CNN

If Jesus got $25.000 for one speech, he would splurge on a $400 hair cut.

I'm a republican (pro Romney) and if Huckabee becomes the front runner against Hilary, I'll vote for her. Ouch, that hurts!

No to Huckabee...

What a great example of a "good ole boy". Wake up America!!!!!!!!!!

I don't hate Huckabee because unlike him I am a true Crristian and don't go around hating other people or practicing religious bigotry. I just feel he is ethically bankrupt and his supporters don't even know or seem to care about his positions. His so called Fair tax is a joke. It is basically a 23 percent sales tax. It would eliminate the home interest deduction and is so regressive it is not funny. When asked couldn't you avoid the tax by buying things on the black market he seems puzzled. It would also slow an already slowing economy by forcing people to put off buying cars and other expensive items that they don't want to pay 23 percent more for. His explanation for his misstatement about martial law in Pakistan was worse than the original mistake. I am no liberal I am a conservative but if he is the Republican nominee than I hope Bloomberg runs.

Whats funny is how Huck set up the HUNTING trip to get PUBLIC ATTENTION: Little does he know that most of us WHOM HUNT, know that he was taken to a place where its called CONTROLLED HUNTING! Where they take FARM RAISED pheasant and release them about 10 minutes before HUCK comes along and shoots the Dog, oops I mean pheasant!

WHAT A HUNTER! lmao, Lets see him do it the way we hunters do it, walking MILES upon MILES to get our limit of BIRDS! Wished we had the money to pay for a CONTROLLED HUNT, but wouldnt that be like FISHING IN A BARRELL OF HUNGRY FISH?

SHEESH HUCK, I was hoping for better!

I still find it amazing that this man is doing so well in the polls. Do we really need a President who graduated from a Bible college? He has made it very clear that he is biased against any religion different than his own. While we have millions of Baptists registered to vote in this country, we also have six million Mormons registered to vote, and many millions of Catholics. It seems that he is forgetting this fact.

it's time to get these religious, lying, theives out of the temple. Stop Religion NOW!!!!!

Considering all the choices so far on a scale of 1-10 I don't even see a 5 on either side of the fence. Actually on the democratic side I don't even see any 3's. Mike at least seems to have some common sense, maybe, just maybe we need a president with some, god knows we have not had any in the last 4 we've elected.

Really, it is astonishing that Huckabee's kleptocratic ways when he was an official in Arkansas haven't been bandied about just a little bit more.. I mean, really, the speech thing is just an extension of his accepting of gifts to the governors mansion, and then taking them for himself personally.

I can't believe that our genial Huckabee isn't just earning a living here – pretty darn convenient way to contravene donations. Heck Judge, it ain't a donation, it's a fee for listening to me deliver a political speech...totally different items. Well...different in his world, the world where donations of expensive furniture and such by heavy campaign contributors become Huckabee's personal property upon leaving office.

Loose morals like these, assuming Huckabee has any at all, ought to be a distinctive negative for everyone. Not just 'liberals' would would prefer to have someone honest in office, but conservatives who ought to have learned their lesson. If you want to elect a crook, choose Reagan, the grand lie and all the indicted and convicted (and pardoned) cabinet. Not the second rate bigots and criminals. If you are going to screw the nation, make it last as Reagan did with the tax codes and regulation.

But, here we are. The GOP has sent up:
Giuliani – who hired Kerik and insists that billing security for his extramarital affairs being billed to a series of non-realted city agencies was "normal." Note to everyone, Rudy's personal proclivities are a minor point, he engaged in the same accounting and personal manipulation of the office in much more major ways.

Huckabee – a second rate southern politician with ambitions who couldn't keep his hands out of the cookie jar when a sofa set was presented to him. Hey, I appreciate the klepto tendencies, but steal something worthwhile – elect him and you'll get the chance.

McCain. The Straight Talk express features all kinds of....crooked talk. McCain talks a brave talk, but is just a rehash of the usual anticommunist, anti-terrorism talk that actually contributes to terrorism and, if not positive hatred, the genuine distrust of the US motives. .The more we foist our fatally flawed policies and politicians on countries, the more they...well....die . And the more our theoretical policies fail. McCain is a genuine war hero, but his is a formula for hatred here and abroad.

