Shucking Huck: Saltsman Distances Himself From Huckabee

By Kleinheider Posted on December 8, 2008 at 6:48 pm

In 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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Tags: Bill Frist, bloggers, Bob Corker, Chip Saltsman, conference call, Lamar Alexander, Mike Huckabee, Republican National Committee, RNC