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Thompson Campaign Press Release - Huckabee: Stick By Your Words (If You Can Remember Them)

December 21, 2007

Two months ago on October 21st, Mike Huckabee told Fox News' Chris Wallace that when it comes to foreign policy, a president should "mean what you say and...say what you mean."

Huckabee: "It's really about your character, Chris, more than it's about anything. I can learn, and I do know more about some of the aspects of foreign policy than maybe people think... But it's really about your moral character. What are your principals, and do you abide by them. And do people of other countries look you in the eye and know that when you say something, you mean it and you stick by it. That's what people need in a leader more than they need anything else. Is they need somebody who has the character of convictions and then is willing to stick with them, and people know that you mean what you say and you say what you mean. (Fox New's "Fox News Sunday, 10/21/07)

Today, however, Fox News' Carl Cameron caught Huckabee on videotape backtracking from a controversial statement he made in Foreign Affairs magazine, after it came under severe criticism this afternoon by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Cameron: "There's been something of a relentless attack on Huckabee from some national security hawks who say that it's an amateur-ish approach. And today he said that while the speech was written not just entirely by himself, but in fact by a number of foreign policy advisors, and on those words, 'arrogant bunker mentality,' he said he wasn't quite sure if he remembered whether he wrote them or not. Here's how he put it:

Huckabee: "I don't remember if that was mine or not, but I take responsibility for it."

Way to say something and "stick by it."

Fred Thompson, Thompson Campaign Press Release - Huckabee: Stick By Your Words (If You Can Remember Them) Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/295051

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