Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fired back at the conservative group Club for Growth during Thursday's undercard GOP debate, saying they dislike him only because he fights for the little guy.
The group has called Huckabee "Tax Hike Mike," noting that state spending increased 54 percent during his tenure.
"You have got to understand where the Club for Growth comes from," Huckabee said, saying it is composed of "a bunch of rich guys sitting around writing checks to go after people they don't like.
"They don't like me because I was fighting for the guys at the bottom, not just the guys at the top," Huckabee said, adding he cut taxes in a state that had never had a general major tax decrease in its history and saw per capita income growth rise 50 percent.
"I think it's a pretty darn good record," he said.