Please feel free to forward the following message from Joe Fuiten to the people on your personal lists.
Dear Friends,
I already voted for him in the Caucus. On Tuesday, I am going to vote for Mike Huckabee a second time. I will do so in spite of the virtually impossible odds of his winning. For me it will be a kind of last act to show the Republicans and the country that Evangelicals are a substantial force in America. I hope you will do the same.
When our primary is over and the time is right, I will almost certainly throw my support behind John McCain.
To you that already support McCain:
My vote for Huckabee on Tuesday will seem like a pointless act. It might be, but I want one more distinctive showing of conservative and Evangelical action.
To you that have joined me in supporting Huckabee:
My inclination to later support McCain might seem like a betrayal of what we have worked for these past months. If and when I announce for McCain, I will tell you the positive reasons why I may do that.
At this point, I will just note that Huckabee has not attacked McCain and McCain has not attacked Huckabee. Even with the election controversy here in Washington State, McCain’s people have not added to the controversy. I appreciate how they have handled that. In the end, it is in our best interest if value voters and Republicans work together.
You should also know that our State Republican Chairman Luke Esser has my full support. I think he has been fair and even-handed.
Herein lies our greatest battle:
It would appear that Barack Obama is winning on the Democratic side. Click here to read an article from Investor’s Business Daily, which will give you a bit of background. Obama’s religion is raising a lot of questions. It shows what we are likely to be up against in the coming months.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Joe Fuiten
P.S. I am sure you know that even if you caucused, you can also vote in the Primary. Please be sure to check the box on your ballot envelope just above your signature. It is where you are required to indicate your party affiliation. If you don’t check the box your vote will not be counted!
P.S.S. If you are a Pastor or church or class leader, please remember the election in your public prayers this Sunday.
Dr. Joseph B. Fuiten is the senior pastor of Cedar Park Church in Bothell, Washington, and he is the former president of Positive Christian Agenda. Currently, Pastor Fuiten serves on the Board of Directors for the Family Policy Institute of Washington, an associate organization of Focus on the Family.
Why was the Republican party so quick to declare John McCain the winner of Saturday night’s primary election in Washington State? With 13% of the votes yet to be tallied, the call went for McCain, who was ahead of insurgent rival Mike Huckabee by just 1.8% of the votes cast.
By the time they awaited the results of the Washington contest, the American people had already learned some shocking news. Huckabee had destroyed McCain in Kansas and was projected the winner in Louisiana. A win in Washington would make it an embarrassing clean sweep over the party’s newly-anointed leader. Did this factor into the decision to prematurely call the race for McCain?
On Meet the Press, Huckabee called described the chain of events this way:
Josh Marshall and the TPM crew have been all over this one. So far, the most compelling rationale they’ve unearthed to explain the quick declaration is that the State’s Republican Party chair, Luke Esser, just got really excited. Let’s see what Huckabee’s legal team can find out.
Huckabee’s pressure has forced the state to resume counting the rest of the ballots. Don’t expect a concession speech until the last vote is tallied, and maybe not even then.
LYNCHBURG, VA. — It may be miracles he’s espousing, but Mike Huckabee’s done a little math of his own. Even if he might not be able to attain 1,191 votes necessary to win, he’s banking on the possibility John McCain can’t either.
“If John McCain doesn’t get 1,191 delegates, this goes to the convention, all bets are off,” Huckabee told reporters. “And after the first ballot anybody can end up being the nominee.”
So what if Karl Rove went on CBS’ Face the Nation saying it’s implausible that Huckabee will get the numbers necessary to win the nomination. Huckabee’s response: “Karl Rove has also maxed out personal contributions to John McCain … The fact the opposing team has their cheerleaders and band blowing songs against me hardly motivates me to quit. It only motivates me to play harder.”
For Huckabee, the game is not over.
“I’m really not very persuaded by the party officials and the party establishment who come out now and are saying ‘Oh, well John McCain has 700 delegates, we oughta just quit,’” said Huckabee.
“When they wrote the rules, it said you had to have 1,191. So why did they write the rules for that game of play and now want to change the rules, that’s crazy. And so, you know, I’m playing by the rules that were written for me and I’m not trying to make them and I’m not trying to break them, so we’ll continue doing it.”
Referencing Hillary Clinton’s tearful moments in recent months, Huckabee said, “If I cried and whined every time someone ignored me in this, I’d quit a year ago. But you have to realize that in every stage of this, there’s yet to be a time when the pundits said, Huckabee’s the guy to pull this off…I’m enjoying it if no other reason than to just intimidate the daylights out of all the other people who feel like they have it figured out.”
Following what he called an “overwhelming” win in Kansas and “shocking” victory in Louisiana, Huckabee said he felt “confident” going into Virginia.
