|
|
| |
| Fri, Nov. 21, 2008 |  |
 |
|
||
| |
Huckabee chairmanship of NGA decided before presidential talk Monday, Jul 4, 2005 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Long before Gov. Mike Huckabee was part of the presidential political speculation, something happened in 2001 that would create a splash in 2005. The Arkansas governor was named to the executive committee of the National Governor's Association, an office that rotates into the chairmanship of the organization. Huckabee is finishing his year as vice chairman and later this month in Des Moines, Iowa, he will be elected chairman. The NGA meeting begins July 15 in Iowa's state capital and wraps up July 18 with Huckabee taking control of the organization for 2005-2006. The office will add to Huckabee's national resume that already includes a best-selling book and an attention-getting weight loss campaign. "In terms of visibility, a lot of people around the country probably don't know who he is, but he is certainly now getting a lot of publicity, and as chairman of the NGA will get a great deal more," said Art English, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. "Things seem to be falling together very nicely for Gov. Huckabee," English said. The political science professor and others also can't help but note the similarities between Huckabee, who grew up in Hope, and another Arkansas governor, Bill Clinton, who also grew up in Hope, was chairman of the NGA in 1986-87 and then was elected president in 1992. "I think it would be fair to say that the waters are being tested at this point," English speculated about Huckabee's interest in running for president in 2008. "He's trying to see what kind of response he's going to get." The governor, however, is evasive when asked about any future political aspirations - he can't seek re-election in 2008 because he is term limited - and he says all his energy is focused on his last year-and-a-half in office and his upcoming year as chairman of the NGA. "I've been in line to be NGA chair for the last four years so this is a natural progression of something that really started four years ago," he said last week. "It's more a fascination with the Beltway crowd, trying to speculate something that's going to happen in three years." He said he is "flattered" that his name is being mentioned as a potential candidate for president "but they seem to be more focused on it than I am right now." Tim Saler, a Philadelphia freelancer who writes for the conservative online publication redstate.org, said Huckabee's new weight-loss book, "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork," has garnered a great deal of national publicity, including trips to New York City and other areas of the country where the national media is headquartered. Also, because there will be no incumbent seeking the presidency in 2008, the race appears to be wide open and any elevated national media coverage, such as NGA chairman, automatically puts your name out there for conversation. "Look at Gov. (Mark) Warner," Saler said, noting that since Warner, the Virginia governor, became chairman last year his name is on almost every political pundit's short list of potential candidates for the Democratic Party nomination. Saler named Huckabee the Republican Party's top presidential contender last week in an article on redstate.org. English said the chairmanship of NGA will bring a lot of national attention to Huckabee. "Certainly being chairman of the National Governors Association is a big deal," English said. "He'll obviously be a spokesperson for a very important group in Washington D.C., a group that represents the states." "As far as the next Republican Party nominee, I think most people would have a difficult time coming up with a lot of names, so his being chairman of the National Governors Association should bring him national attention," English said. Huckabee said his key initiative as chairman of the NGA over the coming year will be transforming the Healthy Arkansas initiative into a nationwide Healthy America campaign. His goal is to develop a national plan to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases and to provide incentives for Americans to practice healthier habits. The 2006 NGA meeting is set for Biloxi, Miss. During the July meeting, however, he said he will be busy working with the Virginia governor on several issues, including education reforms. "Gov. Warner's initiative on reforming the American high school will be one of the focuses of the public sessions," Huckabee said, adding that health care, the rising cost of Medicaid and transportation also will be on the agenda. In 2002, while serving on the NGA's executive committee, Huckabee said he and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne were approached about becoming the vice chairman, thus becoming the chairman the next year. Huckabee said the timing wasn't good for him because he was seeking re-election, so he encouraged Kempthorne to do it first. The Idaho governor was vice chairman in 2002 and became the chairman in 2003. Warner became the chairman in 2004 and Huckabee was selected vice chairman. On Tuesday, Huckabee is scheduled to discuss his role as chairman of NGA on statewide radio and television broadcasts. Huckabee will host "Ask the Governor" on the Arkansas Radio Network beginning at 9:06 a.m. In the afternoon, he will take questions from a panel of journalists for a program to be aired at 9 p.m. on the Arkansas Educational Television Network. |
