Huckabee retreats on birthright citizenship

Washington Times ^ | January 9, 2008 | Stephen Dinan

[3AngelaD]

Mike Huckabee yesterday contradicted his own top immigration surrogate, announcing he will not support a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal aliens.

It was a stark reversal after The Washington Times reported that James Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, said Huckabee promised to pursue an amendment to the Constitution. In an article in yesterday's editions, Huckabee's spokeswoman did not challenge the former Arkansas governor's statements to Gilchrist...But by yesterday afternoon, Huckabee had backed away..."I do not support an amendment to the Constitution that would prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens. I have no intention of supporting a constitutional amendment to deny birthright citizenship," Mr. Huckabee said...

The Times reported that Gilchrist, in a conversation while campaigning with Mr. Huckabee last week, pinned down the Republican presidential candidate on various immigration stances, including how he would address what most legal scholars see as the 14th Amendment's guarantee of citizenship to any person born in the United States, except for diplomatic situations.

Gilchrist said Huckabee promised to bring a test case to the Supreme Court...and would press Congress to pass an amendment to the Constitution.... Huckabee also said on CNN that he hasn't given much thought to the issue of birthright citizenship. But he previously had taken a position in an interview with The Times in Iowa in August.

"I would support changing that. I think there is reason to revisit that, just because a person, through sheer chance of geography, happened to be physically here at the point of birth, doesn't necessarily constitute citizenship," he said at the time, according to the audiotape of the interview. "I think that's a very reasonable thing to do, to revisit that."

[LRS]

Welcome to the camp
I guess you know why you’re here
My name is Hucky
And I became a hit this year
If you want to follow me
You have to play pinball
And put in your earplugs
Put on you eyeshades
You know where to put the cork...

[NavVet]

So, Gilchrist got lied to by Huckabee for the purpose of obtaining his endorsement.

Well Mr. Gilchrist, you now have something in common with the rest of the American people.

[3AngelaD]

You should be careful with that graphic. It could trigger seizures! Don’t you have a nice pair of flaming pants you could post instead?

[sarasota]

And to think I just gave him a “mental five” for the plan just yesterday and today it’s gone.

[commish]

God I hope the evangelicals down south don't follow the Iowa morons and wise up about this spineless say anything left leaning Huckster.

He is the one candidate that will cause me to do the one thing I vowed never to do. If Huck wins the nomination I will vote third party or write in.

4 years of this Jimmy Carter Jr. would destroy Republican chances for the next 20 years. I would rather suffer the pains of Hillary or Obama, and I can't believe I can even say that.

I could hold my nose and vote for the 3 Stooges - Rudy McRomney, but never for the Huckster.

PLease please please get your head out of your Arse America and get behind Fred!

[3AngelaD]

For months I have been under the impression that neither Gilchrist nor Huckabee are ready for prime time.

[donnab]

You were reading my mind. Exactly...
Or is it I changed my mind after I changed my mind back to the way I thought when I had changed my mind.

[Mygirlsmom]

As I pointed out yesterday, he thinks we are THAT STUPID

Apparently, some of "us" are.

(Present company excluded, of course)

[EternalVigilance]

For a Marine, one who took a bullet in ‘Nam, Jim is amazingly naive. It can be an endearing quality, although quite embarrassing to him personally time and again.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

So why would I bother stopping at the polling place which is 100 yards from the path that I normally take on my way to work to vote for someone who isn’t going to help the situation?

[JohnnyZ]

Inept move by the Huckabee camp.

Personally, I support birthright citizenship.

[tortdog]

He sounded reasonable, until he didn’t.

Since I have not been here for a very long time, can anyone tell me what the FREEPERS are pushing for in percentage per candidate?

Seems like there are some Huckabee fans and Romney fans. Not many Giuiliani or McCain fans. And that Thompson is the favorite by a large percentage. Something like:

Thomson 80%
Romney/Huckabee 10%
McCain/Guiliani 5%
Who knows: 5%

Close?

[toddlintown]

Revisit this.

[Post-Neolithic]

Could be, but given the Hucksters other fabrications, talking to Bolton comes to mind, I would bet it’s just another one of many lies Huck will float.

[CindyDawg]

Maybe.....we should just ASK him about this.

[seekthetruth]

The Real Conservative! Please listen to this! See if you would change your mind! Not me!

http://newsradioword.com/Fred-Thompson-at-Stax-Omega-on-Jan—8th-—Listen-t/1446603

[lonestar]

Isn’t Gilchrest kind of a loose cannon? He may have just been shooting off his mouth.

That fits both he and the Huckster, IMO.

[Savage Beast]

I must have been taken in by the Huckster, because I didn't see this coming. But at least now I can eliminate Huckabee as a candidate I might be able to support. This narrows the field considerably. As far as I'm concerned, Huckabee is out.

[OB1kNOb]

What have I been telling everybody since the day the Huckster got into the race? He hasn’t met an illegal alien yet that he won’t kowtow to.

[VOA]

It was a stark reversal after The Washington Times reported that
James Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, said Huckabee
promised to pursue an amendment to the Constitution.

I still want to get some vials of whatever Huckabee slipped into
Jim Gilchrist's drink.

Because it would come in handy whenever you REALLY, REALLY need
to have someone accept whatever sort of Bravo Sierra is being shipped...
and still like you.