Huckabee's In

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced he will explore a race for the White House in 2008 on Meet the Press this morning.

"People want an authentic conservative who has a proven record of results,” Huckabee said.

His formation of an exploratory committee will allow him to raise money for a Presidential run.

According to a press release, official announcement activities are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 30, with a two-day tour in Iowa.

Like most every other Republican lately, Huckabee showered praise on Hillary Clinton, calling her "strong, capable and brilliant."

The Hotline reports that while Huckabee doesn't think he needs to prove his social issues street cred to conservatives, he may have to spend more time explaining his tax policies. Conservatives are already blaring that he won't rule out raising taxes.

National Journal currently places Huckabee 7th on their list of G.O.P. hopefuls:

From NJ:

You'd think that if Huckabee had supporters and donors lined up, he'd let other Republicans know about them. It's not just about impressing us media types: Republican primary voters get their info from the Web, too. If they’re not convinced he's viable, he might never become viable. Almanac Profile

Meanwhile, the Washington Post political blog doesn't put Huckabee in the top 5 either.

The New York Times blog offers a nice summary of Huckabee's Meet the Press appearance.

The question has to be asked, is there room for Huckabee in an already crowded field? And if so, can he raise the necessary money to compete, especially if several big states move up their primaries and caucus dates?