Posted on 11/16/2007 11:50:48 AM PST by dano1
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, despite heavy spending and intensive campaigning, finds himself in a tightening race in Iowa with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, forcing Romney to aggressively confront an opponent with far less money and organizational backing who was far back in the polls a few weeks ago.
(snip)
Seven weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses, a New York Times/CBS News Poll published Wednesday had Romney capturing support from 27 percent of likely Republican voters in Iowa - and Huckabee within striking range at 21 percent. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was third with 15 percent, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson had 9 percent, and Arizona Sen. John McCain and Texas Rep. Ron Paul had 4 percent each.
As recently as September, Huckabee was in the single digits.
"It happened," a memo from the Huckabee campaign said Wednesday. "We broke 20% in Iowa, which pulled us to within 6% of Governor Romney!"
Huckabee has been staking much of his campaign on Iowa, hoping that a win in caucuses there, the first nomination votes of 2008, will vault his relatively shoestring candidacy to prominence in delegate-rich states. Romney has invested heavily in Iowa as part of his strategy to capture the early-voting states.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The battle for who cleans up after the convention.
| Giuliani | 29 % |
| Huckabee | 12 % |
| Romney | 12 % |
| Thompson | 12 % |
| McCain | 10 % |
- Sales Tax, 1996 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
- Gas and Diesel Fuel Taxes, 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 04/02/99, 04/25/99)
- Sales Tax, 2000 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/25/02)
- Cigarette Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 04/02/01)
- Nursing Home Bed Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
- Sales Tax, 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/15/02)
- Income Surcharge Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
- Tobacco Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
- Internet Taxes, 2004 (Bond Buyer, 02/24/04)
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005
By Wesley Brown
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.
"I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families ...," Huckabee said as the largely Hispanic audience gave him a standing ovation.
Huckabee was the keynote speaker, along with Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman and CEO John Tyson, at a noon luncheon of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is holding its 76th annual convention in Little Rock.
About 10,000 political, community and business leaders, along with exhibitors and speakers are in Little Rock attending the convention at the Statehouse Convention Center. The convention started Monday and runs through Saturday.
Although he never actually talked about the U.S. or Arkansas immigration policy, Huckabee made it very clear where he stood on the issue. In his opening remarks, he said the nation will need to address the concerns of the Hispanic community because of its growing influence and population base.
He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state's capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. "Your gathering is so very significant for our state," Huckabee said. "We are delighted to have you."
Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."
"This is an issue that is going to require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border, particularly those coming from Mexico," Huckabee said of verifying the status of illegal aliens. "But I am confident that our government will recognize that we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families (and) employers so that we can make sure our economy has the necessary work force."
During the legislation session, Huckabee criticized an immigration bill by Republican senators Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life. Senate Bill 206, which died in the Senate, would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and also force state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later to Huckabee's comments that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.
Taxes
______
Is Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee a Pro-Growth, Economic Conservative?
The Club for Growth is committed to lower taxes across the board. Lower taxes on work, savings, and investments lead to greater levels of these activities, thus encouraging greater economic growth.
Governor Huckabee touts himself as an economic conservative, writing in his biography that he “pushed through the Arkansas legislature the first major, broad-based tax cuts in state history” and “led efforts to establish a Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” early on as governor (Arkansas Times 09/22/05), but he only offers a small piece of the picture.
It is true that Governor Huckabee fought for an $80 million tax cut package in 1997 that was passed by the Arkansas legislature (Cato Policy
Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98); cut the state capital gains tax in 1999 (The Commercial Appeal 02/29/99); and passed the Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights in the same year, limiting the increase in property taxes to 10% a year for individuals and 5% per taxing unit (AP 03/16/99). However, his record over the rest of his ten-year tenure tells a starkly different story.
Immediately upon taking office, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike in 1996 to fund the Games and Fishing Commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).
He supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
He publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 08/30/02).
He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline (1999), cigarettes (2003) (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07), and a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Arkansas New Bureau 03/01/01).
He proposed another sales take hike in 2002 to fund education improvements (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).
He opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).
In 2004, he allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).