“When [your opponents] really don’t think you have a chance, they ignore you. When they say bad things about you, they fear you. So the fact that I’m being asked to leave and all these things are being said, it’s an extraordinary honor. I don’t necessarily enjoy it, but I sure appreciate it.”
The state Republican Party is resuming its count from Saturday’s caucuses after presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s campaign expressed outrage over what it said was a race called too early.
In a news release, Huckabee’s campaign said there were “obvious irregularities” in the state’s Republican caucuses and that it is sending lawyers to explore “all available legal options regarding the dubious final results.”
According to that tally, Arizona Sen. John McCain won about 26 percent of delegates, Arkansas Gov. Huckabee won 24 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished with 21 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has dropped out of the race, got 17 percent. Most of the rest were non-committed.
Huckabee’s campaign takes issue with the fact that Washington state Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser called the race with 87 percent of the precincts counted. At that point, McCain was ahead of Huckabee by 242 delegates out of the 13,000 counted. The Huckabee campaign contends there were another 1,500 or so delegates apparently not counted.
“This was an error in judgment by Mr. Esser,” a news release from the Huckabee campaign said. “Washington Republicans know, from bitter experience in the 2004 gubernatorial election, the terrible results that can come from bad ballot counting.”
Esser said Sunday afternoon that the Republican Party was going to try to get as “close as we can to 100 percent” in the vote count, and may have more numbers by later today. But Esser doesn’t believe counting more votes will change the outcome.
“We’re eager to give everybody the same level of confidence in the numbers as we have,” he said.
Esser said their last county report on Saturday came shortly before 10:15 p.m., at which point they had 87.2 percent of precincts reporting. That’s when they did an analysis, saying: “Let’s take every county where Huckabee is beating McCain, and double the margin of victory,” Esser said. “And then take every county where McCain is winning and cut in half that margin of victory. Even if you assume that, Sen. McCain still holds on.
“That’s when we said we’re confident that Sen. McCain’s lead was going to hold up,” Esser said. “I would have done the same for Gov. Huckabee if he had the same margin and the same underlying dynamics as Sen. McCain.”
Esser said he spoke Sunday with Pastor Joseph Fuiten of Bothell, who’s heading Huckabee’s volunteer effort in this state. According to Esser, Fuiten said Huckabee supporters reported some voting irregularities. Esser said the party would investigate those allegations. Fuiten could not be reached for comment.
Esser said he didn’t have a figure for the number of people who attended the Republican caucuses, since he asked workers to focus on the delegate elections.
Saturday’s caucuses will determine only a portion of the 40 Republican delegates who will go on to the Republican National Convention. Caucuses at various levels will determine 18 of those delegates; 19 will be based on the state primary election on Feb. 19. The three remaining positions are “automatic” delegates — the state party chairman and two national-committee members.
<!– var TFSMFlash_VERSION=6; var TFSMFlash_WMODE=”transparent”; var TFSMFlash_OASCLICK=”http://ads.nwsource.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.seattletimes.com/local/L20/2084403072/Middle3/Seattle/WWTD-PI-300-default/wwtd_tunda0807mr_1a2.html/52696e31396b6138317741414247726b?http://www.tmsbuyatoyota.com/deeplinks/wwn10/zipcodeentry.aspx?siteid=WWN10_CCAA_SEAT_TUN807300″; var TFSMFlash_SWFCLICKVARIABLE=”?clickTAG=http://ads.nwsource.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.seattletimes.com/local/L20/2084403072/Middle3/Seattle/WWTD-PI-300-default/wwtd_tunda0807mr_1a2.html/52696e31396b6138317741414247726b?http://www.tmsbuyatoyota.com/deeplinks/wwn10/zipcodeentry.aspx?siteid=WWN10_CCAA_SEAT_TUN807300″; var TFSMFlash_SWFFILE=”http://c6.edgesuite.net/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/Seattle/WWTD-PI-300-default/wwtd_tunda0807mr_1a.swf/1200397263″+TFSMFlash_SWFCLICKVARIABLE; var TFSMFlash_IMAGEALTERNATE=”http://c6.edgesuite.net/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/Seattle/WWTD-PI-300-default/wwtd_tunda0807mr_1a.jpg/1200397263″; var TFSMFlash_OASALTTEXT=”Click Here”; var TFSMFlash_OASTARGET=”_blank”; var TFSMFlash_OASPROTOCOL=”http://”; var TFSMFlash_OASDIM=”WIDTH=’300′ HEIGHT=’250′”; var TFSMFlash_OASADID=”ad_banner”; document.write(”); –> on error resume next MM_FlashCanPlay = ( IsObject(CreateObject(“ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.” & MM_contentVersion)))Ron Paul’s campaign is also not conceding the state.
