Moaning and groaning about Mike Huckabee is not going to change anything. Rush Limbaughism has paralyzed the conservative movement. Instead of conservatives getting out there and running for office, they all sit back and blow bags of gas on all the candidates, while nothing changes. Why doesn’t Free Republic start putting real pressure on Rush Limbaugh, who talks a great game, to put up or shut up, and get into this race. He could easily garner the money and support needed to make a third party run. No excuses, no what if, no blah blah this or that. Just do it Rush! Then, as President, he could actually put his ideas and principles into action. If he does, I’ll support him. Quit sitting on the sidelines Rush, and get into the game! And if he doesn’t win, so what, he has laid the foundation for somebody else, or himself, to run as a Reagan conservative in the next election. Putting his imprint on the race this way, is much more effective than sitting behind a mic every day, and keeping the Reagan conservatives sound asleep.
If he isn’t going to do that, than at least he can encourage his audience to pray everyday for all the candidates, that God would lead them into making the best decisions for the country. For a guy who claims his talent is on loan from God, he sure doesn’t encourage his audience very often to ask for Divine guidance and intervention on behalf of our country, and our leaders. Instead, he keeps the conservative movement in a suspended state of the “good old Reagan days” with the docile tones of his melodic voice, while the Republican party drifts farther and farther to the godless, socialist left.
“(4) As of 2005, AR ranked 46th per capita in state and local taxes, and 49th in property tax burden”
Typical HUCKSTERISM misdirection. it’s low because Arkansas is a poor state on a per capita basis. But on a basis of the ECONOMY, Arkansas zoomed from being the 30th most taxed to the 13th most taxed under Huckabee.
It is INDISPUTABLE that Huckabee raised taxes and spending significantly as Governor. Beyond dispute. All you are left with are pathetic excuses for that bad record.
No sale.
According to the Democrat-Gazette, “the average Arkansan’s tax burden grew from $1,969 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1997, to $2,902 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, including local taxes,” a whopping tax increase of 47% under Huckabee’s tenure. Tax legislation passed while Huckabee was governor totaled “a net tax increase of $505 million, a figure adjusted for inflation and economic growth,” according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
Just because Huck talks a good talk doesn’t make this tax-and-spender a real conservative. Huckabee’s record is one of a tax-and-spend liberal.
“One of the governor’s biggest weaknesses is his record in Arkansas. While Huckabee did cut taxes during the early years of his tenure, the fact remains that he had a net tax increase under his watch, and the increase in Government size is terrifying. 21 tax increases went into effect, increasing tax revenue by almost $890 million under Governor Huckabee. These increases include the income tax, the sales tax, a cigarette tax, and a gas tax. Not only did he raise taxes, spending “more than doubled under Huckabee. “During Huckabee’s 10 years as governor, state spending more than doubled, from $6.6 billion to $16.1 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006.” There was an increase in state spending of over 65% during his tenure, and the size of the government increased by 20%. According to the Americans for Tax Reform, the states general obligation debt went up by “almost one billion dollars.” Arkansas state tax burden was at 9.8% when Bill Clinton left office in 1992. Under Huckabee, it was at 11.1%, reaching the rank of one of the top fifteen state tax burdens.”
Huck is simply NOT a fiscal conservative at all. His record on taxes is abysmal.
http://taxhikemike.org/‘
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1950905/posts?page=17#17
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/11/updated_huckabee_white_paper.php
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_010708/content/01125112.guest.html
RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, I have been thinking since this recent spate of callers from Huckabee supporters, which started about 50 minutes ago, 45 to 50 minutes ago, thought about it long and hard during the break, even been thinking about it here while doing other things opening this hour's monologue segment. I want to say to you Huckabee supporters that you've convinced me. I have been convinced. I've been convinced through the power and the brilliance of your arguments made to me here on the phone on this program, today, that Governor Huckabee is a true conservative. He is the only guy who is a true conservative, and I have concluded that I am debasing myself and the conservative cause by questioning it. As a matter of fact, Governor Huckabee was right to increase taxes by $500 million in Arkansas. Governor Huckabee was right to offer in-state tuition to illegal aliens. He was right to offer the Mexican government a consulate in Arkansas for one dollar a year. More states should show this kind of compassion. When I learned this, I said, "There's a conservative." The Mexican consulate, a dollar a year in Arkansas. He was right to release over one thousand criminals. This is conservative. He is right to oppose school choice. This is conservative. And he was right to accuse President Bush of a bunker mentality and stubbornness in dealing with our enemies. He was right in suggesting that the way to deal with Bin Laden and Zawahiri and other enemies of the United States is to implement the Golden Rule. He was right.
This is, ladies and gentlemen, the new conservatism. It is both Reaganism and post-Reaganism, postmodern Reaganism and after-modern post-Reaganism. I'm sitting here chastising myself. "How could I have missed this?" After 20 years, how could I have missed this? After 20 years it has become clear, after only eight weeks of Governor Huckabee on the scene, I now see the new conservatism: no school choice, $500 million in tax increases, Mexican consulates in states for one dollar a year, in-state tuition to illegal aliens, the new conservatism. And how could all the rest of us, the tens of millions of conservatives who have yet to even vote in these primaries, and the over 60% in Iowa who did not vote for Governor Huckabee, how could we have made such an error? I have seen the light.
ping
You might tell some of your fellow Huckabee supporters that trashing Rush Limbaugh and insinuating Hucks detractors are "Christian bashing" turns off Christians like me who do not support him.
I wont support him because he has lied and deceived just since the beginning of this election. I have heard him say that racism is part of whats driving the anti illegal push in an early debate.
I have read him say he wants to shut down Gitmo, and then when attacked for it say its because Gitmo is too good for them.
I wont go into the others but as a former minister and someone whose main appeal is that he is a Christian, using slick tactics are a turn off. He should have just stuck to his guns on taxes, foreign policy, Gitmo, Golden rule foreign policy and tuition for illegals. He still could have won because his supporters already know this but don't care.
I support Fred because he is all the things Huckabee is now trying to be yet he doesn't have to parse his answers because they are the same thing he has been saying the whole time. Mitt, Huckabee and McCain have to parse their answers and there is a reason for it. Rudy at least sticks to his guns and that alone is admirable.
Bump for later
That is funny, thanks for posting.