By the end of his ten-year tenure, Governor Huckabee was responsible for a 37% higher sales tax in Arkansas, 16% higher motor fuel taxes, and 103% higher cigarette taxes according to Americans for Tax Reform (01/07/07), garnering a lifetime grade of D from the free-market Cato Institute. During Huckabee’s tenure as governor, the average Arkansan’s tax burden increased 47 percent, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
While he is on record supporting making the Bush tax cuts permanent, he joined Democrats in criticizing the Republican Party for tilting its tax policies “toward the people at the top end of the economic scale” (Washington Examiner 09/13/06), even though objective evidence demonstrates that the Bush tax cuts have actually shifted the tax burden to higher income taxpayers.
Finally, Governor Huckabee opposed further tax cuts at a 2005 gathering of Iowa conservatives (AP 09/17/05). On January 28, 2007, Governor Huckabee refused to pledge not to raise taxes if elected President, first on Meet the Press and then at the National Review Conservative Summit. The evidence suggests that his commitment to protecting taxpayers evidenced in his early gubernatorial years may be a thing of the past.
Spending
The Club for Growth is committed to reducing government spending. Less spending enhances economic growth by enabling lower taxes and diminishing the economically inefficient political allocation of resources.
Under Governor Huckabee’s watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3% from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
The number of state government workers rose 20% during his tenure (Arkansas Leader 04/15/06), and the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion, according to Americans for Tax Reform.
The massive increase in government spending is due in part to the number of new programs and expansion of already existing programs initiated by Governor Huckabee, including ARKids First, a multimillion-dollar government program to provide health coverage for thousands
of Arkansas’ children (Arkansas News Bureau 04/13/06).
These large increases in government borrowing and spending significantly impede economic growth.
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php
*******
Immigration
_________
Fact #1 As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee denounced an immigration bill (Arkansas Senate Bill 206) that “would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and would have required state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally.”
(Doug Thompson, “Immigration Bill un-christian..governor says”Arkansas News Bureau 1/28/05)
Fact #2. As Governor, Mike Huckabee offered a proposal to give state funded scholarships and state benefits to illegal aliens.
(Laura Kellams, “Huckabee Plan would give aid to illegal aliens” Arkansas Democrat Gazette 1/12/2005)
Fact #3. Governor Huckabee supported a Bush-backed immigration plan that provides a path to citizenship for some illegal aliens.
(CNN 2008 Election Center, http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates/mike.huckabee.html)
Fact #4. Governor Huckabee refuses to sign the “No Amnesty Pledge”.
The Governor is suffering from what is called “amnesty amnesia”. It is a contagious ailment spreading rapidly through the ranks of the Republican presidential candidates.
Watch Huckabee admit to selling out our citizenship to illegal aliens. He thinks it’s not amnesty, but illegal aliens still get the grand prize: citizenship.
*
January 28, 2005 AR Gov. Mike Huckabee goes on the attack From this:
[AR] Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday heaped criticism upon immigration legislation in the Arkansas Legislature, describing it as “inflammatory . . . race-baiting and demagoguery.”
He also challenged the Christian values of its main sponsor.
Huckabee said the bill, seeking to forbid public assistance and voting rights to undocumented immigrants, “inflames those who are racist and bigots and makes them think there’s a real problem. But there’s not...”
...He singled out [Republican Sens. Jim Holt, one of the bill’s sponsors], who often talks of his strong Christian beliefs, saying, “I drink a different kind of Jesus juice. My faith says don’t make false accusations against somebody.
“In the Bible, it’s called don’t bear false witness.”
In response, Holt said he was hurt by the governor’s questioning his faith.
“I just want to uphold the law and protect the benefits that apply to citizens,” Holt said.
*
A lingering controversy over the role former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee played in establishing a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock financed by taxpayers and local businesses continues to follow the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign, even as he enjoys a surge in polls.
Critics in Arkansas contend Huckabee worked with some of the state’s most prominent and politically powerful businesses to draw illegal immigrants to the state to accept low-paying jobs.
Space in an Arkansas government facility was leased for $1 a year to the Mexican government to establish the Mexican consulate until a permanent Mexican consulate facility could be built, at the expense of Arkansas citizens and corporations.
