Speaking before a National Rifle Association convention today, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — and ardent supporter of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign — was interrupted by an “unexpected offstage noise” and commented that perhaps Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was ducking a gunman:
“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he’s getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”
Politico’s Ben Smith notes, “Joking about Obama getting shot at is probably not the fast track to veephood.”
UPDATE: CNN aired the Huckabee clip. The conservative pundit, the liberal pundit, and host Wolf Blitzer all agreed the joke was made in very poor taste. “I’m sure the Secret Service wouldn’t be happy with those jokes either,” said Blitzer. Watch it:
Update
Obama was placed under secret service protection last year — the earliest ever for a U.S. presidential candidate — because of racially motivated threats.
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