[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/17/art.huckabee.gi.jpg caption=" Huckabee's new book is out Tuesday."](CNN) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appears to be settling scores with two Republicans he battled during his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
According to Time Magazine, Huckabee takes shots at onetime rivals Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson in his new book hitting stores Tuesday, a move that is likely to fuel speculation that the former Arkansas governor still harbors White House ambitions.
On Romney, Huckabee sharply criticizes the former Massachusetts governor for shifting positions on key conservative issues shortly before he decided to run for the White House, saying his record was "anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president."
Huckabee also lashes out at Romney for what he said was the former governor's refusal to offer congratulations when Huckabee was the surprise winner of the crucial Iowa caucuses in January. Many political observers say it was that loss that ultimately derailed Romney's bid for the Oval office.
“It’s hard to imagine Romney losing the GOP nomination after winning the Iowa caucuses,” notes CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib. “Combine Romney’s deep pockets with the momentum of an Iowa win and a campaign shifting back to Romney’s home turf for the New Hampshire primary, and the most likely scenario is a Romney nomination by Super Tuesday.”
On Fred Thompson, the former senator and television actor who jumped into the Republican presidential race significantly later than the other candidates, Huckabee calls his campaign "amazingly lackluster."
"Fred Thompson never did grasp the dynamics of the race or the country, and his amazingly lackluster campaign reflected just how disconnected he was with the people, despite the anticipation and expectation that greeted his candidacy," Huckabee writes.