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"Meet The Huckster"
San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | Dec 3, 2007 | UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL

Posted on 12/03/2007 8:01:39 PM PST by Travis McGee

GOP candidate makes Núñez look saintly

December 3, 2007

Nearly two years into history's longest presidential campaign, Americans have already heard a bit about the pros and a lot about the cons of all the major candidates. On the Republican side, the desperate attempts of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to redefine themselves as social conservatives are old news. So are concerns about Arizona Sen. John McCain's age and temperament, and about former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson's phlegmatic campaign style.

So when the spotlight finally settled on a fresh face – Mike Huckabee, an affable, successful former Arkansas governor without a penchant for flip-flopping – no wonder he zoomed up the polls.

Unfortunately for Huckabee, the positive first impression he often makes fades when you learn more about him. He may have been a solid steward in his 14 years as lieutenant governor and governor in Arkansas. But he also showed an enthusiasm for parlaying his public office into a cushy lifestyle that makes Fabian NÚñez, California's similarly inclined Assembly speaker, look like a Boy Scout.

Over the years, Huckabee has:

Used campaign funds to pay himself $14,000 for being his own media consultant.

Used campaign funds to pay himself $43,000 for use of his private plane while attempting to hide what the payment was actually in return for.

Used an account set up to cover operational costs of the governor's mansion to pay such obviously personal expenses as fast-food and dry-cleaning bills.

Set up a nonprofit organization that paid him $23,500 without disclosing the source of the money.

Attempted to take $70,000 of furniture with him when moving out of the governor's mansion.

Took more than 130 gifts worth more than $300,000 – while suing to overturn a law that made him disclose the gifts.

We could go on in this vein, but space is limited. The bottom line: Mike Huckabee has an awful lot of explaining to do. And neither voters nor the national media should let the man Arkansas journalists call the “Huckster” get away with pretending that tough questions over his tawdry ethics record amount to mudslinging.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; huckabee; huckster; illegalimmigration
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1 posted on 12/03/2007 8:01:39 PM PST by Travis McGee
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To: Fred; 2ndDivisionVet; dennisw
If you can't trust The Music Man, who can you trust?

He's really coming back with those 76 trombones. Honest.

No way is the Huckster a flim-flam artist.

2 posted on 12/03/2007 8:04:41 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Travis McGee; Dane; dano1

Hey Dane/Dano1,

How do you explain this?


3 posted on 12/03/2007 8:07:09 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: Travis McGee
Another achilles heel the MSM will exploit, after they promote him and (they hope) get him nominated by naive Republicans:

The Huckster interceded on behalf of a rapist, and had him paroled. (He really believed the guy had been reformed.) The guy was sprung from prison, and murdered a woman.

www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer

4 posted on 12/03/2007 8:08:31 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: SoConPubbie
Let's not forget how he feels about the illegal alien invasion:

"Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter.

Huckabee promotes 'open door' policy at LULAC convention

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.

"Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter.

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.

5 posted on 12/03/2007 8:10:04 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Travis McGee

F all the Republicans. Right? Let’s do the Democrats’ job for them, slamming every Republican candidate. They’re all worse than Hillary.


6 posted on 12/03/2007 8:10:54 PM PST by Theo (Global warming "scientists." Pro-evolution "scientists." They're both wrong.)
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To: Travis McGee

I think y’all miss the point.

HE’S A CHRISTIAN, AND NO ONE ELSE IS!

Or at least, that seems to be what he is saying...

Pity Fred didn’t include a Jimmy Carter clip the other night...


7 posted on 12/03/2007 8:12:59 PM PST by Mr Rogers (Mitt is the Kama Sutra of Republican politics. Huckabee is Sandra Day O'Connor.)
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To: Travis McGee

The two biggest weakness of President Bush... (open borders and SPENDING) Mr. Huckabee is the same if not worse.


8 posted on 12/03/2007 8:16:36 PM PST by jan in Colorado (“we need to move away from the Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party” -- Duncan Hunter June 5,2007)
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To: Travis McGee
Attempted to take $70,000 of furniture with him when moving out of the governor's mansion.

An Arkansas tradition, it would seem.

