Immigration: The Hottest Issue (MSM Puff Piece for Huckabee the Martyr)

Time ^ | 11/28/2007 | Joe Klein

[Brices Crossroads]

A few days after thanksgiving, I asked Mike Huckabee what had surprised him about voters over the past six months of campaigning. "The intensity of the immigration issue," he said immediately, and then added, "I honestly don't know why it's gotten so hot." Huckabee gets points for candor: most of the presidential candidates I've spoken with in recent months feel the same way but aren't about to say so. It is difficult to spend a day on the trail and not see the anger explode. [snip] When I asked Hillary Clinton about that, she said she'd noticed it too and added, "During the 1990s, I cannot remember being asked about immigration... Why? Because the economy was working... And average Americans didn't have to go around looking for someone to blame."

Huckabee, who is making gains among working-class conservatives, came to the same conclusion. "There's a lot of underlying [economic] anxiety," he told me. "People are working harder and not getting ahead. There is a disconnect between the insider establishment in the country — and in my party — and the middle class about this. There's a greater divide between the top and bottom than ever before. And worse, people on the bottom are not sure they can get out of the bottom. That's a recipe for real trouble. That's the stuff out of which revolutions are born."

Huckabee is likely to suffer for refusing to demagogue immigration. He is already in trouble for offering college scholarships to deserving children of illegal immigrants in Arkansas. "We never should grind our heel in the face of a child," he has said. But if a nativist revolt is brewing, his fellow Republicans are handing out the pitchforks.

[Brices Crossroads]

You really need to reach for your wallet when a liberallike Joe Klein of Time starts singing the praises of a Republican candidate. Notice how Huck and Hillary are both surprised by the intensity of the feeling against illegal immigration. Huck takes the "I'm better than you" appraoch by saying, "We never should grind our heel in the face of a child." Give them college tuitionon the taxpayer's dime.

He does not want to grind his heel in the face of an 18 year old illegal immigrant, but he does not mind for a second grinding that same heel in the face of a taxpaying American citizen. This is what is going to take him down. I think he knows it but he would rather have the approval of the elites. They will quickly kick Huck to the curb when he no longer serves their purposes.

Notice how Klein salms the other Republican candidates as "nativist" and praises Huckabee as enlightened, a favorite MSM technique formerly used to pump up GOP liberals, like Huckabee. No conservative should have anything to do with Huckabee.

[reasonisfaith]

Something about the Huckabee campaign smells real bad.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Mike Huckabee disses Americans, Mexicans, promotes illegal immigration: http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/005609.html

Christians Need To Beware Of Mike Huckabee:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071102.html

While Gov. of Arkansas, Huckabee was AGAINST proving citizenship in order to register to vote. He called those who were in favor of this “racists”...
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050218/news_lz1e18perkins.html

Huckabee fought hard to kill an Arkansas bill which would have cut off social services for illegal aliens. Huckabee called the bill, “anti-Christian” and “un-American”...
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html

Huckabee supported in-state tuition for illegal aliens...
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/11/News/318458.html

Huckabee’s opposition to the illegal aliens bill:
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000718.html

[Brices Crossroads]

Huckabee is a pandering liberal. He hates the GOP and is only in it because it is the prolife party. Thank God that immigration is a very important issue in Iowa and nationally. That and his tax hikes are going to be his undoing. (BTW, Sorry for the spelling errors in post 1, but I think my comment was clear enough.)

[Forgiven_Sinner]

This is probably the worst thing I’ve heard about Huckabee. First, he sounds dumb, to not realize how important immigration is to the American people. We’ve dealt with illegal immigrants in 1986 with President Reagan and in the 50’s with President Eisenhower. If a problem keeps recurring, that means it hasn’t been solved. Secondly he sounds dumber to attribute the intense feeling to economic insecurity. What about the rule of law? Doesn’t that mean anything to him? Doesn’t he think Americans want the law to be enforced? What about the fact we’re in a six year economic boom with 4.5% unemployment, low inflation and low interest rates?

My respect for him has decreased. He’s either dumb or deceived or disingenuous.

[Rudder]

First of all, their analysis of the causes for the 'intensity' of the immigration issue are wrong. The reason for this occupying center stage is because the average American has only recently discovered that the laws have not been enforced for about 20 years and that instead of a trickle of seasonal workers, USA has been flooded with millions of illegals. Lying to citizens is no way to govern.

Secondly, Huckabee is not our man for immigration issues. There are only two: Thompson and Hunter.

Thirdly, this issue is the third rail for democrats, but they must endorse amnesty or they'll lose the support of their moonbat base. If the GOP nominee takes a no-nonsense--"no-illegals" approach, the presidency is theirs for the taking.

[dano1]

IMHO, Huckabee's record on immigration is better than Giuliani's or Romney's. See the following report as an example:

Associated Press | 11/13/2007 | LIZ SIDOTI

Going after both on a salient issue in western Iowa, Romney contended that Huckabee fought for tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants in his state, while Giuliani provided tuition breaks at the City University for illegal immigrants. He said Clinton, too, backs such breaks.

"Giving a better deal to the children of illegal aliens than we give to U.S. citizens from surrounding states is simply not fair and not right," Romney told reporters during a one-day trip to the state.

