Huckabee's Christmas Ad, Ron Paul Fires Back

Mike Huckabee is bringing his Christmas cheer, and his Baptist minister roots, to Iowans this election season. His recent ad, "What Really Matters," features the former governor offering citizens a Merry Christmas.

This isn't your ordinary Happy Holidays event. Huckabee lets loose the Christian spirit, saying "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ." The ad also features a bookshelf in the background that appears to some like a "floating cross." The ad is a not-too-subtle play to Iowa value voters, who cringe at what they view as an increasingly secularized holiday.

Asked about the ad today, Ron Paul decried Huckabee's religious iconography with his own veiled reference on Fox and Friends:

"It reminds me of what Sinclair Lewis once said. He says, 'when fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.' Now I don't know whether that's a fair assessment or not, but you wonder about using a cross, like he is the only Christian or implying that subtly. So, I don't think I would ever use anything like that."

Mike Huckabee's campaign today denied that the bookshelf/cross was an intentional reference. Iowa Director Eric Woolson responded:

It's the window frame in the background... Once you've got it in your head that it's a cross, it's a cross.

See the original ad and Ron Paul's response below.

Comments

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Ex-gov Mike Huckabee December 22, 2007

Ref: Is it a Cross or Not on Video of Mr. Huckabee's address.

If a Cross Ex-gov Mike Huckabee has the Right to address Christians in America.

ROGER WILLIAMS BELIEVED IN ABSOLUTE FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.

QUAKERS DENIED GLORIES OF MARTYRDOM NO LONGER ANY TROUBLE IN EARLY COLONIAL COLONY BECAUSE ALLOWED TO PREACH THEIR RELIGION.


Roger Williams gave us our first full religious freedom at Providence, Rhode Island was loved by others for humane policies. Roger Williams believed Religious Laws should be separated from Civil Laws. Roger Williams was a Baptist for a while first called AnaBaptist. Roger Williams and Ezekiel Holliman are responsible for the First Baptist Church organization in America. On Church Bell is inscription of town:

"For Freedom of conscience the town was first planted,

Persuasion,not force, was used by the people;

This Church is the eldest and has not recanted,

Enjoying and granting Bell,Temple, and Steeple."

In past the people of Providence, Rhode Island following Roger Williams' Religious Beliefs let the Quakers persecuted by the finatical early colonial Puritans stay at Providence, Rhode Island. The Commissioners of the United Colonies did not want them either as they did not understand their behaviour. The colonial authorities keenly understanding human behaviour (as stated by historian) denied the Quakers the Glories of Martyrdom, and as long as the Quakers stayed within the bounds of Civil Laws they could preach their religion. Consequently,it is significant to note that the Quakers were no longer any trouble thereafter when denied Glories of Martyrdom. It seemed Quakers thrived on oppression. From book Roger Williams by Clifford Smyth,'31 in Builders of America volume. Mr. Smyth is author also of The Gilded Man.

In America The First Amendment gives us this Religious Freedom for all Great Religions. This is what the Quakers wanted was the Freedom to tell others about their Religion. Roger Williams bravely pioneered and formulated the first theory of religious government which ultimately culminated in U.S. Constitution.

Eva Hart Catholic Christian Army 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109

[avergejoe]

I hate to point this out, and i'm not a supporter of huckabee, but Christmas IS about the birth of Christ. To pretend otherwise is delusional (for my pagan, solstice friends), and to criticize those who say Merry Christmas is frankly intolerant.

[shag11]

Since Huckabee is protesting so strongly that that is a bookcase, why didn't he show it as a bookcase. They saw the was it looked; lying bastard.

[EditoratLarge]

Sorry, we just couldn't let "666" stand as the number of comments so far. Too apropos!

[TTigerX2]

Who appointed the Huckster to be a self-appointed flack for the Almighty, the Holy Spirit and the son of God? By my reckoning they already have their own PR firm. Good for Ron Paul to call a spade a spade. That's why he gets $6 million in one day. He can stand up and deliver against the fatuous Fascists at Fox.