Fred – HAHAHAHAHA

The democrats are not much better.

Get a life people! Every last one of you wish you could make 25k speaking. Let the man earn a living for pete's sake. If someone wants to pay him 25k to speak, is that his fault? If you'll stop hating for a minute and go read a little bit, you'll see that he's surging in the polls. He's climbed further than any other candidate. Somebody must like him... ya think? He was voted one of the top governors in the country! Yes, he increased taxes in Arkansas, but over 60% of the voters in Arkansas approved those tax increases. Now you want to blame him? And please drop the dog killing thing, OK? I'm sure if Mike had been around when it happened, his son would have gotten a good old fashioned country butt whippin'. My son has done things that I'm not proud of, but does that make me a bad person? My son made mistakes, but he learned from them, so let it go. It's called life, folks! You make mistakes and you learn from them! As far as ethics violations, come on people, what candidate doesn't have someone watching his every move? He faced those charges and they were found to be without merit. Drop the name calling and mud slinging. Vote for your candidate and see who comes out as the Commander-in-chief at the end. I support the Fair Tax and I support Mike Huckabee!

I don't know. How much does Bill Clinton get for all the speeches he gives. Well more than 25K. Then throw in his and his wife's books. In comparison to Huckabee, he has been milking the ex President thing for how many years now?

Just how many of you hate Mike compare to millions of people who silently supported his cause.Just because his on top of the survey ,people then started pulling him down.
GO MIKE! Let them eat your dust!!

JasonV,

I am not a liberal. I am a conservative Christian, and Huckabee appalls me! He is immoral, manipulative and dishonest. I'm sure you know that he was the keynote speaker at an anti-Mormon rally in '98. I wonder if he got paid 25,000 to preach hate and bigotry to the masses. He is also guilty of attacking the beliefs of Catholics on several different occasions. I do not believe that he has a Christian heart.

Some Evangelicals may think that his hate doctrine somehow is something to be admired in a presidential candidate. I can not fathom a single voter who would support a man who has so aggressively maligned millions of people with a faith other than his own. I find it disgusting.

What has happened to the integrity of the Christian right? I guess it is easy to overlook the attack if you’re not the target of the bully, in this case the religious bigot. I guarantee you though that Huckabee has offended millions with his ignorance.

I will not vote for him under any circumstances.

MD in Madison, Cornerstone has PLENTY of money (obviously), so Mike did what any Christian would do: He donated to a church that probably needed it more. No big deal there.

HOT OF THE PRESS: "Mike Huckabee receiving $378,000 in consulting fees during 2006, while he was still governor of Arkansas. Most noteworthy, $35,000 came from Novo Nordisk, one of the world's largest embryonic stem cell researchers." It seems that when money is at stake Huckabee may be able to look past his supposedly fervent opposition to this procedure.

He also received speaking fees from churches while Governor.

It is certainly calls into question whether or not it is appropriate for a Governor to be taking a consulting fee from interest groups, as Huckabee did, when issues surrounding that interest group could come across his desk.

The consulting money was funneled through an organization called 12 Stops, Inc., a group created in 2004 to handle Huckabee's book deals. With all the attention Obama received for running a separate PAC and potentially funneling money from maxed out donors through that PAC, it calls into question whether Huckabee may have done the same."

Isn't nice to has an eloquent person to be our president? Why you worry about how much he makes and not thinking about how kind he gave the money to a needed church. Mr. Huckabee was foolish with that joke when he was hunting in Osceola, Iowa. However, he is not an evil person. A real evil person will not say stupid things in public. He was tired. I will vot him. Do not worry, only God can choose a winner. Rest and be good.

Isn't nice to has an eloquent person to be our president? Why you worry about how much he makes and not thinking about how kind he gave the money to a needed church. Mr. Huckabee was foolish with that joke when he was hunting in Osceola, Iowa. However, he is not an evil person. A real evil person will not say stupid things in public. He was tired. I will vot him. Do not worry, only God can choose a winner. Rest and be good.

Neochristians pay $10,000 for a sermon from Huckabee?

Christ would be real proud considering how many hungry children the same amount would feed.

Sad to see so many ignorant responses.

To give a donation back to a church that gave it to you would be an insult to the donor church.