“We wanted people to come to Arkansas and get the proper paper work and do things with a work permit and a visa. It’s so much easier to do that if you have a consulate where people can go to get proper documentation, rather than just accommodating people illegally.” -Huckabee
*****
Global Warming
____________
Former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, said he supports a mandatory cap-and-trade system to cut US greenhouse gas emissions, becoming the second Republican presidential candidate to call for a carbon market to address climate change.
*****
Nanny-stater
___________
Supports national smoking ban.
*****
Crime
_____
In his book From Hope to Higher Ground, he wrote that Three Strikes was an overraction to the permissiveness of the ‘70s:
“In the 1990s, the pendulum swung harshly back in the opposite direction and very popular policies such as “three strikes and you’re out” and “no parole provisions” were adopted.
Being tough on crime is certainly more popular than being soft, but America needs to be careful that in our attempt to stoutly enforce our laws and protect our citizens, we do not end up with a system that is based more on revenge than restoration. A revenge-based criminal justice system seeks to measure out as harsh a judgement as is possible so as to satisfy the natural inclination to get even.”
*
Huckabee’s poor judgement freed a convicted rapist from prison despite a warning from his victim that he would repeat his crime if turned loose. Soft-hearted Mike ignored the advice and persuaded the parole board to let the dangerous criminal out of prison. Less than a year later, the violent predator sexually assaulted another woman and killed her.’
*****
Huckabee and Ethics
_______________
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2007/10/29/mike-huckabee-and-ethics.html
*****
Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once “his No. 1 fan.” She was bitterly disappointed with his record. “He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal,” she says. “Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don’t be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office.”
Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. “He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles,” she says. “Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a ‘compassionate conservative’ are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.”
Memo to Mike - that's not a good thing.
Thompson needs to get his campaign in gear nationally. He’s slipped from a virtual tie for first to a 3 way tie for second.
It has been reported that Mike Huckabee supported benefits for illegals immigrants while he was Governor of Arkansas.
Governor Huckabee never supported benefits for illegal immigrants. In Arkansas, illegal immigrants do not receive welfare benefits or food stamps. Governor Huckabee has always, and will always be supportive of the laws and regulations of the country.
It has also been said that Mike Huckabee was in favor of providing college scholarships for illegal immigrants while he was Governor.
The governor only supported the measure that applied to those who met the academic qualifications and applied for legal citizenship. The measure didn't pass. Governor Huckabee stressed that any student would simply be treated as any other graduate of an Arkansas High School, and not given any special consideration.
Critics say that Governor Huckabee's motives behind opening a Mexican consulate office in Little Rock was to court illegals to come work in Arkansas.
The Mexican consulate provided Arkansas businesses with access to Mexico and opportunities to expand their markets, and would help further ensure that immigrants from Mexico are legal and better able to secure legal documentation. At the same time, the office would open up opportunities for Mexican investors to invest money with Arkansas partners, which would help create more jobs in the state.
Source: Truth Squad: Immigration Facts, Huckabee website, November 02, 2007
Mike Huckabee’s critics say he’s a tax and spend sort of guy. There’s a new video out there now showing Huckabee in this light.
It’s important to point out that while Huckabee did raise taxes as Governor of Arkansas, he also cut them quite a few times too. Clearly, Huckabee is taking hits on the tax issue. The real question is will the economic conservatives who don’t like him be able to take him down or will the social conservative grassroots types be able to lift him up?
It goes back to the three legged stool that Mitt Romney keeps talking about. Here’s what Romney says: "I believe that to win the White House that our candidate has to be somebody who can represent and speak for all three legs of the conservative stool or conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan put together – social conservatives, economic conservatives and defense conservatives."
So I ask this: Can social conservatives beat back the economic conservatives? Do we have a little in house fight brewin’? All I know is that the last time I checked Huckabee has momentum and winning Iowa is not a pipe dream anymore.
"Gov. Huckabee is a candidate that should appeal to fiscal conservatives. He has signed the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge which binds the signer to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates"; he supports the FairTax, which would abolish the IRS and replace the Internal Revenue Code with a consumption tax; he believes in free trade (that is, fair trade) and claims that "globalization, done right, done fairly, can be the equivalent of a big pay raise by allowing us to buy things more cheaply.""
