TEXARKANA, Texas (CNN) - Republican Mike Huckabee prides himself on running a positive campaign and has stayed quiet while rival John McCain has recently targeted Democrat Barack Obama.
But on Thursday, the former Arkansas governor went after the Illinois senator for ideas he says would cost Americans $287 billion.
“I hear Barack Obama say that he's going to provide everybody with health care and college tuition and pave the streets with gold,” Huckabee said to laughter from the crowd, “the proposals he's put on the table so far, already are going to cost about $287 billion dollars, so far. Now that's a lot of money.”
“What we don't know how to figure out is how much will it cost us when we walk away and leave Iraq in a mess and the Middle East blows up, how much will that cost?” added Huckabee.
After spending just one day campaigning in Ohio and Rhode Island each, Huckabee began a swing through Texas on Thursday that will end with the state’s Tuesday primary. Of the states holding their primaries on March 4, Huckabee is doing the best in Texas, though a CNN/Opinion Research poll has him trailing McCain by 25 percentage points.
In true Huckabee fashion, he laced his last jab at Obama with humor. “If we were doing the Mastercard commercial we'd simply say we know what some of the costs are. Some of the items on his agenda? Priceless.”
– CNN Political Producer Alexander Marquardt
From CNN Politics
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If you're so concerned about the need for continued war in Iraq, Mike, than why isn't your son in uniform and serving over there?
Everything costs money. That's a given. So, I'd rather spend $287B on universal health care and college tuition for citizens of the United States than to continue spending billions fighting a war against an enemy that has no viable way of crossing the Atlantic Ocean and legitimately threatening "national security".
Huckabee, et tu?
I guess you'll take any publicity you can get. The way to get a little bit of that is to invoke Obama's name.
Go figure.
Yea Phil...If we had not spent the $3 trill in Irag....How many more attacks do you think would have been made on us???? There were a lot before Irag and no one else had the gonads to fire back!!!!
Obama IS living in fairytale land. Maybe he smoked one too many doobies.
LOL! Oh Huckabee you're so irrelevant now that the only way you can continue to get attention is by taking swipes at Obama. You remind me of a scolded 6 year old girl.
Phil is right, there is a lot we could have done without this stupid war in Iraq!!! And Mike Huckabee, you are a Bible hugger and no place to say anything in my book, so shut your mouth and stop the hateful remarks!!!
Obama is not perfect, and none of us expect him to be the best president, but if this country has come down insulting a person that has hopes and dreams for this nation, and sees its true potential, then I'm moving to Canada!!!!
Obama Richardson 08!!!!!
I think Huckabee misses the point. How many more American lives does he want to give to get the oil in the Middle East? He has a kid maybe he should join the fight. In fact they are both wrong here. Ron Paul has it right on both issues. Free market and a sane foreign policy.
Huckabee must be concerned with trying to catch up with McCain, before he tries it out with Obama-that does make more sense and when he finally catches up, then he can be worried about streets paved with gold.
Phil, money are already spent. With or without reason, only history will prove if it was the thing to do. I thought you the Obamanists were looking at the future not at the past? What now? And indeed the darling Obama makes priceless promises. And you believe them.
I don't support McCain and Huckabee, but any of them would be a better choice compared to Obama. Still hoping Americans will wake up and vote for Hillary who has a moderate agenda.
Priorities? You'll be thinking priorities when you have a 50% tax rate. Obama's pie-in-the-sky promises will bankrupt America faster than any war. Communism simply doesn't work.
Obama has dignity. Nice to see in a leader.
I think the real question is whether or not Obama has good judgement. For instance, he would have the sense to get out of a race that he mathematically can not win.
This is from the guy, who was quoted saying that if he's elected president he will shut down the IRS.
Also, the same guy who didn't major in math.
Please leave Now
Why doesn't Huckabee join a theatre troup already. His opinions are nonsense, all he has is his eloquence.
That is right Phil. The Republicans have no right to tell anyone how to spend money, when they have wasted trillions of dollars on a pointless war. Why not take a third of that and pay for everyone's health care?
"how much will it cost us when we walk away and leave Iraq in a mess and the Middle East blows up, how much will that cost?"
Obviously quite a bit less than if we stay in Iraq and the Middle East blows up.
I suppose it was wiser to pave haliburton and other subcontractors pockets in gold in iraq than to address fundamental problems we have at home.
Obama 08
I like this guy, wouldn't vote for him but at least he is honest. I give him that! Go get em, tiger!
Fight on Huck. I wish you can be the nominee. I think you are the only one who can pair with the illusionist from where? ( Kansas, Hawaii, Illinois,???). The illusionist promised he would give every American the same medical benefits he receives as a Senator. I just only wonder how masterfully he has deceived people. Oh yeah that will happen.
My vote follows this strict order:
1) Great Huckabee
2) Mighty McCain
3) Lady H. Clinton
Beware of your ridicule! When everthing is falling apart, why not show me how to redeem a life amidst the madness. Why not show me how to have a renewed life with all the leeches thirsting for every sweaty dollar I have earned?
And you call yourself a Man-of-the-Cloth. People of God do not willfully enage in causing others to blaspheme Him. When was the last time you read Romans chapter 2?
I sure wish that Huckee would just stop opening his mouth. I am sick of this guy and all of his "Funny" little one liners, all of which have accounted to basically nothing throughout his presidential campaign
Huckabee is right for pointing this out, "Big Brother" government can't do it all.
Moderators... You must be making up these comments yourselves. The spelling? This can't be real. I'm just wondering if you are all sitting around in a conference room somewhere eating Fritos, creating these comments, and laughing hysterically at how stupid you can make people sound.
If there are real letters and comments submitted, perhaps you should edit them for spelling, originality, or something! They can't ALL be this bad.
If you check out the New York Times blogs, they include the ones in which the author sounds relatively intelligent, and can offer a different perspective. Can't you do the same, please?
Seems the Dems are going to leave the Middle East in chaos and just blame it on the Repubs.... Doesn't seem like a good plan to me.