9th Republican Debate

MODERATOR: The next question is for Governor Romney. The same thing: Why has the Hispanic support for Republicans declined?

ROMNEY: You know, I think Republicans went to Washington with the expectations of the whole world that we would change Washington.

And in many respects, as has been said by many people, Washington changed Republicans. And when Republicans act like Democrats, America

loses.

Republicans spent too much money, and we let down our ethical standards. And so, Hispanics, along with other people in this

country, want to see change. I (inaudible) the Republican Party can connect with Hispanic

voters, like other Americans, because there are some peculiar connections between our party and the Hispanic people.

One, Hispanic Americans serve in the military and care about our military. We salute them for their service right now. And we'll

strengthen the military. If I'm president, I'm going to add at least 100,000 troops to our military.

Secondly, Hispanic Americans are entrepreneurs and business people. And I know how to build our economy. I'm going to keep our

taxes down and make sure that our economy grows and thrives.

ROMNEY: And, third, Hispanic Americans are family-oriented and people of faith. I'm going to strengthen America's families. And so

my platform, this Republican platform, connects with Spanish -- Hispanic Americans from across the country.

(APPLAUSE)

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, (inaudible) to be here and (inaudible). Do you think that you're taking a risk to come here to

lose support from the more conservative base in your party?

ROMNEY: I don't think so at all. I think Americans across the country of all ethnicities recognize that we are a great, pluralistic society. That statue you have on the screen behind us, that light that shine out for the entire world said, "This is an unusual land. This is a land that welcomes people of all backgrounds, of all ethnicities, of all nations; welcomes them here to this great land."

(APPLAUSE)

And she said that God gave to the individual certain inalienable rights. And that changed the relationship between the state and the citizen.

It said that the citizen was the sovereign and the state was not. And that changed the entire world. People came here for opportunity.

And our party is a party of opportunity. We stand for strength in our home. We stand for strength in our economy. We stand for strength in our military, so we defend our values, and so of course Republicans are going to come and speak to Hispanic Americans in the language they understand best, so we can get their votes and they can understand that we are the party of strength and the party of freedom.

ROMNEY: Thank you.

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, the question is: Why not legalize some undocumented aliens if they comply with the requirements, if they meet certain requirements?

ROMNEY: You know, I have the occasion to talk to people who have loved ones that are hoping to come to this country, to be reunited with family members. And they're staying in their home countries applying legally. I believe that those people ought to be the first

ones to get to come to this country. Those who have come illegally,

in my view, should be given the opportunity to get in line with

everybody else, but there should be no special pathway for those that

have come here illegally to jump ahead of the line or to be come

permanent residents or citizens. They should be treated like

everybody else who wants to come to this country.

ROMNEY: I think we ought to secure our border, we ought to have

an employment verification system to know who's here legally and

illegally, and recognize that legal immigration is an extraordinary

source of great capability and vitality for our country. We welcome

the cultures that come here, the education, the work ethic, the family

values. We're going to protect legal immigration. At the same time,

we're going to enforce the law, show that we're a nation of laws, and

welcome the people who have been standing in line first.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

Governor Romney, some days ago you fired a company that used to

take care of your landscaping because supposedly they were hiring

undocumented workers.

The question is this, did you report, officially, that the people

or the company to immigration authorities? And do you think that

should others report undocumented aliens, the people that you suspect

are undocumented?

ROMNEY: You know, we're a very compassionate people. We're also

a people who follow the law. And the landscaper at my home is an old

friend, and when he made a mistake the first time, I told him in no

uncertain terms, you have to make sure that anybody that works on my

property and walks on my property is a legal individual.

And he did his best, but he made a mistake. And apparently, two

people he had there were not legal. And I told him that's it, and we

terminated that relationship. And I think everybody in the country

understands who those folks are. It became a big news story.

But let's underscore something here, which is that employers like

this landscape company, and he's Hispanic American, he doesn't have a

way to determine whether the people he's hiring are legal or illegal.