"Some of us were initially duped by the white paper on Huckabee that was released by the Club for Growth. Even though CFG is slightly outside of the mainstream on conservative fiscal policies (CFG is to fiscal conservatism what the Christian Coalition is to social conservatism), we respect the organization and appreciate their valuable work. Nevertheless, we were dismayed by their report that was at times misleading, if not outright dishonest."
"We acknowledge that the Club for Growth believes that state sales taxes should never be increased to pay for such entitlements as education, Medicare, highways, and economic development. We understand that this is the reason that they oppose Gov. Huckabee’s record. But we believe that most Americans—and most conservatives—are not minarchists. We do not think the fiscal conservative bona fides of a man who cut taxes and fees almost 100 times, saving the taxpayers almost $380 million, and left a surplus of nearly $850 million should be denigrated because he took such actions as implementing a 1/8-cent sales tax hike. Although we respect the CFC, we are dismayed at the disingenuous means that the group has used to smear the Governor’s character. "
IMHO, Thompson's resume is extremely impressive, but the fact is that the words "chief executive" have seldom loomed large in his job description. To quote one Thompson supporter:
"Thompson “absolutely” makes sense as an adviser, said Don Stewart, spokesman for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “You wouldn’t put a baseball player into the football game — it wouldn’t make sense.”
And not to pile up too much on Thompson, but the disasterous campaign he has run since entering the fray certainly does nothing to assuage whatever concerns people might have had about Fred's "leadership" abilities.
Although the FredHeads have done a fantastic job of trying to help him both in terms of effort and monetary support, it is plain now in retrospect that Thompson has not repaid his votaries with a concomitant commitment for all the hard work and support which so many committed to Thompson's cause.
On the other hand, whether one likes him or not, it is simply a fact that during his tenure as a Pastor and later as a Governor, Mike Huckabee has usually been the person employed at the helm of the organization where ever he has worked.
If you want to experience a true “nanny state,” I invite all of my fellow FRs to Ohio.
Huckabee is the candidate for those that believe that a hard-line stance on abortion is the sole qualification on which to choose a President.
I hope so. I’m a Hunter supporter and I’ve been saying from the beginning that we needed Hunter if Fred stumbled when the spotlight was on him. Thompson has stumbled in a wierd way . . . he didn’t get in the spotlight at all once he declared. That Rasmussen poll is ugly. It shows a loss of 10 points, steadily draining away over the last 6 weeks for Thompson.
And it should NOT be the only issue. So much affects all of us.
Huckabee is just so liberal when it comes to government size and spending.
And LIBERAL on some SOCIAL issues, as well.
Huckabee cannot carry it on past Iowa .
MARGARET WARNER: Now, you have won all kinds of accolades as a governor, small g, as a manager. You were once named by Time magazine as one of the five top five governors in the country. Do you think that's what the American voters are looking for in a president?
MIKE HUCKABEE: I think they want somebody who really believes in something and can stand by it and articulate it, but they do want somebody who is a competent manager, a pragmatic person who understands that you're not elected to be an ideologue and stand on the steps of the Capitol and just make speeches. They want you to be able to solve real problems that touch them every day.
So being a governor is a great advantage. You've run a government. You've balanced a budget. You've had to do things for which there were measurable results. People could see: Were schools better? Were roads better? Was health care better? Did we bring more jobs than we lost? Those are measurable things that I think best prepare someone to be president.
You can keep posting stuff from his web-site all day long, every day and it still does not wipe the stain away from his whole-hearted support for the McCain-Kennedy Shamnesty Act!
I judge a man by his actions not his words.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Actions speak louder than words”?
You can keep posting stuff from his web-site all day long, every day and it still does not wipe the stain away from his whole-hearted support for the McCain-Kennedy Shamnesty Act!
I judge a man by his actions not his words.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Actions speak louder than words”?
Mike Huckabee has been my friend and strong ally for over 23 years. Long
before his involvement in politics, he was a defender of the unborn, a
promoter of character in our schools, and stalwart champion for traditional
values. In the political arena, as the Governor of Arkansas, he was
successful in fighting for those same values. His compassion for people,
his command of the issues, his faith in God, and his genuine desire to work
with people on both sides of the aisle are a rare find in the politics of
today. I believe his years of tireless service to all the people of
Arkansas and his vision for the future make Mike Huckabee an excellent
choice for President of the United States.
