It’s not straight talk, its double talk. Mike Huckabee increased spending and taxes massively while governor. He created new welfare programs, and begged for taxes to be raised:
http://taxhikemike.pjdoland.com/2007/11/huckabees_profound_thanks_for.html
This is a CORE issue of fiscal responsibility, and Mike Huckabee flunked it. No self-respecting conservative can support that tax-and-spend record. He was ranked 45th out of 50, worse even than all but the most tax-and-spend liberal Democrats.
These are the tax hikes Mike Huckabee passed:
http://taxhikemike.org/
Huckabee’s Laundry List of Tax Hikes
* Signed a sales tax hike in 1996 (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).
* Supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Reuters, 02/23/04).
* Publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/11/02).
* Signed a gas tax in 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 06/29/99)
* Signed cigarette tax hike in 2003 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07)
* Signed a bed tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Associated Press 06/29/01).
* Proposed a sales take hike in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).
* Opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).
* Allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law in 2004 (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).
Unfunded mandates
Court order per education taxes
Democrat legislature
Balanced budgets
Left a surplus allowing tax cutting
Arkansas record similar to Reagan’s Calilfornia record
The video tell me nothing...out of context. I will be looking into his rationale for what he did taxwise in Arkansas. However I will keep in mind and so should you that he found the state in the toilet after years of being used as a private cesspool by the clintonoids.