He doesn't ask for money when giving a speech to a church. If a church insists on giving a donation, then the right, humble thing to do it to take that gift.

You can do what you please with a gift. In a show of his integrity, he chose to pass it along to another charity in need.

It's a shame when a candidate's major political weakness is that he's a good, honest, moral man.

JasonV that is a completely paranoid delusional response and I'm not even liberal. What does it matter to you if someone thinks that God is dead. Prove them wrong with how you live a good life and care for others as Christ taught you. Don't seek to legislate your virtues on others or believe that having a Pastor in Chief, as Huckabee wants to be, will somehow bestow the blessings of God once again on America. You are barking up the wrong tree.

I thought CNN was the liberal news agency? Is it just me or is FOX really anti-Huckabee? I normally watch and read FOX because of their well balanced reporting... however as it pertains to Huckabee it doesn't seem to be happening.

Confused in El Paso...

Pleading poverty doesn't seem accurate. What does seem to be the problem is poor money management, corruption and dishonesty.

Just a friendly reminder to everyone about state abbreviations

AK = Alaska
AR = Arkansas

Wow, attacking Mike Huckabee for working for a living!! Unbelievable! So do you want someone who is a multi millionare? Or perhaps you would like someone who is in the pocket of some large corporation or special interest group! The name calling in many of the negative comments about Mike Huckabee says alot about those commenting. Comments made by many of you about Mike Huckabee include: "stupid,crooked,corrupt,twisted, pathetic" Says alot about those commenting doesn't it!! You can't convey a thought in a civil respectable manner! Shame on you!

All you haters, just keep on hating. You lost against G.W. Bush, this time you'll lose again to Huckabee. You all are upset because your influence is waning. God is not dead, your liberal movement is dead.

Huckabee sells Amway?

hey would huckabee take THIRTY piece of Silver .

OK, this is what Fedewa said, “This is how he earns his living, through paid speeches, and being on the speaking circuit is a tried and true tradition among former officials.”

So if he really makes money through paid speeches, then why the heck is he donating the money to a church?

Something smells fishy to me...

Oh, don't forget that Huckabee said yesterday after shooting pheasants, if you don't vote for him, we would end up dead like the birds!

The american political system works like this....I'm running for office,and you have a lot of money and you want some special legislation...like national drug testing...so you give me a bunch of cash to get me elected......then I enact the special legislation.....like national drug testing for employment...and you create these 'pee in the cup' drug testing companies that rake in billions annually....{while tons of drugs enter the country daily}....now you leave office...so I pay you 300,000 dollars for a 30 minute speech...and all the companies making big bucks off of it do the same.....it's called"You grease my palm..and I'll grease yours".And they do it all from the taxpayers pockets.Class is dismissed.

HEY, ALL YOU JESUS HATERS...IT IS HIS MONEY ANYWAY. THOSE WHO BLESS OTHERS AND CHRIST WILL HAVE UNLIMITED BLESSINGS BESTOWED ON THEM IF NO PERSONAL GAIN IS SOUGHT. THINK ABOUT THAT ONE. HUCKABEE IS DOING JUST THAT AND HE IS NOT SEEKING PERSONAL GAIN FROM OTHER CHURCHES. HE IS SERVING AS CHRIST SERVED.

I believe former president Bill Clinton, who came to the White House with modest means and left deeply in debt, has collected nearly $40 million in speaking fees over the past six years, according to interviews and financial disclosure statements filed by his wife,

Coments are generally very unfair to a decent person. How many of these will refuse if offered money for speaking. He still has to support and run his family. Should he get charity to support his family ?

He is most humane person running for presidency

Huckabee's one of those guys who has probably sold Amway and every other multi level product so he could supplement his pastor's small income. Yeah, just the kind of guy I want managing the multi-billion US government budget! And now Huckabee thinks he has the skills to implement a complicated flat tax scheme? Give me a break. Romney could do that, but not Huck.

And just how did you think Rudy came up with all his money...lol Unless you are born rich, It follows that you would seek a profitable way of making an income. Especially if one was comtemplating running for president!

typical jim baker , jimmy swaggert, haggard, fallwell , just another bible thumper snake oil salesman who uses the lord to take advantage of the poor ,needy and less forunate folks and will take the last dime off of the less fortunate folks to further his own beliefs causes and fatten his pocketbook.

