The following piece was produced through the Huffington Post's OffTheBus. Edited by Richard Riehl and Denise Wheeler. Reported by Kirsten Anderson, Christian Avard, River Curtis-Stanley, Jodi Lampert, Julie Pierce, and Debbi Plummer.
Huck aspires to be a moose head. Fred explains his speaking style. Mitt wins and loses an endorsement. Tancredo's hotel room cleaned by illegals.
Mike Huckabee...trophy candidate?: Mitt Romney has suddenly begun to take swipes at the Huckster. Is the Arkansas ex-governor upset? Shucks, no! He thinks it's a good sign: "You never put the crosshairs on a dead carcass," Huckabee said. "Somebody sees me as a real wall mount, and that's a good thing." Mmmm...isn't it everybody's dream to be a moose head on someone's wall?
You didn't say you'd kiss and tell, Mitt!: The former president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention announced he's withdrawn his recent endorsement of Romney. Dr. Don Wilton explained, "While I did give my consent to the local campaign to use my affirmation of the governor's stance on family values...I made the mistake of not realizing the extent to which it would be used on a national basis." Endorse, but don't tell, it seems.
Do cleaning ladies all look alike?: Thanks to tipster Ken Banks we learned that agents from Homeland Security, Immigration and FBI raided a Hampton Inn hotel in Vermont where Tom Tancredo stayed recently. They arrested the owner and fourteen employees on charges of violating immigration laws. When informed about the incident Tancredo replied, "I can't distinguish one Hampton Inn from another." Apparently he can't distinguish legal from illegal cleaning ladies either.
Mitt plays the Monica card: In a speech in Hookset, NH Thursday, Romney opined, "I think during the last Clinton presidency, the White House did not demonstrate [family values] in a way that was helpful to our nation's character." No comment on the values demonstrated by a Bush White House spawning a convicted felon, Scooter Libby, then dealing him a "get out of jail free" card.
White House a "pretty big group" and he's not rabid: When Fred Thompson called in to her show, Laura Ingraham pointed out that Rudy Giuliani was the only candidate left out of Dan Bartlett's critical comments about the GOP candidates. Thompson shrugged off the importance of the White House's support. "That's one group," he said. "Obviously, the truth is that's a pretty big group, if it is a group." When asked about his laid-back campaign style, he explained, "I'm not rabid. I don't jump up and down when I talk." You could have fooled us, Fred.
Mitt's gorgeous, but can he keep us safe?: The former governor was in Naples, FL Saturday at the annual Swamp Buggy Parade. While eyeing the monster wheels, Mitt stopped long enough to ask, "Now, these things don't ever roll, do they?" The man sitting up top looked down and said, "Most likely not." Further down the handshake line an elderly woman cooed, "Oh, my God, is he handsome?" But, alas for Romney, she went on, "I'm going to vote for Rudy. I think he can protect us better.