Huckabee: love the one behind you

Seriously, it's so important he said it twice (Iowa victory speech, Jan 3, 2008):

Ladies and gentlemen, I recognize that running for office is not hating those who are in front of us. It's loving those who are behind us.
[...]
Now, ladies and gentlemen, for the same reason that our founding fathers and those before us saw what was behind us and gave it their best, I ask you to join me across Iowa and the rest of America to look out there in front of us and not to hate those, but to look behind us, and to love them so much that we will do whatever it takes to make America a better country...

Who? Who's behind you, Huck? I mean, other than Chuck Norris, of course. Actually, I'm starting to think it's Republican hatchet-man, Ed Rollins (WaPo, Jan 2, 2008):

Rollins, as both a former pugilist and a backroom storyteller, is great with the blow-by-blow. So he's giving us his version of what happened. The original idea for the advertising campaign was his, says Rollins, who joined the campaign in December. Though not entirely comfortable with Rollins's approach, Huckabee certainly wasn't happy with what Romney was doing with his record.
[...]
"I told him, 'As far as I'm concerned, governor, it's your race. You've gotten this far. I've only been here two weeks,' " Rollins recalls. "But I also told him there's going to be a definite reaction, a cynicism from the press. You didn't have 100 reporters and 30 cameras sitting in a room because you're putting up a commercial. They think they're here to see Ed Rollins coming back to drop to the knees and fire at the groin of Mitt Romney."
[...]
He and Huckabee first met early last year at the New York home of Republican icon Georgette Mosbacher. After Huckabee spoke, Rollins, the grizzled brawler, says he felt deeply moved and told Huckabee so. Then, over the series of debates which Rollins calls "stupid," he watched Huckabee closely and grew to like him more. In early December, Rollins sent an e-mail to Huckabee offering his paid services, which Huckabee accepted.

"With someone like me," Rollins says, "you've got someone who's been around the track. If I don't have a good horse, I'm not going to win. But if I have a medium horse, I can make him a competitor. If I have a great horse, he's a winner. All I have to do is not fall off."

And Rollins proves, once again, that you never really forget your first time:

"This is not me going down some reminiscent trail," Rollins says. "It's me seeing someone who's tapping into a populist dissatisfaction in this country as it was in '92, as it was in '80 with Reagan. I mean this with all sincerity. I told my wife last night that I've haven't had more fun or been more turned on by a candidate since Reagan. There's a sincerity there. He's smart. He's a young Reagan."

Hey, Ed & Mike, I wish ya all the best. I just hope you don't live in Arkansas. Some batshit crazy pastor-governor tried to enact all kindsa homophobic laws there (from Think Progress):

Huckabee is against gay marriage, arguing that “civilization” may not survive if “what marriage and family means” is “rewritten.” As Governor of Arkansas, he “avidly” supported the state amendment banning gay marriage. That wasn’t the only anti-gay public policy Huckabee pushed in Arkansas:
– In 1997, Huckabee requested an amendment to a state Senate bill stating “that it is Arkansas public policy to prohibit sodomy to protect the traditional family structure.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/23/1997]
– In 1998, Huckabee supported banning gay men and women from acting as foster parents because “it is not in the best interest of children.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/29/1998]
– In 2003, Huckabee said “If you ask for survivor benefits to be paid to a same-sex survivor, I think we have a right to say no to that.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/3/2003]

Well, the good news is that you have a choice. You don't have to love the one behind you, at least not within earshot of Tim Russert. And you certainly don't have to marry the one behind you. But it's a darn good thing you took precautions and renewed your vows to Janet--that "covenant marriage" is really paying off! Just think of the mess you'd be in without your super-duper-control-top marriage! *cough*

Oh, and unlike the fuddy duddies in Arkansas, I don't begrudge you your covenant wedding ceremony, Huck. In fact, I tip my hat--you and Janet really knew how to make Arkansans feel...um...included in your family's special moments (Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone):

Huckabee has also been accused of paying himself as a consultant to his own senatorial campaign, allowing special interests to pay for airline tickets for his daughter, receiving a canoe from a Coke bottler and — hilariously, if you're wont to laugh at the sheer small-town gauche greediness of it all — setting up a "wedding registry" at Target and Dillard's department stores so citizens could lavish the Huckabees with gifts as they renewed their marriage vows. The long list of desired goodies included twenty-four settings of Lenox "Holiday Nouveau" china, a KitchenAid mixer and a "Jack La Lanne power juicer." If you didn't want to pick out something yourself, the Huckabees were glad to take straight cash. "Message from the couple," the registry noted. "Target GiftCards are welcome."

Say, Huck? Gawsh, this is embarrassing, but I gotta confess: I couldn't track down a "Power Juicer" for your big day. Perhaps I could interest you instead in a Power...uh. Nemmind.

h/t to the awesome Rachel Maddow, for the Huckabee Iowa speech (mentioned on her Jan 4th show)