*The following is a list of conservative accomplishments directly outlined
by Jerry Cox during Mike huckabee¹s tenure as governor.
³1. Banning Same-Sex Marriage: Arkansas became one of the first states in
the nation to pass a state law that defines marriage as the union of a man
and a woman. Through the leadership of pro-family legislators and with the
backing of the governor and his staff, Family Council took the lead in the
successful passage of this law. Later, Family Council strengthened
Arkansas¹ pro-marriage position by securing a state constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage.
2. Banning Partial-Birth Abortions: Arkansas was one of the first states
in the nation to ban partial-birth abortions. Family Council worked for the
better part of an entire legislative session to secure passage of this
pro-life legislation. Even though this law was later struck down in federal
court, it solidified public opinion against this especially gruesome form of
abortion.
3. Reducing Unwed Births: During the years when Bill Clinton was governor
of Arkansas, Arkansas became known as a state where contraceptives were
dispensed thorough health clinics located in public schools. Governor
Huckabee established the Governor¹s Steering Committee on Abstinence
Education and asked Family Council staff attorney, Martha Adcock, to chair
the committee. Each year, this committee awards over $1 million in state
and federal funds to local groups that are teaching abstinence. State
funding for contraceptives in schools has been discontinued. For the first
time, Arkansas¹ unwed birth rate is declining.
4. Passing Covenant Marriage Legislation: Arkansas has one of the highest
divorce rates in the nation. In response to this, Arkansas became the third
state in the nation to pass a covenant marriage law. This new law enables
couples to obtain a covenant marriage license that requires pre-marriage
counseling and makes it more difficult for them to obtain a divorce.
Governor Huckabee and his staff led the effort to pass this legislation and
Family Council was pleased to assist them.
5. Informed Consent Abortion Law: Family Council and other pro-family
organizations worked 10 years to secure passage of a law requiring doctors
to inform women about the risks and alternatives to abortion and wait until
the next day before performing the abortion. Governor Huckabee testified
before legislative committees as far back as when he was lieutenant
governor. We celebrated the culmination of a ten-year struggle when
Governor Huckabee signed the bill into law in 2001.
6. Supporting Home Schooling: When Mike Huckabee became governor, Arkansas
had one of the worst home school laws in the nation. A joint effort between
the governor, Family Council, other home school leaders, and the Arkansas
Department of Education, helped secure the passage of much better home
school legislation. The number of Arkansas children enrolled in home
schooling has tripled since Mike Huckabee became governor.
7. Internet Safety in Public Schools and Libraries: Family Council and
conservative lawmakers initiated a successful effort to require public
schools to install Internet filters on their computers that are connected to
the Internet. In addition, Arkansas law requires all public libraries to
implement a policy to ensure that people are not able to access
inappropriate material on library computers. Governor Huckabee and his staff
assisted with the passage of this legislation.
8. Hosting Conferences on the Family: Recognizing the importance of strong
families, Governor Huckabee sponsored three conferences on the Family.
Family Council partnered with the governor and his staff to bring nationally
recognized experts to Arkansas to address ways to strengthen families.
9. Passage of the Fetal Protection Act: The tragic deaths of unborn
children, some just days away from safe delivery, prompted the passage of a
law that enables murder charges to be filed against anyone who assaults the
mother of an unborn child causing the death of her baby. Governor Huckabee
and his staff led the effort to pass this law and Family Council was pleased
to assist them.
10. Safe Haven Act to Protect Newborns: The deaths of abandoned newborns
motivated Family Council to address the issue through the successful passage
of legislation allowing mothers to anonymously drop off their newborn baby
at a police station or hospital rather than abandoning the child to die.
Governor Huckabee supported this legislation and signed it into law.
11. Parental Consent for Abortions: Since 1989, Arkansas doctors have been
required to notify at least one parent before performing an abortion on a
minor. In 2005, Family Council worked for the successful passage of a law
requiring parental consent before a doctor can perform an abortion on a
minor. Governor Huckabee and his staff assisted with the passage of this
legislation.
