Huckabee welcomed the IAM endorsement stating, "I'm proud to have the support of the workers who bring prosperity to America on a daily basis."
 

Huckabee spoke before over 700 members of the IAM in Orlando, Florida on Monday about jobs, globalization, health care, and other 21st century domestic issues. During his conversation with IAM workers, Huckabee stated, "In order for this country to be free, there are three things we must do: feed ourselves, fuel ourselves and fight for ourselves. That means we need to be manufacturing our own means of defense and making it a national security issue."

During his speech on Monday night, Huckabee outlined his program to improve the lives of working Americans, including his support of the Fair Tax.  Under the Fair Tax, he said, "American companies are far less likely to move overseas and foreign companies are far more likely to come here, hiring Americans to build and work in their new plants."

Huckabee also said he believes in fair trade. "Free trade has to be fair trade. We are losing jobs because of an unlevel, unfair trading arena that has to be fixed. Behind the statistics, there are real families, real lives, and real pain. I'm running for President because I don't want people who have worked loyally for a company for 20 or 30 years to walk in one morning and be handed a pink slip and be told, 'I'm sorry, but everything you spent your life working for is no longer here.'"

Huckabee received the historic endorsement this morning during the final day of IAM's National Staff Conference.  Shortly after receiving the news, Huckabee thanked President Tom Buffenbarger on a phone call morning: "I appreciate the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the IAM meeting this week and to receive this historic endorsement."