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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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To: M203M4; honolulugal

Huck looks like he just saw a smoker in the back of the room or a fat guy with a cheeseburger. Bill looks like he just spotted some babe in the fourth row.

I need a photoshop expert to fill in for HG.

41 posted on 12/03/2007 9:44:03 PM PST by Eric Blair 2084 (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms shouldn't be a federal agency...it should be a convenience store.)
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To: Travis McGee
Sadly, I knew Tyson Foods would turn up in this somewhere. The GOP really does not need all this mess. May Huckabee’s star fizzle and may he go away soon.
42 posted on 12/03/2007 9:45:17 PM PST by Route66 (America's Main Street - - - Fred D. Thompson / Consistent Conservative...The One with Gravitas)
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To: Travis McGee; All
Laura Ingraham: Do Not Ride the Huckabee Media Wave

Listen to Laura on Huckabee.

43 posted on 12/03/2007 9:47:43 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: Travis McGee

I don’t think Huckabee will survive long, now that everyone is taking a closer look at him.


44 posted on 12/03/2007 9:50:17 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: Lancey Howard
Thanks.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

45 posted on 12/03/2007 9:52:01 PM PST by Eric Blair 2084 (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms shouldn't be a federal agency...it should be a convenience store.)
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To: Travis McGee

A pro-life, pro-gun, big government Republican, who sides with Bush43 on liberal immigration reform, moving up in the polls. Go figure.

No thanks!


46 posted on 12/03/2007 11:12:38 PM PST by Reagan Man (FUHGETTABOUTIT Rudy....... Conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: GodGunsGuts

Bookmark for after work.


47 posted on 12/04/2007 4:29:28 AM PST by Clara Lou (Thompson '08)
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To: Theo
Let’s do the Democrats’ job for them, slamming every Republican candidate.

Do you understand how primaries work?

48 posted on 12/04/2007 4:40:11 AM PST by Eaker (If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
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To: Rockitz

Good, go for it!


49 posted on 12/04/2007 5:38:00 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: SoCalPol
Especially the tuition breaks for illegals. Tyson money made from illegals means more to the Huckester than what the illegals are doing to our country.

This is litearlly a joke to him, a scam, seeing how he can flim-flam the rubes.

50 posted on 12/04/2007 5:39:18 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: M203M4

Yep, he’s the RINO version of a cross between Slick Willie and the Peanut Man.


51 posted on 12/04/2007 5:40:15 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: TheLion
"I don’t think Huckabee will survive long, now that everyone is taking a closer look at him."

I don't know. 90% of the liberal MSM is putting on the full court press for him, with under a month to Iowa.

52 posted on 12/04/2007 5:41:58 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Travis McGee
The Preacher is pontificating on Don Imus this morning.

"We should get down on our knees every night and thank God we live in a country people are still trying to break into"...

Before that, he said we need to do more to secure the Border. Spin, spin, spin.

sw

53 posted on 12/04/2007 5:56:28 AM PST by spectre (spectre's wife (It's Illegal immigration, Stupid)
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To: Dane; dano1

Hey Dane/Dano1, somehow you missed this one. Aren’t you going to stick up for your boss?

Otherwise, you are admitting the article is true, and the Huckster is a corrupt flim-flam artist.


54 posted on 12/04/2007 5:56:39 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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Comment #55 Removed by Moderator

Comment #56 Removed by Moderator

To: SUSSA

Great list, that’s a saver!


57 posted on 12/04/2007 6:40:41 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: SoConPubbie

I agree that Huckabee is wrong on many issues. Just plain wrong. But he’s a decent man — there’s no reason for any of us to call him a “huckster.” It really distresses me to see how defaming FR has become.


58 posted on 12/04/2007 8:55:30 AM PST by Theo (Global warming "scientists." Pro-evolution "scientists." They're both wrong.)
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To: TheLion

“I don’t think Huckabee will survive long, now that everyone is
taking a closer look at him.”

Just remember the old saying (from T.S. Eliot?):
“Man is an creature that can stand only so much truth.”

If truth were an antidote to the election of stinkers, Bill Clinton
wouldn’t have had a second term.


59 posted on 12/04/2007 9:00:41 AM PST by VOA
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To: Eric Blair 2084; Eaker; Travis McGee; org.whodat

Huckabee is a decent man, who is right on some important issues and extremely wrong on others.

I will not vote for him during the primaries because he is too pro-ILLEGAL immigration and is too “compassionate” with other people’s money, among other things.

But to call this decent man a “huckster” is not only childish, but wrong in itself. Such tactics will not convince any pro-Huckabee citizens to vote against him, but may actually serve to embolden them and inhibit their hearing the bad news about the man.

Can we not just present the troubling facts about Huckabee without resorting to elementary school name-calling? It’s not effective. And it’s just embarrassing.


60 posted on 12/04/2007 9:02:22 AM PST by Theo (Global warming "scientists." Pro-evolution "scientists." They're both wrong.)
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