12. Covenant Marriage Celebration: In 2005, Family Council assisted the
Governor¹s office and FamilyLife in promoting a covenant marriage
celebration in Little Rock. The event was attended by over 6,000 people,
many of whom converted their marriage to a covenant marriage.
13. Banning Physician-Assisted Suicide: The legalization of
physician-assisted suicide in Oregon prompted the passage of an Arkansas law
banning the practice in our state. Family Council and our Physician¹s
Resource Council division worked with supportive legislators and the
governor¹s office to pass this law.
14. Banning Human Cloning: Arkansas became the second state in the nation
to ban the cloning of human beings, including the cloning of human embryos.
The Arkansas Physicians Resource Council division of Family Council worked
with the governor¹s office to secure passage of this legislation.
15. Affirming the Rights of the Terminally Ill: Family Council worked with
the governor and supportive legislators to enact legislation that empowers
terminally ill patients to overrule doctor¹s orders that food and water be
withheld as long as they are able to request it.
16. Choose Life License Plate: Passage of the Choose Life specialty
license plate has generated thousands of dollars for adoption agencies and
crisis pregnancy centers across the state of Arkansas. Family Council
assisted Arkansas Right to Life with the passage of this legislation.
17. Repealing Outcomes-Based Education: When Mike Huckabee became
governor, outcomes-based education was a primary emphasis with the Arkansas
Department of Education. The governor and his staff led an effort in 1997
to move Arkansas away from an outcomes-based education philosophy. This,
coupled with changes at the Arkansas Department of Education and on the
State Board of Education, moved Arkansas public schools toward a more
traditional system.
18. Stronger DWI Legislation: The Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council,
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, and Family Council worked with the governor¹s
office to secure passage of legislation that lowers the legal limit for DWI
from .10 to .08 percent blood alcohol content.
19. Good Appointments to State Boards and Commissions: The governor is
responsible for appointing citizens to serve on over 300 state boards and
commissions. These boards and commissions affect virtually every area of
life in Arkansas. Family Council has been pleased to assist the governor¹s
office by recommending qualified individuals to serve on them.
20. Endorsement of the Arkansas Marriage Amendment: When the effort to
pass a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage needed
endorsement from Arkansas leaders, Governor Mike Huckabee was the first one
to publicly voice his support. Eventually a bi-partisan group of elected
officials and ministers from across the state supported the measure.
21. Office of Family Policy: Governor Huckabee became the first governor
in the history of Arkansas to establish an Office of Family Policy. Staffed
by individuals who support traditional values, this office set a pro-family
tone for all of state government. They enabled the governor to lead the way
in passing pro-family legislation and establishing pro-family policies
throughout state government. Early on in his administration, Governor
Huckabee issued an order to all state agencies requiring them to evaluate
their policies and programs to be certain that they were doing no harm to
the family.
22. A Great Working Relationship With Family Council: One of the first
things Mike Huckabee did when be became governor of Arkansas was to
communicate to his entire cabinet and to the heads of all state agencies
that he considered Family Council to be a friend and that they were to, as
much as possible, work with me and my staff. This set the tone for a great
working relationship that enabled us to work with just about everyone in
state government.
Jerry Cox is president of the Arkansas Family Council. He served on the
Pulaski County Quorum Court and he is the past director of Unborn Child
Amendment Committee. He is a former classroom teacher. Jerry and his
family live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I agree wholeheartedly. I fear that those supporting Huck are going to prevent a good, solid conservative such as FDT from getting the nod in favor of Rudy or Romney.
And mitt permitted gay marriage and held the status quo (read rampant) on abortion..
The Huckester and MittWitt cancel each other out.
The both have no real life experience and being a Gov. of a small state means nothing in this time of our life.
We are at war with the IslamOfascist and this won’t end like the other wars. There is no middle ground.
Huckester and Mitt have no background or knowledge in Military or National Security.
Dealing with a budget or being a Gov. of only 3 million people won’t cut it where we are now.
It ain’t 1952 anymore
Bravo Sierra...
Huckabee is the candidate for those who don’t think that very important plank can be sacrificed to the alter The all powerful RudyMitt...
Will I refuse to vote for the RudyMitt republican abortion plank? yes! Will I vote for someone *only* on abortion no!
Very slowly for you
Refrain from voting because of Abortion Yes!
Vote for just because of abortion No!
