Posted on 11/26/2007 2:45:51 AM PST by gondramB
WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumers are financing both sides in the war on terror because of the actions of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Sunday.
The former Arkansas governor made the comments following what he suggested was a muted response by the Bush administration to a Saudi court's sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes for a woman who was gang raped.
"The United States has been far too involved in sort of looking the other way, not only at the atrocities of human rights and violation of women," Huckabee said on CNN's "Late Edition."
"Every time we put our credit card in the gas pump, we're paying so that the Saudis get rich - filthy, obscenely rich, and that money then ends up going to funding madrassas," schools "that train the terrorists," said Huckabee. "America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi oil. It's absurd. It's embarrassing."
Huckabee said "I would make the United States energy independent within 10 years and tell the Saudis they can keep their oil just like they can keep their sand, that we won't need either one of them."
Responding to the gang rape case in Saudi Arabia, the State Department expressed astonishment about the sentence of the Saudi court against the rape victim.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
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.
England and Norway have their own endless supplies of oil. A gallon of gas costs $8. We actually get the plurality of our oil from Canada. It’s a world commodity.
England has imported more petroleum than they exported in the last 12 months.
Total Net Petroleum Imports into Individual OECD Countries and Total OECD, Most Recent 12 Months
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/ipsr/t34.xls
He’s saying the right things to the right audience even if it is a pile.
“But it is AR taxpayer money, and people in AR demand those programs. Even Faubus was accused of excessive spending.”
That is no excuse for Huckabee continually asking the legislature to raise our taxes to fund his nanny-state programs. The “people in AR” who demanded those programs were liberals and democrats, not conservatives. We can’t stand him - he destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas.
That’s what Phyllis Schlafly. It sounds then to me that Huckabee did to the AR GOP what GWB has done to us nationally.
Yes, yes- we have to end our dependence... on sleazy politicians!
Do you know we get more oil from Saudi Arabia than we do from Texas, Alaska or the Gulf of Mexico?
Crude Oil Production by State and Area
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbblpd_m.htm
Total U.S. Crude Oil Imports From Saudi Arabia
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrimussa2m.htm
Huckabee said “I would make the United States energy independent within 10 years....”
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WOOT! FINALLY! A continuously variable adjustable draconian excise tax on diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. Someone with the balls to finally do what is necessary to manipulate this commodity market with centralized planning!
HORRAY HUCKABEE!
HORRAY HUCKABEE!
HORRAY HUCKABEE!
I wonder where this fantasy comes from that if we didn’t buy oil originating in Saudi Arabia, something beautiful would happen. Oil is a commodity and it is valued by other humans (not just Americans). If the Saudis didn’t sell the fraction of their oil specifically to Americans they’d sell that much more on that thing called “the market”, to other people. Meanwhile Americans, who would have more or less the same demand for oil, would have to buy that much more oil from others. Total supply: more or less the same. Total demand: more or less the same.
Price of oil: more or less the same. Guess what: Saudis still get rich.
So what effect exactly would it have, except perhaps a slight boost in the price of oil (and Saudis’ wealth) due to the increased inefficiency of the market?
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Yup. If America totally stopped consuming oil, Saudi Arabia would still be exporting oil and terrorism. And the US Army would still be all over the place.
Are people insane? Another Presidential candidate from Arkansas? Are we nuts?
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Correction: Hope, AK
“France now gets 80% from nuclear power while we pay $100 a barrell”
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So France has replaced all its vehicles and planes with eletric motors?
The abbreviation for Arkansas is AR, not AK. :)
I agree. Huck reminds me too much of GWB. A social conservative, but a liberal on many key issues (spending,immigration, environment). GWB has been a HUGE disappointment for conservatives, and I see the same thing with Huck. Thompson appears to be going nowhere, so I am putting my money on Romney.
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