Opinion: Huckabee says he will not be John McCain’s vice president

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Mike Huckabee will not be John McCain’s vice presidential running mate.

The former Arkansas governor made the announcement -- not much of a surprise to most political observers -- in a note posted on his website this evening. The news comes as McCain prepares to appear with his pick at a midday rally on Friday in Dayton, Ohio. As we reported earlier today, The Arizona Republican’s campaign has confirmed that McCain has decided on his running mate.

Here is an excerpt from Huckabee’s note:

There are reports that I’m on my way to Dayton tonight. Not true. Wasn’t invited to be there and any reports that I’m going to be there are a big surprise to me. I have never been contacted by the McCain campaign at any point about the VP slot. I have never been asked for any information, background, etc., so as I have said repeatedly in interviews, I didn’t consider myself to be under any consideration.

Huckabee, who has formed a political action committee (HuckPac) committed to electing ‘good pro-life, conservative people to office across the nation,’ goes on to say that he hopes that McCain chooses a candidate who has ‘solid convictions’ about the issues that matter to evangelical voters.

-- Kate Linthicum