Nothing could be more troublesome to a member of the conservative movement in this country than Mike Huckabee’s numerous contradictory statements concerning the serious issues facing our nation today. If one would take a few minutes to examine them, they would find that he is 'pulling the wool' over conservative eyes with his slick answers in order to avoid his liberal record as governor of Arkansas. Does an honorable man of conviction run from his record the way Mike Huckabee is sprinting from his? Can a man maintain his credibility when he rewrites positions as a presidential candidate that are opposed to the decisions he made as governor of Arkansas? These are questions that trouble me and should trouble all conservatives who are considering caucus votes for Huckabee.
Let’s examine Mike Huckabee’s reinvention as ‘conservative candidate’ vs. Mike Huckabee, liberal Governor of Arkansas.
Illegal Immigration:
Huckabee’s current position is strict enforcement, border security, increase border patrol and no amnesty. However, he has said he is for illegal aliens voluntarily leaving the country before returning. This is potentially nothing more than a retread of the recently rejected Senate and House ‘Touch-Back’ program, a dangerous amnesty.
A serious question that must be asked is: Does Huckabee value the sanctity of the American citizen’s constitutional right to vote? Huckabee’s record as governor of Arkansas speaks for itself. Senate Bill 206, proposed in 2005, would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and would have required state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally. Governor Huckabee denounced the bill, saying it was “…un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life”. (Arkansas News Bureau, article by Doug Thompson http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html )
Governor Huckabee showed little or no compassion for the hard-working American taxpaying family as he willingly let American tax dollars be transferred in benefits to illegal aliens. In 2005, the Arkansas legislature proposed a bill that would deny benefits to illegal aliens. Huckabee opposed it, stating, "This is the kind of country that opens its doors. This bill expresses an un-American attitude." (Arkansas News Bureau, article by Doug Thompson http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html )
In 2001, Huckabee supported giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses. Drivers licenses will allow illegal aliens to traverse this country unfettered, leaving us open to another terrorist attack. Very importantly, the motor voter law would permit illegal aliens immediate and easy access to voter registration and allow them to vote undetected! Robert Trevino, Huckabee’s Human Services liaison at the time, speaking on behalf of the Arkansas governor said he advocated changing the law to allow illegal aliens to get Arkansas driver's licenses so that legal immigrants wouldn't be "hassled". http://arkjournal.com/2007/11/newsflash-mike-huckabee-supported-bill.html
Governor Huckabee had to have known that he was facilitating a steady increase in the illegal alien population in Arkansas, incurring a never-ending expense for the American taxpayer. An article by Jerome Corsi, titled, “Huckabee offered no-cost deal for Mexican consulate”, wherein Mr. Corsi, supported by Freedom of Information Documents, exposes how then Governor Huckabee used 1.2 million in taxpayer and private enterprise dollars to build a Mexican Consulate in Little Rock. The Consulate was then charged $1.00 per year in rent. According to state legislator Rick Green, studies conducted by the state legislature, show that Arkansas has more illegal aliens per capita than any other state and the illegal alien population is growing faster than any other state.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58657
Taxes and Spending:
Huckabee’s record as governor of Arkansas shows his lack of fiscal restraint. Huckabee’s current position is that he supports the FairTax. On spending issues, he almost verbatim copies Ronald Reagan, “Our massive deficit is not due to Americans' being under-taxed, but to the government's over-spending. To control spending, I believe the President should have the line-item veto.” http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=5
However in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette article, “10-year record on taxes study’’, Huckabee’s tax record shows a net tax increase of $505 million during his tenure as governor of Arkansas based on data from the state’s Department of Finance and Administration. By percentage, the average Arkansas tax burden increased 47% during the period Huckabee was governor. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/national/203850/ These taxes included an income tax surcharge, a sales tax increase, higher gas taxes, taxes on nursing home beds, and higher grocery taxes.
Notorious as a ‘spender’ also, Huckabee increased state spending by 50% during his tenure as governor of Arkansas. http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=7ecd2abc-c7b0-4016-8683-adf10e6265ac
A few other points of interest on Governor Huckabee that reflect a liberal view of spending and also signify a disappointing penchant on candidate Huckabee’s part to favor government expansion. Governor Huckabee was the only candidate to oppose President’s veto of the expansion of the SCHIP bill. One can only wonder if he would gravitate toward socialized medicine, given his liberal inclinations. In addition to taxing and spending practices, he supported large energy and farm subsidies. It is also of note that he did not and does not support school choice. From Huckabee’s own website, yet another slippery statement, “I have been a strong, consistent supporter of the rights of parents to home school their children, of creating more charter schools, and of public school choice.” There is certainly a difference between ‘school choice’ and ‘public school choice’. http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=7
Sanctity of Life:
An issue that is dear to the heart of most conservatives is the pro-life beliefs their candidates express. Governor Huckabee has this statement on his website: “I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned.” ( Mike Huckabee for President, http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=11 )
Yet in an interview with John Hawkins, “An Interview With Governor Mike Huckabee Of Arkansas, Huckabee stated, “So, I've never felt that it (Roe vs. Wade) was a legitimate manner in which to address this and, first of all, it should be left to the states, the 10th Amendment…” http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/huckabee.php This view is the same as is stated by Fred Thompson and one for which he has been roundly criticized.
Ethics:
The American people have grown weary of being forced to accept the corruption of our ethically challenged officials. Questions of ethics and greed haunt Governor Huckabee’s political career. Max Brantley, a former columnist for the Arkansas Gazette in an article for Salon.com, aptly titled, “The Dark Side of Mike Huckabee”, stated, “Huckabee seems to love to loot and has a dismissive attitude toward ethics, campaign finance rules, and propriety in general.” Mr. Brantley then expounds on his accusations, pointing to a nonprofit, called Action America, Huckabee set up so he could give speeches as governor for money without having to name those who paid him, his use of campaign funds to salary himself as his own media consultant and to pay the babysitter, and in his second term, Huckabee kept expensive gifts from people some of whom he later appointed to state commissions. Max Brantley’s account of Governor Huckabee and his penchant for money and the finer things in life bears reading: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/11/13/huckabee/
When questioned about taxing, spending, illegal immigration, the parole of Dumond and ethics, Governor Huckabee employs the same defense: 'none of it was my fault'. The fault lies with others such as the Arkansas Democrats and Supreme Court or the parole board appointed by previous Democratic governors. His failure to take responsibility when questioned about issues pertaining to his tenure as governor becomes equally problematic when examining Governor Huckabee’s suitability as a presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate.
With contradictions between Governor Huckabee’s record as governor of Arkansas and his current position statements so flagrantly bearing no relationship to one another, conservatives need to ask themselves one question about this candidate: Do you trust Governor Huckabee’s liberal record, or the conservative words he is using to distance himself from what would put him to the left of Hillary Clinton? Americans have endured decades of ‘bate and switch’ tactics by our elected officials. It would be beneficial to keep in mind the old adage, ‘actions speak louder than words’.
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