Posted on 12/08/2007 7:34:01 AM PST by dano1
Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could ``pose a dangerous public health risk.''
As a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in 1992, Huckabee answered 229 questions submitted to him by The Associated Press. Besides a quarantine, Huckabee suggested that Hollywood celebrities fund AIDS research from their own pockets, rather than federal health agencies.
``If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague,'' Huckabee wrote.
(snip)
When asked about AIDS research in 1992, Huckabee complained that AIDS research received an unfair share of federal dollars when compared to cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
``In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified,'' Huckabee wrote. ``An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor (,) Madonna and others who are pushing for more AIDS funding be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research.''
(snip)
Since becoming a presidential candidate this year, Huckabee has supported increased federal funding for AIDS research through the National Institutes of Health.
(snip)
``What people do in the privacy of their own lives as adults is their business,'' Huckabee said. ``If they bring it into the public square and ask me as a taxpayer to support it or to endorse it, then it becomes a matter of public discussion and discourse.''
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
As of mid-1991, 38% of Americans still thought that you could get AIDS from kissing, and 29% were worried that they would get AIDS during their lifetimes. 35% said they would change their behavior by “taking more care to avoid homosexual people or those you think are homosexual or places where homosexuals meet.” 43%, FOURTY-THREE PERCENT, thought in 1989 that civil liberties should be suspended in the war on AIDS.
Of course, 89% of people thought that kids with AIDS should be allowed to attend school with other kids, and only 10% supported a quarantine, so huh, maybe Huckabee was legitimately extreme about all this.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0033-362X(199321)57%3A1%3C92%3APTAU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I
Well, you FINALLY found an area where I agree with Huckabee. Too little/too late, but...
I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea of a quaranteen. On the other hand, I am not entirely comfortable with the public being exposed to the momentary whims of those who are infected. Then there’s the problem with transmission. From what I’ve read, I get the impression that in around five percent of the cases, those who contracted the disease have no idea how they got it. They didn’t have unsafe sex. They weren’t in a group known to have an increased risk. They were just normal people who came down with the disease.
In the early days this disease was so politicised that an AIDS diagnosis was not allowed to be placed in medical charts. Hospital and medical field personel were exposed to these people unawares. Surgeons, nurses, hematologists would be working in their fields blindly.
Our government was so lax that it didn’t even have the gutts to close bath houses with a heavily weighted homosexual clientelle where sexual activity was taking place. Multiple partners was a normal aspect of this activity.
And, there are members here that think the MSM is giving Huckabee a free pass? The media is digging up everything it can about him.
Thanks for your response. You may to look at this post of mine.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936624/posts?page=43#43
I understand where you’re coming from. I appreciate the link and additional comments.
Yes, I believe he was very extreme about it. To put a public face to it, Magic Johnson announced he had HIV in 1991. It once again raised awareness of the disease. So for Huck to say this a year later was just stupid and ill-informed.
This is still true. Good for him for having the courage to say it.
Is there any disease that Huckabee doesn't believe the government should be in the business of curing?
Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could ``pose a dangerous public health risk.''Someone really wants him to get elected.
I agree with Huckabee on all three statements...it’s the elephant in the room. A lot of folks are thinking the same thing but no one has been willing to say so.
I may have to pick him as my frontrunner rather than Hunter!
Before switching your vote you may want to ask yourself just how much danger are you in from Aids. Besides, it would never ever pass constitutional muster.
Then there’s the fact that the Huckster has since chaged his position and now supports taking money from you for research.
It should be very concerning to any Republican that Huck proposes government action without bothering to understand the issue.
Most people don’t show symptoms for 9-10 years after infection. Back then, once you developed symptoms, you had very little time left to live.
Best case scenario, a quarantine does nothing (the public health damage would already be done by the time you knew a person was infected). The more likely scenario is that HIV transmission would skyrocket. With a quarantine in place, nobody in their mind would get tested for HIV.
This was all known back in 1992. Big Government Mike, though, couldn’t be bothered with doing any research before proposing more government.
If the GOP nominates Huckabee it deserves the sound and brutal thrashing it will most definitely receive in 2008. This guy is every bit the snake oil salesman Clinton was. Must be something int the Arkansas water supply.
It looks like Fred’s strategy of “take it easy and wait for everyone else in front of me to do something retarded” is paying dividends.
Once Huck’s out of the way he’s home free.
Does his strategy involve burning through staff as well? This stuff only endears Huckabee to the people Fred needs to get rolling.
Oh, it’ll impress some hur-hur “jail the queers” good-ol-boy types, but it will not help Huckabee’s chances in the general election. It’s hard to read “quarantine” as anything but “concentration camp”, and that’s how the media and the Dems will play it up.
Also, this is just another screw up beside the substantial pile of evidence that Huckabee’s the king of the big government RINOs.
The Fred thing was meant a little tongue in cheek, though. I think he’s the best other than Hunter, but Thompson really need to work on his ground game. I see his stickers everywhere here but I rarely encounter his workers.
That is Huckabee’s greatest flaw as a politician (not speaking of his positions that I disagree with). He does not do the research. It’s how he burned himself on the Dumond parole roo. Huck is like Clinton in that he manages by news cycle. Always putting out fires. He’s the opposite of a guy like Romeny who is very data oriented. The rub is Huck is pretty good at crisis management. I don’t think Fred is cut out for the top job either personality and management-style wise. Tough time to be a primary voter.
I’m not a Huckabee guy-
I think this ultimately helps him - although few will admit it.
I'm confused. I thought that AIDS was spread because Reagan didn't give a speech about not engaging in rectal sex. I had no idea it was even in the gay population. The book "The myth of heterosexual AIDS" was banned, thank God, because we are all at risk.
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