« Previous Entry | Main | Next Entry »

Posted: June 25, 2007 2:04 PM
Huckabee Commits to June, August Debates in Iowa
Email This

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced this week that he will participate in the next two Republican presidential candidates’ public forums, both to be held in Iowa. Huckabee has been critical of previous debate formats, accusing moderators of directing the lion’s share of the questions to front-runners former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at the expense of the lesser-known candidates.

But Tuesday he ruled out sitting anything out. “I have spent a great deal of time sharing my conservative message on the campaign trial, but I think it’s equally important for voters to see how my views and values compare to the other candidates,” he said in a press release.

The first event is slated for June 30 in Des Moines and is hosted by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Reform. The next, on Aug. 5, is sponsored by ABC News.

On Wednesday, Huckabee applauded President Bush’s veto of legislation meant to loosen federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Huckabee, a Baptist pastor and a long-time champion of the so-called “right to life” movement, condemned the bill as “wrong on moral grounds and based on inconclusive science.” He went on to say that he expected scientists to develop other types of stem cell research that would not require the use of a human embryo. He said, “Vital scientific research can and is being conducted without the destruction of life.”

Huckabee also campaigned in South Carolina last week. He has events in Florida and Iowa scheduled in the days ahead.