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Huckabee Goes Nuclear on WA State GOP

Mike Huckabee is not happy. An email sent to reporters from his campaign:

NEWS RELEASE: MIKE HUCKABEE'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ISSUES STATEMENT ON DUBIOUS WASHINGTON STATE GOP CAUCUSES

Richmond, VA — The Huckabee Presidential Campaign will be exploring all available legal options regarding the dubious final results for the state of Washington State Republican precinct caucuses, it was announced today. Campaign Chairman Ed Rollins issued the following statement:

"The Huckabee campaign is deeply disturbed by the obvious irregularities in the Washington State Republican precinct caucuses. It is very unfortunate that the Washington State Party Chairman, Luke Esser, chose to call the race for John McCain after only 87 percent of the vote was counted. According to CNN, the difference between Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee is a mere 242 votes, out of more than 12,000 votes counted-with another 1500 or so votes, apparently, not counted. That is an outrage.

"In other words, more than one in eight Evergreen State Republicans have been disenfranchised by the actions of their own party. This was an error in judgment by Mr. Esser. It was Mr. Esser's duty to oversee a fair vote-count process. Washington Republicans know, from bitter experience in the 2004 gubernatorial election, the terrible results that can come from bad ballot-counting.

"Frankly, I am disappointed in the way that Mr. Esser has handled this urgent matter. So I call upon Mr. Esser and his colleagues to cooperate fully with the Huckabee campaign-and all Republicans, everywhere, who care about honest and transparent vote-counting-to make sure that every vote is counted and that all Republicans in Washington have the chance to make their votes count. Attempts by our campaign to contact Mr. Esser have been unsuccessful. Our lawyers will be on the ground in Washington State soon, and we look forward to sitting down with Mr. Esser to evaluate this process, to see why the count took so long, and why the vote-counting was stopped prematurely.

"It would be a disservice to every voter in Washington State to not pursue a full accounting of all votes cast.

"This is not about Mike Huckabee. This is not about Senator John McCain. This is about the failings of the Washington State Republican Party. All Republicans should unite to demand an honest accounting of the votes, so that Republicans can have full confidence in the results, and full confidence in the eventual Republican nominee. As I said, we are prepared to go to court, and we are also prepared to take our case all the way to the Republican National Convention in September.

"Our cause is just. We must reemphasize the sacred American principle that all ballots be counted in a free, fair, and transparent manner."

Update: Huckabee still on the warpath, compares GOP vote-counting tactics in WA to "old Soviet Union."

Comments

Funny how it is to mention the REPUBLICAN bitter experience in an election

Posted by: Gordon on 02/11/08 at 9:40 AM Respond

"all Republicans, everywhere, who care about honest and transparent vote-counting"

Now THAT's funny. . . .

Posted by: capt on 02/11/08 at 9:59 AM Respond

Obviously the powers-that-be are not pulling for Huckabee just as they were not supporting Al Gore in 2000. Do the powers-that-be get to call all the shots?

Posted by: slanted tom on 02/11/08 at 12:26 PM Respond

Huckabee is not an insider to the building of empire and the 'plan' I guess.

Posted by: Ya Know... on 02/11/08 at 1:49 PM Respond

> ...compares GOP vote-counting tactics in WA to "old Soviet Union."

Heh. It would be more accurate to say "compares GOP vote-counting tactics in WA to 2000 and 2004 irregularities crafted by the GOP in Florida and Ohio."

Posted by: spin on 02/11/08 at 2:41 PM Respond

Where was Mr. Hukabees outrage in 2000 & 2004 when operatives from his party were working overtime to disenfranchise the electorate.........don't get me started.

Posted by: dan on 02/11/08 at 4:22 PM Respond

Looks as if we will not even be allowed to vote if this keeps up. Our rights are right out the door. Go after them Huck.

Posted by: Hobson's Choice on 02/11/08 at 6:54 PM Respond

Look, I'm no GOP supporter nor a Huckabee fan. If anything I'm left of the Democratic Party. But this whole thing in WA seems to me to point out the establishment bias in the political system. At best, this is a boneheaded decision by the state party. At worst, it's evidence of insider elites trying to decide the outcome of a popular election (again!).

Whatever your view of Huckabee is (and again, I'm not a supporter), he's anything but an insider/party elite.

Posted by: Tyler on 02/11/08 at 7:36 PM Respond

Lackey mouthpiece Huckabee railing on Party "failures"...

What IS it that this faux candidate and the Mad Bomber McManiac have to gain helping each other out by "disagreeing" on the symptoms but not the cause???

They hate the shibboleth of the Republican Party .. Congressman, Doctor, and FreedomFighter Ron Paul and his message of freedom.

They(and the Party Elite) have conspired to isolate and send the Constitutionally-inspired and prolife candidate and his message Orwellian-like 'down the memory hole" ie IT DOES NOT NOR EVER EXISTED!

Remember..voter fraud is BIPARTISAN......Democrat Kingmaker Boss Tweed said "it doesnt matter who the people voted for so long as you are the ones counting the votes."

Posted by: Chris Bieber on 02/11/08 at 7:45 PM Respond

Perhaps Huckabee should complain to the CFR?

WTF does he expect?

Posted by: Iconoclast421 on 02/12/08 at 7:02 AM Respond

You know what? I'm in agreement with the Huckabee Camp. To be honest this is happening in the Democratic Camps too. I want T.V to wait until the polls are "closed" and and then give us a winner. I don't want "Projected Predictions." I want the real figures..

Posted by: MSO on 02/12/08 at 7:57 AM Respond

First off he is correct in saying something fishy is happening. I am not a Huckabee supporter or a MCcain supporter. And am definitely not a democrat.But when the vote (straw poll or any other)is decided by a few in this country it is time for major dissention in both parties. It is time to stand as a nation and let these individuals know we as americans will not accept this now or never Damnit.I will tell you what it is time for each and every individual to stand united and say this is enough. I have e-mailed Lesser and the WSRP numerous times and will continue to do so.So should each of you.!

Posted by: dennis lee on 02/14/08 at 6:54 AM Respond

So, the Republicans are eating their own, eh? Though that's just the point: the Huckster ISN'T one of their own, he's a REAL conservative, and they don't like that at all. They want people to continue to think that the Neo-Liberal Corporatists that are running this revolution in Washington are conservatives, when they are basically just profitists. They want us to forget about those "old" conservatives, who expect fiscal responsibilty and moral rectitude (and performance!) from those in office.

I say back the Huckster to the hilt on this. Strikes one and two, for election manipulation, was Gore and Kerry. This should be Stee-rike Three! After he pushes this point, people may not stand for it anymore- to the extent that maybe they won't try to get away with it anymore (well, we can dream, can't we?)

Posted by: Dan Mortenson on 02/15/08 at 1:26 AM Respond