Media Matters reports on Mike Huckabee’s latest huckstering — running for president while not overtly appearing to do so in order to retain his high-dollar gig on Fox News. Fox doesn’t seem inclined to force the issue — as it did with Ben Carson — perhaps a suggestion of where Fox’s presidential leanings are at the moment.
In this episode, Media Matters note that Huckabee is using Blanche Lincoln in the effort. The former U.S. senator from Arkansas is nothing but a corporate shill these days Her lobbying clients include — coincidence! — a notable Republican moneybags, casino owner Sheldon Adelson. Huckabee had Blanche on to talk about the glories of casinos. Not that the preacher man Huck had any intention to kiss up to Adelson with this segment.
It kind of makes you feel greasy just reading about it.
On his November 22 program, Huckabee hosted former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), who is now a lobbyist for casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands corporation and a national co-chair for The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG), which Adelson formed and bankrolls. The Washington Post recently described a ban on Internet gambling as “the item on top of Adelson’s wish list.”
RealClearPolitics reported in October that Adelson is perhaps “the most coveted man in Republican presidential politics” because of his large donations to Republican causes. Adelson is reportedly “weighing which Republican contender to patronize in 2016, and there is reason to believe he will consider Huckabee. The two men are friends and speak occasionally by phone.”
If Huckabee wants to gain favors with Adelson, he certainly helped his cause during the Lincoln segment. Huckabee aired an anti-Internet gambling ad from CSIG, encouraged people to visit the group’s website (which Fox displayed on-screen), and said anyone who doesn’t support their efforts “should be thrown out” of Congress. Lincoln defended brick and mortar casinos as responsible institutions that contribute to the economy. Huckabee and Fox News did not mention Lincoln and CSIG’s connections to Adelson during the segment.
The article goes on to list numerous other conflict-laden appearances for the nominal Fox commentator in obvious campaign mode.