Huckabee: I "Envy" Sarah Palin

WASHINGTON — Mike Huckabee wouldn't rule out a 2012 run for president Wednesday, but he acknowledged it could be hard to take back the spotlight from fellow Republican Sarah Palin. "I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but I'm not making any specific plans," Huckabee told reporters at a briefing to promote his new book, "Do the Right Thing."

"It's not something I'm sitting around thinking about."

Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, said he expects Palin to continue to have a leading voice in the Republican Party, though he acknowledged he was envious of her meteoric rise after Sen. John McCain brought her out of relative obscurity as governor of Alaska to run with him this year as the vice presidential candidate.

Huckabee credited Palin with energizing McCain's campaign and said that her surprise selection for the GOP ticket helped her to "leapfrog over the process" that other Republicans _ including himself _ had to endure to become national political figures.

"I'm not frustrated by it," Huckabee said. "It's not a resentment on her part. It's an envy."

Huckabee plans to stay on the national political stage through his shows he'll host on Fox News Channel and ABC Radio.

The former Arkansas governor ran a scrappy but underfunded presidential campaign this year, staying in the race until March, when McCain secured enough delegates to win the nomination. All the other serious Republican contenders had dropped out weeks before.

Huckabee ran as a religious conservative, though many conservative leaders wouldn't support him. Despite a lack of money, Huckabee won the leadoff caucuses in Iowa and seven other states. His book tour will take him to Iowa later this month.

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Huckabee and McCain had a cordial relationship during the campaign, but Huckabee clearly didn't like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, another contender for the GOP nomination.

In his book, Huckabee slams Romney for changing positions on issues such as abortion rights and gay marriage.

"He spent more time on the road to Damascus than a Syrian camel driver. And we thought nobody could fill John Kerry's flip-flops!" Huckabee wrote.

Romney's record, he wrote, "was anything but conservative until he changed all the lightbulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president."

A spokesman for Romney dismissed Huckabee's comments in the book as "petty stuff."

"We need to focus on moving the party forward with new ideas," Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said. "Unfortunately, Mike Huckabee seems more interested in settling scores than bringing people together."

Huckabee said Wednesday he was simply writing with the same candor he showed during the campaign.

"There was obvious tension, and again, it wasn't just me, but with other candidates, and so I addressed where that came from," Huckabee said. "One of the things people came to believe that they would get from me was candor."

"If I had written this book and totally ignored some of the obvious issues that were there, I think people would have said the book lacked credibility and candor," he said.

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Associated Press Writer Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

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On The Net: http://www.mikehuckabee.com

Comments

[tegrat]

oh please please please Huckabee Palin in 2012
(has a nice ring to it, don't it?)

[canobserv]

.....in the meantime Bush is as busy as a bee....doing what he does best......

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=6997442e-9324-4815-a66c-31644e5f149a

[hortonhearsawho]

the bee, she is a busy soul. she has no time for birth control. maybe that is why in times like these there are so many sons of bees.

[Melissa6262]

That same candor he used when asked why his boy scout leader son hung a stray dog. "The dog had mange" was Huckabee's answer before he proceeded to try and brush the story under the rug. I agree, forget about the whack jobs until the next election when they resurface to remind us how a woman making her own reproductive choices and equal marriage rights for all Americans will be the ruin of our nation, not war, health care or the economy. But hopefully Huckabee won't be a part of it. We could live without his stupid hick analogies and obvious fake self-deprecation when in fact we know he thinks he's God.

[kroltan]

Why is this news? Can we forget about these whackjobs and focus on other subjects for a change? They lost, let's move on until they surface from the swamp on the next election.

[conscioushope]

Good point~

Huckawho?

[Clayton139]

Neither Hukabee or Palin do not stand a chance ever ! No substance ! Braindead Palin !
I'm tired and done with them as NEWS NOW, and/or LATER !

[kayatarms]

I seriously am of the opinion that something is wrong with Republicans in office period. Envy Palin,, I was in line yesterday at Starbucks, and everyone concurred that this woman was a thorn and a joke to their party and aided in votes against her. And they still don't get it. Republicans who voted against them were in the line too. Sad! And GOD needs to be taken out of politics completely!! Keep it separate period!

[conscioushope]

from God~

Yes, indeed, keep me out of this pettiness!

And, one more thing:

Sarah, the door is closed!

[kewps]

If he envies Palin so much, he ought to move to Alaska for some of that northern exposure!

[lennix]

whats wrong with the gop is they live in the past when its the 21st century and palin and huckabee
also so if they this woman is bright they will never bounce back i am a dem and i hope they stay in this lala land of reagan john wayne hollywood that the only white is right those days are gone they are full of hate and plays the god card all the time we as a people are tired of the bs and please palin go away

[indy girl]

Maybe God wasn't closing the door on Palin, he was slamming it on the whole GOP.

[conscioushope]

Oh my,

isn't "envy" a sin??

[clausnitzer]

I actually thought Huckabee was a refreshing addition to the national dialog until I saw his talks show. It makes Chevy Chase's seem good.

[Americatortures]

What was "refreshing" about Gomer Pyle's religious intolerance??

[clausnitzer]

I like my republicans born-again and overtly coservative. It also helps if they play bass in a horrific cover band.

I was kidding about him being refreshing. I just wanted to comment on how terrible his show is.

Truly, it is aweful. Almost as bad as D.L Hughley reports the news.

[conscioushope]

"Refreshing"?

Like cool Koolaid??

[Americatortures]

Huckleberry Hound envies Sarah Evita Palin because she has a witch doctor for a pastor...and he's stuck with the standard brand of bible thumper!!

[Gib]

"It's not a resentment on her part."

Another one who doesn't know how to use the language.

[sippewissett]

I think that Huckabee is less than candid when he says that McCain's selection of Palin "helped her to 'leapfrog over the process' that other Republicans _ including himself _ had to endure to become national political figures."

That is genteel southern 'code' for "She didn't earn her place as a V.P. nominee. She didn't arrive with a governance record, except the manufactured one; she can't put two words together, let alone two ideas; her ethics are highly questionable (more so than mine). In short, if she weren't a woman, I'd be aiming a cannon more of criticism at her in my book. Envy? It's not envy I feel. It's disgust that we've come to this in national elections."

[NWBrunette]

"Envy." That's such a nice word choice by Mr. Huckabee.

[abeschenck]

palin v huckabee 2012. two gummy candidates battle it out to see who can be more folksy.

[Americatortures]

...And religiously intolerant of modern life,,,sort of like the Taliban!!!

[Americatortures]

...and more religiously intolerant...as neither believes in evolution or stem cell research!!

[Americatortures]

Alaska and Arkansas...wow...two of the more backward states in...all of the world!!

[sueinmn]

Lipstick on a sow, Palin 4 possibly 5 kids, shes a Sow. Hucabee go back to your TV very dry talk show.
Maybe Palin should guest on it and the both of you can ramble on and on.