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Mike Huckabee is gaining momentum in the GOP presidential primary. MSNBC.com, for instance, reported that “Huckabee has become an increasingly buzzworthy candidate in recent days -- with his warm reception at the Values Voter conference, a solid performance at the FOX debate, and the endorsement of roundhouse-kick-to-the-face expert and actor Chuck Norris.”Governor Huckabee is an extreme conservative who recently referred to legal abortion as a “holocaust” and has publicly called on the religious right to “take this nation back for Christ.” His views represent a radical departure from the core constitutional principle of separation between church and state. In light of Huckabee’s momentum – and the possibility he could be a Vice Presidential nominee – we thought it important to get the word out about the former Governor’s extremism.
The rise of Huckabee should be a major concern both for Republicans (who now have another very failed candidate as their potential nominee) and for Democrats (who should be concerned whenever an extreme candidate gets a whiff of the Presidency).
NJDC has blogged extensively about Huckabee. Here are a few concerns about his record:
- In June, Huckabee issued a call to arms to religious conservatives, urging them to vote on the very social issues that are undermining the wall between church and state.
- Also in June 2007, Huckabee said that "most of our prisoners would love to be in a facility more like Guantanamo ..."
- In May 2007, Huckabee went on record as not believing in evolution.
- In October 2006, Huckabee joked that he lost weight because Democrats put him in a concentration camp.
- In 1998, Huckabee called on the religious right to "take this nation back for Christ."
In January 2007, as Huckabee was preparing his presidential bid, the Washington Post reported on his radical views. Among the interesting points in the article:
also publicly supported creationism, a philosophy advocated by fervent Christians, arguing that students should be exposed to the study of the doctrine as well as evolution.
During the political campaign, Huckabee could prove a poster boy for political corruption. He made news before leaving the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, when he set up gift registries on several websites, allowing lobbyists and others seeking to curry influence to know exactly which gifts to purchase for he and his wife. As we've blogged in past posts about Huckabee, this quote from a retired Arkansas government official says it all about the former Governor and potential Republican nominee:
“He’s using the trappings of the governor’s office to get everything he can, and the sad part of it is, I honestly believe he does not see anything wrong with this,” said Kerns, a retired lawyer for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “It’s like ‘ethics’ is a foreign word to him.”
Let's hope he never has the opportuntiy to "use the trappings" of the White House to do the same.
Dangerous Dark Horse:
HUCKABEE IS WRONG FOR AMERICA
Ben David
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