Huckabee slams idea of Romney as veepPosted: 05:00 PM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
(CNN) – Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be high up on John McCain's shortlist for VP, but Mike Huckabee suggested Thursday the Arizona senator would be wise to pick another candidate.
Huckabee, whose victory in the Iowa caucuses derailed Romney's campaign last January, suggested the former Massachusetts governor is distrusted among many social conservatives.
"I think the issue is that, you know, in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position, not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues," Huckabee said Thursday on Fox News.
Romney ran as a social conservative, though he acknowledged he was effectively pro-choice until 2004 — a fact that spurred charges last year of political posturing from many. Despite outspending Huckabee overwhelmingly in Iowa, social conservatives there resoundingly picked the ordained minister and former Arkansas governor.
Huckabee likely isn't making friends with the McCain campaign of late. In addition to criticizing Romney — now one of its top surrogates — the Arkansas Republican will reportedly attend a rally on the National Mall Saturday to push McCain and Obama to delve further into issues facing evangelical voters.
But Huckabee said he will support the Republican ticket, no matter who the vice presidential candidate is.
"I'm going to support our nominee," he said. "And I'm more interested in who the president is than who the vice president is, anyway."
As for his own chances of being named McCain's running mate, Huckabee said he isn't counting on it.
"I've said, for many, many months, now that I have no expectation that I'm going to get that phone call," he said. "I even have my cell phone turned off, as we speak."
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