Isn't it amazing in this country, with the fact that American Express

or Visa or Mastercard can tell you that fast whether the card is

authorized or not.

We don't know who's here legally or not. That's why we need an

employment verification system to identify the fact that legal aliens

that come here are legal, are entitled to work. And that's something

I'm going to get done so our employers know who's here legally and we

welcome people who want to come work in this country.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, we would like to know -- see what

your opinion -- what's going to happen to the children who are being

separated from their families?

ROMNEY: We're going to finally have a system that welcomes

people here legally, and that says that those that have come here

illegally are invited to get in line with everybody else.

And the Constitution, as Senator Thompson has indicated,

indicates that those that are born here do become United States

citizens by virtue of being born here.

But if they're born here from parents who come across the border

illegally and bring them here illegally, in my view, we should not

adopt, then, these chain migration policies that say, you've got a

child here that's a U.S. citizen, and the whole family can come in.

ROMNEY: That, in my opinion, is a mistake.

We are a nation of laws. And you're correctly going through each

part of immigration policy here. But let's underscore this one more

time: We are, in this audience, almost every person here, an

individual who came to this country because it's a land of opportunity

and liberty.

We also, because we have laws, can have opportunity and liberty.

We're going to enforce the laws. Welcoming people here -- we're not

going to cut off immigration; we're going to keep immigration alive

and thriving.

But we're going to end the practice of illegal immigration. It's

not inhumane. It's humanitarian. It's compassionate. We're going to

end illegal immigration to protect legal immigration.

MODERATOR: Thank you.

ROMNEY: Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, what would you do differently that

has not been done so far?

ROMNEY: Well, first of all, you've got to think about who Castro

is, and who Raul Castro is as well.

ROMNEY: We call them strongmen -- dictators, authorative

totalitarian leaders. And yet these are individuals who are not

strong. Look at what they have done? Brothers to the rescue. They

shoot a small aircraft out of the sky. People wearing a wristband

that says "change," are arrested -- 25 of them just for wearing a

wristband; a Catholic church is edited and people are terrified

because a priest is just speaking his sermon.

These people, these Castro brothers are cowards, and we have to

recognize they are cowards.

(APPLAUSE)

And for that reason, the course for America is to continue our

isolation of Cuba. It is not to say, as Barack Obama on the

Democratic side said, that he would dignify the Castros with a

personal visit to Cuba. That's not the way to go. Instead, it's to

bring our friends together to isolate Cuba, to put together a strategy

that helps all of Latin America, weakens Hugo Chavez who is propping

up Castro.

ROMNEY: We need a Latin American policy that frees Cuba and that

eliminates a threat of people like Hugo Chavez.

(APPLAUSE)

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, for how long would we need to leave

our troops in Iraq?

ROMNEY: Let's talk about our mission there. This is not just

about strategy and allies. It's not about oil. It's not about just

the economy. It's not just about standing up for the fact that we've

been there for a long time.

It's about human lives.

ROMNEY: What we're doing in Iraq relates to protecting the lives

of American citizens, here, around the world. It relates to lives

throughout the world. It relates to dignity and freedom.

We're in Iraq because we want to make sure that Iraq does not

become what Afghanistan was. What Afghanistan was under the Taliban

was a place that they could recruit and train and launch attacks

against us on 9/11, and other attacks throughout the world.

The Khobar Towers, our embassies in Africa, the USS Cole -- they

were launching attacks. The last thing America could stand for, the

last thing we could do with the human lives that are so precious,

would be to have Iraq become an Afghanistan. Fortunately, the surge

is working. It's going to keep that from happening. We're going to

have stability and security there and American lives will be saved by

virtue of the extraordinary sacrifice of American servicemen.

(APPLAUSE)

MODERATOR: Governor Romney, what should we do with all the

millions of people who are not insured?

ROMNEY: Well, I think I'm probably the only person on the stage

and the only governor that actually stopped talking about getting

health care for everybody and actually got the job done.