In turn, Huckabee said in a phone interview with The Associated Press: "The attacks from a guy who has sanctuary cities in his state is interesting." Huckabee said he backed a bill in Arkansas — and would do so again — that gave children of illegal immigrants "the opportunity to be awarded for academic achievements" based on merit provided they were in the process of applying for citizenship.

"Why would you penalize the children for the crime of the parents?" Huckabee said.

Also responding to Romney, Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella accused him of ignoring his own record as governor while he campaigns for president. "Under Governor Mitt Romney the number of illegal immigrants skyrocketed, while he recommended millions of dollars in state aid to numerous sanctuary cities and to companies employing illegal immigrants, not to mention the illegals working on his own lawn," she said.

[Brices Crossroads]

Contrast this with the latest NYT hit piece on Thompson: “Fred’s sleepy Unconventional bid”.

Reagan always was manhandled by the MSM, Time Magazine and the New York Slimes. Huckabee gets the same treatment that Rockefeller, Giuliani and other approved brands get. It never works for them, though, because the GOP base knows that if the New York Times gives someone the kid glove treatment (like Huckabee or McCain) it means they are not conservative at all. If they slam a GOP candidate or ignore him (as they did with Reagan and are now repeating with Thompson) it means he is a conservative, and a principled one.

[Brices Crossroads]

“economic anxiety...revolution”

He loves to use class warfare terms, much like John Edwards. Not too long ago, he referred to the Club for Growth as the “Club for Greed”. This guy really does want to take your money and do with it as HE thinks best.

[Travis McGee]

Anybody wondering why the liberal MSM is shilling for the Huckster? It’s simple.

The illegal alien invasion is the ‘rat Achilles heal. Today, Hillary was BOOOOED at an event, when she said she supported “a path to citizenship” for illegals.

If Hillary or Obama run against a strong defender of the borders who is anti amnesty, the ‘rats are toast.

The MSM is fully aware of this.

The best way to “innoculate” the ‘rat nominee against an attack on this exposed flank is to run the Huckster against the ‘rat. The Huckster is so pro-illegal alien that he would nullify this topic, take it right off the table.

(And once the Huckster was nominated, the pro-’rat MSM would turn on him, and paint him as a corrupt bible-thumping Elmer Gantry preacherman.)

The MSM is promoting the Huckster today, because he’s the the one that Hillary or Obama would CRUSH.

[Brices Crossroads]

“IMHO, Huckabee’s record on immigration is better than Giuliani’s or Romney’s.”

Huckabee’s record is deplorable: open borders and taxpayer subusidies for illegals, and everyone knows it. He is worse than Romney and Giuliani both of whom are really bad. None of them is anywhere near as good as Thompson and you know it!!

[2ndDivisionVet]

The base, perhaps, but the casual voter just knows what Kati Couric and the idiots on Comedy Central tell him or her. If the MSM says you’re a sleepy, old, lazy, lecherous fart with no chance, then I guess we’ll vote for the pastor with the funny jokes...

[Brices Crossroads]

You are exactly right. The question is are there enough really naive social conservatives that can be bamboozled by the Huckster. I do not believe there are nearly enough. They can get social conservatism, pro growth economic conservatism and secure borders, all in the same package: FDT.

[padre35]

did even Rooty rent out space to the Mexican Consulate at a 1 dollar a year to create an illegal magnet?

Did even rooty slam the opponents of anmnesty as “racists”?

Sorry Dano1, no sale.

[Brices Crossroads]

The base votes in primaries and especially in caucuses. And the base never listens to perky Katie and those of us who read Time and its ilk only do so to see what the enemy is up to, not to follow their suggestions.

[reasonisfaith]

“It never works for them, though, because the GOP base knows that if the New York Times gives someone the kid glove treatment (like Huckabee or McCain) it means they are not conservative at all.”

It’s the first thing that comes to my mind when a Joe Klein or a Chris Matthews props up one of these RINO types. What a joke.

Goodbye Mike Huckabee.

[Travis McGee]

I actually read a comment by a freeper today on another Huckster thread (posted by Dane-Dano1 naturally, our house pro-illegal alien shill) who said:

"Well, in 2001, Hucklebee came to a Free Republic event and played music, so I'm for him." (Paraphrased)

I mean, if you can't trust a Music Man, who can you trust?

[Brices Crossroads]

“The partisan divide over immigration was underscored in a recent University of Iowa poll of likely caucus-goers. The survey found that two-thirds of Republicans rated immigration as either the most important or a highly important issue. Only about one-third of Democrats ranked the issue so high.”
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_7565635

This University of Iowa poll was only taken last week. The Immigration issue is hotter than a firecracker among GOP voters in Iowa. It is going to take the Huckster down...HARD.

Romney is already in free fall, which leaves one candidate to pick up the pieces....Care to guess who that is going to be?

[org.whodat]

"We never should grind our heel in the face of a child,"

Stealing money from American children and forcing American children to work for third world wages, is grinding the heel in the face of American children. The huckster has to be the dumbest one running.

[Kurt Evans]

Governor Huckabee is the only candidate of the top five who talks about what he believes instead of just what his positions are. Personally I’m more comfortable disagreeing with two or three of a candidate’s beliefs than not really knowing any of them.

President Reagan continued to become more conservative as his political career progressed. Honest men keep moving toward the truth, and I believe Governor Huckabee is an honest man.