Huckabee Clueless on Iran NIE: "No, Never Heard of It"

Posted by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress at 6:16 AM on December 5, 2007.

This post, written by Faiz Shakir, originally appeared on Think Progress

The Politico's David Paul Kuhn asked former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) what he thought of the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. Huckabee's response? Hasn't heard of it:

Reporter: I don't know to what extent you have been briefed or been able to take a look at the NIE report that came out yesterday ...

Huckabee: I'm sorry?

Reporter: The NIE report, the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. Have you been briefed or been able to take a look at it -

Huckabee: No.

Reporter: Have you heard of the finding?

Huckabee: No.

"I don't know where the intelligence is coming from that says that they suspended the program and how credible that is versus the news that they actually are expanding it," [Huckabee] said. "And then I've heard the last two weeks supposed reports that say that they are accelerating and could be having a reactor in a much shorter period of time than originally they thought."

UPDATE II: Hotline adds: "Huckabee's ignorance of the news of the day, which not only dominated the Democrats' debate here in town but also prompted a presidential press conference in response, came as Huckabee faced questioning about his foreign policy credentials on Don Imus's new show. Huckabee joked that he's 'not an expert... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night' -- a play on a current silly ad for a motel."

UPDATE III: The National Review's Byron York suggests Huckabee's inability to afford "teams of advisers" and develop "carefully-thought-out policy positions" are to blame.

Tagged as: iran, election08, huckabee, nie

Faiz Shakir is the Research Director at the Center for American Progress and serves as Editor of ThinkProgress.org and The Progress Report.