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Republican presidential hopeful and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee autographs a campaign sign. |
RICHMOND
--The two leading Republican presidential candidates campaigned in Richmond yesterday in advance of today's presidential primary.About 300 people attended a rally at the Richmond airport's Virginia Aviation Museum for Sen. John McCain, the front-runner with more primary delegates already secured, while about 100 turned out to see rival Mike Huckabee speak at the Sheraton hotel earlier in the day.
McCain's speech sought in some ways to strengthen his appeal to conservatives, while Huckabee's rejected the suggestion that he lags so far behind McCain that he should drop out.
McCain was surrounded by the state Republican Party's big names, including Sen. John Warner, former governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore, and George Allen, a former governor and former senator. He was also joined by nationally known conservative Gary Bauer.
He told the crowd, who strained to see him around antique airplanes, that they may have disagreed with him in the past, and would again, but that he "will act in what I believe is in this country's best interests."
McCain criticized Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton--who also campaigned in Virginia in the past two days--of "falling all over each other to see how fast they can bring troops home" from Iraq, and said he would not do so until generals advised it.
He also drew other contrasts between himself and the Democrats, saying he'd lower taxes, push for less government, oppose government-run health care, and continue the troop surge in Iraq. McCain also vowed to make President George Bush's tax cuts permanent, lower corporate taxes, root out pork-barrel projects and earmarks in the federal budget, nominate Supreme Court judges with a strict view of the Constitution, and make improvements to the veterans' health care system.
While McCain criticized the Democrats, he didn't mention Huckabee until reporters asked him about his opponent after the rally.
Huckabee spoke at 8 a.m. to a crowd that included many conservatives and homeschool advocates, vowing he was not going to quit the race despite pressures from party insiders to do so. "I know there are a lot of people who've already figured out how it's supposed to turn out," Huckabee said. "Let's show them the election isn't over until the people have spoken."
Huckabee won primaries in Kansas and Louisiana over the weekend, adding some fuel to his argument that McCain is not yet the winner.
"I understand what it means to get beaten, but I do not understand what it means to quit," he said.
Huckabee delivered a speech focused largely on his conservative credentials, saying that voters deserve a chance to vote for a Republican candidate who is as strongly pro-life, pro-marriage, and anti-illegal immigration as he is.
He got applause while talking of his support for a border fence and for a constitutional amendment to protect the sanctity of life and overturn Roe v. Wade, but his loudest applause came when he ripped up a tax form and said he'd abolish the IRS.
Huckabee also spoke of the need for America to be able to feed itself, fuel itself, and defend itself without relying on foreign countries to provide any of those needs. "I want us to be a country that no longer depends on the Hugo Chavezes, the Vladimir Putins, and the Saudi Arabians energy independence is a matter of national security," Huckabee said.
He decried outsourcing of jobs to other countries, especially any jobs that involve making weapons. "The day that we cannot fight for ourselves is the day we are sitting ducks, not flying eagles," Huckabee said. "When people are afraid to take you on, that's when you're safe."
McCain said later that he is not urging Huckabee to drop out.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