Maureen Moore, Washington state coordinator for the Ron Paul campaign, said her candidate “did wonderful — a lot more wonderful than what’s being reported.”
On the Democrats’ side, more than 200,000 people — a record number — turned out for the state caucuses, which resulted in Illinois Sen. Barack Obama winning about 68 percent of the delegates, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton winning about 31 percent, and the rest choosing either “uncommitted” or “other.”
Final numbers will be released by 5 p.m. Monday, said Kelly Steele, spokesman for Washington State Democrats.
However, he did win Louisiana, though he did not get the 50% needed to claim the delegates. The delegates will be decided at the Louisiana State convention next week.
Huckabee also took Kansas by an almost 3-1 margin over McCain.
Huckabee has shown he can win else where than the south! Now on to Virginia!
I found this article at WA4Huckabee website, which is linked on our blogroll. http://washingtonstate4huckabee.blogspot.com/.
Please find out where your Precint is, and go to it and VOTE FOR MIKE HUCKABEE!! It is very important now that there is a good chance that Huckabee, Romney and McCain will most likely all go to the convention. There, we have to make sure to elect Delegates that like Huckabee. Please vote and bring a friend with you!
Participating in Caucuses and Conventions
Getting to YourRepublican Precinct Caucus
Caucuses will be held on Saturday, February 9th, 2008, at 1:00 p.m.
What are precincts?
Washington is split up into 49 legislative districts and 39 counties.
Each legislative district is then broken down further into smaller areas called precincts.
Your precinct number may look like this (Example: 02-034) which means you’re in the 2nd district, 34th precinct.
How do I know what precinct I live in?
The quickest and easiest way to find out is to check your voter registration card.
If you can’t find your registration card, call either your GOP district leader or county party headquarters, and ask which precinct you live in. Attached is a list of phone numbers for each county GOP HQ, and each GOP county chairperson.
How do I find out where the caucuses are meeting?
Close to the caucuses, you should contact your county chairperson and ask where your caucus meeting is going to take place. Usually it will be in a school or some other public building, like a fire station or library, (or even someone’s house) and it will start at 1 p.m., so be about a half hour early so you can get signed in.
What Happens at the Caucus
Where is my precinct?
With more than one precinct in the same building, each table will probably have a piece of paper on it somewhere indicating which precinct is at that table. Just sit down at the table that has your precinct number on it, even if you’re the only one there.
OK, now what?
All your time leading up until 2 p.m. will be spent primarily on voting on specific aspects of the party platform. (Party Platform—a statement of where a political party stands on each major issue of the day.)
Most likely you’ll simply have papers to fill out with different choices for what you want represented in the party’s platform for each issue. For example, you’ll be able to choose whether the Republican Party will be pro-tax or anti-tax, and things like that.
If you’re not sure about what you’re doing, ask your PCO (who will be in charge of things, if he/she is there), or whoever is in charge of your table, or ask the PCO at another table if no one at your table can help you, or you by chance happen to be the only one from your precinct actually present.
What about delegates?
From 2 p.m. on, you and the people at your table will elect certain people to go as delegates to the county convention. (Delegates commit to attend the county convention and there nominate local candidates and elect delegates to the state convention) The paperwork provided will inform you as to how many delegates you can elect from your precinct.
Any voter from the precinct can be a delegate, whether he/she is actually at the caucus or not.
First, delegates will be nominated. You can volunteer to be a delegate, and you will represent the Presidential candidate of your choice (Mike Huckabee).
You do not have to say which Presidential candidate you want, but you do want to make sure any delegates you elect are also for your candidate (Mike Huckabee) as well.
What’s so important about the delegates?
In short, this is where we can win.
As I mentioned earlier, the delegates elected at the caucuses will attend the county convention later in the year, and they will choose delegates to go to the state convention.
At the state convention, the delegates all vote on which candidate they want to nominate for President. The candidate who gets the most votes gets all 11 of Washington’s delegates, who will represent him at the Republican National Convention.
The Presidential candidate who wins the most delegates will be the official nominee for the Republican Party, and will face off against the Democrat nominee in the general election in November 2008.
If you want Mike Huckabee to win, you must make sure you vote for delegates in your precinct who are also for him, so they can represent him at your county convention. Strongly consider becoming a delegate yourself.
Mitt Romney ended his 2008 presidential bid today. That in effect makes Mike Huckabee the only viable contender against McCain for the GOP nomination. Now is the time for all conservatives to rally around Governor Huckabee; here are the top 5 reasons why:
1. Immigration: Mike signed a pledge today that was drafted by Sen. Sessions that he will make immigration a top priority as President. Mike is a man of his word and is the ONLY electable candidate who will END ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
2. Second Ammendment: Mike is the strongest candidate dedicated to defending the 2nd Ammendment – check out his record.
3. Tax Reform: It is utterly ludicrous to call Mike Huckabee an economic liberal. What he did in terms of cutting taxes in Arkansas was Revolutionary. He has the most conservative plan for federal taxes -eliminate the IRS and replace it with the flat consuption-based FAIR Tax.
