Mike Huckabee Calls Fred Thompson Out

Fred Thompson was doing the Fox News talk circuit the last 24 hours and managed to get on three different Fox shows. He made it to Hannity and Colmes and tried to explain why he didn’t go to the debate. One of the reasons is he feels the format is to impersonal, and says he would prefer one on one debates like the Lincoln-Douglas styled debates of the 1860’s. Times are different than when Thompson was a kid, and it is kind of hard to include everyone. It was just a cop out excuse of an answer. Mike Huckabee saw this as an opportunity. “I am aware of your comments on Fox News that you would like to participate in a series of Lincoln-Douglas styled debates. I would like to officially accept your offer,” wrote Huckabee in a September 7, 2007 letter to Thompson. Huckabee challenged him to a debate. He wrote the Thompson campaign a letter right after he saw him on the Hannity and Colmes show. “I share your view of the debates and agree that Newt’s ‘Nine Nineties in Nine’ concept is a far better way to make sure America’s next President has the character and capacity to lead our nation forward, that’s why I have already signed that pledge. I agree that what is needed is a real discussion by the candidates about their vision for the future of our country,” wrote Huckabee. He signed off saying, “Senator, let’s lead by example and get the ball rolling.” Of course Thompson has not responded, because he really doesn’t want to debate anyone, to much like work. Huckabee has been critical of Thompson and his decision to skip the debate. “He has certainly sucked up a lot of the oxygen as it relates to media attention,” said Thompson in a conference call with reporters. “I think it hurt him in New Hampshire, from the comments we’ve been hearing,” Huckabee continued. “People don’t like that he had an opportunity to launch his campaign in one of the early states where people take politics quite seriously…. and he chose not to do that.” Huckabee went on to describe himself as the authentic conservative to the reporters. “It’s not just that I’ve said conservative things,” Huckabee said. “I’ve done conservative things actually having run a government. I’ve never been a Washington lobbyist. I’ve never lobbied for an abortion rights group. If we want to compare authentic conservatism, I’ll be happy to have not just my comments but my record compared to anybody who stood on that stage or anybody who didn’t stand on that stage last night.”
Alan Cosgrove