Barbour Tries to Keep Huckabee on His Side

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who has made it pretty clear that he will run for president next year, is doing his best to keep former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on his side, hoping the popular conservative doesn’t run against him, Politico reports.

Haley Barbour

“I have a great affection for Mike Huckabee,” Barbour said to a group of conservative Christians in Iowa last week.

Barbour mentioned that as chairman of the RNC in 1993, he helped Huckabee win as lieutenant governor in Arkansas. “I also have a great admiration for him. You know I have known him all these years.”

Huckabee has nice things to say about Barbour too. In a speech Monday, he called Barbour "maybe the most brilliant political strategist in America today."

Huckabee says he'd like to have Barbour as a campaign manager, if Barbour chooses not to run.