Mike Huckabee

Matthews Compares Conservative Cartoon for Kids to Cambodian Re-Education, Mao Propaganda
By Geoffrey Dickens | May 13, 2011 | 9:49 AM EDT

Former Arkansas Governor and possible 2012 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has produced a cartoon series that offers a decidedly conservative alternative to the typical liberal bilge that kids are inundated with on TV and in schools across the nation and Chris Matthews is not happy about it.

On Thursday's Hardball Matthews played a clip from the kids show that featured an animated Ronald Reagan imparting some inspiring words to the children, after which the MSNBC host railed: "that's right from a Cambodian re-education camp or it's chairman Mao's little red book. What propaganda!"

(video, audio and transcript after the jump)

After Condemning McCarthyism, Maddow Enlists Viewers To Out Animator Of Huckabee History Series
By Mark Finkelstein | May 13, 2011 | 7:45 AM EDT

Rachel Maddow has engaged in a strange--sinister?--irony.  On her MSNBC show last night, one moment Maddow was condemning the late Senator Joe McCarthy for encouraging people to "turn in their friends" in the entertainment industry. The next moment, Maddow was urging her viewers to . . . turn in someone in the entertainment industry--the animator of Mike Huckabee's history series for kids.

Maddow devoted a sarcastic segment to mocking Huckabee's series of DVDs on American history.  Along the way she accused Huckabee of engaging in revisionist history. Her example was the way a Huckabee DVD described Ronald Reagan's testimony as a friendly witness at a McCarthy hearing, in his role as president of the Screen Actors Guild, as Reagan having "worked against Communism in Hollywood."

Maddow then said this: "We asked [Huckabee's production company] today who had done the animation on these DVDs.  They would not tell us.  If you know who brought this amazing animated sauce to life, please get in touch with us.  We would like to know."

View video after the jump.

NY Mag's Heilemann: Obama's Got More Talent In His Little Finger Than All GOP Candidates
By Noel Sheppard | April 2, 2011 | 2:58 PM EDT

The liberal media are on a full-court press to make the entire GOP presidential candidate field look hapless and unelectable.

Doing his part Friday was New York magazine's John Heilemann who on "The Chris Matthews Show" said the Obama campaign thinks their guy has "more talent in his little finger than any of these Republicans" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Chris Matthews Slams Huckabee for Getting it Wrong on Obama and Kenya - and Gets it Wrong on Obama and Kenya
By Jack Coleman | March 16, 2011 | 6:42 PM EDT

Here's an example of a former newspaper man correcting a politician's claim -- and his correction requiring a correction.

Appearing on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Monday, MSNBC's Chris Matthews offered kneejerk condemnation of Mike Huckabee saying President Obama grew up in Kenya as "racist," an assertion Huckabee had acknowledged as inaccurate.

Matthews piled on, making his own demonstrably false claim in the process (video after page break) --

Chris Matthews Calls Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee Con Men
By Noel Sheppard | March 9, 2011 | 8:08 PM EST

For the seventh day in a row, MSNBC's Chris Matthews attacked possible Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee.

In a lengthy, twelve minute opening segment lambasting the pair for largely past indiscretions, the "Hardball" host concluded with a literary reference likening the both to con men (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Matthews Compares Will's Condemnation of Gingrich and Huckabee to Buckley's Ban on Anti-Semitic Writers
By Noel Sheppard | March 7, 2011 | 8:06 PM EST

As NewsBusters reported Saturday, George Will this weekend lambasted Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee about separate comments the two have made regarding Barack Obama's background and upbringing.

On Monday, during his fifth day in a row on this subject, MSNBC's Chris Matthews actually compared Will's column to William F. Buckley Jr. banning anti-Semitic writers from the National Review in the '50s (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On Today: Scarborough Proclaims Republicans Are 'Afraid of Barack Obama'
By Geoffrey Dickens | March 7, 2011 | 12:06 PM EST

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough appeared on Monday's Today show to deliver a forecast of doom for Republicans on the budget fight and their 2012 presidential prospects. On their skirmish with Democrats in Congress the host of Morning Joe told NBC's Matt Lauer he thinks Republicans "have the most to lose" and in explaining the late start for GOP entrants into the 2012 race proclaimed, "they are afraid of Barack Obama," as seen in the following exchange:

