Washington, D.C.-

As the former embedded FNC producer with the Huckabee campaign, it might be a little strange for me running into him in the hallways, or at the Fox News Christmas party, now that former GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee has joined Fox News Channel as a contributor. Here is his statement:

 ”I have signed on to be a part of the Fox News Channel family. I hope to bring the unique perspective from “inside the dragon’s belly” as well as to try and speak for the millions of hard-working middle class Americans who really do feel that their voices are not being heard. I saw that on the campaign trail and continue to see as I speak to groups of all kinds around the country as well as campaign for other candidates.

I’m looking forward to what I hope will be a very satisfying relationship not only for the Fox News Channel and me, but even more for the people of America.”

 

 

And from our media relations department:

MIKE HUCKABEE JOINS FOX NEWS CHANNEL

Former Governor of Arkansas and 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee has joined FOX News Channel (FNC) as a contributor, announced Bill Shine, Senior Vice President of Programming.  Huckabee will regularly contribute to FNC’s America’s Election HQ coverage.

In making the announcement, Shine said, “Governor Huckabee’s campaign experience and knowledge of politics makes him a great addition to our ongoing election coverage.”

SOUTH BEND, Ind — For the first time in her long public career, Hillary Clinton sat down with Mr No Spin himself — sparring with Factor host Bill O’Reilly during a feisty interview on everything from raising his taxes and the effectiveness of torture to the dangers of Iran and Afghanistan and how to define sanctuary cities.

But the news was mostly in her reaction to the latest controversy over comments by Rev Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s former pastor, including equating the US with al Qaeda and speculating that the federal government might be behind HIV/AIDS. Obama distanced himself fully from Wright yesterday, and on the Factor, Sen Clinton agreed with his decision.

Asked about Wright’s comments, she said “I think it’s offensive, and outrageous, and uh, you know, I’m going to express my opinion. Others can express theirs, but it is part of just an atmosphere that we’re in today where all kinds of things are being said, and people have to decide what they believe. And I sure don’t believe the United States government was behind AIDS.”

Aides say she had fun with the verbal jousting, which you can watch tonight and tomorrow night at 8pm. It was definitely on her mind at the next event in Portage, IN — where she plugged the sit-down before a skeptical union crowd . “I just taped an interview that’ll be on Fox tonight with Bill O’Reilly,” she said, drawing a decidedly mixed reaction. Hillary grinned at the response, saying “hey, I’m running for the toughest job in the world!”

“We got into a little back and forth,” she said, “because he said ‘you’re going to raise my taxes, aren’t you?’ I said ‘I sure am.’ If you make more than $250,000 you’re going to go back to paying the tax rates you paid in the 1990’s.” Standing up to O’Reilly was obviously more popular with the Democrats in attendance; check out their reaction above…

…and read excerpts from the interview after the jump.

(more…)

Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson just announced that the campaign has accepted a Fox News invitation for a one-on-one debate with Barack Obama in Washington DC on February 11 — the day before the so-called Potomac Primary featuring DC, Virginia, and Maryland. The debate would also air locally on the DC Fox affiliate WTTG.

Clinton also accepted invitations for debates from ABC, where the two candidates would appear on This Week on Sunday; from CNN in Ohio on Feb 27th, and from MSNBC in Texas on the 28th. Both states hold important primaries on March 4th — a date the Clinton campaign anticipates could decide the close delegate race.

Wolfson said the party has been clamoring for more head-to-head debates between the two candidates left standing; “voters ought to have the opportunity to see these two candidates compete against each other in a one-on-one setting.”

And he disputed one reporter’s observation that the candidate calling for debates is usually the candidate who’s in trouble — saying that usually happens with a candidate with low name recognition, a problem Sen Clinton obviously doesn’t have.

Senior strategist and Clinton pollster Mark Penn said the ball’s in Obama’s court on the debates. “Up down or sideways, we’ve been willing participants in debates,” he said. “It’s up to the Obama campaign as to whether they will be as the race has narrowed to a choice between Sen Obama and Hilary Clinton.”

Liberal activists in moveon.org and the blogosphere, as well as former candidate John Edwards, scuttled a Democratic debate on Fox earlier this year. Asked by one of those liberal bloggers, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, whether accepting the FNC invitation would “legitimize” Fox News, Wolfson pointed out that both Sen Obama and Sen Clinton have appeared multiple times on Fox — and that the offer to rebroadcast the debate to reach more local voters sweetened the deal.