{"id":684,"date":"2007-11-10T21:02:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-10T21:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arkansasfreedom.net\/?p=684"},"modified":"2007-11-10T21:02:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-10T21:02:00","slug":"huckabee-wishy-washy-republican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/?p=684","title":{"rendered":"Huckabee: Wishy-Washy Republican"},"content":{"rendered":"

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MIKE
\nHUCKABEE: WISHY-WASHY REPUBLICAN<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

By
\nRichard A. Viguerie<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Some voters pining for a principled conservative Republican
\npresidential candidate are pinning their hopes on former governor of Arkansas
\nMike Huckabee.  But while Gov. Huckabee stands strong on some issues like
\nabortion that are important to social conservatives, a careful examination of
\nhis record as governor reveals that he is just another wishy-washy Republican
\nwho enthusiastically promotes big government.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>The Baptist preacher entered politics in an unlikely way for a
\nRepublican\u00e2\u20ac\u201das the result of a meeting with Joycelyn Elders, reports The New
\nRepublic<\/em>.  As director of the Arkansas department of health under
\nGov. Bill Clinton, Dr. Elders opined that preachers should \u00e2\u20ac\u0153stop moralizing
\nfrom the pulpit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.  Spinning into damage-control mode, Gov. Clinton asked
\nMike Huckabee, head of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, to meet with Dr.
\nElders.  Rev. Huckabee came away from that meeting uncomfortably impressed
\nwith the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153lady who genuinely believes what she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s saying and is deep in her
\nconvictions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.  He reasoned, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153[I]f people like her are creating the public
\npolicies that will determine how our kids are going to be educated, and the
\natmosphere, then maybe we need to get out of the stands and get out on the
\nfield and get our jerseys dirty.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>But while Mike Huckabee praises Dr. Elders for her dedication to her own
\nbeliefs, he has disparaged principled conservatives as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blind
\npurists\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.   And his record as governor certainly suggests that Mike
\nHuckabee is not as firm in his devotion to conservative ideals as the former
\nU.S. Surgeon General remains to liberal notions.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A fiscal conservative is a person who truly understands that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s
\nnot a problem in the federal government that our taxes are too low,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the former
\ngovernor told the crowd at CPAC in 2007.  \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a problem that our
\nspending is too high and out of control.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>But by Gov. Huckabee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own definition, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s serious reason to doubt
\nthat he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a truly fiscal conservative himself.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Much of conservatives\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 concern about Gov. Huckabee centers on his record
\nof raising taxes.  He signed Americans for Tax Reform\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no-tax pledge, but
\nonly after dismissing such covenants as dangerous.  He blasts the fiscally
\nconservative Club for Growth as the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Club for Greed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.  He publicly opposed
\nrepealing a tax on groceries and medicine, though he claims that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153always
\nphilosophically supported\u00e2\u20ac\u009d axing the tax.  According to ATR, after his 10
\nyears in office, Gov. Huckabee had raised the state\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sales tax by 37 percent,
\nmotor fuel taxes by 16 percent, and cigarette taxes by 103 percent.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Not surprisingly, all these tax increases allowed for greater
\nspending.  According to Americans for Tax Reform, state spending under Gov.
\nHuckabee rose by 65.3 percent during 1996 to 2004.  The number of workers
\non the state\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s payroll increased by 20 percent during his tenure, and its
\ngeneral debt obligation rose by nearly $1 billion.  The spending increase
\nis due largely to the creation of new government programs and the expansion of
\nexisting ones.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Though he told The Washington Times <\/em>that he supports \u00e2\u20ac\u0153empowering
\npeople to make their own decisions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Gov. Huckabee has consistently initiated
\nand supported government meddling in the market economy.  Not only did he
\nincrease Arkansas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.25 per hour, but he even
\nencouraged the U.S. Congress to do the same thing nationally.  He ordered
\nArkansas regulatory agencies to investigate \u00e2\u20ac\u0153price-gouging\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in the nursing-home
\nindustry and threatened to launch a government investigation of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153gouging\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on
\ngas prices after September 11, 2001.  He signed a bill forbidding private
\ncompanies from increasing prices on services like roof repair and tree removal
\nby 10 percent in advance of a natural disaster.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>He is on record in support of big government programs that elbow out
\nprivate-sector solutions.  For instance, Gov. Huckabee drove ARKids first,
\na multimillion-dollar government program to provide health insurance for 70,000
\nchildren.  He supported President George W. Bush\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 2003 massive expansion
\nof Medicare by adding a prescription-drug benefit.  He called the No Child
\nLeft Behind Act, which increased federal education spending by 48 percent and
\nexpanded big-government control of local schools, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the greatest education
\nreform effort of the federal government in my lifetime\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.  Although
\nHuckabee advocates a fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, as governor he
\nproposed granting in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Mike Huckabee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wishy-washiness is perhaps best exemplified in the story
\nof Wayne Dumond, the most bizarre and tragic episode of the governor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entire
\ntenure.  A few weeks after taking office, Gov. Huckabee announced his
\nintention to free Mr. Dumond, who had served seven years of a life+20 sentence
\nfor the kidnapping and rape of a 17-year-old girl.  The following month,
\nthe governor met with the parole board; soon afterwards, the board voted to
\nfree Mr. Dumond on the condition that he move to another state.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Although he told National Review <\/em>that he \u00e2\u20ac\u0153executed more people
\nthan any governor in the history of\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Arkansas, Gov. Huckabee insists that the
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153concept of Christian forgiveness requires that we keep open the process of
\nparole\u00e2\u20ac\u009d even for violent felons.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>The parole board\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s action made Mr. Dumond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pardon application
\nunnecessary, so Gov. Huckabee denied the pardon but sent him a letter
\naffirming, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My desire is that you be released from prison.  I feel that
\nparole is the best way for your reintroduction to society to take place.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Mr. Dumond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s release was delayed because no other state would take the
\nconvicted rapist.  After two and one-half more years, the parole board set
\nhim free in Arkansas.  The following year, he moved to Missouri, where he
\nsexually assaulted and murdered a 39-year-old woman.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>As the predictable political fireworks burst all around him, Gov.
\nHuckabee tried to hide behind the claim that he had denied Mr. Dumond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pardon
\napplication.  \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My only official action was to deny his clemency,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Gov.
\nHuckabee insists, defensively glossing over his oft-stated earlier preference
\nfor Mr. Dumond to go free.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>Gov. Huckabee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s poor judgment in the Dumond case is serious, but his
\nfailure to acknowledge responsibility publicly is truly disgraceful in a man
\nwho would be president.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>But it fits the pattern of his inability to hold a principled stance with
\ncourage and conviction.  Gov. Huckabee called no-tax pledges
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153irresponsible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but then signed one.  He wants to fence illegal immigrants
\nout, but to give them cheap tuition while they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re here.  He calls
\nconservatives \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blind purists\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but poses as one of us.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

> 
\n<\/O>One who has cut through the fog of Gov. Huckabee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wishy-washiness and
\nfound something she likes is the woman who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s indirectly responsible for his political
\ncareer.  Joycelyn Elders says she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153truly impressed.  I feel he
\nreally did things that I appreciated.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d   <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    MIKE HUCKABEE: WISHY-WASHY REPUBLICAN By Richard A. Viguerie Some voters pining for a principled conservative Republican presidential candidate are pinning their hopes on former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee.  But while Gov. Huckabee stands strong on some issues like abortion that are important to social conservatives, a careful examination of his record as … Continue reading Huckabee: Wishy-Washy Republican<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-huckabee-shameful-record","category-presidential-candidates"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}