Mike Huckabee Suggests Akin Dissenters 'Prophets of Baal'

Mike Huckabee held a conference call yesterday in deference of embattled GOP senate candidate Todd Akin wherein he invoked the Biblical story of Mount Carmel to describe toe divided party and grassroots: 

“This could be a Mount Carmel moment,” said the former Arkansas governor, referring to the holy battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal in the book of Kings. “You know, you bring your gods. We’ll bring ours. We’ll see whose God answers the prayers and brings fire from heaven. That’s kind of where I’m praying: that there will be fire from heaven, and we’ll see it clearly, and everyone else will to.”

As a Christian conservative grassroots Missourian who can see both sides of the Akin debacle, I’m not sure I understand the reasoning behind Huckabee’s use of Scripture as a weapon here. It seems Huckabee is making a mockery of the people whose faith led them to a different conclusion with his Baal comparison, and arguing that his discernment is the most important. 

Were grassroots on the side of Baal in Texas when they backed Ted Cruz and Huckabee backed David Dewhurst? Is Huckabee’s concern over the establishment the result of a recent conversion? Because he fought for the establishment’s candidate in Texas. 

Huckabee said that the NRSC was using “union goon” tactics in their dissent:

“You did not see the NRSC, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, coming out with the kind of harsh statements because they’ve dialed it back. They’ve assured me that they will no longer be threatening the business of some of the vendors in politics and telling them that if they do anything to help Todd, they’d be blackballed and not get any business.

Politico, which does have a history of fabricating quotes and attributing them to candidates when not celebrating “anonymous sources,” contacted the NRSC:

The NRSC pushed back firmly on Huckabee’s accusation.

Huckabee released a statement Saturday walking back the comments he made on the call. “I have not had any direct contact with leaders or staff from the NRSC,” he said in the emailed statement. “This is an attempt to create a story. My comments this week on my own forums of radio and to the people who choose to receive communications from me are first hand and accurately reflect what I said. I hardly need third-party news outlets who ‘heard’ things to report on that which simply didn’t happen.

Huckabee had said in an emailed statement last week:

There were talking point memos sent from the National Republican Senatorial Committee suggesting language to urge Akin to drop out. Political consultants were ordered to stay away from Akin or lose future business with GOP committees. Operatives were recruited to set up a network of pastors to call Akin to urge him to get out. Money has changed hands to push him off the plank.

Some have publicly speculated whether or not the slow burn of the Akin scandal and Huckabee’s participation was more remanent of Huckabee’s ongoing competition with Mitt Romney more than concern for Akin’s race. Even more questioned whether or not the GOP would keep Huckabee as a convention speaker. 

Earlier today GOP Chairman Reince Priebus said that to his knowledge, Huckabee was still slated to speak on Wednesday. “Some of us won’t agree on everything, but are still an integral part of the party.”