Posted on 11/16/2007 11:50:48 AM PST by dano1
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, despite heavy spending and intensive campaigning, finds himself in a tightening race in Iowa with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, forcing Romney to aggressively confront an opponent with far less money and organizational backing who was far back in the polls a few weeks ago.
(snip)
Seven weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses, a New York Times/CBS News Poll published Wednesday had Romney capturing support from 27 percent of likely Republican voters in Iowa - and Huckabee within striking range at 21 percent. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was third with 15 percent, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson had 9 percent, and Arizona Sen. John McCain and Texas Rep. Ron Paul had 4 percent each.
As recently as September, Huckabee was in the single digits.
"It happened," a memo from the Huckabee campaign said Wednesday. "We broke 20% in Iowa, which pulled us to within 6% of Governor Romney!"
Huckabee has been staking much of his campaign on Iowa, hoping that a win in caucuses there, the first nomination votes of 2008, will vault his relatively shoestring candidacy to prominence in delegate-rich states. Romney has invested heavily in Iowa as part of his strategy to capture the early-voting states.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The battle for who cleans up after the convention.
| Giuliani | 29 % |
| Huckabee | 12 % |
| Romney | 12 % |
| Thompson | 12 % |
| McCain | 10 % |
- Sales Tax, 1996 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
- Gas and Diesel Fuel Taxes, 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 04/02/99, 04/25/99)
- Sales Tax, 2000 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/25/02)
- Cigarette Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 04/02/01)
- Nursing Home Bed Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
- Sales Tax, 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/15/02)
- Income Surcharge Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
- Tobacco Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
- Internet Taxes, 2004 (Bond Buyer, 02/24/04)
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005
By Wesley Brown
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.
"I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families ...," Huckabee said as the largely Hispanic audience gave him a standing ovation.
Huckabee was the keynote speaker, along with Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman and CEO John Tyson, at a noon luncheon of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is holding its 76th annual convention in Little Rock.
About 10,000 political, community and business leaders, along with exhibitors and speakers are in Little Rock attending the convention at the Statehouse Convention Center. The convention started Monday and runs through Saturday.
Although he never actually talked about the U.S. or Arkansas immigration policy, Huckabee made it very clear where he stood on the issue. In his opening remarks, he said the nation will need to address the concerns of the Hispanic community because of its growing influence and population base.
He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state's capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. "Your gathering is so very significant for our state," Huckabee said. "We are delighted to have you."
Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."
"This is an issue that is going to require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border, particularly those coming from Mexico," Huckabee said of verifying the status of illegal aliens. "But I am confident that our government will recognize that we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families (and) employers so that we can make sure our economy has the necessary work force."
During the legislation session, Huckabee criticized an immigration bill by Republican senators Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life. Senate Bill 206, which died in the Senate, would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and also force state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later to Huckabee's comments that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.
Taxes
______
Is Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee a Pro-Growth, Economic Conservative?
The Club for Growth is committed to lower taxes across the board. Lower taxes on work, savings, and investments lead to greater levels of these activities, thus encouraging greater economic growth.
Governor Huckabee touts himself as an economic conservative, writing in his biography that he “pushed through the Arkansas legislature the first major, broad-based tax cuts in state history” and “led efforts to establish a Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” early on as governor (Arkansas Times 09/22/05), but he only offers a small piece of the picture.
It is true that Governor Huckabee fought for an $80 million tax cut package in 1997 that was passed by the Arkansas legislature (Cato Policy
Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98); cut the state capital gains tax in 1999 (The Commercial Appeal 02/29/99); and passed the Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights in the same year, limiting the increase in property taxes to 10% a year for individuals and 5% per taxing unit (AP 03/16/99). However, his record over the rest of his ten-year tenure tells a starkly different story.
Immediately upon taking office, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike in 1996 to fund the Games and Fishing Commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).
He supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
He publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 08/30/02).
He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline (1999), cigarettes (2003) (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07), and a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Arkansas New Bureau 03/01/01).
He proposed another sales take hike in 2002 to fund education improvements (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).
He opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).
In 2004, he allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).
By the end of his ten-year tenure, Governor Huckabee was responsible for a 37% higher sales tax in Arkansas, 16% higher motor fuel taxes, and 103% higher cigarette taxes according to Americans for Tax Reform (01/07/07), garnering a lifetime grade of D from the free-market Cato Institute. During Huckabee’s tenure as governor, the average Arkansan’s tax burden increased 47 percent, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
While he is on record supporting making the Bush tax cuts permanent, he joined Democrats in criticizing the Republican Party for tilting its tax policies “toward the people at the top end of the economic scale” (Washington Examiner 09/13/06), even though objective evidence demonstrates that the Bush tax cuts have actually shifted the tax burden to higher income taxpayers.
Finally, Governor Huckabee opposed further tax cuts at a 2005 gathering of Iowa conservatives (AP 09/17/05). On January 28, 2007, Governor Huckabee refused to pledge not to raise taxes if elected President, first on Meet the Press and then at the National Review Conservative Summit. The evidence suggests that his commitment to protecting taxpayers evidenced in his early gubernatorial years may be a thing of the past.
