Huckabee Crosses Picket Line, Hillary Doesn't

Several late-night talk shows returned to the airwaves last night, despite the months-long Writers Guild of America strike. Two of the chat shows had leading presidential candidates as guests, with one key difference. From The Hollywood Reporter:

"Both NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" featured a leading presidential candidate -- Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Hillary Clinton, respectively. Both NBC's Conan O'Brien and CBS' Letterman sported beards they had grown during their two-month hiatus.

But there was one big difference -- while CBS' "Late Show" and "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" enjoyed a seamless return with their writers in tow, NBC's "Tonight Show" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" taped their first strike shows behind picket lines."

Huckabee, for his part, expressed support for the striking writers in word, if not in deed. More after the jump.Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, cut a deal directly with the Writer's Guild to allow both Letterman and "The Late, Late Show"'s Craig Ferguson to return with their writers.

Huckabee was asked about the strike, and crossing the picket line, earlier yesterday, while campaigning in Iowa. From CBS News' Joy Lin:

Earlier in the day, while campaigning in Iowa, Huckabee told reporters during a media availability that he "absolutely, unequivocally" supported the writers and thought that there had been a "special arrangement...and the writers have made this agreement to let the late night shows come back on so I don't anticipate that it's a crossing of a picket line"

When a reporter said no agreement had been reached, Huckabee insisted he understood there was a "dispensation" given to the late night shows. Told that wasn't true, Huckabee nodded and said, "Oh." He looked in the opposite direction for a different question.

In case there remained any doubt in Huckabee's mind, the WGA released this statement yesterday:

"The Writers Guild thanks the former governor for his strong statement of support for striking writers,and hopes that he will not cross the picket lines at NBC."

During his Tonight Show appearance, Huckabee, a bass player, sat in with the Tonight Show band. Time will tell if his strike-defying jam session will leave him in a jam with voters. His strong statement of support for the WGA could backfire, as it may seem that his deeply held belief in the writers' cause was outweighed by the chance for some national exposure.

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, delivered the first joke in Letterman's return and managed to honor the striking writers. With both appearances being mentioned side-by-side in news stories today, Huckabee's misstep is sure to be magnified.

The other candidates in this presidential field will need to do some serious cost/benefit analysis in judging whether or not to cross. Chances are, Ferguson and Letterman will, for a time, become a joshing, insomniac version of Meet the Press, with candidates lining up to appear on the only "safe" late-night shows. We'll keep an eye on Spelling Bee champs and Stupid Pets to see if they are crowded out.