Huckabee's Awkward Moment Explained...Sort Of

As Iowa's caucuses are obscenely early - Iowa 3rd - New Year's and Christmas were both fair game for candidates. Yesterday's headlines were generally banal, until Mike Huckabee's press conference to unveil a negative ad which he refused to air but would still show to reporters. Sound contrived to anyone else? The press knew absurdity when they saw it, and guffawed at the former governor's contortions.

Now he's on FNC's Hannity and Colmes, and attempting to explain away yesterday's event. His excuse? He wanted the media to know he had it, that he wasn't just blowing smoke. BS. I'm no Huckabee supporter, far from it, but I'd call foul against any candidate this stupid. Perhaps Huckabee honestly wanted to keep this thing under wraps, in which case he screwed up; if his goal was to show his hand without the appearance of a true negative attack, it really was a ham-handed effort.

Ron Fournier's perspective, given his long career as an observer, is worth reading.