Good news, bad news for Huckabee

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee is having more success than a lot of people dreamed in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He's a long way from getting it, but with success comes criticism.

Teetering on the brink of breaking into the top tier among Republicans, Huckabee not only has the national news media looking into his gubernatorial days in Arkansas, but some of his competitors are throwing darts at his decisions as the state's chief executive.

Issues in the crosshairs include Huckabee's role in Wayne Dumond's release from prison and tax increases that ultraconservative Arkansans view as, well ..., liberal. Dumond was the castrated rapist from Forrest City who murdered in Missouri after his release in Arkansas.

Huckabee contends that Dumond's release was strictly the work of the state parole board, but everyone knew Huckabee thought - at least early on - that Dumond was innocent. He tried to distance himself from the parole decision after meeting privately and illegally with the board, and continues the I-didn't-do-it defense today.

The tax-hike criticism comes mostly at the hands of the national Club for Growth, whose Arkansas supporters have long opposed Huckabee on such initiatives as ARKids First health insurance and a voter-approved and Huckabee-backed tax to improve Interstate highways.

Now comes former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whose better-financed campaign barely leads Huckabee in Iowa polls, criticizing Huckabee over his support of college scholarships for children of undocumented immigrants.

Huckabee is taking it all in stride - at least publicly - saying his new status as a contender for the nomination leads to the sort of criticism he is now drawing.

And, he's always good for a quote, as this one to a Stephens Media reporter in Washington shows: "Politics isn't about making sure everybody loves you. It's about making sure 50 percent plus one love you. That's all that really matters."

Last week's Arkansas Poll, conducted by the University of Arkansas, shows Huckabee tied with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani among Arkansas voters. Giuliani is predicted by most to win the GOP nomination, although his liberal leanings far surpass any of those that can be hung on Huckabee.

So, the good news for Huckabee is that his candidacy is catching on despite his inability to raise a lot of campaign cash. The bad news is that his candidacy is being more closely scrutinized by the news media and the well-funded campaigns of his rivals.

But the worst news for Huckabee is that most Arkansans say they will vote for a Democrat in 2008, and 35 percent of respondents say they believe Hillary Clinton, former first lady of Arkansas and the nation, is likely to be the next president. That compares to an 8 percent showing for Huckabee and Giuliani.