Finally some signs of life from the other man from Hope!

First off, now that he’s leaving the Governor’s Mansion, it’s time to let off some steam. What better way to do that than to join a fraternity?:

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is eying a 2008 presidential bid, was set Tuesday to take a step that probably no other candidate who gets in the race will dare ‘ he will join a fraternity.

Huckabee, a Republican, is scheduled to join the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at a closed-door, one-hour initiation ceremony at the governor’s mansion in Little Rock. The term-limited governor was approached this year about joining the fraternity, whose former members include two icons from Huckabee’s past, Ronald Reagan and Elvis Presley.

“He’s a distinguished governor. He’s done an awful lot for the state as well as the country,” said Kevin Mayeux, the fraternity’s chief executive officer. “We’ve been very impressed with his character and the initiatives he headed.”

A Southern Baptist minister, Huckabee never belonged to a fraternity while in school but his son, David, joined the fraternity at Arkansas State University, Mayeux said. During the ceremony, Huckabee will learn about the fraternity’s history and its history, Mayeux said.

After having a little fun, it looks like Gov. Huckabee is starting to get the ball rolling. He’s even making campaign hires in critical primary states:

A Republican Party activist from New Hampshire says that Gov. Mike Huckabee has asked him to head his New Hampshire campaign if the Arkansas governor decides to run for president in 2008.

Cliff Hurst, the former chairman of the Manchester Republican Committee in New Hampshire, said Huckabee tapped him to head up a potential presidential campaign in the pivotal primary state.

“He called me about a month ago and asked me if I’d be interested in chairing his New Hampshire organization if he does run,” Hurst said in an interview Monday.

Huckabee, who leaves office in January due to term limits, is considering a run for the 2008 presidential nomination and has said he won’t announce his plans until after he leaves office.

Huckabee said he has asked Hurst to work with him on his Hope for America Political Action Committee, which raises money for state and local candidates and has allowed the governor to build support and line up donors in advance of a possible run.

“He’s helping us with our PAC up there in New Hampshire now. He’s a great guy and a wonderful activist,” Huckabee said. “I’m sure if I get involved, he’ll be involved very much, you bet.”

Hurst said he first met Huckabee about two years ago when the governor visited New Hampshire. Hurst said he doesn’t know whether Huckabee has already decided whether to run.

“I don’t know exactly where he is in the whole process,” Hurst said. “I think he’s going to have to build from the ground up. There are a lot of people here who are interested in getting involved should he decide to run.”

Huckabee has said a book he is releasing in January will help him gauge the amount of support he may have for a presidential run

With new staff comes fundraising. It sounds like Huckabee has found a novel way to go about this:

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee has found a novel way to get around a state law that limits PAC donations to $5,000. By registering his political action committee in Virginia, one of the few states that doesn’t limit political contributions or spending, the outgoing governor can accept unlimited amounts of money from supporters who attend a Christmas party and fundraising concert Saturday in Little Rock.

Huckabee, said to be weighing a presidential bid, “is charging $500 per person for his Christmas gala. Huckabee’s band, Capitol Offense, is to play after the event in a concert that costs $50 per ticket,” according to AP. His PAC offered four sponsorship options that cost from $10,000 to $100,000.

The blog at the Arkansas Times (which is a great blog BTW.-KN) quotes from a letter Huckabee sent to donors: “The proceeds from this event will be the seed money I will use to continue traveling to places like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to see if my vision for our Nation resonates with our fellow Americans for 2008. If I continue to receive positive encouragement, I will take steps after I leave office next year to make the most challenging political decision of my life.

You would think that Huckabee might be a little more careful after Gimmegate.

Good to see him starting to make some moves though. This race is much more interesting with Huckabee in it.