January 21, 2008
Posted: 08:18 PM ET

(CNN) – President hopeful Mike Huckabee will no longer be providing a press plane for the traveling press covering his campaign.

Huckabee's press secretary Alice Stewart tells CNN that "flying around with a bunch of empty seats was no longer practical." The campaign has provided a plane for the media and staff since Huckabee's win in Iowa in early January, though reporters pay their own way.

Monday's press plane from Little Rock to Atlanta was mostly empty with fewer than a dozen media members on board, and the flight from Orlando, where Huckabee is campaigning, back to Atlanta will be the last one.

Stewart did not rule out adding a press plane again, if the situation called for it, and said that the campaign is "regrouping" after several consecutive losses as it prepares for Florida's primary.

–CNN Political Producer Eric Fiegel

Filed under: Mike Huckabee


Jeff   January 22nd, 2008 2:21 pm ET

Did you guys even read the blog entry? I clearly says the reporters pay their own way.

AJ, Iowa City, IA   January 22nd, 2008 10:19 am ET

Huckaboo!

jenny   January 22nd, 2008 6:59 am ET

I agree with Brian, the press should be paying their own way! Go move Huck, make da slackers pay their own way! All the candidates pay the expenses of the press that follow them. Some get better accomindations than others, can't you tell by the news stories that are put out..Fox, CNN, MSNBC pay you own way you mega million coporations……

Jerry   January 21st, 2008 10:46 pm ET

Does no one read anymore? Quote, "reporters pay their own way."

sharon   January 21st, 2008 9:55 pm ET

Is Hillary really running for president or Bill - what is it about her background that makes her more qualified than the other candidate day one for the office. She has not been a president before or is she implying Bill will really be running the Oval Office again?

Brian   January 21st, 2008 9:21 pm ET

I don't see how reporting this is supposed to do anything. If the press wants a story, they should be paying for their own transportation and expenses in the first place. This entry on the political ticker comes off as a rant that the press lost an insignificant benefit - -the reporting organization would pay for the expenses otherwise, like 98% of the rest of the press. Useless information, come on…

Anne G, FL   January 21st, 2008 9:15 pm ET

Not to make any comparisons, but the same can be said for his entire campaign. Grounded!

brian   January 21st, 2008 9:14 pm ET

He was paying for the press to follow him around? Wow, does that ever say alot for his his sense of fiscal propriety and responsibility. Too bad for Huckabee it says nothing good.

MF/KC   January 21st, 2008 9:07 pm ET

Huckaboo is the scariest candidate yet. I am tempted to pray to the god I don't believe in that he doesn't stand a chance to make it past Florida. But if he did, the right wing Evangelicals just might elect him. I didn't think anyone could be worse than W. but this character would give him a run for his money, for sure. In an ideal world preachers should not be allowed to run for president!

Bil TGH, Streamwood, IL   January 21st, 2008 8:59 pm ET

So the Fox News representatives (the only press willing to follow Mike Huckabee these days) are finally going to have to pay their own way! Guess Mike won't be getting any positive stories from them anymore.

JK Ashburn, VA   January 21st, 2008 8:48 pm ET

Good. Let the lazy 4th estate hitchhike. Maybe a dose of reality will do them good instead of the customary inside the Beltway coddling and cynicism.

Hey Press, see that guy standing on the sidewalk? It's called a "citizen". Probably an unfamiliar life form to most of you.

Sprite   January 21st, 2008 8:48 pm ET

Poor Huckaboo! God is still interested in you! I remember his supporters praying for him back in Iowa. Maybe they should have been sending money instead.

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ   January 21st, 2008 8:45 pm ET

I don't see how a candidate really needs to be hauling the press around on a second plane. If there are open seats on the candidate's plane, then it makes some sense to have those selected members of the press to take advantage of the open seats. I think that most press/media organizations can spend the money to send their own people to cover things.

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