2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

Victory Event With Mike Huckabee In Destin, Florida On Saturday, September 29, 2012

Victory Event With Mike Huckabee In Destin, Florida On Saturday, September 29, 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Doors Open 7:30 PM

Event Begins 8:00 PM

Destin Assembly of God
726 Legion Drive
Destin, FL 32541

Victory Meet & Greet With Mike Huckabee In Pensacola, Florida On Saturday, September 29, 2012

Victory Meet & Greet With Mike Huckabee In Pensacola, Florida On Saturday, September 29, 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Doors Open 4:30 PM

Event Begins 5:00 PM

Marcus Pointe Baptist Church
6105 North W Street
Pensacola, FL 32505

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Mike Huckabee, Former Governor, Arkansas at the 2012 Republican National Convention

The Hon. Mike Huckabee, Former Governor, Arkansas
(Remarks as Prepared for Delivery)
August 29, 2012

I was so very honored to be asked to address one of this week's themes, "We can do better."  

Then, I heard some folks backstage say that after hearing me speak, the delegates will say, "We sure can do better than Huckabee" and will nominate Mitt Romney to be the next President of the United States.
 
Tampa has been such a wonderful and hospitable city to us. The only hitch in an otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. Turns out it was just Debbie Wasserman Schultz practicing her speech for the DNC in Charlotte next week. Bless her heart.
 
Four years ago, Mitt Romney and I were opponents. We still are, but we're not opposing each other.

We are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral.
 
Our country was in its origin an experiment, but an experiment in recognizing God-given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another and all of us are equal.

Not equal in abilities, but in intrinsic worth and value. It is the essence of not just who we are, but what we are.
 
To those who question how once rivals can now be united, it's simple - we have Barack Obama to thank.

He said, "You didn't build it."

Translation: "It doesn't rightly belong to you!"

No small differences among us in our party approximate the vast differences between the liberty-limiting, radical left-wing, anti-business, reckless-spending, tax-hiking party of Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, versus an energized America who knows that we can do better. 

For four years, we've given a chance to a man with very limited experience in governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly an interest in campaigning, blaming, and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the Republicans, and people in business, or as Republicans like to call them, employers.
 
We've stagnated into an economy that has taken all that hope "down the slope" and left millions without jobs, forced out of their homes by foreclosure, and herded into dependency upon a government that promises us candy and gives us cavities.
 
Barack Obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. Mitt Romney's focus will be on generating more jobs that would make food stamps unnecessary for them.

We know full well that we can do better. 
 
Mitt Romney turned around companies that were on the skids; turned around a scandal ridden Olympics that was deep in the red into a high point of profitable and patriotic pride; and turned around a very liberal state by erasing a deficit and replacing it with a surplus.
 
Barack Obama said if he couldn't turn things around in three years, it would be a one-term proposition. It's been almost four ... let's make him a proposition he can't refuse.

Let's vote him out!   
 
The job of President is admittedly tougher than running a company, Olympic contest, or a commonwealth, but when one sees what even Bill Clinton noted was a sterling record of problem-solving that has marked the life of Mitt Romney, we are confident we WILL do better.   
Mitt has been loyal to his wife, his sons, his country, his employees, and his church.

I'm sure the press will tell you he isn't perfect.

But for the past four years, we've tried the one the press thought was perfect, and that hasn't worked out so well for us.
 
We can do better! 
 
The Founding Fathers of our great nation left taxation and tyranny seeking religious liberty and a society of meritocracy rather than aristocracy. They created a bold experiment in government, believing God gave us unalienable rights, and government's role is simply to make sure they are protected.
 
So fearful were they that government would grow beyond their intention that even after crafting our magnificent Constitution, they said, "We can do even better." They added amendments that we call the Bill of Rights that limit what the government can do and guarantee what "We the people" have the unimpeded right to do - whether to speak, assemble, worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes.

Many of them died to pass on that heritage. They had lived under the boot of big government and said, "We can do better." 
  
As a kid growing up in a household with a dad who never finished high school and a family in which no male upstream from me had ever finished high school, much less gone to college, I was taught that there was nothing I could do about what was behind me, but could change everything about what was in front of me.
 
My working-poor parents told me I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anyone else. It never occurred to them to tell me that I could rest comfortably and wait for Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me, and then bleed me.
 
They told me to get off my backside, work hard, take risks, and treat people honestly and honorably. And look what's happened - I have become as the press label me, "a failed candidate."  
 
It's true; I have fallen from the high perch of politics and now wallow in the mud of the media, but I still know that as a country, we can do better, and with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, we will. 
 
