Holt to run for Arkansas senator? (Goodbye, Blanche)

A seventh Republican may soon announce his intention to compete for a chance to unseat unpopular incumbent Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas next year.

A Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll finds that only 43 percent of Arkansans view Senator Blanche Lincoln's performance favorably, while 49 percent deem it unfavorable. Her support among Democrats stands at 66 percent and has dropped among Independents to 39 percent.

She has been facing criticism from both the right and the left. Conservatives dislike her support of a greater government role in healthcare and her votes in favor of federal bailouts of private industry, while liberals are angry that she will not back a public health insurance option. Although Lincoln has said she will not support a public option, she has voiced approval for a bill in the Senate Finance Committee that would permanently expand Medicaid.

Jim Holt (R-Ark)Former State Senator Jim Holt ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Blanche Lincoln in 2004, and is once again considering a bid to unseat her. Holt believes Lincoln's approval rating is low because voters in Arkansas have a greater awareness of Lincoln's positions now than they did in 2004.

"I would tell people that Bill Clinton was one of the best things that ever happened to the Republican Party because people became aware of what was going on in their government, and I think the same thing is happening now, and so for that we're really grateful," he says.

The below is an email that Gary Bauer sent to supporters:

To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families

Date: Monday, December 3, 2007

You Be The Judge!

As Mike Huckabee continues to improve in the polls, his positions on the issues are coming under greater scrutiny. Over the last week, a heated debate has broken out between Huckabee and many of the other candidates over the immigration issue, and particularly the question of providing benefits to the children of illegal immigrants.

On Friday, many of the leading groups fighting illegal immigration blasted Huckabee for his position on the issue. While Governor Huckabee now says he is against amnesty and for secure borders, he continues to raise eyebrows with his defense of scholarships and other taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens.

Since the illegal immigration debate will continue to be a big part of the 2008 campaign, and no doubt a key item on the legislative agenda in 2009, as it has been in Congress for the past few years, I want to get your take on the controversy.

The Facts

When he was governor of Arkansas, Huckabee supported legislation allowing illegal immigrants who had attended Arkansas high schools to participate in a scholarship program to attend college. Huckabee lost that debate, and the bill failed. He also strongly opposed an effort by state Senator Jim Holt, also an ordained Southern Baptist minister, to end taxpayer subsidies for illegal immigrants in Arkansas and to require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Huckabee denounced Holt’s legislation as “race baiting” and “demagoguery.”

Huckabee’s Argument

Governor Huckabee strongly defends the positions he took as governor on aid to illegals. He argues that denying illegal immigrant students scholarship money would be punishing children for what their parents have done. He says, “my soul will not let me” do that. On ABC News this weekend, when he was asked whether or not he would support federal scholarships for illegal immigrant students, Huckabee said, “I’m not sure…”

Senate Democrats recently proposed the “DREAM Act,” which would have allowed illegal aliens to receive taxpayer subsidized in-state college tuition rates that out-of-state American citizens cannot get. The “DREAM Act,” like other recent immigration “reform” efforts, failed to pass due to overwhelming public outrage.

One year ago, Huckabee compared America’s response to illegal immigration to slavery by remarking, “One of the great challenges facing us is that we do not commit the same mistakes with our growing Hispanic population that we did with African Americans 150 years ago… I think, frankly, the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before.”

The Critics’ Response

Critics of Huckabee’s positions point out that many illegal immigrants are entering the U.S. because they want to get benefits for their children.

Increasing those benefits, such as college scholarships, would serve as a magnet for illegal immigrants. Since scholarship money is always limited, every scholarship that is given to an illegal immigrant student is a scholarship that is taken away from an American citizen.

In addition, they point out that while it is a Christian responsibility to help the poor, it is not Christian to take someone else’s money through the power of Big Government to redistribute it to the disadvantaged.

Huckabee’s critics also say that comparing slavery to illegal immigration is a complete distortion. Finally, they reject Huckabee’s argument that children shouldn’t be punished for their parents’ actions. Children do get hurt when their parents are punished, including when a parent is imprisoned for criminal behavior.

My Take

I think the critics are closer to the truth in this debate. I believe any Republican presidential nominee who has a soft record on illegal immigration will have a hard time distinguishing themselves from Hillary Clinton, who, as you know, is tripping over herself to avoid appearing to be soft on illegal immigration. What do you think?

Please address the issue I have presented. I have accurately described the two sides of the debate, so I am not sympathetic to the idea that simply posing the question is somehow anti-Huckabee.

Rather this is part of an ongoing debate we need to have in order to understand what the conservative position on immigration “reform” is and to ensure that we have a clear conservative nominee in 2008. This issue cuts across party lines and many Americans - Republicans, Democrats, Independents - were outraged by the repeated efforts of politicians in both parties to push comprehensive immigration reform.

Thanks to Mike Huckabee...Holt lost.

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