HUCKSTER CAMP: BLAME FRED

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro


COLUMBIA, S.C. -- It’s clear who Huckabee camp is blaming for its squeaker of a loss in South Carolina: Fred Thompson.


After Huckabee’s gracious concession speech -- in which he had nothing but kind words for John McCain who he said showed great “civility” -- former SC Gov. David Beasley, a Huckabee surrogate, railed against Thompson.


“Fred hurt us in South Carolina,” Beasley began. “He had one goal and one goal only -- to distort Mike Huckabee’s record so John McCain could pull it out. No ifs, ands or buts about it….


“Thompson came here and just went to the areas where he could gut Huckabee. I have no doubt in my mind, it was Washington politics at its worst.


“One thing about Fred; I love Fred, but Fred’s not stupid….I don’t think he had any intention in South Carolina but to hurt Mike Huckabee…. Had Fred Thompson not been in the race, this would have been an overwhelming, dynamic victory for Mike Huckabee.”


He also talked of just having three-and-a-half days to campaign in South Carolina post Michigan versus the two weeks George W. Bush had to retail here in the crucial days before the primary.



The question has to be raised: Should Huckabee have campaigned at all in Michigan and spent more time here in the run up to today?


Beasley sure thinks so. "Michigan split us up, cut us down," he said.