Spending
The Club for Growth is committed to reducing government spending. Less spending enhances economic growth by enabling lower taxes and diminishing the economically inefficient political allocation of resources.
Under Governor Huckabee’s watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3% from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
The number of state government workers rose 20% during his tenure (Arkansas Leader 04/15/06), and the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion, according to Americans for Tax Reform.
The massive increase in government spending is due in part to the number of new programs and expansion of already existing programs initiated by Governor Huckabee, including ARKids First, a multimillion-dollar government program to provide health coverage for thousands
of Arkansas’ children (Arkansas News Bureau 04/13/06).
These large increases in government borrowing and spending significantly impede economic growth.
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php
*******
Immigration
_________
Fact #1 As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee denounced an immigration bill (Arkansas Senate Bill 206) that “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.”
(Doug Thompson, “Immigration Bill un-christian..governor says”Arkansas News Bureau 1/28/05)
Fact #2. As Governor, Mike Huckabee offered a proposal to give state funded scholarships and state benefits to illegal aliens.
(Laura Kellams, “Huckabee Plan would give aid to illegal aliens” Arkansas Democrat Gazette 1/12/2005)
Fact #3. Governor Huckabee supported a Bush-backed immigration plan that provides a path to citizenship for some illegal aliens.
(CNN 2008 Election Center, http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates/mike.huckabee.html)
Fact #4. Governor Huckabee refuses to sign the “No Amnesty Pledge”.
The Governor is suffering from what is called “amnesty amnesia”. It is a contagious ailment spreading rapidly through the ranks of the Republican presidential candidates.
Watch Huckabee admit to selling out our citizenship to illegal aliens. He thinks it’s not amnesty, but illegal aliens still get the grand prize: citizenship.
*
January 28, 2005 AR Gov. Mike Huckabee goes on the attack From this:
[AR] Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday heaped criticism upon immigration legislation in the Arkansas Legislature, describing it as “inflammatory . . . race-baiting and demagoguery.”
He also challenged the Christian values of its main sponsor.
Huckabee said the bill, seeking to forbid public assistance and voting rights to undocumented immigrants, “inflames those who are racist and bigots and makes them think there’s a real problem. But there’s not...”
...He singled out [Republican Sens. Jim Holt, one of the bill’s sponsors], who often talks of his strong Christian beliefs, saying, “I drink a different kind of Jesus juice. My faith says don’t make false accusations against somebody.
“In the Bible, it’s called don’t bear false witness.”
In response, Holt said he was hurt by the governor’s questioning his faith.
“I just want to uphold the law and protect the benefits that apply to citizens,” Holt said.
*
A lingering controversy over the role former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee played in establishing a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock financed by taxpayers and local businesses continues to follow the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign, even as he enjoys a surge in polls.
Critics in Arkansas contend Huckabee worked with some of the state’s most prominent and politically powerful businesses to draw illegal immigrants to the state to accept low-paying jobs.
Space in an Arkansas government facility was leased for $1 a year to the Mexican government to establish the Mexican consulate until a permanent Mexican consulate facility could be built, at the expense of Arkansas citizens and corporations.
“We wanted people to come to Arkansas and get the proper paper work and do things with a work permit and a visa. It’s so much easier to do that if you have a consulate where people can go to get proper documentation, rather than just accommodating people illegally.” -Huckabee
*****
Global Warming
____________
Former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, said he supports a mandatory cap-and-trade system to cut US greenhouse gas emissions, becoming the second Republican presidential candidate to call for a carbon market to address climate change.
*****
Nanny-stater
___________
Supports national smoking ban.
*****
Crime
_____
In his book From Hope to Higher Ground, he wrote that Three Strikes was an overraction to the permissiveness of the ‘70s:
“In the 1990s, the pendulum swung harshly back in the opposite direction and very popular policies such as “three strikes and you’re out” and “no parole provisions” were adopted.
Being tough on crime is certainly more popular than being soft, but America needs to be careful that in our attempt to stoutly enforce our laws and protect our citizens, we do not end up with a system that is based more on revenge than restoration. A revenge-based criminal justice system seeks to measure out as harsh a judgement as is possible so as to satisfy the natural inclination to get even.”
*
Huckabee’s poor judgement freed a convicted rapist from prison despite a warning from his victim that he would repeat his crime if turned loose. Soft-hearted Mike ignored the advice and persuaded the parole board to let the dangerous criminal out of prison. Less than a year later, the violent predator sexually assaulted another woman and killed her.’
*****
Huckabee and Ethics
_______________
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2007/10/29/mike-huckabee-and-ethics.html
*****
Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once “his No. 1 fan.” She was bitterly disappointed with his record. “He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal,” she says. “Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don’t be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office.”
Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. “He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles,” she says. “Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a ‘compassionate conservative’ are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.”
Memo to Mike - that's not a good thing.
