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Huck Drops National Media

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January 21, 2008 9:46 PM

ABC News' Kevin Chupka reports: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's national press corps was notified this evening that, beginning tomorrow, campaign-provided transport will cease.

Campaign press secretary, Alice Stewart, sent an e-mail to the press Monday evening, stating, "Transportation for the traveling press pool, provided by the Huckabee presidential campaign for the early caucus/primary states, will be halted, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008.  The campaign will continue to provide detailed scheduling information, and make every effort to assist you. When possible, we will provide pool opportunities."

For the past several weeks, Huckabee has been steering his focus to local media markets, seeking out questions from local reporters during his media availabilities.  The campaign went so far as to deny the national media access to a press conference in South Carolina, the week before that state's primary.

Most charter flights of late have been rather empty, with many national media conglomerates reassigning their staff, or depending on staffers already on the ground.  No doubt, flying in commuter jets, with limited campaign staff, and only about ten media representatives, is a money pit for a campaign that already operates on a shoestring budget.

It remains to be seen, of course, how the new plan will affect Huckabee's free media coverage, but once a state-hopping Feb. 5 strategy takes better form, it will prove nearly impossible for the now traveling press corps to cover every event.

January 21, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (18)

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They're goes all his postive coverage from the coddled press corps. Doesn't anybody at the Council on Foriegn Relations have any bucks for Huck?

Posted by: thematrixisreal | Jan 21, 2008 9:58:20 PM

Why doesn't he stop wasting everybody's
time and just Drop Out of the Race!
Mr Iowa is Toast!

Posted by: reaganfan | Jan 21, 2008 11:32:09 PM

Gee, has all his evangelical base run out of bucks? Maybe he should talk to the Christian TV evangelists and ask for donations.

Posted by: shortnativetexan | Jan 22, 2008 12:37:20 AM

When Thompson drops out of the race & you combine the support he garnered that will go to Huckabee--taking into consideration Huckabee's existing support--he will be the clear #1 front-runner going forward. Go Mike Huckabee! (the only true conservative that can appeal to independents & moderate liberals.)

Posted by: Aaron | Jan 22, 2008 1:27:52 AM

This was a good move even though it looks like negative press. But he should have waited until after Florida's primary.

Posted by: Waggdogg | Jan 22, 2008 8:42:24 AM

This was a good move. Now he can spend money toward reaching out to the people, not flying around the press. When he wins another state, they will come back to him, without him having to pay their way.

Go Mike Go!!!

Posted by: APRIL | Jan 22, 2008 9:28:01 AM

Don't count Governor Huckabee out.

He has run a tremendous campaign on a tight budget because, unlike other candidates supported by "friends" looking for favors, Mike Huckabee is supported by Americans who believe in him; Americans who are sick and tired of the media electing our candidates; and Americans who refuse to sit back and let a multi-millionaire buy the presidency.

Ask yourself this: If the highest office in the land is for sale, do we truly live in a free country?

Posted by: Michelle | Jan 22, 2008 12:04:30 PM

I'm so tired of the media trying to kill the Huckabee campaign by going on and on about his lack of organization and money. He sure has given Mr Romney a run for his money.

Why is it in this country that Americans seem to want a Christian candidate as long as he doesn't really live by it or truly believe it?

I will take a President of character and conviction like Huckabee any day over a slimy politician like Mitt who lies and changes positions over and over to get elected. How can we ever trust a man like this to run our country?

Many of the greatest leaders have been devout Christians. Did William Wilberforce have no place in British Parliament? If you haven't seen the movie 'Amazing Grace', he is the devout Christian man who fought in Parliament for over 20 years to bring an end to slavery in England.

Posted by: Jennifer | Jan 22, 2008 12:11:39 PM

I was disappointed to see Duncan Hunter drop out and I really hope Huckabee stays in the race- I think he will rebound. He came from nowhere once already!

Duncan Hunter said he would endorse Huck or McCain, but said he could NOT endorse Mitt Romney. He also said something interesting about Romney's company, Bain Capital selling sensitive military technology to the Chinese. That's troubling.

The more I hear about Romney, the less I like him. I also read that his co, Bain Capital bought out Clear Channel. No wonder Rush, Hannity, Beck and Laura Ingraham all favor Romney! This confused me for a long time why conservative radio hosts would favor Mitt when he had such a liberal record in Mass. (pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, hid taxes in "fees", donated to Planned Parenthood, had some of the highest unemployment in the nation, etc. Now we know why! This fact has disappointed me more than anything because I used to be a huge fan of conservative talk radio but now I don't trust what they say because they have been bought.

