Huckabee Touts 'Main Street' Republicans

INDIANAPOLIS -- Republicans from a dozen states are gathering in Indianapolis this weekend to listen to several declared or probable presidential candidates.

Several hundred party leaders and activists are at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference.

Friday morning, they heard from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee, who came in second in the Iowa straw poll, said Republicans can't win the presidency in 2008 unless they deliver a message that relates to the average voter.

"If the Republican Party is viewed by the American people as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wall Street, we're going to lose next year. We've got to be about the people who are Main Street Republicans, not just Wall Street Republicans," Huckabee said. "We have economic policies and we have other policies that impact where people are living every day in places, whether it's Indiana or Arkansas."

Later on Friday, Republicans were expected to hear from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

On Saturday, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who is expected to declare his candidacy next month, is to address the conference.