Hotline After Dark -- Feeling The Love

There was a lot of talk on TV last night about the shootings at Northern Illinois University. But here are the political highlights:

John McCain was on "LKL" last night:

Asked if he was surprised at Romney's endorsement: "I was a bit surprised because it's been a short time since the primary, since he decided to suspend his campaign. I'm very appreciative. He could have waited until like March 4th, as you well know, after the Texas and Ohio primaries. So I was a little surprised. But I'm very appreciative but he came out very quickly and this is an important time, as you know, to keep the momentum going in the race."

More on Romney: "He has earned himself a very important spot in the Republican Party."

Asked his feelings on Huckabee: "I respect Governor Huckabee. I have a good relationship with him. We've run a very respectful campaign. ... He has a very winning way about him and I respect if he's going to stay in the race. I am more confident today, in light of our victories in Virginia and Maryland and the District, that we are on the path to the nomination. But I respect Governor Huckabee. If he wants to stay in this campaign, stay in."

Asked why conservatives have a lot of "venom" about him: "I don't know."

Asked Rush Limbaugh's "gripe" about him: "I don't know. I've never met Mr. Limbaugh. I respect him. He's highly regarded and very popular. But, look, we're on the path to uniting the party. More and more conservatives are coming on board. In the Virginia and Maryland elections, we got a good percentage of the conservative voters. I realize that we have to unite the whole party and I'm trying to reach out to all parts of the party to unite us."

Asked about Mark McKinnon's reported comment to NPR that he would leave McCain's campaign if Obama is the nominee: "I love Mark McKinnon. He's one of the unique geniuses and great guys. I haven't had a conversation about that with Mark, but I am very grateful for all of his support that he's given us. ... I think there's maybe some clarification that I would like to talk to him about, but he's a unique person and a wonderful guy. And I'm grateful to have him as a friend."

Asked if he would consider Romney for the VP slot: "When I start to think about it, I avoid it." More: "Make sure you have the nomination. There's plenty of time to go through this process. And I am a person who really believes that you ought to address one challenge at a time. There will be plenty of time to address that issue. But it will be a person who is most prepared to immediately take my place if something should happen."

Asked if he would consider a woman: "I would consider any great American who I think is qualified to run this country" (CNN, 2/14).

(EMILY GOODIN)

I HEART THE HUCKABEE

Mike Huckabee made the media rounds to counteract Romney's endorsement of McCain:

Asked what he thinks of Romney's endorsement of McCain: "There's a lot of 'me, too' going on right now in the Republican Party, from the Beltway and from those who, I think, really believe that the party establishment needs to kind of pull together. But there's still a lot of Republicans around this country who have yet to vote, many of them who feel like their voice is still needing to be heard, whether it's people who are strongly pro-life, whether it's people who want to make sure that small-business owners are not forgotten, and just a whole lot of people out here in the heartland that I think feel themselves to be somewhat invisible to many feel in our party. And this election is -- or at least it ought to be about choices and voices, not coronations."

Asked if he sought Romney's endorsement: "I did not go out and actively seek it, because I felt like that that was his decision to make, and I would respect it. When I talked to him after he withdrew, I certainly indicated that I would be happy to have his support. But, as far as trying to go and put the muscle on him, I didn't think that that was realistic. And, frankly, I didn't think that most people who are looking out there kind of for their own future are going to jump on my team, because most people are right now saying, it looks like that McCain is the inevitable nominee. But I'm not most people. I don't represent these folks that are, again, looking at the 'me, too.' I'm kind of like the leader of the 'not me yet' movement. And that's fine" ("Situation Room," CNN, 2/14).

Huckabee: "I want to make sure that people understand that's when the game ends, is when somebody gets 1191. That's when they have enough delegates to declare themselves the nominee. Until that happens, we still have people out in this country that haven't voted and I think that they have a right to be heard from. If they choose to go another way, then so be it; I'll accept that. But I'm not a quitter and I'm not going to quit on the people who got me here."

On Romney's endorsement: "This is a very new script for Mitt Romney to get on the stage and talk about what a wonderful guy John McCain is. I have been saying nice things about John McCain from the very beginning of our early debates. They are sincere. I like John McCain. I respect him. I do think I would be a better president."

Asked if Romney's endorsement was sincere: "I can't judge what's in his heart. I can barely judge what's in mine, much less somebody else's. I'm not going there. I just know what he said today is very different than what he has said in the past about John McCain."

Asked if there have been backroom talks between him and McCain: "No. I have not had any conversations with Senator McCain since Tuesday night, when I called to congratulate him on winning Virginia. I don't think anyone in my campaign is having conversations with people in the McCain camp. John McCain has not asked me to leave. Some of his supporters have. You know, I have no intention of acting according to the supporters of my opponent. That doesn't make any sense. When my supporters start telling me to quit, I have got to listen to that" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 2/14).

Asked about the Cayman Island speech and if he's just "going through the motions" of a campaign: "I'm doing five events in Wisconsin. I have been up since 5:00. And I will get in about midnight. If that's a light schedule, somebody ought to let me off the hook. I'm doing more events than anybody else running for president. I'm sloshing through six inches of snow in La Crosse. I'm headed to Wausau and then to Green Bay and then to Milwaukee before this day is over. I have already been in three communities so far. I have got a full day tomorrow. I have got one day that I will be off the trail for a speech that I have had on my calender for several months. Unlike some of these guys -- in fact, every other presidential candidate is getting to campaign on the taxpayers' dime, because they're still getting their Senate and congressional salaries, even though they're not necessarily taking care of the taxpayers' business. I'm the only one who is paying my own health insurance, the only one who is having to cover my own expenses with whatever I can earn with speaking and writing. And that's my only source of income. So, I don't think people would begrudge me one day to go earn a living, when all these other candidates are living off the taxpayers" ("Situation Room," CNN, 2/14).

Asked if it's unusual for candidates to get paid for a speech: "No, not when I have to pay my own insurance for health and have to pay my own mortgage payments and my own travel. The fact is, I'm the only candidate running for president that is not being funded by the taxpayers. They are all getting Senate and congressional salaries. Their health insurance is paid for. I'm not independently wealthy. I think most people appreciate that they are not having to pay me a taxpayer-funded salary so I can go out and campaign. In fact, I'm covering my own freight. I think that would mean something to most Americans" ("Election Center," CNN, 2/14).

EYING THE CANDIDATE'S WIFE

And CBS' Couric sat down with Michelle Obama:

On her husband's experience: "Barack has more legislative experience than Hillary Clinton does. Barack has spent 8 years, in addition to his years as a U.S. senator, in the state legislature. Barack is highly experienced. It's not conventional experience that we're used to seeing because most people have spent a whole lotta time in Washington."

Asked if how they would counter a McCain campaigns that claims Obama doesn't have enough foreign policy experience: "One of the things Barack will say is that we're right now in a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged. People like John McCain and people with a whole lot of years in Washington, who looked at a situation and read it wrong" ("Evening News," CBS, 2/14).