Chris Matthews is the most obnoxious overbearing host on television, he goes out of his way to bash candidates he's against, especially Hillary Clinton and if anyone disagrees with him, he interrupts or shouts over them or changes the subject. MSNBC should fire him.

Don't let his so-called "Christian" values fool you. He's just as crooked as the rest of them, both the prime-time preachers and the politicians, and this is just one more way of circumventing the campaing financing reform process. God, how I tire of the holier-than-thou types.

Why doesn't this man get a REAL JOB!?!?! If he doesn't accept money from churches, why did he accept the money from Cornerstone? Huckabee could easily have asked that Cornerstone make a donation to the Arkansas church. The man is crooked just like Bush – the most corrupt man to ever walk into the White House!!

$25,000!!! Wow. Makes you think twice now every time Huckabee tries to play the class warfare card with other candidates and claim that they are rich elitists. Of course this is coming from the candidate who as a Governor accepting over $100,000 in gifts without blinking an eye. Ethical? Hardly.

There is a difference in accepting money for speaking as a washed up has been and collecting money for speeches as a current candidate. The former is a long tradition, the latter is CORRUPT and that is why there is only ONE CANDIDATE TO EVER DO IT. – that is Mike Huckabee. What's even worse is that Hukcabee took hundreds of thousands of dollars for "speeches" while he was a Governor and those entitiies did indeed benefit from his Governorship.

If someone is able to pay you 25,000 dollars or more for a "speech" then our campaign finance laws are worthless. This is the most corrpupt action of any candidate from either party that I can ever remember and the MSM just giggles when he says aw shucks.

It is time that the media demanded to know who the people are that have been supporing Mike Huckabee rather comfortably for the last 15 years. If this were Hillary or Mitt, the press would not rest until they knew every last detail.

The MSM is letting down our democracy by falling for the Huckabee's aw shucks charm offensive. It's time they did their job.

I must give Huckabee credit. If he is half as creative in running the government as he is in finding unique ways for supporters to funnel money to him in what should be clear violations of the campaign finance laws, then he deserves my vote.

Huckabee says that it is common for former elected officials to give speeches for pay and that is true. HOWEVER, THERE IS A REASON NONE OF THEM DO IT WHILE THEY ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE – IT IS CORRUPT.

When you are a "has been" the payments are truly to hear you speak, when you are a current candidate, the payments could be to circumvent the campaign laws and curry favor with a future elected official. What is worse is that Huckabee was "taking payments" in the tune of 300,000 dollars while he was still Governor. And many of the people who paid him benefited from his Governorship.

When will the press wake up and challenge him to release the names of the contributers to Action America, Next Step Foundation, 12 Stop Foundation and the people who have paid him or "voluntarily paid him" like the churches.

If this were Hillary or Mitt, the press would not rest until they knew every last detail. Huckabee winks and says aw shucks and the MSM press – giggles and gets all fuzzy. It's truly pathetic.

At least CNN isn't as bad as the yahoo's on MSNBC (Scarborough, Schuster, and Matthews)

I got a pretty good chuckle out of a few posts outraged that someone would be paid to give a sermon. It might surprise some of you to know preachers do indeed draw a salary from their church.

Giving a sermon is not wrong. It's a job just like any other job. That's why people go to college to learn about theocracy.

I don't know where this guy came from...out of nowhere, with 5 ethics citations
for financial violations . He is still taking $$$$ for speeches while on the
campaign trail. He has managed to be "a contender" in the caucuses.
What is wrong with this picture???
I guess Arkansas voters have had to pick the lesser of two evils( the Clinton's
or the Huckabee's) Now Iowa and New hampshire will have to choose.
I say GO BARACK!!!

$25,000!!! Wow. Makes you think twice now every time Huckabee tries to play the class warfare card with other candidates and claim that they are rich elitists. Of course this is coming from the candidate who as a Governor accepted of $100,000 in gifts without blinking an eye. Ethical? Hardly.

It is incredibly scary to think that this man might be our next president. Who knows what he will do to Americans who aren't Christians!! And gay Americans, well they just as well may leave the country if he is in office!

