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By Mark Kilmer Posted in Face the Nation. Late Edition | FOX News Sunday | Meet the Press | Special Features | This Week — Comments (24) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Sunday, February 10, 2008

On TW, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine talked to host George Stephanopoulos on behalf of Hillary and Obama respectively. Kaine, the Obama guy, said that Clinton's recent racist remarks will be forgotten by November. O'Malley argued that the Superdelgates, the Dem Party's circuit breaker in case their voters get it wrong, are "part of the process" and that Hillary probably won't need them anyway.

Next on TW, Tom DeLay argued that John McCain had to prove himself to conservatives on such issues as immigration and the 2nd Amendment. (Not sure what the latter is about.) He argued that Mike Huckabee had not yet earned McCain's veep slot. Tom Davis added that conservatives might "come back" to the party's nominee once it became more widely known that McCain has long been a leader in opposing earmarks. (Some of us never left, Tom.)

Mike Huckabee was host Tim Russert's guest on NBC's Meet the Press. Huckabee thinks competition will be good for the GOP and will not let al Qaeda win by handing the election to Hillary or Barry. He had good words for Rush Limbaugh and what the radio talker has done for conservatism. He did not insult anyone except when he called John McCain's immigration position, "way out the mainstream" and "unorthodox."

On FNS, President Bush seemed relax talking to host Chris Wallace at Camp David. He seems ready to begin duties on the campaign trail, and I'm certain McCain has a fundraising position with the President's name on it.

On FTN, Mike Huckabee argued that, math be darned, anything was possible. Karl Rove brought his white board to show that McCain matches up well with Hillary and with John McCain, then old Howard Dean hand predicted that the Hillary vs. Obama race "could end up ugly" and be decided at their convention by fat cat Superdelegates with cigars.

LE Host Wolf Blitzer spoke to Mike Huckabee in an interview taped after Huck's Kansas demolition Saturday. Huckabee argued that ongoing competition in the Republican nominating process makes for a stronger nominee, just as competition is always good in the private sector. He promised to say in the race until his supporters tell him to hang up his cleats.

Nancy Pelosi told Blitzer on LE that the President has no say in the debate over earmarks. She said that though our military had won the military part of the surge, it was a lost cause because the Iraqi politicians had made no progress. Blitzer pointed out some of the real, tangible progress being made, and she referred to them as: "baby steps, too late." Too late for victory or too close to November, Nance, who sees everything, including the lives of our soldiers, in terms of electoral politics.

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O'MALLEY AND KAINE ON TW. On ABC this morning, This Week host George Stephanopoulos spoke to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a surrogate for Hillary, and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, another Democratic with a crush on Obama.

O'Malley, the Hillary dude, said that Bill Clinton was not a racist and that there was no polarization in the Democratic Party like there is in the GOP, and that all Democrats, including Obama's by then erstwhile supporters, will vote for Hillary in the fall. (He was referring to the Coulters and Limbaughs who've evidently told people that they would not vote for John McCain in November.)

Kaine hyped Obama but defended the integrity of the party and Bill Clinton against the remarks of Bill Clinton. He said that the Democrats will forget what was said last month. Tuesday's "Chesapeake Primary" was about what happens Tuesday. They will select Obama because Barry wants to win in November, and President Clinton's racist remarks will be forgotten by November.

In defense of Hillary, O'Malley offered that she was ready "to govern in dangerous, changing times." But I have to personally point out that she lacks the little signs which read "change" and "hope" which her rival distributes to crowds at campaign events.

Steph interjected with talk of the Superdelegates, the Dems' breaker system in case the voters make the wrong call. These people are various party leaders – the types who once filled back rooms with cigar smoke – who can vote for whichever candidate the party wants. Hillary. He played a clip of Barry declaring that the Dem establishment should not overturn the decision of the voters.

O'Malley, the Clintonian 'bot, defended these Superdelegates as "part of the process," but he added that since there was still "a long way to go," Hillary might be able to win this thing without the Superdelegates.

DELAY AND DAVIS ON TW. Next up for Steph on ABC were former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, a McCain opponent and Kevin Madden's one time boss, and McCain supporter Representative Tom Davis of Virginia. Steph pointed out that Mitt Romney had won the CPAC Presidential straw poll despite having ended his campaign. I'm not qualified to do the astrology on that one, so we'll just let is pass.

