Mike Huckabee is not expected to announce whether he’s running for president until Tuesday – and he’s expected to do so – but in the meantime, he’s released a two minute video that sounds like a campaign pitch.
“I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich. I'm a Republican because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me,” the former Arkansas governor says. “One thing that has to happen in America is moving the power away from Washington where people are so disconnected from the way so many Americans live.”
He recalls fighting the Clintons, and how as a Republican he had to deal with a heavily Democratic legislature. Huckabee touts his record on balancing budgets, though he fails to mention the tax increases.
“As governor of Arkansas, I cut taxes and welfare, balanced the budget every year for 10 years, and raised average family income by 50 percent,” Huckabee says. “We didn't slash, burn, hurt people, leave people impoverished.”
Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa Republican caucus but faded after that, is expected to return to Iowa to campaign next week.