Are you kidding me? There are several Senators and others holding political office today that are still being paid for doing their jobs (even when they don't make it back to vote). I'm not sure what I think about Mr Huckabee's political future, but this is such a non issue. First let Hillary, Obama, McCain, Dodd, Biden, Richardson, etc refuse their government issues paycheck THEN you can come whining about this.

As to the comment about the Bible teaching against this, read your Bibles again, especially the books by Paul. Me thinks it is hard for you to see the splinter with the plank stuck in your eye.

Huckabee is NO breath of fresh air, believe me! As a resident of Arkansas I can safely say the days were counted until he was gone from office as our governor. It doesn't surprise me one bit he accepted money for speaking at a church- he only uses religion when it he needs to to win votes...just like he'll use hunting for the NRA, veterans, educators, senior citizens, and the list goes on and on. Stay away from this guy..and believe nothing!

hey just a republican thing using church & jesus to get your votes God help us from this wolf in sheep clothing.

Can the guy make a living?? Give him a break!

hey just a republican thing using church Jesus to get your vote god help us from this wolf in sheep clothing.

this is the way they should all have to do it! Rather than the money being given to the candidates by the rich and elite lobbiest! Like Romney

Profiting from faith is twisted...the sooner the Baptists and others discontinue this practice the better.

Greed will leave the church and so will many leaders. We will then know who is worthy of a religious following!

Why is now any different he took money for speeches while serving as governor. This guy is ethically challenged but his supporters just don't care about this or his proposals because he is a "nice" guy. He is also always taking swipes at Romney's wealth. Romney went to law school business school and has been very successful turning around companies like Staples. He has lived the American dream but Huck would make you believe begging other people for gifts while leaving office makes him more of a man of the people. I earn my money and respect others who do the same.

this guy is so lame.

"collecting $$ for religious sermons has always been wrong and will always be wrong. As Jesus said, they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me!"
_______________________________
Agreed, the ironic thing is he badmouths the mormans, but I don't even think they pay their clergy. Someone else can correct me on this if I'm wrong.

Sounds to me like we have a televangelist running for president. Aren't we lucky. You know Jesus would want a cut.

Surely it would be much more acceptable for him to be independantly wealthy....or (like our various Senators and Congressmen) continuing to collect a paycheck for not doing the job their constituents elected them to do......missed any votes lately folks?

collecting $$ for religious sermons has always been wrong and will always be wrong. As Jesus said, they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me!

Elizabeth – chill out....When sitting Governors or Congressmen/Senators are out on the campaign trail – they are getting paid for NOT being at their job and if they lose the election – they go back and still have their job. Huckabee is just doing the same thing – but he is actually working for his pay. As a public speaker, some of these dates could have been booked well in advance.

As far as Hagee and Cornerstone – he didn't "accept money" for the speach – he would have if it kept it for himself or his campaign. He donated it to another church in Little Rock, which is a good thing.

CNN is doing a good job writing these hatchet job articles making Huckabee and other Republicans look bad....there is nothing wrong with this practice whatsoever. I guarantee that if Gore was running he would also be making money for promoting his "Inconvenient Truth" package of lies.

I would like to know what groups he was speaking to.

This would help me to realize just who his largest fund raising audience really is!!!

Anyone know how to find this out????

"...being on the speaking circuit is a tried and true tradition among former officials.”

Very tried, very true, indeed! I just don't understand why anyone would pay to hear you or any other former official speak. Get a real job.

So...where is he making all this money talking? If he's donating all the money from churches to other churches, then what money is he keeping? Who else would care what he has to say????
The Arkansans Chicken Meat Forum????? The Arkansas Highway Overpass Forum????

I'd surely like to know who is paying 5 figures to listen to him. Might help me decide?

Imagine that, what a new concept. Getting paid for campaigning! Given Hucks penchant for taking thousands of dollars worth of gifts and 5 ethics citations for financial violations while her was Gov., is this a big surprise?

Is there anything really wrong with his pay for speeches? I say not! Mike Huckabee is like a breath of fresh air among all the presidential candidates. Does anyone else tire of the continual coverage of this? Please come quickly Iowa!

