by Rick Pearson
NEWTON, Iowa—It was warm and cozy as people crowded around the 16 tables and booths inside the Midtown Café to listen to Republican contender Mitt Romney urge a rejection of debating the past and instead focusing on the future.
But outside the diner located on Newton's Jasper County courthouse square, rival Mike Huckabee dispatched a small truth squad of current and former Arkansas legislators to an icy sidewalk to dispute Romney's repeated criticism that Huckabee is soft on illegal immigration.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, never mentioned Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, during stops at a coffee house in Altoona and later in Newton, with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses now only days away.
For Romney, the campaign is now built upon trying to regain the longtime front-runner status he held in the state until a surging Huckabee overtook him in public opinion polls of likely Jan. 3 GOP caucus-goers.
A self-admittedly optimistic Romney said people should reject listening to candidates in both parties who want to debate the past—particularly the Iraq War.
"There'll be some people, mostly on the Democratic side, they'll be talking about the mistakes of the past. They're going to want to talk about Iraq and all the mistakes that have been made there. But I'm going to be talking about the future," Romney said.
"I'm going to be talking about how we can make sure Iraq does not become a safe haven for Al Qaeda, talking about the successes we're seeing in Iraq today, talking about how we as civilized nations can come together to help rid the world of Al Qaeda and anything like it."
With recent assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto still having an effect on Republican candidates trying to push national security concerns to the fore, Romney said the civilized world must unite to meet the challenge of terrorism.
"We face a new security challenge, a defense challenge, a challenge of radical violent jihad, an asymmetric military foe that has as it's intent the collapse of all moderate nation, replacing them with a religious caliphate," Romney said.
"It's incumbent upon us to help move the world of Islam away from terror and violence and help bring them instead towards modernity and moderation," he said.
But even in trying to project a campaign oriented toward the future, Romney billed himself as an agent of change in Washington and pledged to lead the country on such issues as energy independence, health care and jobs.
"I think you're going to see more change in the next 10 years or so than we've seen in the last 10 centuries. America and the world is going to change. Now I've had the privilege of bringing change to almost every enterprise I've been associated with," Romney said.
As he finished his closing in Altoona, Romney promised that he would work to keep taxes low, government small "and I won't remember my friends here in Iowa."
"You said you won't 'remember,'" Romney's wife, Ann, corrected.
"I said I won't forget," the candidate responded. "I'm often corrected. This is good. This is my spell-check right here. I won't forget to remember. I'll remember all my friends in Iowa."
Meanwhile, outside the Midtown Café in Newton, current Arkansas state Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway castigated Romney for "negative" campaigning, citing a flyer put out by the former Massachusetts governor's campaign patterned after the "Who wants to be a millionaire?" game, entitled "Who wants to be president, illegal immigration edition."
Baker, leading a Huckabee dispatched "truth squad," noted that under Huckabee's tenure, Arkansas became the nation's second state to have its police work with immigration control enforcement agents to combat illegal immigration.
Baker also noted that a frequent criticism of Huckabee, for supporting in-state tuition breaks to children of illegal immigrants," affected only a "handful" of people and that a requirement of the program was an application for U.S. citizenship.
"This is inappropriate. You bet. We don't have enough asterisks here, enough room on here to get the facts," Baker said. "We've seen that when Iowans get the facts that obviously Gov. Huckabee surges."
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Comments
Concerning Mitt Romney's lies against Mike Huckabee, Arkansas has an old saying. “Its your lie so you can tell it anyway you need too!”
Posted by: David, Oregon City | December 29, 2007 2:07 PM
Huckabee is a joke. Without the support from religious bigots he couldn't be elected a dog catcher.
Posted by: everyday | December 29, 2007 4:29 PM
Romney is the person to clean up our illegal immigrant problem.
Huckabee just keeps hedging, even at one of the more recent debates Huckabee he was quoted as saying, "the US is bigger than that" with regards to illegal immigrants. If this guy is elected he will just open up the flood gates!
Posted by: Larry | December 29, 2007 4:36 PM
I just have to say about all the media coverage and all the journalists that have been so incredibly irresponsible.
