Originally posted by: Dug
Okay, I may have exaggerated, but let's start with this:
He's pro-amnesty.[\q]
Not true, taken from ontheissues.org
Q: What do you think should be done with the 12 million undocumented aliens that live in the US?
A: The first step is a secure border, because otherwise nothing really matters. But I do think the pathway has to include people going to the back, not the front of the line. There can't be an amnesty policy, because that's an insult to all the people who waited, sometimes, ridiculously, for years, just to be able to make the transition here. If you can get an American Express card in two weeks, it shouldn't take seven years to get a work permit to come to this country in order to work on a farm. So if our government is incapable of making that process in that length of time, then we should do it in a way to outsource it. And here's why: When people come to this country, they shouldn't fear. They shouldn't live in hiding. They ought to have their heads up, because we believe every person ought to have his or her head up and proud.
Source: 2007 Republican primary debate on Univision Dec 9, 2007
First off, there was a bill in the senate for Arkansas that would have required proof of citizenship for voting and required state agencies to report cases of suspected illegal immigrants. Huckabee shot it down.
I think there may be more to the story, I am researching further but here is an excerpt from mikehuckabee.com
Claim: "Huckabee also opposed legislation to require proof of citizenship in order to obtain public benefits and vote." (Associated Press, 2/3/05)
Fact: Thompson appears not to have read the entire Associated Press article. Governor Huckabee opposed this bill, because the issues addressed in the bill were already established by current law:
"But Huckabee said it's just not true that illegal aliens are receiving welfare, food stamps and other public services.
'Anyone aware that they are should alert the attorney general's office or the prosecutors office, because that's fraud,' he said." (Associated Press, 2/3/05)
The Governor's point was that illegal immigrants were already prohibited from receiving state benefits, thus there was no need to rehash the issue. The only point of the legislation was to inflame passions against Hispanics.
No illegal immigrants were able to receive "public benefits" from the state of Arkansas . Governor Huckabee specifically pointed out that if anybody knew of that happening, they should turn the illegal immigrants in for violating the law.
Huckabee also proposed a bill that would offer state funded scholarships and state benefits to illegal aliens.
More to this I know for sure
Claim: "As Governor, Mike Huckabee championed an effort in Arkansas to give in-state tuition at state colleges and taxpayer-funded scholarships to illegal immigrants."
Fact: In Arkansas Governor Huckabee supported broadening a particular merit scholarship -- not in-state tuition – to include high-achieving children who were applying for citizenship. This put these students on the same footing as permanent resident aliens, who have always been eligible for the scholarship.
The proposal to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for in-state tuition was not part of the Governor’s plan and did not pass.
The scholarships were intended to encourage all Arkansas children to work hard and excel academically. Since Arkansas has a constitutional obligation to educate all students, illegal and legal, through 12th grade, Governor Huckabee believed it was in the best interest of the state to encourage a select few (roughly 30 students would have been eligible) to continue their education. Unlike tuition discounts, the scholarship was merit-based and, because of the strict academic and financial need criteria, only open to a small number of students.
Any illegal students who wished to participate in the scholarship application process had to submit their application for citizenship. Having these students continue to their education would have enabled them to become “tax-payers” for the state rather than "tax-takers."
This debate once again highlights the difficult position that our nation's governors have been put in by the failures of the Federal Government. If immigration laws already in place had been enforced, governors would not be required to make decisions on how to simultaneously slow the inflow of illegal immigrants into their state while also trying to ensure that they are not left with increasing numbers of "tax takers."
Huckabee also supported the McCain-Kennedy Senate bill to give amnesty to illegals. Claims God supports the bill (...uuhh, okay). Made public statements that those who oppose the bill are "racist" and "bigoted."
Not true at all from everything I've read, from http://knowyourvote.googlepages.com/mikehuckabee
Huckabee has claimed that border security is his first priority. He supported the recent appropriations bill providing training and deployment of additional border patrol agents, the expansion of the border fence, and the deployment of technology-based monitoring systems along the border. He has stated that the border should be sealed. He also supports the establishment of a tamper-proof ID card to verify immigrants’ work eligibility. Huckabee opposed the recent comprehensive immigration reform bill (defeated by the Senate in June), stating that “the bill offers amnesty and should not be approved” because illegals “must take responsibility for their actions." However, during an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Huckabee implied that immigrants should be granted a path to citizenship if they pay penalties and thus accept responsibility for entering the U.S. illegally.
He also opposed the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill due to its lack of transparency and concerns about the fiscal cost of reform.
Interestingly, Huckabee has sympathized with the social needs of illegal immigrants. He advocated prenatal care for pregnant immigrants and proposed a scholarship program for illegals that graduate from Arkansas high schools.
Huckabee wants to grant clemency to repeated DWI offenders, and it has been hinted at that significant campaign contributions may have influenced this decision.
I'm still researching this, so far I have found some evidence this may be true, which saddens me, but I will get the full facts and forward them on ASAP
Huckabee has proposed tax hikes and then lied saying he didn't.
I reviewed all the associated tapes and interviews involving this deal. I am willing to give the Governor the benefit of the doubt that he did not outright "lie" as the left wing bloggers would have you believe. I think he flubbed it by saying the wrong thing, to his credit he did correct it in a press release.
And then there's this whole thing about releasing a rapist which I haven't read up on yet.
And Huckabee's latest criticism of Bush sounds like eeevery other Democrat in the last seven years.
I don't think they are necessarily left wing talking points he spouts out, but are proven mistakes that the Bush Administration made.
And then his foreign policies which sound just like the faux pas Obama made ("Invade Pakistan, reach out to Iran")--WTH!!
Yes, they do bring the Carter Presidency to mind, I agree, we need to make him aware of how ignorant they are.
Oh, and I'd like to add he's completely clueless on public education.
How so?
I knew there was something wrong with him, and I was right, especially when the media has dropped Giuliani like a hot potato and getting behind Huckabee. Something is very, very wrong. The media WANTS to have Huckabee as the Republican candidate so he's not any kind of threat against Hildebeast or Obama.
I agree the media is embracing Huckabee, and that merits suspicious, but I think it is because of their distorted views. I think they believe that since he is a Christian, he is weak. They believe if he makes it to the general election that they can start pounding his knees with the fact he is religious and that he would run a faith based government. IN their minds this could cuase him to lose, but they tend to forget that I believe 90% of the United States are Christians. I agree with you also that they believe him to be a easier win for Hellary or Obama, but I think he could surprise. I basically fully support Huckabee AND Thompson right now, I just wished Thompson would have the vigor and ambition that Huckabee is spewing all over the place. Thompson, as great as he is, is just boring the hell outta people, and sadly the reality is that a lot of folks won't vote for him because they are bored by him, regardless of how great his points of views are. Restating myself from earlier, if Thompson had been doing what he did on the last debates with the "hand show" comment all along, I think he'd be in Huckabee's polling position right now.