Working with people across the aisle, we said: Enough is enough.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, we're up here talking about all sort of ideas about tax

credits and deductions, and my program has a deduction as well. We

talk about prevention and people being health.

But, look, the best kind of prevention you can have in health

care is to have a doctor. And if someone doesn't have a doctor,

doesn't have a clinic they can go to, doesn't have health insurance to

be able to provide the prescription drugs they need, you can't be

healthy. And you need to have health insurance for all of our

citizens.

And I found a way to do that without requiring raising taxes,

without a government mandate, without a government takeover. Instead,

I didn't want to have a -- when I said government mandate, I meant

employer mandate. Instead, we have personal responsibility. We

allowed individuals to buy their own policies.

ROMNEY: Those that couldn't afford them, we helped them buy

their policies. And you know what? It cost us no more money to help

people buy insurance policies that they could afford than it was

costing us before, handing out free care.

We Republicans can get everybody insured. Let's get it done.

(APPLAUSE)

Governor Romney, how can we improve education -- public education

in this country?

ROMNEY: Well, we've got a pretty good model. If you look at my

state, even before I got there, other governors and legislatures

worked real hard to improve education. And they did a number of

things that made a big difference.

One is, they started testing our kids to see who was succeeding,

making sure that failing schools were identified and then turning them

around. They fought for school choice. When I became governor, I had

to protect school choice because the legislature tried to stop it.

And then we also fought for English immersion. We wanted our

kids coming to school to learn English from the very beginning. And

then we did something that was really extraordinary. We said to every

kid that does well on these exams that we put in place before you can

graduate from high school, we're going to give you a John and Abigail

Adams scholarship, four years tuition-free to our state university or

state colleges for all the kids that graduate in the top quarter of

their class.

We care about the quality of education. I want to pay better

teachers more money. Teachers are underpaid, but I want to evaluate

our teachers and see which ones are the best and which ones are not.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: And let me tell how our kids are doing. Every two

years, we test the kids across the country, the NAPE exam. Our kids

-- my kids came out number one in English in fourth and eighth grade,

number one in math. In all four tests, our kids came out number one

in the nation.

These principles of choice, parental involvement, encouraging

high standards, scholarships for our best kids -- these turn our

schools into the kind of magnets that they can be for the entire

nation.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Governor.

(APPLAUSE)

We're going to continue talking about education. One our of

three Hispanic students don't finish high school.

Senator McCain, your vision of Hispanics in the future.

ROMNEY: America needs all Americans. We're in a time of real

need. We're the strongest nation on Earth; we're the hope of the

Earth. But we face some extraordinary challenges -- global jihadists,

violent jihadists, who want to bring down our nations and other

nations.

We face, as well, tough new competition coming from places like

China and India, unlike anything we've known before.

We spend way too much money in Washington, particularly on

entitlements that are growing more and more weighty on us.

ROMNEY: We have extraordinary challenges culturally as people

are deciding to have kids without being married. There are all sorts

of challenges in our country. And right now, we need to do what

Ronald Reagan did, which is call on America's strength.

As he faced the difficulties of the last century, he said, let's

have a strong military and a strong economy that can outcompete the

Russians. And let's make sure we have strong values and confidence in

ourselves.

The Hispanic community, like all other communities in this great

nation, need to come together and strengthen America. Because this is

the land of the brave and the home of the free. And Hispanics are

brave and they are free, as are all of the people of this great

nation.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

Hotair

I leave you with this, from the LA Times's report on the Dumond case. The left wants to believe Huck went to bat for Dumond because one of his victims was related to Bill Clinton. The truth seems to be something different:

[Pastor Jay] Cole, meanwhile, was working to help DuMond. Cole said he talked to "probably a hundred people" about his hope of winning DuMond's release, turning foremost to the evangelical community. He said many evangelicals were encouraged that DuMond had claimed a religious conversion, and that many joined Cole in writing to Huckabee about DuMond's situation.