I don’t care if he has done all those things two times over. He is going to get the nomination, but if he can knock the wheels out from under Romney, I am for him (In Iowa).
Fred shouldn’t have come out against the pro-life republican platform on Meet the Press. He basically lost half his support to Huckabee. The Huckster’s rise has coincided with Thompson’s fall.
Fred needs to get some energy into his campaign.
I meant to say he is “not” going to get the nomination. Fingers didn’t do a good job on the key board.
No, they don't. Huck is a pro-life liberal. Mitt is a pro-life conservative. Huck is Bush's compassionate conservativism on steroids. Huck is Hillary-lite with his talk about those who want to be tough on illegal immigration as racists and his nanny-state tax tendencies.
OK, is anyone else thinking...
Hearing the foot steps of an AR politician behind you is a truly frightening thought!
No! Huck is a pro-life liberal pretending to be a moderate. Mitt is a man willing to claim any position if it helps him win pretending to be a conservative.
When it comes to running a church, then I want one who looks first to the bible.
Wrong again.
The top academic honor at Harvard Business School is the Baker Scholar designation (High Distinction), given to the top 5% of the graduating MBA class. Mitt Romney studied under a dual MBA/JD degree program at Harvard and graduated with honors in four years with both degrees. The MBA degree and JD degree program at Harvard normally require two and three years, respectively (five years total taken consecutively). Out of Mitt Romney's 800 business school classmates and 550 law school classmates, only 15 earned degrees through the dual program.
"Prior to his Olympic service, Mitt Romney enjoyed a successful career helping businesses grow and improve their operations. From 1978 to 1984, Mr. Romney was a Vice President at Bain & Company, Inc., a leading management consulting firm. In 1984, Romney founded Bain Capital, one of the nation's most successful venture capital and investment companies. Bain Capital helped guide hundreds of companies on a successful course, including Staples, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Domino's Pizza, Sealy, Brookstone, and The Sports Authority. He was asked to return to Bain & Company as CEO several years later in order to lead a financial restructuring of the organization. Today, Bain & Company employs more than 2,000 people in 25 offices worldwide." (Mitt Romney Campaign Website | Learn About Mitt | Mitt's Biography)
Right. Do you think maybe running the Olympics without a hitch, right after 9/11, involved some coordination with the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security?
Mitt Romney managed the first Olympic Games held in a post-9/11 world just five months after the attacks. Complex and costly security measures were a major part of the challenge of turning around the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. The budget for security at the Olympic Games was $300 million for the huge international event involving 23,000 volunteers. The very successful Olympics went off without incident, and some of the security measures developed for the 2002 Games are used in other major venues today, for example, the Super Bowl. Romney turned a $379 million deficit for the Olympic Games into a $100 million profit. Romney personally contributed $1 million, and donated his three years of salary ($922,980 total) and his $476,000 severance pay to charity. That counts for something in real world management experience in the War on Terror.
Gov. Mitt Romney created the Commonwealth Fusion Center in Massachusetts to implement recommendations he made to the nation’s governors as Chair of the White House’s Homeland Security Task Force. The core mission of the Fusion Center is to facilitate critical and timely information sharing from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to municipal police, fire and emergency response agencies to assist in the identification and investigation of possible terrorist activities. (Office of Gov. Mitt Romney, "Romney Unveils Commonwealth’s Anti-Terror Fusion Center," Press Release, 5/11/2005)
Being a school boy and working in business is not real world.
Again, we are at war, We need people who have served in the Military and have backgound with National Security, Foreign affairs, and have been at these topics now.
I will not vote for Rudy or Huck. period. I do not like their stands on illegal immigration.
This party better get with the program. If we want open borders, higher taxes, illegal pandering, gay marriage. you guns grabbed, vote for one or the other of these two.
Geez, what is wrong with people?
Polls aren’t nearly as important as organization in Iowa. Ask Howard Dean. :-)
If Huckabee can pull together a real organization that can turn out caucus votes, that will be a problem, not just for Romney but for all conservatives.
