Huckabee hits the Newport ATM

NEWPORT BEACH — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee spoke at the home of an avid supporter Wednesday morning, reportedly raising more than $100,000 hours before he planned to appear in a televised debate.

Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, told a backyard crowd of about 100 people that he planned to keep taxes low, seek to end dependence on foreign oil and reach out to low-income Americans that he believed were “invisible” to many candidates. Buck and Colleen Johns hosted the event at their home on Mesa Drive.

The candidate had planned to play guitar with a band after his speech, but he ended up leaving right afterward, apologizing to the crowd that he needed to prepare for the evening’s debate. During the speech, he drew applause as he talked about his tax plan and explained that he wanted to be “the president who puts the ‘out of business’ sign on the IRS building.”

“In my 10½ years as governor of Arkansas, taxes went up two-tenths of a percent,” Huckabee said, then added a possible reference to opponent Mitt Romney: “In the four years of another governor’s tenure, the tax burden went up 4% over four years.”

Huckabee criticized another Republican as well when he described President Bush’s economic stimulus plan as a “government handout.” The rebates, he said, essentially amounted to borrowing money from China so American consumers could purchase more Chinese-made products.

“Whose economy, exactly, are we trying to stimulate here?” Huckabee said.

The candidate touched on the issue of fossil fuel, saying America would have to seek alternative fuels to avoid polluting the environment. He also urged the country to invest in its own infrastructure and end its dependence on foreign oil.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chriscaesar@latimes.com. MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.