The clincher, he said, was their belief that DuMond had been "saved."

disturbing evidence

The evidence is mounting and it's becoming clearer and clearer that Huckabee is guilty of religious nepotism to the exclusion of a safe society. You probably saw my post about the fact that rapist turned murderer Wayne Dumond was paroled largely because Huckabee and Dumond's pastor believed that he had been "Born Again"

But now there's more disturbing evidence:

Gov. Huckabee probably never read the confession of a demented killer named Glen Green before he made the monster eligible for parole.

Green's confession is so depraved, its sadistic details so scary that no sane, responsible adult would consider him for parole.

If the governor didn't read the confession, he is guilty of dereliction of duty.

But if he read the confession and still considers Green deserving of parole, he's certainly unfit to hold office. Who would free a madman who beat an 18-year-old woman with Chinese martial-arts sticks, raped her as she barely clung to life, ran over her with his car, then dumped her in the bayou . . .

In usual fashion, Huckabee's office didn't even contact the victim's family about the clemency.

Although he's required to by the Constitution, the governor, as is his custom, won't say why he granted clemency to this crazed killer (over the unanimous objections of the Post-Prison Transfer Board).

Huckabee apparently listened to Green's minister (and a friend of the governor), who thinks the murder was an accident and Green was forced to confess.

The Jacksonville police, who arrested Green in 1974 after a witness linked him to the crime, think the minister and Huckabee are both delusional, which is the mildest epitaph we can print.

This old police reporter knows a genuine confession when he sees one, and Green's depravity has the ring of truth.

The full story has more disturbing details. Another report confirms the veracity of these claims. And the Parole Board's recommendation that this request for Clemency was "Without Merit" . . . but that didn't stop Huckabee from taking the word of this killers Minister over the professionals.

P.S. I'm getting this stuff from a thread at Race 4 2008 where a well-known Fred Thompson Supporter (Tommy Oliver) is posting the links in the following comment thread (Look's like Fred's Opposition Research Team as been working overtime, eh?)

Update: HUCKABEE EVEN ADMITS TO FACTORING IN RELIGIOUS "REDEMPTION" INTO HIS CLEMENCY/PARDON DECISIONS.

Huckabee says redemption a factor in clemency decisions
Thursday, Jul 22, 2004

By David Robinson
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday that his religious background and belief in redemption played a key role in the high number of state prisoners he has pardoned or turned loose early.

"I would not deny that my sense of the reality of redemption is a factor," the former Baptist pastor said in a radio interview with KUAR in Little Rock. "And I don't know that I can apologize for that because I would hate to think of the kind of human I would be if I thought people were beyond forgiveness and beyond reformation and beyond some sense of improvement."

. . .

Huckabee two weeks ago issued proclamations granting clemency for Denver Witham, who is serving life in prison for a 1974 murder in Saline County, and for John H. Claiborne, who is serving 375 years in prison for a 1994 kidnapping and armed robbery conviction in Pulaski County. Both men are still in state custody and are waiting parole hearings before the state Post Prison Transfer Board. A board spokeswoman said those hearings probably would be in August.

Jegley said last week that he decided to write Huckabee after talking to the son of the victims who were kidnapped and robbed by Claiborne.

The son said his mother is still alive and is "scared to death" that Claiborne may be released soon, Jegley said.

Based on information from the secretary of state's office, Jegley said Huckabee has granted 669 clemencies since he became governor in 1996. The previous three governors, Bill Clinton, Frank White and Jim Guy Tucker, granted a total of 507 clemencies during their 18 years in office, he said.
I wonder how many of Huck's Clemency's were based on the word of Muslim Clerics that the violent criminals had "found religion" in Islam . . . or did non-Christian or even non-Born Again Evangelical converts face a "need not apply" policy for clemency? Would be interesting to know, eh?

Mike Huckabee: "take this nation back for Christ"

http://www.newsweek.com/id/74472/output/print

The man he is now trailing in Iowa is smooth on the campaign circuit, appealing to conservative Christians without alienating other kinds of voters. How long this will last is an open question. Huckabee the front runner is only now beginning to face new scrutiny. A speech he gave in 1998 is likely to come up again. Addressing Southern Baptist pastors gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Huckabee, then governor of Arkansas, said that he "got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives … I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."