I never imagined so much bigotry and hypocrisy in trying to discredit Mitt Romney, who has shown total integrity and honesty. He is a stand up guy that shows total class. He has been attacked from the right and the left. Media keeps on pointing out the amount of money he has spent. He has had to because he gets only negative coverage portrayed by the media. Huckabee hasn't had to spend money because he is the puppet that the media is endorsing. He has the glass jaw that the liberals want to go up against the democratic nominee, because he will get slaughtered. Also Romney hasnt been putting out negative ads, he is just stating the facts. They know that Mitt Romney is the only one that could beat the democrats. That is why they are so desperate to make him look bad. Shame on the Media, for running such disceaving and misleading lies against Mitt Romney. He will prevail.
Posted by: deenie roman | December 29, 2007 4:57 PM
I just have to say about all the media coverage and all the journalists that have been so incredibly irresponsible.
I never imagined so much bigotry and hypocrisy in trying to discredit Mitt Romney, who has shown total integrity and honesty. He is a stand up guy that shows total class. He has been attacked from the right and the left. Media keeps on pointing out the amount of money he has spent. He has had to because he gets only negative coverage portrayed by the media. Huckabee hasn't had to spend money because he is the puppet that the media is endorsing. He has the glass jaw that the liberals want to go up against the democratic nominee, because he will get slaughtered. They know that Mitt Romney is the only one that could beat the democrats. That is why they are so desperate to make him look bad. Shame on the Media, for running such disceaving and misleading lies against Mitt Romney. He will prevail.
Posted by: deenie roman | December 29, 2007 5:07 PM
I just have to say about all the media coverage and all the journalists that have been so incredibly irresponsible.
I never imagined so much bigotry and hypocrisy in trying to discredit Mitt Romney, who has shown total integrity and honesty. He is a stand up guy that shows total class. He has been attacked from the right and the left. Media keeps on pointing out the amount of money he has spent. He has had to because he gets only negative coverage portrayed by the media. Huckabee hasn't had to spend money because he is the puppet that the media is endorsing. He has the glass jaw that the liberals want to go up against the democratic nominee, because he will get slaughtered. They know that Mitt Romney is the only one that could beat the democrats. That is why they are so desperate to make him look bad. Shame on the Media, for running such disceaving and misleading lies against Mitt Romney. He will prevail.
Posted by: diane roman | December 29, 2007 5:35 PM
Enough of all this effete and intellectual 'debating'. Isn't that just talking?
I say arm them with gladiator equipment and let them fight to the death. That would be an interesting experiment.
Posted by: C.Morris | December 29, 2007 6:53 PM
Huckabee said he would just stay on the positive side. Well, he lied. Mae it worse, he's attacking Mitt personally and tried to name the other Republican presidential candidates as if they're a team against Mitt. Now McCain is getting personal with Mitt. Huckabee and McCain mentioned that Mitt was dishonest. Well Mitt only cited their records. Either they have to explain their records or move. They are the dishonest ones. Mitt has more integrity and moral values than all of them put together.
Posted by: Savea | December 30, 2007 12:01 AM
There's always tension between people with rival superstitions.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | December 30, 2007 9:21 AM
There'll be some people, mostly on the Democratic side, they'll be talking about the mistakes of the past. They're going to want to talk about Iraq and all the mistakes that have been made there.
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And because they can't blame Clinton for that, he wants us all to forget those mistakes and dream about a brighter future for our friends in Iraq, where our taxes will be going, not here in America.
The GOP makes me sick.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 30, 2007 10:16 AM
My imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend and I'll prove it by ...
Posted by: Doug Zook | December 30, 2007 1:49 PM
"I won't remember my friends in Iowa", said Romney, who again has a problem covering up his true nature, calling his wife a spell check, but in truth, keeping Romney on que to the lies he speaks. Romney is clearly a loser. Enough is enough and I have had enough of the Washington insider elites, who will do anything to get their yes man Romney in office and prevent the Truth from getting into Washington, Mike Huckabee, a authentic character.
Posted by: RGeorgeDunn | January 1, 2008 1:58 PM
Huckabee doesn't have a chance at winning the nomination. He pretends to be a Christian while consistently taking jabs at Romney, whom he obviously despises. His hypocrisy is so glaring I'm amazed that any so-called "Christian" would support him. Furthermore, he touts himself as a conservative but has absolutely no record to back it up.
Posted by: HT Springer | January 14, 2008 11:31 AM
Romney is right. People will be wasting their votes if they choose Huckabee. McCain or Romney are the only choices- choose Mitt. He could actually lead this country.
Huckabee reminds me of President Logan from 24. A total loser who just babbles and doesnt have a backbone.
Posted by: julie | February 3, 2008 9:44 PM