Rice had some sharp words for Mike Huckabee Friday.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters Friday that Mike Huckabee’s recent comments criticizing some aspects of Bush administration foreign policy were “ludicrous.”
“The idea that somehow this is a ‘go it alone’ policy is just simply ludicrous. And one would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a ‘go it alone foreign policy,” said Rice.
In an article in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs, released last week, the Republican presidential candidate characterized the Bush administration’s foreign policy as an “arrogant, bunker mentality.”
Many of Huckabee's GOP presidential rivals have attacked him for that description. Mitt Romney, who now trails Huckabee in the key early-voting state of Iowa, has kept up a steady stream of criticism over the Foreign Affairs piece – at a campaign event Wednesday, he again said the former Arkansas governor had made a "significant error in insulting the president."
President Bush himself declined to comment on Huckabee’s piece when asked about it during a press conference yesterday.
UPDATE: Speaking to CNN's John King Friday, Huckabee said he has "great respect" for Rice, but questioned whether she had read the article.
"I'm not sure if she's actually read the article, or maybe she's reacting to the headlines, because I think some of the people who have spoken about it when asked have admitted they have not actually read the article and what I was specifically referencing."
"I wasn't criticizing the president, who I'm very fond and think has handled the overall situation of protecting America quite well," Huckabee continued. "I've been very complimentary of him, particularly the surge, but if we are so unable to point out policy differences and how things would change under a new administration, then maybe we shouldn't run for president, we'll just keep the current one in office."
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The top Democratic and Republican presidential contenders will be invited to appear in nationally televised debates in California less than one week before "Super Tuesday," CNN, The Los Angeles Times, and Politico announced Friday.
The California debates, which will be broadcast on CNN, will take place in a delegate rich state that both Republican and Democratic White House hopefuls are mining for votes and campaign cash.
It will be the final time the candidates appear together on the same stage before February 5 when 23 states hold presidential nominating contests.
Republicans will appear at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on January 30. Former first lady Nancy Reagan has personally informed candidates that they will be invited if they are frontrunners.
The California Democratic Party has sanctioned the Democratic debate, which will take place January 31 in Los Angeles. CNN, the Los Angeles Times, and Politico are organizing these historic events.
The three media organizations said candidates will be invited if they place in one of the top four spots in an early voting state, and receive at least 5 percent in either a California survey conducted by the organizers or any one of 10 nationally identified media sponsored polls in January.
Organizers will determine Democratic eligibility based upon the Democratic National Committee's early calendar schedule that includes Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. For Republicans, the list of possible contests includes: Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida.
In addition to a CNN/Los Angeles Times/Politico survey of California voters, the media organizations said other polls they will use to determine eligibility include: CNN, Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg, The New York Times, CBS, USA Today/Gallup, NBC/Wall Street Journal, FOX/Opinion Dynamics, Washington Post/ABC, TIME, or Newsweek.
With just two weeks to go, a very large number of Democratic caucus goers in Iowa say they haven't decided who's going to get their vote.
The debate has been largely about "experience"– which is what Senator Hillary Clinton argues she has on her side– versus "change" which is what Senator Barack Obama promises to bring to Washington.
Also very much in the mix is John Edwards, who vows to do battle with the large corporations that have a stranglehold on the federal government. In fact recent polls in Iowa show Senator Edwards trailing Clinton and Obama by just a couple of percentage points, putting the three of them in a virtual dead-heat.
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Romney is playing up his ties to Michigan.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Mitt Romney – who was born in Michigan, and whose father served as governor there - is playing up his connection to the state in a new ad.
"And for me, Michigan is personal," says Romney in the 30-second spot, released Friday. "It's inexcusable that Michigan is undergoing a one-state recession. High levels of unemployment, industry is shrinking here, jobs are going away."
Michigan, set to hold its primary on January 15, is the first state to vote after New Hampshire. But the Republican winner will only be awarded half the state's delegates, since national Republican leadership has penalized the state party for holding the primary before February 5. The Democratic Party was even harder on Michigan for the primary move-up, forbidding its presidential field from even campaigning in the state.
- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Listen to the Friday's Race to '08 audio podcast.
(CNN) - The Race to '08 continues even as the rest of the country turns its attention to friends, family, and food over the upcoming holidays.
In Friday's audio podcast, CNN's Chris Chandler and Dick Uliano discuss Rudy Giuliani's recent hospital stay, the accolades former President Bill Clinton is lavishing on his wife while stumping for her on the campaign trail, and the early date of the Iowa caucuses - just two days after start of the new year.
- CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
Watch Sen. Biden's entire Situation Room interview.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Joseph Biden’s appearance on CNN’s The Situation Room took a personal turn when Suzanne Malveaux asked the Democratic presidential candidate how he weathered the loss of his wife and young daughter in a 1972 car accident.
“The way I got through it – I have an incredible family,” Biden told Malveaux. “Everyone was there to help me. They were there constantly,” added Biden explaining how his sister, brother, mother and other relatives rallied around him to help him raise his two young sons who survived the car accident, but were badly injured.
“Tragedies like that either make you stronger or make you weaker,” said Biden. “And what it’s taught me is, I can handle anything.”
In his autobiography “Promises to Keep,” released earlier this year, Biden reflected on the tragedy. “I began to understand how despair led people to just cash it in; how suicide wasn’t just an option but a rational option,” wrote Biden.
–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
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