• Co-chaired the National Governor’s Association Homeland Security Council
• Member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council
• Chaired the DHS’s State and Local Officials Senior Advisory Committee
• Chaired the DHS’s Homeland Security Funding Task Force • The Boston Globe and Boston Herald reported in 2004 that Romney was being considered as the next Sec. of Homeland Security
• Testified before Congress on three occasions about homeland security related issues. (1, 2, 3)
• Lectured twice at the Heritage Foundation on homeland security issues (1, 2)
• Under Romney’s direction, MA became one of only 10 states to receive the highest grade possible for disaster preparedness.
• He led MA through the worst flooding in the state in the last 70+ years, earning high marks from local and national press.
• The CDC praised Romney’s response plan in MA for the Avian Flu as a model for other states to emulate. (Matt C, "Romney Gets It On Homeland Security," Race42008.com, 5/14/2007) • (Jeff Fuller, "Romney on Homeland Security: A Leader I'd Want In Crisis," ElectRomneyIn2008.com, 7/04/2006)
What’s more important? Your preferences, or beating the Queen rat? Thompson should have kept his mouth shut.
Mitt has plenty of homeland security experience and understands the Islamic facist threat perfectly.
Abe Lincoln didn't have military experience either and he did just fine.
Talk radio host Hugh Hewitt interviewed professor of military history and noted author Victor Davis Hanson who observed Mitt Romney's ability to discuss Middle East foreign policy at length with experts at the Hoover Institution:
Hugh Hewitt: What I like is that he’s a voracious reader, not only your books, but things like The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, Mark Steyn’s America Alone. I think this is pretty rare these days, to find curiosity at that level, and at that sort of voracious appetite for information. What do you talk about with him?
Victor Davis Hanson: Well, we talk about history just like you and I talk about. We talk about foreign policy, he talked about the plan or the effort to democratize the Middle East, the shortfalls, the problems, the liabilities, and you know what? He [Gov. Romney] came to the Hoover Institution and got in front of 40 senior fellows. And in that room there were Nobel Prize winners, a lot of egos, too. And he held court with them, and there were a lot of hostile questions, and he went for an hour and a half, head to head, with these people. When he walked out of that room, I think everybody was impressed with him. He didn’t pull any punches, and he could argue and was as logical as any Hoover fellow, and I was more impressed with him than I was with my colleagues. (The Hugh Hewitt Show, 3/13/2007)
In the four balanced budgets he signed into law, Governor Romney used the line-item veto or program reduction power to cut spending by nearly $1 Billion. Over the course of four budgets, Governor Romney made over 300 line-item reductions, 350 line-item eliminations and struck language 150 times.
4 years ago --- before the illegals marched in our streets --- Romney opposed a bill that would have allowed illegal aliens to get driver’s licenses. "Those who are here illegally should not receive tacit support from our government that gives an indication of legitimacy," the governor said. (Scott S. Greenberger, "Romney Stand Dims Chances Of License For Undocumented," The Boston Globe, 10/28/03)
Romney vetoed a bill in 2004 that would have permitted illegal aliens to pay the same in-state tuition rate paid by citizens at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.
Romney vetoed the bill providing state funding for human embryonic stem cell research
Romney vetoed a bill that provided for the "morning after pill" without a prescription because it is an abortifacient and would have been available to minors without parental notification and consent
He vetoed legislation which would have redefined Massachusetts longstanding definition of the beginning of human life from fertilization to implantation
Governor Romney strongly supported a successful ballot initiative that replaced the state's bilingual program with English immersion. (Romney Vows to Protect English Immersion Law, May 1, 2003)
Governor Romney demonstrated his commitment to school-choice by vetoing a bill that would have canceled funding for Massachusetts' charter-school program. (Romney to Veto Charter School Moratorium, June 23, 2004)
He supported parental notification laws and opposed efforts to weaken parental involvement
He fought to promote abstinence education in public school classrooms with a program offered by faith-based Boston group Healthy Futures to middle school students.
In the four balanced budgets he signed into law, Governor Romney used the line-item veto or program reduction power to cut spending by nearly $1 Billion. Over the course of four budgets, Governor Romney made over 300 line-item reductions, 350 line-item eliminations and struck language 150 times
Gov. Romney was instrumental in passing a bill abolishing a retroactive capital gains tax in the state that would have forced nearly 50,000 taxpayers to pay an additional $200 million in state taxes and fees
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