If Mike Huckabee appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as scheduled, he will have to cross a union picket line. His excuse? He was “confused.” (That appears to be a common malady among Republicans these days.)
Huckabee Could Cross Writers for Leno
Striking writers
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee, a presidential candidate sounding a populist theme in Iowa, likely will be forced to cross a writers’ picket line if he appears Wednesday on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno.
Earlier Wednesday, Huckabee said he supports the writers and did not think he would be crossing a picket line, because he believed the writers had made an agreement to allow late night shows back on the air.
“My understanding is that there was a special arrangement made for the late-night shows, and the writers have made this agreement to let the late night shows to come back on, so I don’t anticipate that it’s crossing a picket line,” Huckabee told reporters traveling with him Wednesday from Fort Dodge to Mason City.
In fact, that is true only of David Letterman, who has a separate agreement with writers for his “Late Show.”
Told he was mistaken and that writers had cleared only Letterman’s show, Huckabee protested: “But my understanding is there’s a sort of dispensation given to the late-night shows, is that right?”
Told again that he was wrong, Huckabee murmured, “Hmmm,” and, “Oh,” before answering another question.
A spokesperson for Leno, said Huckabee’s plans haven’t changed.
“Huckabee is still booked for tonight,” said Tracy St. Pierre.
This is a man who wants to be President of the United States of America. Surely somebody on his staff could have spent a few minutes to do a little research on his behalf. Had they done so, their candidate would have been aware that only Letterman’s company had reached an interim agreement with the writers. He would also have not appeared to be such a klutz (for at least the second time this week).
Letterman’s guests will be Hillary Clinton (who taped her appearance from Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Robin Williams.
If Pastor Mike does indeed appear on the Leno show tonight [Ed.: He did.], it will prove once and for all that he really is nothing more than another lying, bloodsucking Republican…
Huckabee said he stood with the writers.
“I support the writers, by the way. Unequivocally, absolutely,” he said. “They’re dead right on this one. And they ought to get royalties off the residuals and the long-term contracts.”
“I don’t think anybody supports the producers on this one,” he added. “Maybe the producers support the producers, but I think everybody in the business and even the general public supports the writers.”
Update:
USA TODAY TV editor Bruce Schwartz tells us that Clinton’s cameo on Letterman is quite brief — a pre-recorded joke about Dave having been off the air for 8 weeks because of the writers’ strike, ending with Clinton saying that “tonight, he’s back. Oh, well, all good things come to an end.”
Update #2:
Mike Huckabee and Jay Leno, January 2, 2008
Hypocrite.
Tags: David Letterman, Hillary Clinton, Jay Leno, Mike Huckabee, WGA strike