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.
He's really coming back with those 76 trombones. Honest.
No way is the Huckster a flim-flam artist.
Hey Dane/Dano1,
How do you explain this?
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.
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.
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.
F all the Republicans. Right? Let’s do the Democrats’ job for them, slamming every Republican candidate. They’re all worse than Hillary.
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...
The two biggest weakness of President Bush... (open borders and SPENDING) Mr. Huckabee is the same if not worse.
An Arkansas tradition, it would seem.
Yes, we should. But we have to do it legally. The line forms on the other side of The Wall.
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.
Huck’s a loony...lost in the ozone
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?
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?
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.
Sounds like another former Arkansas resident of note.
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,
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.
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