Shucking Huck: Saltsman Distances Himself From Huckabee
Posted on December 8, 2008 at 6:48 pmIn a late afternoon conference call with bloggers both national and local, newly announced candidate for RNC chair Chip Saltsman made it clear that he is no stalking horse for a 2012 Mike Huckabee presidential run.
While Saltsman’s national bones were made turning the long-shot presidential campaign of the little-known, socially conservative Arkansas governor into a juggernaut which came within striking distance of the nomination, Chip Saltsman is known in Tennessee as the young anti-income tax state party chair of the late 90s.
On the call, Saltsman emphasized that pedigree and his association with more moderate and traditionally conservative Tennessee politicians like Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander and the political figure he is closest to, former U.S. Senate majority leader Bill Frist.
“[The Huckabee campaign] is part of my resume but it doesn’t define me politically,” Saltsman explained. “I’m not sure if you look at my history that you’d think I was a Huckabee guy. You could just as easily say I’m a Bob Corker guy, a Lamar Alexander guy or a Frist guy.”
He also noted his strong leadership against his political mentor Governor Don Sundquist on the state income tax issue shortly after becoming chair of the Tennessee Republican Party as evidence that he is a man willing to go against politicians he may be associated with.
Saltsman certainly made no apologies for his association with Huckabee and spoke with pride of his “13 months” on the campaign but he did make sure to put a bit of distance between himself and the Huckabee message. Saltsman made it plain that he was a straight politics guy in his role as campaign manager — a hired hand — not the idea man.
“Mike Huckabee was responsible for the issues in that campaign, not me,” Saltsman said.
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Comments
12 Responses to “Shucking Huck: Saltsman Distances Himself From Huckabee”
Yikes. His mentor is Sundquist? An association with Hucklebee? This guy is doomed. IMO.
[...] UPDATE: Related item from A.C. Kleinheider. [...]
If you’ll pardon the reference: birds of a feather …
Saltsman represents everything that has disgusted me about what the Republican Party has become. He can join the other hapless heads of the RNC, and we can finish writing them off. Nationally anyway.
I can’t blame him for distancing himself from Huckabee. The Huckster has been pandering to the religious right and Chip Saltsman is not exactly what I’d call an “evangelical.” He’s a hardened politician who knows how to get things done and keep coalitions together.
If the Republicans have any chance of getting out of this slump, it’s with Chip Saltsman as their new RNC Chairman.
[...] A.C. Kleinheider has the info on Saltsman throwing Huckabee under the bus. [...]
Wow. This should open up a can of worms. Why would Chip try to ‘distance’ himself from the very thing that most folks agree will bring the GOP party back in 2010 and beyond: a return to the basic core Conservative beliefs that made our party succeed under President Reagan. By moving toward the middle–Chip is caving in to liberally bias press and those other Republicans who have already prostituted their values to appeal to the masses. We simply cannot be ‘all things to all people.’
If you add in the gutless “Republcans” who voted for Obama, along with other Republicans and Independents who merely stayed at home or voted for a third party candidate to show their dissatisfaction (or disdain)for Pres. Bush, the ‘masses’ are far, far in excess of 50%+ 1, who would turn our nation back on the course initially charted by our Founding Fathers: a society based on less intrusive limited government and a free market economic policy favoring fiscal discipline.
This is no time for ‘retreat.’ My friend, the late Lee Atwater, is turning over in his grave because of the uneccesary defeat the GOP sustained last month.
The Republicans lost, not only because of a tragic economic downturn, but because Sen. Mc Cain–a good man and patriot–was simply no match for the slickness of Obama, just as Hoover was no match for Roosevelt, Nixon was no match for JFK, and Bush ‘41 was no match for Clinton. They were all consumate communicators, just like Reagan.
Lee would never ‘toss in the towel’ and surrender to the moderates. Give me an RNC chairman with some backbone. Someone who will fulfill Lee’s desire for an all-inclusive ‘big tent’ GOP–a party that will not cave in and retreat from it’s core beliefs.
Fred Vail
Saltsman is a good cndidate simply because an anti income tax angle has a real future with the conservative wing of the GOP I think.
Michael Steele is another strong candidate, but I am unsure how well he did as GOPAC head.
This should be interesting, I am not real convinced that Saltsmann has the name recognition to take this.
[...] Saltsman is sending signals to anyone who might be hesitant to support him because of his work for Huckabee: “[The Huckabee [...]
Chip is a stand up guy. I’m certain that those who have written about Chip ‘distancing’ himself from anyone or anything, read the headline as if it had been written by Chip. Instead its Kleinheider who states this. I challenge you to ask Chip himself what the headline for this piece should have been and it would have been quite different. Chip is a stand up guy, right in the mold of Lee Atwater. Brains, subtle brawn, hard work, and a keen understanding of Republican principles mixed in with a serious dose of winning political battles make this the best candidate for Chair of the RNC! I personally endorse and support him. Chip’s never tossed in the towel. And Chip’s national bones were made long before the Huckabee campaign.
Write your State Party Chairs and National Committee Women and Men today and tell them you support Chip!
I have to agree with others that this schmuck should be hung out to dry. Perhaps when he learns some respect for the President (Elect) of the United States - he could be on his way to earning the trust and respect of the American People. In the meantime, drop dead with the rest of your pathetic palenistic party.
[...] Chip Saltsman: He was the campaign manager for Mike Huckabee, a campaign that drove free-market conservatives to tear their hair out. (Saltsman said that his work for Huckabee doesn’t define him.) [...]
If there were or are conservatives who are tearing their hair out for fear of changing the production taxes of today for the consumption taxes of our founding, then they are not truly conservative. When Ronald Reagan put in place the Free Trade Plan, you all forgot about the tax structure not set up for competition from abroad and left in place an excise tax on our own domestic Manufacturing.
Both Chip and Saul are advocates of the only method to heal our current crisis fiscally. This Party needs to stand up for conserving the Family and get them good jobs, by changing our crippling tax structure.
Being the Chairman of a Party is much like being a General. You must be proactive and ahead of all factors. For Chip to distance himself from Mike Huckabee is not abnormal and is a sign of a General with depth in thought. Being an Ardent Supporter for Gov. Huckabee, I too have an issue with him, but that does not separate us, just makes us individuals in the Quest we all know kneads done.
The Founding Fathers Mindset was superior to any and their understanding of what could be was recorded in the creation of the Constitution. Now we are on the verge of becoming what they warned of without firing a shot. Ignore the Law on a collective basis once and you will do it to tyranny. Mercy is for the individual. If our Party chooses to step in the opposite direction of this Truth, then it Leaves me!