UPDATE: DeLay gives Huckabee the kiss of death

Earlier today I reported that disgraced Congressman from Texas Tom DeLay had essentially endorsed Mike Huckabee for President in 2008, with a promise that I'd have the transcripts up asap. Well, here they are:

BLITZER: Who do you like? Who's -- who do you feel comfortable with, that they can fit the description of being a leader and also you feel comfortable with on the issues?
DELAY: Well, Mitt Romney is a leader. But I want to make sure that what he now says he believes is fundamental to his world view.
BLITZER: Because he's accused of flip-flopping.
DELAY: Exactly. I want to see -- I want to see action, not words. I want -- I like -- Governor Mike Huckabee is my favorite. I've known him for 20 years. I know what kind of man he is. He's an incredible leader and was a great governor in Arkansas. And his world view is almost identical to mine.

Like I said earlier, way for Tom DeLay to can Huckabee's '08 campaign right out of the gate.

DeLay went on to criticize Rudy Giuliani for his stance on both abortion and gay marriage:

BLITZER: Who in the Republican that can generate, that can mobilize that force best? We've seen in the polls the two frontrunners are John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Can they do it?
DELAY: Well, I don't know. We're going to have to wait and see.
BLITZER: You know both of these men. what do you think of them?
DELAY: The party is crying for leadership.
BLITZER: Do these -- is one of these two guys, the leader the party is crying for?
DELAY: Well, certainly -- certainly Giuliani is a leader. He's already demonstrated that. And I've also seen that he's sort of got the Ronald Reagan syndrome, that if you are a leader and people perceive you as a leader, they will forgive you of some of the things that they may disagree with you about.
BLITZER: On some of the social issues like...
DELAY: Exactly.
BLITZER: ... gay rights or abortion rights.
DELAY: Exactly.
BLITZER: Or gun control?
DELAY: I won't. I won't.
BLITZER: You could...
DELAY: I want...
BLITZER: Could you see yourself supporting Rudy Giuliani if he becomes the Republican nominee?
DELAY: I can't vote for somebody that's for abortion. I just -- I never have and I never will.
BLITZER: So you could never forgive him on that, even though he says I abhor, I hate abortion, but he believes in a woman's right to have an abortion?
DELAY: Well, he and I disagree fundamentally -- and that's fundamental with me.
BLITZER: And that issue is overarching, as far as you're concerned?
DELAY: Absolutely.

Also worth noting is the fact that DeLay slammed John McCain, and said most Conservatives don't like McCain because of McCain-Feingold. Wow, what a surprise, TOM DELAY slamming the co-author of the McCain-Feingold bill. Hilarious.

Read the full transcripts here.