Arkansas Returns; Hopeless (Huckabee Ethical Lapses)

The American Spectator ^ | 1/29/2007 | The Prowler

[smonk]

Arkansas Returns

HOPELESS

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee loves to joke about coming from the same hometown as former President Bill Clinton. Given that they both have proven to be prone to ethical lapses in office, perhaps Huckabee -- who announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination for the presidency yesterday -- should stop trying to draw attention to his shared, humble, Arkansas roots.

Huckabee once joked that his state was a "banana republic," and he certainly appeared to run his state like one. In all, Huckabee has been investigated 14 times in 14 years for ethics violations while in public office. He's been admonished five separate times. Recently, he was criticized for registering at Target for housewarming gifts after he and his wife moved into a new home after leaving the governor's mansion.

"Huckabee likes to talk about losing more than 100 pounds, maybe he should focus on losing that Arkansas attitude about running an anything goes government," said a spokesman for a Republican opponent for the nomination who has worked with Huckabee on some issues in the past. "This is not a candidacy Republicans should be embracing."

But as the only authentic Southern Republican in the race, Huckabee, an ordained minister, is likely to garner strong support, particularly from social conservatives.

[dfwgator]

Why is Huckabee even bothering, except maybe to pocket the campaign funds.

[smonk]

makes you wonder, doesn't it? I didn't know very much about him at all (and I assume I am not alone), and when you have such low name recognition, this is certainly not the sort of first impression you want to make.

[dfwgator]

Especially when he disses President Bush and then praises Hillary Clinton.


Can you say "D.O.A?"

[misterrob]

But as the only authentic Southern Republican in the race, Huckabee, an ordained minister, is likely to garner strong support, particularly from social conservatives.

Tell me that that bloc is not THAT dumb.

[smonk]

---Tell me that that bloc is not THAT dumb.---

only according to ignorant yankees ;)

[Enosh]

I did not know this. Thanks for posting.

[smonk]

clarification

I meant the person quoted in the article, not the FReeper I was replying to.

[smonk]

neither did I, which is how it got my attention.

[Enosh]

A sad thing, too. I looked at his voting record the other day and liked what I saw, for the most part.

Somehow we gotta keep McCain from the nomination and Huckabee looked able to do it for a few moments there.

[gidget7]

I am a social conservative, BUT I am also a conservative on every other issue, No, I am not that stupid. Huckabee is behind the banning of certain fats, all those intervention policies that say people need to lose weight. He is also for and even helped pass, smoking bans everywhere in Ark. That is not conservative, it's big govt nanny state politics. Couple that with the first two paragraphs in this article, I have to agree DOA.

[TNCMAXQ]

The more I hear about Huckabee the less I like him.

Where did I read he was pressured to pardon some convict in state prison there, and once the guy got out he killed someone?! Sounds like the governor was not as tough on crime as we need a leader to be.

[Regulator]

Why is Huckabee even bothering

He wants to provide comic relief to the rest of us.

[gidget7]

I could be wrong, but I heard that too, and for some reason am thinking on Sunday morning talk shows?

[OB1kNOb]

Reasons why Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is a RINO and no longer fit for public office

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1738804/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1749307/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1633675/posts?page=29

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1586835/posts?page=1

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1458160/posts?page=61

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1458443/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1458160/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1457156/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1457156/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1437980/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1435378/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434273/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1427336/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1419878/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1409465/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1399962/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1359015/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1355671/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1346317/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1343940/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331650/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1775570/posts?page=1

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1775652/posts

[afraidfortherepublic]

I like Gov. Huckabee. Don't forget that he brought his band to play for the FReeper Inaugural Ball after Bush's 1st Inauguration in 2001. He's a lot more fun than most of them running.

You say that he has been investigated 5 times, but you provide no specifics. I don't live in Arkansas, but I have friends who do. The only criticism I've ever heard of the Huckabees is when his wife ran for AG the same time as the Gov. ran for re-election. She was not elected, and he was.

[smonk]

I hesitate to use wiki for very much of anything, but they cover the convict episode here.

[spikeytx86]

I like huckabee a lot, but he has a lot of baggage from his 10+ years as governor. Not to say everyone else in the race does not have similar baggage but he just does not have the name rec. or $$$ to surmount it. I regret to say it but D.O.A.

Maybe V.P.?