DeLay argued that Huckabee had won two State nominating contests yesterday despite that Romney had dropped out. I wasn't following his thinking, but he argued that McCain must make his sale to conservatives on such issues as immigration and guns, and he needs to put together a winning GOP coalition. The Democrats already have this, he argued, but Republicans do not.

Davis interjected that Republicans "can't win the election this year with just Republicans." We will need the moderates McCain must no alienate

Davis added that McCain is a leader in opposing earmarks and that, when he is heard, the "conservatives will come back" to the GOP nominee. (Most of us have neither left nor even considered leaving, Tom.) DeLay argued that McCain must lay the groundwork for his campaign before selecting a veep, this after Davis had suggested the usual list of names and added Tom Coburnl

DeLay argued that Mike Huckabee had "not yet" earned McCain's veep slot, adding that if Huckabee defeats McCain in Texas, McCain will have not choice but to pick a conservative running mate. Davis reiterated that he thinks this election is about the indies.

MIKE HUCKABEE ON MTP. Tim Russert's guest on NBC's Meet the Press was Republican Mike Huckabee: "Thank you, Tim, great to be back."

Russert declared that Huckabee needs 1,191 delegates to win the nomination, and he had only 231 to his name at this point. He needs to win 960 more delegates to wing the nomination, Russert insisted, and there were only 819 more remaining up for grabs: "How are you going to win?" Huckabee said that he didn't know the math, but that McCain needed 1,191 delegates as well. It could "go to the convention."

Huckabee expects a "bump" on Tuesday from what happened on Saturday.

Russert played the clip of Mitt Romney leaving the race because he did not want his campaign to assist terrorists by electing Hillary and Obama. Huckabee claimed that he's not draining resources, and that it is not fair to tell the people in the later-voting States that they do not matter in the process. He said that the idea that the other candidates should step aside for a coronation is the "antithesis of everything the Republicans are supposed to believe." He stressed the importance of competition.

He called McCain's views on immigration, "way out the mainstream" and "unorthodox."

Huckabee would not say "Senator McCain is anything but a conservative," but that there were several important issues which had to be resolved.

Huckabee had some nice things to say about Rush Limbaugh. He's a big fan and he loves his show. He appreciates what he's done for the party.

Russert called Huckabee on some changing positions. For instance, Huckabee told an MSNBC cancer forum of August of 2007 that if elected, he would sign a federal ban on smoking in public places. A few months later, his campaign said that this would be best left for the Sates to consider. Then there was when Huckabee, as Arkansas governor in 2002, wrote to President Bush urging him to "lift the failed embargo" of Fidel Castro and Cuba. In February of 2007, Huckabee told an audience in Florida that the embargo should stay. In January of '07, Russert dared Huckabee to take a pledge not to raise taxes, but Huckabee rejected the idea of taking a pledge outside the oath of office. Last March, at CPAC, he signed their "Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

Huckabee explained that he would sign a federal bill about a "clean air workplace," not specifically banning smoking, which was best left to the States. (He signed such a ban as Arkansas governor.) The embargo question, he said, was specifically about the rice industry, which was hurting in Arkansas in 2002. He wanted to export rice, but as he became more familiar with what the Cuban governor had done, he realized that the President could not base a national decision on Arkansas' parochial agricultural concerns. The pledge he signed for CPAC dealt with marginal tax rates, and he sees no reason ever to do so. He pitched, again, the Fair Tax.

Russert accused Huckabee of, in college, having fried squirrel in a popcorn popper. Huckabee admitted this. Russert demanded to know what they tasted like.

I took my leave.

PRESIDENT BUSH ON FNS. Over on FOX News Sunday, Chris Wallace talked to President George W. Bush in the Hickory Lodge at Camp David.

"Absolute," the President answered when asked if John McCain were a "true conservative." The President said that he "knows what drives" McCain. As far as the bluster from Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, the President put the onus on McCain: "If McCain is the nominee, he needs to convince people that he's a conservative."

The President argued that those who would call Bill Clinton a racist were incorrect. Bush likes it that the Democrats are still talking about him in this race, as it allows the Republicans to contrast themselves by talking of the future. In that sense, the President was admitting that he already represents the past. Though he is still POTUS and will still do plenty, this conclusion is difficult to escape.

Wallace asked Bush if the Republicans will be "weighed down by the faltering economy." The President challenged the notion that the economy was faltering, but Wallace kept going. Would they be weighed down also by an unpopular war and an unpopular President? "How do Republicans beat this?" The President answered that this is done by talking about taxes and the danger in the world.

