'Meet the Press' transcript for May 18, 2008

MR. RUSSERT:  I want, I want to talk about Barack Obama and, and the faith, which is now front and center in the campaign; an attempt, I think, by the Obama campaign to brid the--bridge the cultural divide that he is experiencing in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Before I do that, Governor Huckabee, Friday at the NRA...

GOV. HUCKABEE:  Mm-hmm.

MR. RUSSERT:  ...you went down and made a joke, and I want to show that and give you a chance to come back and talk about it.

GOV. HUCKABEE:  OK.

MR. RUSSERT:  Here's Governor Huckabee on Friday.

(Videotape)

GOV. HUCKABEE:  But the reality is--and I'm worried, because, frankly, within the...(crash in background)...that was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair.  He's getting ready to speak, and somebody aimed a gun at him and he, he dove for the floor.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT:  Now, many who have been concerned about the security of Senator Obama took great offense to that.

GOV. HUCKABEE:  It was a dumb, off-the-cuff remark.  There was a Bobby Knight incident going on backstage with a chair that fell, made a terrible noise, distracted the crowd.  I apologized for it immediately.  In no way--Tim, anybody that knows me knows that I would never, ever try to inject something like that to, to create any dangerous moment for any candidate, I don't care who it is.  And, you know, it wasn't the first dumb thing I've ever said and, let me go ahead and announce on this program, it won't be the last dumb thing I've ever said.  I'm sure I'll make other comments.  I mean, we all in politics do.  Ronald Reagan had an open mike and said, "I'm going to launch a nuclear attack against Russia." I remember John McCain, you know, sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." I thought that was funny.  But, I mean, a lot of people didn't.  This wasn't funny, I'll be the first to tell you that. Shouldn't have said it.  I apologize.  I don't know what else I can do.

MR. RUSSERT:  Let me turn to the issue of faith and Barack Obama.  This is a letter that's being circulated in churches in Kentucky:  "Dear Pastor and church family, ...  if there is one thing I've learned from my time as a community organizer on the Southside of Chicago all the way to my work in the United States Senate today, it's that ordinary people, with the grace of an awesome God, can do extraordinary things."

And then this flyer:  "Faith, Hope, Change.  Barack Obama for president.  My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work." Obama for America flyer.

Which led David Brody of the Christian Broadcast Network to blog this: "Remember Mike Huckabee's supposed subliminal cross in his Christmas campaign ad?  Well, the Obama campaign ditches the subliminal and goes for the in your face cross.  ...

"The Obama campaign has consistently believed that their candidate can compete for the `religious vote.' A lot has been made about how Obama hasn't done as well with Catholics compared to Clinton.  But let's remember one thing:  Obama has a story to tell about how Jesus came into his life.  You can bet we will be hearing more details about it on the stump in the fall.  (if Obama is the nominee)

"Meanwhile, John McCain won't be partaking in the `Evangelical speak' or handing out these types of flyers in the south which makes you wonder if Huckabee could help McCain shore up the Evangelical base and at the same time play to the Independent middle with his populist streak."

Mr. Vice President.

GOV. HUCKABEE:  I thought that was going to be Harold Ford.

First of all, I think it's interesting that nobody's jumping on Obama for this very blatant cross in his ad.  And I took grief for months, I'm still taking it, over something that wasn't even a cross.  It was a bookshelf, for heaven's sakes.  It really was a bookshelf.  It, it shows, though, that there are two sets of rules that sometimes we play by.  And if Republicans even get near a church, we're accused of embracing it.

Frankly, I'm delighted to see Obama talk about his faith.  I, I don't have any problems with it.  In fact, I am refreshed by it, I applaud him for it, I welcome it.  I think it's an appropriate thing, because he is a person of faith.  He's being honest with the people.  I've always said that's the only thing that matters is authenticity and honesty.  If you are a person of faith, let us know that.  If you're not, be honest and say, "That's just not that important to me." I can still vote for you, if you aren't.  What I can't do is vote for you if you're not honest with me.

MR. RUSSERT:  Be honest.  Would you like to be vice president?

GOV. HUCKABEE:  I'd like John McCain to be president.

MR. RUSSERT:  Well, would your being vice president help him?

GOV. HUCKABEE:  I don't know.  I mean, he's the only one who can know that. And I'm not trying to be coy about it, but the truth is running for vice president is not something one does.  And here's what I can tell you.

MR. RUSSERT:  But if he said to me, "In order to become president, you could help me.  Would you be my vice president," you'd say yes?

GOV. HUCKABEE:  There's no one I would rather be on a ticket with than John McCain.  You know, let, let me point out that all during the campaign, when I was his rival, not a running mate, there was no one who was more complimentary of him publicly and privately.  He was my number two choice.  I want to make sure you know he was my number two choice.  I still wanted to win, but if I couldn't, John McCain, from always, was the guy I would've supported and have now supported.

But whether or not I do the best for him, that's something that only he can decide.  I'm going to support him because I think he's the right person for America.  I think he has the kind of seasoning and maturity that this country needs.  We are in crisis.  We are in crisis with $4 a gallon gasoline, we're in crisis with small businesses who can't barely get through their government paperwork, and I believe that right now, in a time of crisis, we don't need to test drive, we need to make sure that we've got a reliable person in that chair, and that's John McCain.

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