst of the bunch; Fred Thompson wins that award. Mike Huckabee is the exact opposite. He literally had the kitchen sink thrown at him and despite being tempted to do so, stayed vertical even though it hurt him at the end of the day. Huck could have won the nomination if he had slung some mud himself; however, he decided against it.

6. I see Mitt Romney as a member of the GOP establishment that I detest. The Republican Party has become a country club of corrupt cronies. There is no visible concern for all Americans, like Ronald Reagan had. No wonder the Republican establishment fought Ronald Reagan tooth and nail and didn't embrace him until he swept the GOP into power. There are many people that did not embrace the Republican Party until Mike Huckabee came along. We now want to bring the GOP back to the party of Reagan, a President so vertical in his politics that conservative Democrats embraced him, and he won office with their support. This is not about the Republican Party for us; this is about the American people, and the future of our great nation - a nation that is under attack and threatened by the MoveOn.org Socialist Democrats.

There is no doubt that both sides are now in a battle for party dominance. However, I feel that playing the "Bigot Card" from the bottom of the deck is no way to fight this battle. We are going to have to work together at some point. If you continue to insult us and throw mud on us, working together is going to be much harder to do.