The President thanked Nancy and Boehner and Mitch for agreeing on his Keynesian "stimulus package," and he raised this as evidence that "we can work together." In a bipartisan manner. Etc.

I'm not certain why he gave this interview, but he was relaxed and performed well. He's ready to help the party in whatever way they want, it appears, and we can hope that he has plenty of time for fundraising. He's proven to be one of the best.

MIKE HUCKABEE ON FTN. Well, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer talked to Governor Mike Huckabee about what he was trying to do and why in the race for the Republican nomination. Huckabee said he is planning to stay in the race and that "nothing is impossible." Schieffer brought up "the math," but Huckabee said that those who voted for McCain are not "really sold" on the man.

Huckabee said that he's prepared to stay in "until someone has 1,119 delegates." Huck's fans are excited, he says, and no one wants him to get out.

Schieffer pointed out that Mitt Romney had said that we'd lost the war to al Qaeda if he remained in the race. Huckabee disagreed. He said that everyone should have the opportunity to "express themselves" in the democratic process. He argued that he and McCain are running the "most civil campaigns out there," contrasted with Hillary and Barry.

Huckabee has no illusion that McCain will ask him to be veep. He said that there are no discussions now of such things. He entered the race, he said, because the country "needed leadership," and he possessed that leadership. He doesn't "see that coming out of Washington, Bob. I just don't."

Mike Huckabee will support the Republican nominee.

KARL ROVE ON FTN brought along the whiteboard he used the other night on Hannity & Colmes to show that John McCain was in a virtual dead heat in possible matches against Hillary and a against Obama. He pointed out that McCain doesn't need to concern himself with getting votes from conservatives so much as exciting them to get out and do the campaign work he'll need to win this thing.

JOE TRIPPI ON FTN was the case of the former Howard Dean strategist, who filled a similar role for John Edwards this time around, showing that he could wear a business suit of sorts. He thinks Obama has momentum and "full head of steam," and he doesn't see Hillary winning anything until next month. He called Texas, "Weird." And he predicted that this Dem race goes to the convention where it will be decided by the Superdelegates, and called it "sort of ironic" that the race between first-woman and first-African American would be decided by fat cats with cigars.

HUCKABEE ON LE. On CNN, Late Edition host Wolf Blitzer played an interview he conducted with Mike Huckabee after he'd routed McCain in Kansas on Saturday. Huckabee said he's smiling and excited. He declared that he's taken over the internet, in regards to web site hits and fundraising.

Huckabee said that once the field narrowed, once the conservative vote wasn't split in so many directions, he would do better.

Blitzer accused Huckabee of "humiliating John McCain" in Kansas, but Huckabee makes no thing of that, pointing out that McCain had humiliated him in Florida. He said that competition makes the party better, just as competition is good in the private sector.

Huckabee pointed out that he supports the Human Life Amendment, opposes federal funding for human embryonic stem cell experimentation, etc.

Wolf said that experts foresee a way in which Huckabee, while not winning the nomination outright, could prevent McCain from getting 1,191. Huckabee answered that "we're not smart enough" for such a thing; they're worried about winning individual contests.

Blitzer pointed out that Texas Governor Rick Parry had called for Huckabee to drop it, and Huckabee reminded that Parry had been a Giuliani supporter who switched to McCain when Rudy dropped out. Why would he take the advice of someone who supported two others?

He promised to say in until his supporters tell him to get out.

NANCY ON LE. Wolf next spoke to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the state of the Dem race. He played a clip of Hillary offering a solution for subprime, and Nancy said that the House had already passed their plan.

Wolf mentioned earmarks, playing a clip of the President's SOTU threat to veto spending bills with earmarks and his EO to direct federal agencies to ignore earmarks. Nancy stole a line from Joe Biden in dismissing the President: "The President, bless his heart…" She said that Congress has the power of the purse but that she had reduced earmarks after the Republicans "exploded" earmarks. She went so far as to accuse the President of having his own earmarks. She said that she does not much care for earmarks herself, but it's none of the President's business.

Nancy said that the military part of the Surge – "bless the military" – was working, but that the Iraqi government has not made any political progress. Blitzer challenged her, and she called the progress: "baby steps, too late."

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There's this Sunday's TV Talkers. Have at it.