By Marshall Zelinger
m.zelinger@krdo.com

COLORADO SPRINGS - Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee visited Colorado Springs for the second time in less than a year. He met with supporter Dr. James Dobson at Focus on the Family, before going to the Broadmoor for a paid speech in front of the Leadership Program of the Rockies.

"He carries an enormous level of influence," says Huckabee about his talk with Dobson, his friend of 14 years.

"The contents of it, obviously would remain off the record and confidential, and I'm sure you (the media) would respect that, actually I know you won't, but I will," joked Huckabee.

After his news conference, the former Arkansas Governor spoke exclusively with NEWSCHANNEL 13 about his visit with Dobson.

"Mostly it was a very, just personal conversation between Dr. Dobson and myself," Huckabee told NEWSCHANNEL 13. "It was not as much about specific political issues as it was the broader philosophy as where Christians are in this country and what kind of attitudes people need to have to really understand what freedom means."

The ordained Baptist minister also gave NEWSCHANNEL 13 his reaction to the last year at New Life Church, with the scandal surrounding Rev. Ted Haggard and the deadly December shooting.

"They've gone through some very serious trials and tribulations. I think it's a reminder to us once again that the rain falls on the just and the unjust," says Huckabee. "Being a believer does not exempt one from the challenges, the problems, the pressures and some of the great tragedies in life and that church has experienced extraordinary challenges. If you can withstand what they've been through in a year and still be on your feet, it shows that you've first been on your knees."

Huckabee sat down with NEWSCHANNEL 13 when he was last in Colorado Springs on March 3, 2007. At that time, the relatively unknown presidential candidate said voters are more concerned with politics (vertical thinking) than political party (horizontal thinking).

"Their primary questions are not are you a liberal or are you conservative, are you democrat or republican. They're vertical. Are you going to lift us up or are you going to take us down?" said Huckabee in March 2007.

"A person can be conservative or they can be liberal and describe themselves that way, but ultimately they need to talk about how is that going to help America go up, not down," Huckabee said on Friday.

Now that the GOP race for President is between Huckabee and frontrunner John McCain, it may just become a race of who is most conservative.

"If someone wants to peg me on the horizontal scale, i'll definitely be to the right of center," says Huckabee. "But the goal that I have to lead and to govern is to make sure that this country goes up and not down."

Mathematically, Huckabee needs to win the remaining delegates and take some of Mitt Romney's delegates to become the nominee instead of McCain.

"There are 46 delegates at stake in Colorado that could be mine," says Huckabee. "Republicans in Colorado are generally conservative, not only on social issues but economic issues. I think I'm the clear choice."

While it may be a long-shot, Huckabee doesn't see what there shouldn't be at least two candidates.

"I'm in the race because I still want to win," says Huckabee. "I also believe that all these voters in the states who haven't voted, I think they ought to be able to go and have their votes count."

Huckabee, who's being paid for his speech for the Leadership Program of the Rockies, says he's not quitting the race just because he's made time for two paid speeches in one week. He pointed out that the McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are all Senators not currently doing their job, but making money.

"These guys are not showing up for work and they're expecting us to give them a better job," says Huckabee.