Posted on 11/12/2007 7:05:46 PM PST by Eric Blair 2084
When it comes to describing former Arkansas Governor turned Presidential candidate there is no shortage of labels. Nanny stater, global warming alarmist, pro-life Democrat, religious leftist, open border illegal alien apologist and fiscal liberal. We can now add another description. Flip flopper.
Before pushing and ultimately signing a statewide smoker ban in Arkansas private restaurants in April of 2006, Huckabee was vehemently opposed to smoker bans.
In October of 2001, less than 2 months after the attacks of 9/11, the "public health" and sheeple/tobacco control movement responded to the call and came to the aid of their fellow Americans. Mourning the over 3,000 dead citizens, fearing an imminent repeat attack and worried over the dozens of anthrax letters being sent around the country, the "public health" community analyzed the situation and decided on a swift and forceful action plan to remedy the problem...they would ban smoking in Arkansas restaurants. That would solve everything.
There was only one thing standing in their way. A very large obstacle at the time, in the form of Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee who stymied the smoke nazis with common sense that is typically heard from conservatives and libertarians.
Responding to the anti-tobacco crusader's claims that smoking in restaurants was a public health concern in the same vain as health code violations in the kitchen, Huckabee forcefully responded.
"You can't look at a plate and tell if it's got E.coli or salmonella," Huckabee said, mentioning two common causes of food-borne illness. "You can't look at the plate and know how it was washed and under what temperature the water was heated.
"But you can walk in and say, 'Do you have a nonsmoking section?'
"If they say, 'No,' then you say, 'Thank you very much, but I'll be taking my business elsewhere.'"
Anti-tobacco was livid.
On October 26, 2001 Huckabee decided not to approve a state Board of Health proposed regulation that would have banned smoking in restaurants.
The well funded anti-smoking cartel was not pleased that the Governor didn't buy their public health nonsense.
"That's a real simple issue," Huckabee said. "One relates to the unseen issues of food preparation, where the public has no ability to ascertain cleanliness. The public is not allowed to go into the kitchen and make an inspection, so the Health Department does that on their behalf.
"The smoking issue is one in which it's part of the atmosphere of the customer, not the atmosphere of the kitchen. It's a very clear distinction to me. That's a ridiculous kind of association some have tried to make."
Of course, this was all before Huckabee survived his near death experience at the hands of that global health menace...Kentucky Fried Chicken Original Recipe.
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Huckabee lost 110 pounds and became a health activist, penning a motivational book "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork".
Good for him. Nothing wrong with getting healthy and than encouraging others to do the same. Richard Simmons made a living doing it.
The only difference is that Simmons didn't have the power of the State behind him. Politicians who use the bully pulpit to legislate and coerce their citizens into better health for the sake of saving taxpayer money on medical entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP are a dangerous breed.
Mike Huckabee used to get it. He was for it, before he was against it. Letting his personal trauma and experience impact his ability to make rational judgements makes him unfit for higher office.
Good one!
That's a bit harsh, don't you think? I think the majority of people who support smoking bans do so out of ignorance or mistaken reasoning, not out of a disregard for the fundamental principles of our country.
The state of political education in this country is so bad, and the influence of collectivist propaganda is so strong, that most people can't process the issue properly. I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe most people don't immediately comprehend the conflict between smoking bans and private property rights. For the typical smoking ban voter, it's not a matter of consciously deciding to subordinate the business owner's liberty for their own convenience. They don't even realize that someone else's liberty is at stake.
Many people who think they support a smoking ban will change their mind, once they are challenged to think through the implications of what a smoking ban means. No need to condemn them as America haters on the basis of their often-curable misconceptions.
Now, when we are talking about the dedicated, well-informed anti-smoking zealots...that's a different matter.
And with your writing skills, I know that is what you try to do. :-)
“But 3 of the NJ public serpents who voted for the smoker ban here have already been indicted.”
Justice is served.
That's a good point. Most citizens and even part time state legislators/realtors/dry cleaners have no idea what is really going on.
Not because they are stupid but because in the former's case, they are too busy trying to make ends meet and drive their kids to soccer practice to care. All they know is that smoke annoys them.
In the latter, they are woefully uninformed because there is no alternative view given to them because the impotent big tobacco companies sold their soul as part of the MSA and restaurant associations have no money. Plus they have 534 other bills to vote on.
You can reason with them and explain things. Calling them 3rd grade names like assface or buttmunch won't accomplish anything.
BTTT
FWIW I was making a joke in my previous posts about your former Governor the rest stop prowler. I can't remember his name.
Jim McGreevey. That is why when I see polls saying that Rudy is leading in NJ by 45 points, I fell off the “maybe Rudy isn’t so bad” bandwagon.
I don’t want a President that the idiot voters in this state would support by such a wide margin.
Yeah, Huckabee has got to go.
Are you saying the feather boa may reach across the Hudson? lol
feather boa. That’s a term I have never heard. Please splain.
I’m sure you’ve seen the pics of Rudy in his, er, femme attire? Those long feathery garlands are called feather boas.
“Those long feathery garlands are called feather boas.”
I had never heard that term either. Learn sumpthin every day.
The SNL skit where he dressed in drag. I don’t hold the fact that the guy has a sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously against him.
I don’t even hold his public dumping of ex wife Donna Hanover against him. If any red blooded male had ever heard one of her hysterical rants they would have run for the hills too.
I don’t hold it against him that he slept on the couch at one of his gay friends’ house just because the guy happened to like man ass. To each his own.
I draw the line at the dismembering of unborn human beings.
It's strictly politics that makes Rudy off my ballot no matter what. Anti-gun. Anti-life. Most likely pro-illegals. Pro-gay activism.
The pecking order in liberal states seems to work like this:
Politicians
Unions
Environmentalists
Liberal Media
Homosexuals
Illegal Immigrants
Criminals
Terrorists
IV Drug Users
Mentally Retarded
Transvestites
Military
Private Property Owners
Unborn Children
Christians
Gun Owners
Smokers
Taxpayers
Nice post. I’m liking you more each day.
You’ll like me even more at my big FR press conference announcing my endorsement of Fred Thompson. The media horde will be gathered and packed in. But I can probably still get you a seat.
In the meantime, if you have any contact with Fred tell him to drink some damn Red Bull or diet Pepsi max with ginseng.
The tax video where the Huckster was begging for a tax , any tax , was the icing on the cake . I don’t think even Rudy advocates tax increases like the Huckster .
I’ll be sure and tell Fred when I see him at our morning meeting at 8:00 am sharp. Oh, love your tagline by the way. You are restoring my faith in the north :)
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