MUST be NICE to DOUBLE DIP.wish I could do that. NO WAY AM I VOTING FOR HUCKABEE. he is two faced.do as I say not as I do.covers himself in God's word but I smell something "fishy" about the whole idea

"Huckabee’s decision, to accept paid speeches when he can, first reported by The Politico, does not appear to pose any legal dilemmas for the presidential candidate. It is, however, highly unusual for a White House hopeful to accept money to speak. His fee, according to Fedewa, is up to $25,000 per speech.

She says his practice is not to accept money to speak at churches.

The Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas did give the former preacher $10,000 for delivering a sermon there this past Sunday, but Fedewa says Huckabee donated the money to a church in Little Rock, Arkansas."

He needs the money? OK, I get that he doesn't make millions, but he still makes a hell of alot more than normal folks. This just aint right; he should either run for the highest office or make money his way...you can't have everything and expect it will all work out in the end.

Maybe Slick Huck should be called Mr. Gift.

Slick Huck is from the same town, state as Slick Willie.

Which is exactly why we don't "trust" him. Folks in Arkansas used to called him "tax hike mike"......NEXT!

Chruchspeak -the biggest business of all. Remind me again why these money-grubbers and fake prophets are tax-exempt?

God help us if he wins the nomination, let's talk about his son who killed a dog while he was a "boy scout" counselor and how huck fired a man because the man would not help cover up the dog story...now he shoots a bird on camera for all to see and says look what will happen if you don't vote for me.

This man has no morals...accepting money for speeches while running of president. He's sickening.

Pitiful

I say, much ado about nothing. I do not support him but I would not deprive anyone from earning their living at speach giving.
Mr. Huckleberry is most likely a fine person and should not be made to look like a scum bag Corperate lobby snake oil salesman due to his occupation.

I wouldn't hire him to cut my grass.

I'm still baffled at how some of my Christian brothers and sisters would give money to a man that advocates war. Not only that, but a CHURCH gave him $10K! Lord, know that we're all not insane...

President Hickabee...

Just what America needs to compete in the Global market...we are so screwed.

Huckabee must NOT be elected.
He is immoral. He is uneducated.
He is an embarrassment to people
of faith and progress.
Huckabee is wrong for America.

I see it as another way to do fund raising and to get the message out. He may also have some of that as income since it was noted that he is not as well off as other candidates. Why should this be any kind of surprise?

Is this such a big deal? At least he is willing to work for the money he gets unlike other politicians. 'Down Home Huck' should be allowed to continue to work even if he is hoping to be the president. I wouldn't expect anything different.

Wow – 25,000 a speech? The next time I hear him or ANY of his supports try to play the class warfare game against anyone else, this'll serve as a perfect reminder of who the REAL Mike Huckabee is. I congratulate him on the success he's had in his life. Certainly is better than how he started. But isn't this just what America offers everyone? Quit with the class warfare. Isn't there something in the Bible about not coveting your neighbor's property?

What's wrong with the Huckster getting a real job like the rest of us?

You mean there are enouogh idiots out there so devoid of adequate "preaching" from their own pastors, priests, etc–that they would allow their hard earned donations to be used to fly in this "walking blarney stone" to deliver a sermon?

Wow, I'm dumbfounded. Huckleberry is either a really gifted speaker–or he is a huge resume builder for young protestant ministers on their "way up" the career ladder.

A man has to pay his bills. There is no issue here, except that the man has to work for his living. Let all those who live on interest from their trust funds condemn him.

Wow...What a concept. Getting paid to be on the campaign trail. The only difference here is that Huck is taking the money himself rather than funneling it into his campaign. Given his history of taking thousands of dollars in Gifts and being cited by the ethics committee for financial violations while Governor of Arkansas, is this a surprise.

Does Huck still have his "gift registry" on-line so fans know what he would like? What did the AK ethics board have to say about the Governor's ethics?

If he's so popular among the populists, why isn't he raising more money from avid supporters?

Did he shoot those pheasants with his own gun or did someone provide it?

Wonder if he'll be stupid enough to suggest to the people he 'speaks' to that if they don't vote for him they'll wind up like the pheasants he shot...and his kid saying, "and that goes for your little dog, too."

Huckabee takes $10,000 for delivering a sermon at the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and donates the money to a church in Little Rock. Makes no sense. Why not donate the money to the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio? It would be funny if the Little Rock church was a Huckabee franchised operation and the money gets kicked back somehow!

Yeah, he donated the money as soon as he was found out.