Let me clear the air about whether guys like me would only support an evangelical. Of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is Barack Obama, and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at any time in the womb or even beyond the womb, and tells people of faith that they must bow their knees to the god of government and violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care.
 
Friends, I know we can do better!  
 
The attack on my Catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me. The Democrats have brought back the old dance the "Limbo" to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice our faith.
 
This isn't a battle about contraceptives and Catholics, but of conscience and the Creator.

I care far less as to where Mitt Romney takes his family to church than I do about where he takes this country. Joe Biden said, "Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value." Well, in the Senate, Joe's party hasn't produced a budget in three years.
 
What does that say about their values?  
 
Speaking of budgets, Joe Biden's budget shows that while he wants to be generous with your money through higher taxes and government spending, for years he gave less than two-tenths of 1 percent of his money to charity.
 
He just wants you to give the government more so he and the Democrats can feel better about themselves. Mitt Romney has given over 16% of his income to his church and charity, and I'd feel better about having a leader who gives more of his own money instead of mine. 
 
My concern is not Barack Obama's past; my concern is for the future - not his future, but the future of my grandchildren.
 
And under this President, we burdened each of them with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks we can prosper by punishing productivity and rewarding reckless irresponsibility.
 
The Democrats say we ought to give Barack Obama credit for trying. That sounds like the nonsense of giving every kid a trophy for showing up.

Friends, we're talking about leading the country, not playing on a third-grade soccer team!  
 
I realize this is the man who got a Nobel Peace Prize for what he would potentially do, but in the real world, you get the prize for producing something, not just promising it. 
 
Sometimes, we're so close to the picture, we can't really see it clearly. I've worked with Bono for the past few years in the ONE campaign to fight AIDS and hunger and disease around the world.

He's an Irishman and a great humanitarian who told me of his admiration for America. He said we're more than a country; we're an idea.

He reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations coming after us to leave them an extraordinary legacy.

If we don't change the direction of our nation now, our bequest will be nothing but an extraordinary shame.
 
But we can do better.
 
President Obama is out of gas; Americans are out of patience, and our great Republic is almost out of time. It's time we no longer lead from behind, but get off our behinds and leave something lasting for those who come after us instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses.
 
Tonight, it's not because we're Republicans; it's because we're Americans that we proudly stand with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to say we will do better!

Mike Huckabee and Huck PAC Endorse Scott Walker for Governor of Wisconsin

Gov. Huckabee & Huck PAC Endorse Scott Walker for Gov. of Wisconsin
Huckabee Releases Statement about Walker's Special Election Bid in Wisconsin
 
Little Rock, AR - Governor Mike Huckabee issued the following statement about Scott Walker:
 
Huck PAC and I are proud to stand with Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin in his bid to win the special election in Wisconsin.

Scott decided at an early age, inspired by Ronald Reagan, that he would devote his life to public service. He has done so with honor and integrity. Governor Walker began his political career in 1993 winning election to the Wisconsin State Assembly. He has continued to serve the people of Wisconsin culminating in his election as Governor in November of 2010.
 
Scott Walker is a fiscal and social conservative. He has worked hard as Governor to get Wisconsin back on sound financial footing and Wisconsin has added over 35,000 jobs since he took office. He is 100% pro-life and believes that life should be protected from conception to natural death.
 
I hope you will join the Huck PAC family and me in supporting Governor Scott Walker in the special election for Wisconsin Governor.

The New Hampshire Republican State Committee (NHGOP) Announces Mike Huckabee as Speaker for Annual Dinner on May 30, 2012

NHGOP Announces Mike Huckabee as Speaker for Annual Dinner

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Republican State Committee (NHGOP) announced today its plans for a Victory Dinner that will feature former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as the keynote speaker.  Co-chairs for the dinner include U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte, Congressman Charlie Bass, Congressman Frank Guinta, Senator Judd and Kathy Gregg, and more.

“We’re excited to announce Mike Huckabee for our dinner that will officially kick-off the 2012 campaign season,” said New Hampshire Republican State Committee Chairman Wayne MacDonald.  “Governor Huckabee has been an inspiring, passionate and effective leader, and I know voters in New Hampshire will enjoy hearing from him next month.”

The NHGOP’s Annual Victory Dinner will be at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester on May 30.  The Radisson is located at 700 Elm Street.

“Governor Huckabee offers a strong, principled voice for our party’s ideals through his actions, speaking engagements and his radio and television shows,” Chairman MacDonald added.  “He certainly knows how to energize and engage an audience, which is why we know he’ll be such a big draw for this dinner.”