9 posted on 12/03/2007 8:17:05 PM PST by EternalVigilance (Democrats: "Government is god, and Hillary is its prophet....")
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: Travis McGee
...we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families

Yes, we should. But we have to do it legally. The line forms on the other side of The Wall.

11 posted on 12/03/2007 8:20:20 PM PST by Sender (You are the weapon. What you hold in your hand is just a tool.)
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To: Travis McGee

While I always take a statement by Jerome Corsi with a Cadillac-sized grain of salt, his aren’t the first statements I’ve heard in this regard, and he HIMSELF admitted that he supported scholarships for illegals.


12 posted on 12/03/2007 8:22:03 PM PST by RockinRight (Huck supporters OPEN YOUR EYES. Socialism isn't compatible with social conservatism in the long run.)
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To: Travis McGee

Huck’s a loony...lost in the ozone


13 posted on 12/03/2007 8:23:51 PM PST by dennisw (Islam - "a transnational association of dangerous lunatics")
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To: Theo
F all the Republicans. Right? Let’s do the Democrats’ job for them, slamming every Republican candidate. They’re all worse than Hillary.

Hey Theo, grow up.

If the Huckster did not want his record scrutinized, he should never have joined the race.

More importantly, he should not lie about his record as he has, proclaiming himself to be a fiscal conservative, when he is not.

Proclaiming himself to be against illegal immigration, when his record says something else.

And worst of all, using Christianity as a foil to try and bamboozle the least informed amoung our party to vote for him, especially when he lies about his past and does the things mentioned in this article.
14 posted on 12/03/2007 8:23:57 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: Travis McGee

Listen — I don’t agree with many of Huckabee’s stances. I bristle at his coddling of ILLEGAL immigrants. But it’s just plain silly to resort to calling him names. Why can we not merely discuss the issues?


15 posted on 12/03/2007 8:27:49 PM PST by Theo (Global warming "scientists." Pro-evolution "scientists." They're both wrong.)
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To: SoConPubbie

I’ll say the same thing to you — I don’t agree with many of Huckabee’s stances. And I bristle at his coddling of ILLEGAL immigrants. But it’s just plain silly to resort to calling him names. Why can we not merely discuss the issues?


16 posted on 12/03/2007 8:28:22 PM PST by Theo (Global warming "scientists." Pro-evolution "scientists." They're both wrong.)
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To: Theo

Well, subtract out the referring to him as the Huckster and you have the issues.

Everything on this thread said about him is the historical truth.

Nothing was made up, nothing was spun, just the facts.


17 posted on 12/03/2007 8:31:28 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: Travis McGee; dano1; Dane; Kurt Evans
Sorry, but “pastor” and “major ethical issues” don’t belong in the same sentence. We all might expect a lot less from other candidates who have professions with stereotypically lesser moral pedigree, but when the Huckster plays the pastor card and has these major ethical issues hanging over his head, he loses me and hopefully every other God-fearing Christian in this country. The Huckster is about to drop into oblivion like Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and Ted Haggard.
18 posted on 12/03/2007 8:36:36 PM PST by Rockitz (This isn't rocket science- Follow the money and you'll find the truth.)
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To: Travis McGee

Sounds like another former Arkansas resident of note.


19 posted on 12/03/2007 8:38:15 PM PST by gpapa
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To: Theo
Nope, I have this "thing" about Quisling traitors. I call them out at every chance.

In addition, Corsi also exposed the fact that Mike Huckabee worked with Mexican President Vicente Fox to help provide cheap Mexican labor for Tyson Foods and other large Arkansas corporations. According to Corsi, "Trevino confirmed he was state director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also known as LULAC, an activist group strongly advocating for the rights of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., when on Oct. 3, 2003, he accompanied Huckabee in a state airplane to visit [President Vicente] Fox in Mexico."

Where does a governor get off conducting foreign policy in private, to make his state the preferred beachhead for the illegal alien invasion?

U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,

and shall protect each of them against Invasion;"


Invasion: \In*va"sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster]

1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.

QUISLING: a synonym for traitor, someone who collaborates with the invaders of his country.

20 posted on 12/03/2007 8:38:24 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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