Saltsman: Not a ‘Huckabee Guy’?
Former Mike Huckabee presidential campaign manager Chip Saltsman jumped into the fray to head the Republican National Committee on Monday, as was widely expected. The Tolbert Report joined in on the conference call and offers up a full report.
The American Spectator notes that Saltsman was quick to draw a little distance between himself and Huckabee in response to reporters’ questions, making it clear that his chairmanship would not be a “stalking horse” for a future Huck presidential run:
“[The Huckabee campaign] is part of my resume but it doesn’t define me politically,” Saltsman explained. “I’m not sure if you look at my history that you’d think I was a Huckabee guy. You could just as easily say I’m a Bob Corker guy, a Lamar Alexander guy or a Frist guy.”….
Saltsman certainly made no apologies for his association with Huckabee and spoke with pride of his “13 months” on the campaign but he did make sure to put a bit of distance between himself and the Huckabee message. Saltsman made it plain that he was a straight politics guy in his role as campaign manager — a hired hand — not the idea man.
“Mike Huckabee was responsible for the issues in that campaign, not me,” Saltsman said.
Tolbert has been watching this race closely, as has Tim Griffin at the The Griffin Room, who reported on his own meeting with Saltsman last week.