Mike Huckabee Statement On Latest Gingrich for President Ad *Updated

Mike Huckabee Statement On Latest Gingrich for President Ad

Updated, Saturday 5:20PM:

"The Gingrich campaign has said it would continue to use material from a 2007 primary spot that never was used either online or in broadcast. It was determined then that use of the spot would not contribute toward a positive primary nor help in the battle against a general election opponent so it was never used and only screened one time for reporters. The spot in question is being used without approval or authorization and with disregard for copyright. The bootlegged spot was never released by my campaign in 2007. I have repeatedly stated I am not endorsing a candidate. I asked the Romney campaign several weeks ago to pull a spot that used direct material from my daily radio commentary, which they promptly did. The Gingrich campaign has stated they will not withdraw the use of this material in spite of our request. I will let voters draw their own conclusions."
 
Previous statement:
       
Any use of an out of context quote from the Republican Presidential primary 4 years ago in a political ad to advocate for the election or defeat of another candidate is not authorized, approved, or known in advance by me. I have made it clear that I have not and do not anticipate making an endorsement in the GOP primary, but will support the nominee. My hope is to defeat Barack Obama and win majorities in both the House and Senate, not to attack any of the Presidential candidates who might be our nominee.e.

Mike Huckabee Statement Regarding New Newt Gingrich For President Ad

Mike Huckabee Statement Regarding New Newt Gingrich For President Ad

There is a new Internet ad put out by the Gingrich campaign using highlights of me from interviews from 2008. While my quotes are public domain the quotes used in this ad have been taken out of context, four years after they were made and used to highlight something negative in a political ad. The use of the material was not approved nor authorized by me or HuckPAC. Any attempt by anyone to imply an endorsement of a candidate or opposition to a candidate is simply not true. I have not nor do I anticipate endorsing anyone until after the primary.

Mike Huckabee Statement Regarding New Romney For President Ad

Mike Huckabee Statement Regarding New Romney For President Ad

The use of the actual audio from my show, The Huckabee Report, was not authorized for use by any candidate. My quotes are public domain and just like the numerous complementary things I have said about other candidates they have been used to highlight something positive in a political ad. However, this in no way is an endorsement of any candidate. I have not nor do I anticipate endorsing anyone until after the primary at which time I will fervently campaign for the Republican nominee so that we can make sure Obama is a one term President. Any attempt by anyone to imply an endorsement of a candidate or opposition to a candidate is not true.

Newt Gingrich Joins Governor Mike Huckabee in Columbia, SC on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 to Discuss America's Leadership in the World

Gingrich Joins Governor Mike Huckabee to Discuss America's Leadership in the World
Discussion on how global engagement impacts South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C., Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will give remarks at a foreign policy forum in Columbia, SC on Tuesday, January 17th , and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will provide keynote remarks on the importance of America's leadership in the world and its impact on South Carolina families.  The event will also feature a discussion with Huckabee moderated by David Brody , Chief Political Correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network.  South Carolina is a national leader in foreign investment, and one in five jobs in the state currently depend on trade, making American leadership in the world a critical strategic issue for the Palmetto State.

This event is hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the University of South Carolina, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and the World Affairs Council of Columbia. 

Who: Newt Gingrich , Presidential Candidate
Mike Huckabee, Former Arkansas Governor
David Wilkins, USGLC SC Advisory Committee Co-Chair
David Brody, Chief Political Correspondent, Christian Broadcasting Network 

What: America's Global Leadership: A Foreign Policy Forum and Luncheon 

When: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
11:45 A.M.

Where: Hilton Columbia Center
924 Senate Street, Columbia, SC

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

Governor Mike Huckabee Endorses Tommy Thompson for the United States Senate from Wisconsin

GOV HUCKABEE AND HUCKPAC ENDORSE TOMMY THOMPSON FOR US SENATE

Little Rock, AR – Governor Mike Huckabee issued the following statement about Tommy Thompson:
 
Huck PAC and I are pleased to endorse Tommy Thompson for the United States Senate from Wisconsin.  Tommy has the necessary experience to make an immediate and positive difference in Washington. Tommy served the great state of Wisconsin as the 42nd Governor, serving four terms for 14 years, and was forced to work with a democrat controlled State Legislature; because of that Tommy knows how to work in a bi-partisan nature and will be a positive voice for real change in Washington.
 
With more than 40 years of public service, Tommy has had a distinguished career, and all the while he has managed to be a champion for his constituents and the ideals we all share. After serving his state, Tommy went on to serve the Country, as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
 
Tommy Thompson knows how to lead, knows how to create jobs, and save taxpayers money - and in these trying economic times, that’s exactly what we all need more of in Washington.