(video, audio and transcript after the jump)

ABC, NBC Highlight Huckabee Comments on Unwed Pregnancy and Natalie Portman
By Brad Wilmouth | March 7, 2011 | 7:03 AM EST

 Saturday’s Good Morning America on ABC, the Today show on NBC, and the NBC Nightly News all gave attention to potential Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee’s recent words from the Michael Medved Show lamenting the example set by the unwed pregnancy of actress Natalie Portman. But, while Huckabee might have been better served if he had also made a point of praising her for keeping her child and planning to marry the father during his original comments, the reports on ABC and NBC mostly ignored that it was host Medved who decided to bring up Portman, and Huckabee was responding to him rather than making a point of bringing her up on his own.

But only Saturday’s Today show even briefly mentioned that Medved introduced Portman into the conversation as substitute anchor Savannah Guthrie read a statement from Huckabee on the matter.

On ABC, Daily Beast’s Avlon Complains ‘Obama Derangement Syndrome on the Right’ Has ‘Gotten Worse’
By Brad Wilmouth | March 6, 2011 | 11:24 PM EST

 On the Sunday, March 6, Good Morning America on ABC, as the Daily Beast’s John Avlon appeared as a guest to make predictions about which Republicans will ultimately choose to run for President, he ended up complaining that "Obama Derangement Syndrome" has recently "gotten worse" and "deserves to be called out" because it is "divisive" and "unnecessary."

Host Dan Harris asked Avlon about his recent criticisms of Republicans: "I know you're no stranger to the Republican Party. You used to be the chief speech writer for Rudy Giuliani when he was the mayor of New York City. You’ve been pretty critical - I would say scathingly critical - of the type of rhetoric Republican, potential Republican candidates have been using against the current President, Mr. Obama. Why?"

Avlon began his response:

Well, because, look, I think there's no question that the Obama Derangement Syndrome on the right was preceded by a Bush Derangement Syndrome on the left, but it’s gotten worse. We’ve seen this sort of anti rhetoric saying that President Obama is somehow anti-American or un-American bubbling up to the upper reaches of the presidential campaign. And that deserves to be called out. It's divisive. It's unnecessary.

He then continued:

Time’s Stengel: GOP Nominee Will Treat Tea Party Like Sister Souljah, ‘Tragedy’ That GOP Wants to Cut AmeriCorps
By Brad Wilmouth | March 6, 2011 | 11:23 AM EST

 Appearing as a panel member on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show on Sunday, as host Matthews led the group in discussing potential Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s recent gaffe about President Obama growing up in Kenya, Time magazine managing editor Richard Stengel predicted that the eventual Republican nominee would have a "Sister Souljah moment with the Tea Party." Stengel:

Right, what we've seen in presidential politics always, always, always is that pragmatism trumps purity. These guys are now trying to be too pure. What we’re going to have somewhere...  I mean, Huckabee, all of these folks are trying to be ideologically aligned with the Tea Party. What’s going to happen at some point is the Republican candidate will have his or her Sister Souljah moment with the Tea Party and say, you know what, we have to-

After Matthews jumped in and asked if Stengel meant "standing up against ... nativism," the Time managing editor agreed, "Absolutely."

George Will Rips Gingrich, Huckabee and Malzberg
By Noel Sheppard | March 5, 2011 | 3:12 PM EST

As NewsBusters reported Tuesday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was lambasted by numerous liberal media outlets for comments he made to conservative radio host Steve Malzberg regarding President Obama's past.

Surprisingly joining in the harsh criticism was George Will whose column to be published in Sunday's Washington Post also excoriated former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as well as Malzberg:

Bill Maher Childishly Attacks Mike Huckabee's Family for Being Overweight
By Noel Sheppard | March 5, 2011 | 11:18 AM EST

As NewsBusters previously reported, Bill Maher on Friday, during a joke about Sarah Palin, bashed Charlie Sheen's "childish" behavior.

Moments later in his "Real Time" monologue, the host, while defending actress Natalie Portman, immaturely attacked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's family for being overweight (video follows with transcript and commentary):