Huckabee retreats on birthright citizenship

Washington Times ^ | January 9, 2008 | Stephen Dinan

[JohnnyZ]

They can't. Enforcing the boarder means sending boarder crossers back. If they have a baby that is a citizen you either have to separate a baby from his parents, deport a US citizen who has broken no law (the baby) or you have to give the parents 'preferential' treatment by not deporting them.

False.

You deport the parents.

I guess they could leave the baby in the US, perhaps with relatives, but most likely they take it back with them.

Don't give me this nonsense about the government breaking up families. You sound like a liberal shill when you go down that path.

[Def Conservative]

Um...he has two conservative positions...oh maybe three, God, Guns and Gays.

The Fairtax is all smoke and mirrors, since he knows it will not happen. Pretty good move by Huck, so when the constitutional amendment fails, he can say “Well shucks, I tried...now I can raise taxes just like I did in Arkansas”

[Def Conservative]

Tell me about it! They bring their kids to participate in an illegal activity and yet WE’RE breaking up their kids.

Many people who commit crimes are parents and they are locked up...nobody says the government is breaking up their families. Why do we feel more sympathy for foreign law breakers than our own citizens.

[nicmarlo]

Perhaps it has...I just read yesterday that Obama takes his earring off when at conservative functions, btw.

Guess he figures that won’t sell, lol.

[unspun]

I truly do not find that these statements by Huckabee, from the article are mutually exclusive. I do think that in presidential politics, they are a bit too glib, too "off the cuff." But being overly candid about one's considerations and thought processes is hardly to be equated with being dishonest:

"If the Supreme Court chooses to review lower-court decisions regarding the 14th Amendment, that is their prerogative, but my priorities for constitutional amendments are to protect human life and traditional marriage," he said in the statement.

Mr. 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 on his campaign bus 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."

From these statements it may be found that Huckabee questions the anchor baby interpretation of the Constitution and would be pleased that it be "revisited," though he does not want the focus of Constitutional amendment to be taken away from the Human Life Amendment and the Marriage Amendment.

Keep in mind that yesterday's article was not the testimony of Huckabee.

[gubamyster]

ping

[unspun]

Um...he has two conservative positions...oh maybe three, God, Guns and Gays.

MIKE HUCKABEE

- Pro-LIFE
- Pro-1st Amendment
- Pro-2nd Amendment
- Pro-10th Amendment
- Pro-Sovereignty, Anti-Globalist
- Pro-Israel (no to land giveaways)
- Pro-Marriage
- Pro-Overwhelming Defense
- Pro-Border Security & Immigration Enforcement
- Small Government Fiscal Conservative
- Pro-American Business
- Pro-Opportunity
- Pro-Wage Earner
- Pro-Tax Reform
- Pro-Personal Investment
- Pro-Individual Healthcare Empowerment
- Pro-Private/Home Education

On the issues, it would be shameful not to back him up vs. McCain.

[nicmarlo]

No, it wasn’t his testimony. OTOH, I have read where he does, indeed, support illegals/amnesty.

I am gravely concerned about that (among a few other things) concerning Huckabee.....ending up as president.

I cannot vote for someone merely because they claim to have conservative positions or are a Christian (Bush did so and has proven anything but in many areas, imho).

[ZULU]

“..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. “

????????????????????????????

Pretty sweeping statement considering it was addressed to ex-slaves. Maybe illegal invaders working in the U.S. are treated like slaves, but that’s not our fault. Get them out - all of them!!

[unspun]

It would be cutting off one's arm, to campaign for border security as Huckabee has -- and to even espouse sending all illegals back, then sending them to "the end of the line," and then reverse that when President.

It would also be, for a cynical President, unnecessary to reverse.

[barryg]

The whole idea of repealing parts of the 14th Amendment were ludicrous. It could never happen in a political sense.

By the way, Mike Huckabee will be on the Colbert Report tonight on Comedy Central.

[unspun]

I could see Huckabee, in my crystal ball, compromising by retreating to Fred Thompson’s position, however. ;-`

[happinesswithoutpeace]

bmarking for later. Thanks : )

[Def Conservative]

I’d rather trust his history than that list...thanks though ;)

[nicmarlo]

I agree with what Tom Tancredo has said all along.

You deport illegals when arrested, ALL of them.
You make it unpleasant for employers to hire them, quickly, ALL of them.
You get information to employers, quickly, as to who of their employees does not have proper identification.

In other words, enforce existing laws and it will cause illegals to leave on their own accord (as it now happening in Arizona).

You don’t instruct ICE to ignore illegals who are arrested because “they aren’t committing” some other crime than “merely being here illegally.”

You don’t reward them, either, for being here, and have taxpayers foot their welfare, housing, education, medical costs, and never-ending incarcerations.

It’s not an either or proposition. It’s “enforce existing immigration laws” and ensure that funding is there to do so. Of course, this may mean that less money is sent to fund silly programs, the UN, or other anti-American activities.

[nicmarlo]

The whole idea of repealing parts of the 14th Amendment were ludicrous. It could never happen in a political sense.

I completely agree with repealing it/fixing it so that anchor babies do not get citizenship; but I don't see that happening, there's too many traitors in Congress.

[nicmarlo]

Well, I’ve never stated that I am a Fred supporter (quite the contrary, actually). I am leaning to Hunter, myself. I think, overall, he is the most consistently proven conservative.

If at least half the people who claim they’d vote for him but he’s not electable would vote for him because he’s a conservative, you’d likely see Hunter in the top tier of candidates....

[Politicalmom]

Don’t ping me to your disingenuous justifications of Huckabee’s lies.

[unspun]

It may be unfair, but I wish Duncan Hunter exhibited much more of the basic polical ability to appeal, doggone it.

And on that note, I’m going to walk the dog and do some profitable work.

Thanks for sharing your barrel, blessin’s.

[Politicalmom]

I would vote for McCain if I had to, in order to keep the Huckster out of the Presidency.

And I think McCain’s crazy.