4. Judges: In the next two presidential terms there are likely to be 3 vacancies in the US Supreme Court. Unlike Mike Huckabee, John McCain is not dedicated to appointing true conservative judges like Sam Alito who will support the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and the right to bear arms.
5. Communication: Mike is young, energetic and motivational. Not only will this give him a huge advantage in beating the Democratic Nominee (once he gets financial support of GOP), but it will make him the president who will unite the American people and get things done by selling concepts to the American people who will in turn compel their representatives (House and Senate) to support the President’s proposals.
It’s Washington’s turn to step into the presidential campaign cross hairs.
As the candidates digested the results of the Super Tuesday nominating contests, they began focusing Wednesday on what’s next, and their biggest immediate target, especially for the Democrats, is this state’s precinct caucuses Saturday.
After largely ignoring Washington state in recent months except to raise money, several campaigns — including those of both Democratic contenders — have hastily scheduled appearances here for the candidates and/or their aspiring First Spouses.
They also have begun shifting campaign staffers from Super Tuesday states to Washington, which has the West’s second-highest number of nominating-convention delegates.
“The good news for us in the state of Washington is that Super Tuesday was no super knockout” in either party’s race, Secretary of State Sam Reed said in an interview Wednesday, and so the state will get plenty of campaign attention, however fleetingly.
The Republicans allocate about half of their delegates in the caucuses and half in the state’s Feb. 19 presidential primary. The Democrats, though, choose 80 of their 97 delegates through a process that begins with the caucuses, forcing their candidates into a frantic scramble to get to Washington before this weekend.
These appearances are scheduled so far:
After initially planning to dispatch Bill Clinton to Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane Thursday night and Friday, Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign changed course and is sending the candidate here instead. The former president is being detoured to Maine.The New York senator will appear at a free public event Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Pier 30 warehouse on the Seattle waterfront. She might also campaign in Tacoma Friday morning and then in Spokane.
Sen. Barack Obama, battling Clinton for the Democratic nomination, will address a “Stand for Change” rally at Seattle’s KeyArena Friday at 11 a.m. while his wife, Michelle, campaigns for him in Spokane. Both events will be free. Details of the Spokane event were still being firmed up Wednesday.
Local campaign aides for Sen. John McCain, whom Super Tuesday turned into the near-prohibitive front-runner for the GOP nomination, hope to schedule appearances by the Arizonan in the Seattle area and Eastern Washington before the Feb. 19 GOP primary.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, his GOP campaign reinvigorated by his winning of five Southern states on Tuesday, is sending his wife, Janet, to the Seattle area Thursday for a two-night campaign visit.Her main event will be a noon rally at Northwest University in Kirkland Friday. She will conduct media interviews Thursday afternoon and Friday and possibly attend a campaign dinner in Spokane Friday before departing the Seattle area Saturday, said the Rev. Joseph Fuiten, Huckabee’s state campaign chairman.
National campaign aides to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who picked up six states Tuesday but fell far behind McCain in the delegate count, didn’t respond to queries about whether he might swing through Washington.
Please try to attend this rally for Mike tomorrow!
Here in DC, just about every conversation begins with a single word:
“Predictions?”
In about an hour that will change, to “Heard any exits?”
You’re required to have a prognostication of some kind, or else face immediate social exile and/or public stoning. You can’t just say, “We’ll see what the voters decide,” as that’s the moral equivalent of giving up. If you can’t speculate recklessly, THEY WIN.
A good all-purpose response is, “Don’t overlook the Ron Paul factor.” You can also impress with a highly specific but incomprehensible answer, such as, “I’m struck by how well Romney’s doing in California’s 48th Congressional.”
There is, however, a data point that we can examine at this hour. It’s the result from West Virginia, and it is portentous. According to the web site of the West Virginia Republican Convention, “Because West Virginia will know its results by midday, it gives West Virginia an enormous impact on the presidential race in 2008. “
The result: Huckaboom II.
Yes, Mike Huckabee is back, and with his West Virginia momentum he’s unstoppable. He hadn’t won so much as a game of Minesweeper since the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, but today he edged out Mitt Romney and won the entire slate of 18 delegates, at some sort of convention in Charleston. The West Virginians picked Huckabee even though Romney left Long Beach, Calif., after midnight and flew all through the wee hours of the morning in order to speak to them at breakfast time. Romney shoulda stayed wheels-down in Long Beach.
Posted by WAforMike 
Posted by WAforMike 
Posted by WAforMike 
