Gasp! Huckabee wanted to lift Cuban embargo

In a Republican presidential debate devoid of personal attacks, the Fred Thompson campaign dug up some potentially damaging press clippings in which Mike Huckabee called for lifting the Cuban embargo.

Fifty-five minutes into the debate, Thompson's campaign circulated quotes from a letter Huckabee wrote to President Bush in 2002: "U.S. policy on Cuba has not accomplished its stated goal of toppling the Castro regime and instead has provided Castro with a convenient excuse for his own failed system of government."

The well-timed Thompson press release is here: Download huckabee_mr. President Lift the Cuban Embargo.htm

Huckabee surrogates were nowhere to be found after the debate and could not immediately be reached, reflecting his shoestring operation. Two hours later, Huckabee spokewoman Alice Stewart called to say the former governor of Arkansas has changed his position on Cuba.

"Gov. Huckabee admits this position on the embargo in 2002 does not reflect his position now, and it's fully understandable because as governor he was leader of the No. 1 rice-producing state in the country,'' she said. "As president he would not be able to put the specific needs of his state above those of the country. You have to remember his position on the Cuba policy is stronger than any of the candidates today. He came to this postion on Cuba after speaking to Cuban-Americans and several Cuban-American leaders, and he's committed to vetoing any legistlation that lifts sanction on Cuba."

One of the "Cuban-American leaders" she's referring to is Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is slated to endorse Huckabee tomorrow morning at a press conference. He had previously leaned toward -- guess who? -- Thompson.

Comments

[Florida for Huckabee]

Join the surge for Gov. Mike Huckabee in Florida...

www.FloridaforHuckabee.com

Rubio is a clown!!!

Huckabee is a joke.

In just the last 48 hours we learned he'd jail people in America afflicted with AIDs, yet would have no problem doing business with a tyrant like Fidel Castro.

Huckabee is the kind of shallow, substanceless politician that gives Republicans a bad name.

Huckabee is dangerous. He is nice, personable and engaging. But look out. He also

- thinks the world was created in 7 days (oops - 6, The Good Lord rested on the 7th.);
- wants to lift the embargo on Cuba;
- raised taxes in his own State;
- wants to take away a woman's right to choose in pregnancy;

He is just the kind of leader the right-wing-wackos want: An American Ayatollah created in the image of the Taliban.

The Huckabee surrogates were nowhere to found because there are none!!

[suck-a-bee]

If this is a preview of coming attractions, Huckabee would be the weakest President since, well, ever.

So he wants to Isolate Aids patients but not a dictator? KOOK! Huckabee's a Kook!

[CLBradford]

Polls show over 60% of the american public want US troops out of Iraq within a year, only one candidate supports that position. Huckabee and all the other candidates constantly change their core principlesand posistions, exept one who has a congressional record that can be verified as consistant. The only current Republican candidate that Ronald Reagan had anything positive to say about is Ron Paul

[Vince]

Im sure if you asked Rubio 2 months ago who Huckabee was, you would have gotten a blank stare. Now, purely out of political calculation, Rubio in now getting on board with a candidate enjoying a surge in popularity, past history and principles be damned. This is a very short-sighted manuever by a politician that had shown some promise. Perhaps we need principled young politicans in Florida such as Adam Putnam to take the lead.