Huckabee: 'No urgency' on election
At the anti-smoking news conference today, reporters asked Gov. Huckabee about plans, if any, for calling a special election to fill the vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office.
He said there was "no urgency" to do so and said he had received no encouragement from any quarter to act.
He noted that then-Gov. Jim Guy Tucker had taken nearly four months to act on filling a vacancy created when he rose to the office after Bill Clinton's election as president, even though the legislature was in session and some two years remained on the vacant lieutenant governor's term. He remembered that the Republican Party sued to prompt action (the resulting election put Huckabee in office and you know the rest of the story). He noted that succession circumstances are better today because of his good relationship with the next two in line to handle gubernatorial duties -- Sen. President Pro Tem Jim Argue and House Speaker Bill Stovall. Things were not so solid in 1993. Remember the wildly controversial pardons issued by Sen. President Jerry Jewell when Tucker left town in 1993 for Bill Clinton's inauguration?
Huckabee said he thought it was still a time to continue the process of mourning the death of Win Rockfeller. He said he intended to take his time on a decision and to eventually hear from leaders of both political parties.
In all, it sounded as if Huckabee has all but made the decision not to have a special election. But, in response to a question, he insisted he was not leaning in any direction. He said he just hadn't considered the question yet and repeated that he'd felt no urgency to do so.
We're back to betting no election.
Oh, and yes, he confirmed the sale of his Lake Greeson house for $346,000. He said he had thought it was worth more, in that it was now a 2,800-square-foot house, improved since he bought it for $151,000, and that lakefront property had enjoyed a surge in value. He said he would miss owning it. He jovially asked me if my Hillcrest home had risen in value since I'd bought it. I hope so.
One other point: Huckabee said he couldn't clear up the question we raised about the $9,500 in-kind donation of a plane flight reported on his recent PAC financial form. It was listed in the name of Stardust Aviation, not the name of the company that owns the plane on which Huckabee flew to North Carolina. That plane is owned by a company headed by Ted Suhl, the operator of a Medicaid-rich treatment facility, the Lord's Ranch, in northern Arkansas. Huckabee said he simply couldn't say if that was one in the same plane flight. (Suhl has told an AP reporter that he loaned his plane to someone else who made an in-kind donation to Huckabee's PAC. Who? Not clear. It is clear that Suhl's pilot flew the plane to North Carolina and the incident report filed on the plane's emergency landing listed a phone at Suhl's place in Warm Springs.)
Huckabee insists that it's up to accountants to fill out reports properly and that he was sure that had been done. If the reports don't answer all the questons reporters have, well, sorry.
Comments
Speaker Stovall, not Argue
ARK. BLOGThanks. Working too fast here.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 21, 2006 03:51 PM
You mean the RevBroBuv actually stooped to answer questions from the "editor" of the Arkansas Times, a non-legitimate news organization?
Who ARE you and what have you done with the Huckster?
ARK. BLOGIn all fairness: when I'm able to catch him in public he answers questions (if not necessarily to my satisfaction) in a professional fashion.
Posted by: hugh mann | July 21, 2006 04:04 PM
So, Max, how did you know about the Huck's appearance? Are you back on the email list?
ARK. BLOG No. We depend on the kindness of friends and strangers.
Posted by: Ratt | July 21, 2006 05:18 PM
Sorry, Huckabee said he was sorry. There you have it folks straight from the horses mouth. Huckabee is sorry!
Maybe more truth will come out between now and the November elections so voters can make an intelligent choice between good and sorry. It's easier than you think.
Stay on the jet shenanigans, Max....there's smoke and fire there.
Posted by: Deathbyinches | July 21, 2006 10:45 PM
OK, Let's get this straight: Huck "simply can't say" it's the same flight?
Heck, I can remember every flight I have taken in the last three years, and he can't remember who owned the plane he took to an out of state event last month?
If he is that stupid or forgetful, he needs to do himself a favor and resign.
Does he think we believe him?
Stardust Aviation is a cover-up, he got caught, and I'd say his preaching days are over once this story gets out.
Nothing worse than a corrupt, lying preacher man.
Posted by: Paula | July 21, 2006 11:27 PM
"Suhl has told an AP reporter that he loaned his plane to someone else who made an in-kind donation to Huckabee's PAC."
Does anyone with a brain think that is legal? The real question though is will anything be done about it?
Posted by: can't wait for the Huck to take a shot at the Presidency | July 22, 2006 12:41 AM
"Suhl has told an AP reporter that he loaned his plane to someone else who made an in-kind donation to Huckabee's PAC."
Agreed, Can't Wait. It is clearly illegal for someone to give cash in one name when it is actually another's money and/or to reimburse someone for making a contribution. Why do Suhl and Huckabee think this would be legal? What does the prosecuting attorney have to do that is more pressing than documented election shenanigans?
Posted by: Anonymous | July 22, 2006 01:44 AM
Know how Huck got the money to improve the lake house? Insurance money from water leaks.
Posted by: Dennis | July 22, 2006 02:45 AM
Do tell, Dennis. Give us more of the scoop. Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: hugh mann | July 22, 2006 06:43 AM
p.s. We know his rhetoric doesn't hold any water.
Posted by: hugh mann | July 22, 2006 06:45 AM
Ya know some men lie about money, some lie about sex. But Mike Huckabee has a thing about lying about airplanes.
The first time my radar went off was when he rented himself his own airplane to campaign with, paid himself 30 or 40 thousand dollars and then forgot to report this little deal in his accounting records.
Then he uses the state police airplane more often than his toothbrush and gets all hinkty when AT asks what's going on.
He'd be flying the Lord's Ranch jet today if had never had engine trouble. He dodged questions about Suhl as long as he could. And his answers hardly hold water.
Now we have the mysterious flight of Stardust Aviation and can't get any believable answers out of him. I think maybe, with a little more digging we might see Huck's political career go down in flames aboard Stardust Aviation.
Happy landings Huck! No wait....I don't really mean that at all.
Posted by: Deathbyinches | July 22, 2006 03:00 PM
Deathbyinches,
Huckabee is so much smarter than you and Brantley and the rest of the haters on this blog combined its not even funny. Keep chasing your phantom scandals. It'll keep you busy while he walks successfully away from one career you could never aspire to to pursue another one even greater.
You make me laugh.
Posted by: Deathbybeingstupid | July 22, 2006 08:17 PM