Republicans Seek Serial Apologies

Rush responds to Huck peace offering

Rush Limbaugh — responding to Mike Huckabee's peace offering — said today that he doesn't need to talk with the former Arkansas governor.

"I saw his comments and accept them as honest, sincere and genuine," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail.

Still, the conservative talk show host indicated his continued displeasure at the anonymous remarks Thursday from a Huckabee backer suggesting he takes his cues from the "D.C./Manhattan chattering class" that sparked this conflagration.

"What was somewhat stunning about all this is that NO ONE in the GOP field, including advisers and staff, could possibly misread my 19-plus-year career the way Gov. Huckabee's D.C. supporter did," Limbaugh said. "Whoever said those things was essentially repeating the Democrat mantra of all these years: that I am just an entertainer, not an independent thinker, part of the Wall Street/D.C. axis. If it was someone on Gov. Huckabee's staff or support team, it was just silly, uninformed and thus curious."

Limbaugh, the most listened-to talk show host in America and an influential voice in the conservative constellation, devoted part of his show Friday to defending himself against the charges.

"I'm part of the Cape Girardeau-Middle America axis," Limbaugh said on the program, alluding to his Missouri hometown.

He also struck back, calling the attacks "Clintonian" and accused Huckabee's campaign of "trying to dumb down conservatism in order to get it to conform with his record."

In his e-mail, Limbaugh kept it up.

"Gov. Huckabee's campaign is engaged in identity politics at this moment, so I understand his adviser's/supporter's intent to put the focus on me rather than the substance of my commentary," he tweaked.

And as for Huckabee's plea for Limbaugh to get in touch, the man behind the golden EIB microphone said this: [T]here are people on his Arkansas staff who know full well how to reach me and they have not. But that is not necessary to me. We're not playing in a kindergarten sandbox here. We are all presumably adults."

After watching Mitt Romney accuse Mike Huckabee of inviting questions about his evangelical Christian faith on the Fox News Channel yesterday, God-o-Meter wondered whether the Romney camp really had accepted Huckabee's apology for asking whether Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers. The Romney campaign issued a statement saying it did accept the apology on Wednesday. But a senior Romney advisor tells God-o-Meter that he doesn't "believe Huck is innocent in bringing it up."

"He has a life-long reputation of being thin-skinned when attacked and vindictive in his retribution," the advisor tells GOM via email. "He has no $ to respond to our contrast ads so he uses the one weapon he has.... a theology degree. If he doesn’t know about the tenets of Mormonism then his degree isn’t worth much."

Having established that they both worship something that supports radical religion, these two are moving on to ask whether God will help them run the country. At least one assume that is the issue since nether has much foreign poiklcy experience.

On Friday, Huckabee attempted to address concerns that he lacked knowledge and gravitas in international affairs by penning a lengthy article detailing his world views for the journal Foreign Affairs. In the piece, the former Arkansas Governor offered relatively non-specific takes on Iraq, Iran, and other foreign policy hotspots. But the most noteworthy takes were criticisms of President Bush.

"American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out," Huckabee said. "The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States' main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists."

During an appearance on Meet the Press today, Mitt Romney took another swipe at his chief primary opponent,

"That's an insult to the president and Mike Huckabee should apologize to the president," Romney said when read Huckabee's statement by moderator Tim Russert. "To say that the president is arrogant and has a bunker mentality, that's when he went over the line."

The attack underscores a two-prong approach for the former Massachusetts Governor. While appealing to more hawkish, neoconservative Republican voters, Romney is also seeking to reinforce that Huckabee is inexperienced and weak on foreign policy.

Odd, bu it seems to me that Mr. Romney's major foreign experience was as a Mormon missionary. Is God on his side?

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.