I think it would be a fine addition to this thread [or future threads] if we could know what the Governor’s positions were when he was running for office. i.e. how conservative is he?
I remember him as a spokesperson on television when he was running the RNC, and believe him to be conservative. But then he was defending the Republican party and not his own ideas. I used to live in Mississippi, but I didn’t live there when he ran for office.
I will look into it.
pretty much what you would assume with the exception that
a. he’s not anti-gambling as a matter of policy
and
b. he is a “rally to the party” guy so he’ll fall in line and support McCain.....but then if he has national hopes in his future he pretty much HAS to do that.
Also, he hasn’t come out boldly on illegal immigration...but he’s a smart enough politico he won’t come down wrong on that issue when he’s called out on it.
He probably would like some sort of guest worker deal, but I’m sure he’s fence/enforcment/no amnesty too...I’d be shocked if it were otherwise.
Haley Barbour on Budget & Economy -
•No New Taxes
•Control Spending
•No "Funny Money Accounting"
•Fund Teachers/Education
Source: Governor's Column Mar 9, 2004
Haley Barbour on Abortion -
• "[I support] Protecting the rights of the unborn. I am pro-life. I have been a national spokesman on this issue and will continue to be an advocate for policies which promote the sanctity of human life."
Source: Gubernatorial campaign website, haleybarbour.com, "Issues" Jan 28, 2006
Haley Barbour on Education -
•To keep our best teachers, we should increase the salaries of teachers with more than 25 years experience. My budget will.
For our beginning teachers, we need to give them more support as they learn to manage a classroom full of kids. We lose a third of our new teachers within three years. Every new teacher in our schools should have an experienced teacher serving as a mentor, and we should pay that mentor an extra $1000 for this valuable service. It is more than worth it.
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature Jan 21, 2008
•Our record funding of education is important, but the true test of our commitment to education is not how much we spend; it is the results we demand & achieve for our students. The taxpayers rightly expect us to get their money's worth for what we spend.
Reforms passed last year will help, such as giving local leaders more control over their schools. This year, I ask to expand funding an early childhood education initiative that builds on the network of private child care and Head Start centers.
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature Jan 15, 2007
Haley Barbour on Crime/Gun Control -
•"We've given our highway patrolmen record pay increases. We've passed the Castle law to make sure you can protect yourself in your home. We passed new laws to crack down on felons who commit crimes with guns. Longer, mandatory sentences for gun crimes, but the laws have no negative effect on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. I believe in criminal control, not gun control."
Source: Speech at the Neshoba County Fair Jul 26, 2007
Haley Barbour on Energy -
•"East Mississippi is healthy, but I believe there are more opportunities, and we are focused on them. The announcement of the Mississippi Power $1.3 billion coal gasification plant in Kemper County and continued strong performance on I-20 and Neshoba County show that the Meridian area is moving forward. Katrina reconstruction plus the building of a more than $1 billion Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility near Richton will fuel more job growth."
Source: 2008 State of the State address to state legislature Jan 15, 2007
Haley Barbour on Tax Reform -
•"I am against raising anybody's taxes. Mississippi already has the highest state and local taxes in the South. My old boss Ronald Reagan was right: 'To raise taxes while government is on a spending binge is only feeding the beast'"
Source: Gubernatorial campaign website, haleybarbour.com, "Issues" Jan 28, 2006
I know there are other instances, but I lack the time or memory to list them at this time. I encourage others to add to this list, and open it for discussion, as I feel that at this time, there is still no better man or woman for the job for 2012.
Haley Barbour; POTUS, 2012!
Semper Fidelis,
-Tim