[EileenMac]

Is it really possible the GOP has not already pre-selected their 2008 Presidential candidate? Is it realistic to think there is no KarlRovian strategy at work to secure the nomination of the neocon's predetermined candidate? I have a theory on what might be really going on in the GOP's inner sanctum.

First,frontrunner status is bestowed on Huckabee in Iowa, netting in the religious right. Next,key endorsements are secured for McCain in New Hampshire, preventing further defection by moderates and independents to Democrats, or to Ron Paul. Guiliani and Romney will then be allowed to battle it out in South Carolina while Fred Thompson does what he does best...lay back and be a good 'ol boy.

Prior to SuperDooper Tuesday 2/5 the GOP will abandon McCain and Huckabee, while raising the spectre of a President Hillary or Obama. This will insure the committment of Huck's religious right and McCain's mavericks to the GOP nominee, no matter what.

And what about the possibility that Congressman Ron Paul could emerge a frontrunner in Iowa,New Hampshire and South Carolina? Fortuitously, the GOP planned ahead for just such an improbable occurance by quietly insisting that these new and earlier Prez primaries be "Closed".

Earlier registration deadlines for Republican Party membership went unpublicized so that only neocon loyalists, already registered Republican, would be the only ones able to vote in the Republican Presidential Primaries in states like California, Florida, Nevada,etal. Thus, Ron Paul supporters, many new voters, independent or Democrat, will be prohibited from voting for Ron Paul in the closed Republican Primary.

Rudy and Mitt will then polarize the GOP base, attacking and eventually eliminating each other, thereby opening the path for the candidate that the GOP always intended to nominate...Fred Thompson.

Ironically, Thompson already starred in this political drama, when he played a role in Gore Vidal's play, The Best Man. THIS time, however, Thompson will get the nomination, as planned, by being the last man standing when the two top final contenders, Romney and Guiliani, cancel each other out.

Just a theory...what do you think?

[MikeDu]

I saw on a local new program Huckabee being mocked by the newscasters! The commentator was blandly reading his piece while a big white crucifix on the end of a stick floated 'mysteriously' around him. That took some balls, especially considering it was a Faux affiliate doing it.

[mediachic1021]

President Huckabee?? I don't think so. This loser has no chance of winning, so why don't we all just ignore him and maybe he'll go away.

[Galvestonians for Dr. Ron Paul]

Ron made that quote from Sinclaire Lewis to make a statement to the neoconservatives watching...

He was letting them know their game is up...He will tell the American people..
We already knew Ron!

Did you see all three anchors look at each other after he said that?

They were quite shocked I think..
They gasped and sat back in their chairs and looked at him and said nothing!

He called them all out in his polite, yet amusing, way!!

Go Ron Paul.

[pennyfortheguy]

I will admit to having been 'suckered' in the past. I'll admit to there being a high probability of my being 'suckered' again in the future, but damn, what an utterly facile Nation we are in the collective sense.

[buddydave]

Dear God, Fox and Friends sucks.

[transendentilist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCWw6W5NEa8

[bythePeopleforthePeople]

Huck says its was not intentional, must be divine interventi­on.......h­e will get the vote of all the ebay jesus toast face bidders, and the jesus face on a foggy window gazers, and the jesus on a stained bridge embankment gawkers...huck is a genius

[chirps]

I will NOT vote for anyone who believes the Earth is only six thousand years old. How many of these live-wires believe such crap? Huckabee is one, who else? Let’s weed the fringe out BEFORE they hit the White House – we cannot take another Bush.

[revko]

A couple of things about Ron Paul:

1.He promotes prayer in public schools

2.He goes on "Fox and Friends" and quotes Sinclair Lewis' famous observation without any blushing at the irony of having said it on "Fox and Friends"

Just because Ron Paul is the shiny turd in the republican punch bowl doesn't make him a good turd

'nuff said