Posted by: John | Jan 22, 2008 12:22:48 PM

With Fred out of the next debate, Huck speaking at Newt's Redicovering God in America conference yesterday, Tom Delay making sure Hannity included Huck in his "true conservative" count yesterday, 9 prominant southern black conservatives endorsing Huck yesterday, and Hunter calling out Mitts Bain Capital-Chinese DOD connection again yesterday, I conclude that we are about to see another HuckaBoom!

Posted by: Eric Worthington | Jan 22, 2008 12:24:26 PM

I'm sure that biblical law over common law, speech made non-evangeicals just swoon for him. Please. If he can't beat McCain in SC, where can he win? Alabama???

Posted by: thematrixisreal | Jan 22, 2008 12:49:10 PM

Tightening the purse strings just shows he is fiscally responsible, which is something we desperately need in this country.

Go Mike.

Posted by: LR in TX | Jan 22, 2008 3:36:30 PM

Each and every candidate has run into serious money problems (Rudy, McCain, Huckabee, Thompson) except for Mitt Romney. And this is only because he has poured millions of his own money into the election.

Should the presidency go to the highest bidder? What if every candidate runs out of money and Mitt wins by default? It would be a dark day in America if this happens. I refuse to vote for Romney even if he is the GOP nominee....and I can't stand Clinton or Obama.

The United States of America was founded by people who fought against the elite establishment controlling society. We cannot let this happen.

Huckabee is my first choice, but I would vote for Rudy or McCain. I just can't in good conscience vote for slimy Mitt Romney

Posted by: Michelle | Jan 22, 2008 4:28:17 PM

I don't understand why some of the posters here say such horrible things about Mitt Romney. He has led a life that exemplifies a honest and good man who also has the brains to fix America and is willing to do it. The media has made the public think that he is a flip flopper when he is not. He only supported pro choice because it was the law in Mass. and he was running as Govenor to uphold the states laws. But he never once voted for any pro choice agenda while serving as Govenor. Huckabee has changed his position 4 times just in the last week as he started campaigning in Florida. Mitt has not changed his beliefs since he declared his candidacy. Mitt also earned every dollar he has and I much rather have a President that knows how to run a business then one that never earned more than $70,000 such as Huckabee or married his fortune like McCain. Romney is a good and righteous man who has three degrees including a MBA and law degree from Harvard while graduating at the top of his classes. Huckabee graduated from a little religious college no one has ever heard of and McCain finished at the bottom of his class at West Point. If you people spent as much time researching your candidate as you do in picking out a new television you would discover that Romney is the man that can turn our economy around and fight violent jihads that want America to burn in hell. He is the only candidate on both sides that can win both of these wars.

Posted by: JoAnne Smith | Jan 22, 2008 8:22:08 PM

Why is Romney getting a free ride from Sean Hannity? I know they dress and look alike but that is no reason for Sean Hannity to do a "Larry King" type interview with Mitt Romney. Sean is no Rush Limbaugh. Sean is number two, only because of location, location, location (right after rush on the air).

Here is a question Sean will never ask Romney...In a recent debate, you stated that the SURGE was APPARENTLY working when it was definity working. Was Romey against the SURGE or not. I think he could have went either way depending on the out come. McCain is the ONLY one that put it on the line for the SURGE.

Posted by: John | Jan 23, 2008 3:03:44 AM

Slickster Huckabee is the LAST person I would ever vote for POTUS. If I see him on TV, I turn him off, I cannot stand the sight of him, followed closely by Senator McCain.

These are dark days for the Republican Party and with either of these as nominees, it will spell the end of the Republican Party as we know it today.

Posted by: flyboy | Jan 23, 2008 11:56:37 AM

Does anyone else remember a campaign run on "christian FAITH"? hmmm...I remember GW talking about God all the time. Where did God go the past 5-6 years? Guess he got lost in the White House!! Running on Faith, doesn't impress me as a voter...anymore! I don't care where they go to church or if they go to church, tell me how you are going to save MY country, protect MY rights, and keep government out of MY personal life???? Then, and only then will you get my vote!

Posted by: tc | Jan 23, 2008 1:29:30 PM

Huck has never created a real job in the real economy. Huck is good for a laugh on Leno or to hear him play his guitar--or to get a new recipe for fried squirrel in the popcorn popper, but he is not presidential.

I need an ethical president, not one who tries to leave the governor's mansion with $70,000 worth of furniture that he did not own.

Posted by: Apollo | Jan 24, 2008 12:43:55 PM

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