Thompson needs to get his campaign in gear nationally. He’s slipped from a virtual tie for first to a 3 way tie for second.
It has been reported that Mike Huckabee supported benefits for illegals immigrants while he was Governor of Arkansas.
Governor Huckabee never supported benefits for illegal immigrants. In Arkansas, illegal immigrants do not receive welfare benefits or food stamps. Governor Huckabee has always, and will always be supportive of the laws and regulations of the country.
It has also been said that Mike Huckabee was in favor of providing college scholarships for illegal immigrants while he was Governor.
The governor only supported the measure that applied to those who met the academic qualifications and applied for legal citizenship. The measure didn't pass. Governor Huckabee stressed that any student would simply be treated as any other graduate of an Arkansas High School, and not given any special consideration.
Critics say that Governor Huckabee's motives behind opening a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock was to court illegals to come work in Arkansas.
The Mexican consulate provided Arkansas businesses with access to Mexico and opportunities to expand their markets, and would help further ensure that immigrants from Mexico are legal and better able to secure legal documentation. At the same time, the office would open up opportunities for Mexican investors to invest money with Arkansas partners, which would help create more jobs in the state.
Source: Truth Squad: Immigration Facts, Huckabee website, November 02, 2007
Mike Huckabee’s critics say he’s a tax and spend sort of guy. There’s a new video out there now showing Huckabee in this light.
It’s important to point out that while Huckabee did raise taxes as Governor of Arkansas, he also cut them quite a few times too. Clearly, Huckabee is taking hits on the tax issue. The real question is will the economic conservatives who don’t like him be able to take him down or will the social conservative grassroots types be able to lift him up?
It goes back to the three legged stool that Mitt Romney keeps talking about. Here’s what Romney says: "I believe that to win the White House that our candidate has to be somebody who can represent and speak for all three legs of the conservative stool or conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan put together – social conservatives, economic conservatives and defense conservatives."
So I ask this: Can social conservatives beat back the economic conservatives? Do we have a little in house fight brewin’? All I know is that the last time I checked Huckabee has momentum and winning Iowa is not a pipe dream anymore.
"Gov. Huckabee is a candidate that should appeal to fiscal conservatives. He has signed the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge which binds the signer to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates"; he supports the FairTax, which would abolish the IRS and replace the Internal Revenue Code with a consumption tax; he believes in free trade (that is, fair trade) and claims that "globalization, done right, done fairly, can be the equivalent of a big pay raise by allowing us to buy things more cheaply.""
"Some of us were initially duped by the white paper on Huckabee that was released by the Club for Growth. Even though CFG is slightly outside of the mainstream on conservative fiscal policies (CFG is to fiscal conservatism what the Christian Coalition is to social conservatism), we respect the organization and appreciate their valuable work. Nevertheless, we were dismayed by their report that was at times misleading, if not outright dishonest."
"We acknowledge that the Club for Growth believes that state sales taxes should never be increased to pay for such entitlements as education, Medicare, highways, and economic development. We understand that this is the reason that they oppose Gov. Huckabee’s record. But we believe that most Americans—and most conservatives—are not minarchists. We do not think the fiscal conservative bona fides of a man who cut taxes and fees almost 100 times, saving the taxpayers almost $380 million, and left a surplus of nearly $850 million should be denigrated because he took such actions as implementing a 1/8-cent sales tax hike. Although we respect the CFC, we are dismayed at the disingenuous means that the group has used to smear the Governor’s character. "
IMHO, Thompson's resume is extremely impressive, but the fact is that the words "chief executive" have seldom loomed large in his job description. To quote one Thompson supporter:
"Thompson “absolutely” makes sense as an adviser, said Don Stewart, spokesman for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “You wouldn’t put a baseball player into the football game — it wouldn’t make sense.”
And not to pile up too much on Thompson, but the disasterous campaign he has run since entering the fray certainly does nothing to assuage whatever concerns people might have had about Fred's "leadership" abilities.
Although the FredHeads have done a fantastic job of trying to help him both in terms of effort and monetary support, it is plain now in retrospect that Thompson has not repaid his votaries with a concomitant commitment for all the hard work and support which so many committed to Thompson's cause.
On the other hand, whether one likes him or not, it is simply a fact that during his tenure as a Pastor and later as a Governor, Mike Huckabee has usually been the person employed at the helm of the organization where ever he has worked.
If you want to experience a true “nanny state,” I invite all of my fellow FRs to Ohio.
Huckabee is the candidate for those that believe that a hard-line stance on abortion is the sole qualification on which to choose a President.
I hope so. I’m a Hunter supporter and I’ve been saying from the beginning that we needed Hunter if Fred stumbled when the spotlight was on him. Thompson has stumbled in a wierd way . . . he didn’t get in the spotlight at all once he declared. That Rasmussen poll is ugly. It shows a loss of 10 points, steadily draining away over the last 6 weeks for Thompson.
And it should NOT be the only issue. So much affects all of us.
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