More detailed coverage at the time it happened is here:

http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/jonesboro/afhuckabee08.asp

Side note:  Many will remember that this 1998 meeting of Baptists in Salt Lake City where Huckabee spoke had the intent of proselytizing Mormons to become "Born Again"

That Huckabee, as a Political figure (governor at the time) would participate in a convention in Utah with such anti-Mormon messaging may tell us where he really stands on Mormonism.

More coverage of the convention here.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1998/06/06/MN78538.DTL

http://www.baptiststandard.com/1998/5_6/pages/sbc_groups.html

http://cnview.com/news_service/cnv_may_1998.htm
Two religions are colliding in Salt Lake City. More than 10,000 Southern Baptists are invading the Mormon stronghold during their annual convention June 9-11. The meeting takes place in the Salt Palace Convention Center, across the street from the Mormon Temple.

...The convention is almost secondary to what is going on around it. Baptists are evangelizing the city with an extensive campaign before and after the meeting. Some 3,000 Baptists are canvassing 140,000 homes door-to-door in 18 neighborhoods. (Excerpts from Religion News Today)

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E3D7163DF937A25755C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

http://www.shields-research.org/Critics/SBC.html

http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RIN%20Vol.1No.2/salt_lake.htm

Mitt Romney's Faith in America

Faith in America

by Mitt Romney

"Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction.

"It is an honor to be here today. This is an inspiring place because of you and the First Lady and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library. For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine. It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation. We are in your debt. Thank you, Mr. President.

"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union. You left us, your children, a free and strong America. It is why we call yours the greatest generation. It is now my generation's turn. How we respond to today's challenges will define our generation. And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.

"America faces a new generation of challenges. Radical violent Islam seeks to destroy us. An emerging China endeavors to surpass our economic leadership. And we are troubled at home by government overspending, overuse of foreign oil, and the breakdown of the family.

"Over the last year, we have embarked on a national debate on how best to preserve American leadership. Today, I wish to address a topic which I believe is fundamental to America's greatness: our religious liberty. I will also offer perspectives on how my own faith would inform my Presidency, if I were elected.

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for President, not a Catholic running for President. Like him, I am an American running for President. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

"As Governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution – and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your President, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

"We believe that every single human being is a child of God – we are all part of the human family. The conviction of the inherent and inalienable worth of every life is still the most revolutionary political proposition ever advanced. John Adams put it that we are 'thrown into the world all equal and alike.'

"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It is an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars – no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord's words: 'For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me...'

"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.

"Today's generations of Americans have always known religious liberty. Perhaps we forget the long and arduous path our nation's forbearers took to achieve it. They came here from England to seek freedom of religion. But upon finding it for themselves, they at first denied it to others. Because of their diverse beliefs, Ann Hutchinson was exiled from Massachusetts Bay, a banished Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, and two centuries later, Brigham Young set out for the West. Americans were unable to accommodate their commitment to their own faith with an appreciation for the convictions of others to different faiths. In this, they were very much like those of the European nations they had left.

"It was in Philadelphia that our founding fathers defined a revolutionary vision of liberty, grounded on self evident truths about the equality of all, and the inalienable rights with which each is endowed by his Creator.

"We cherish these sacred rights, and secure them in our Constitutional order. Foremost do we protect religious liberty, not as a matter of policy but as a matter of right. There will be no established church, and we are guaranteed the free exercise of our religion.

"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired ... so grand ... so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

"Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

"Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

"And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

"In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine 'author of liberty.' And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed, 'with freedom's holy light.'

"God bless the United States of America."

Chris Wallace is wrong.

McCain has voted to give social security benefits to immigrants who were here illegally - even if they are now in Mexico. This was a big deal and I thought FReepers would have a long enough memory not to forget.

Sen. McCain voted in favor of a motion to table the Ensign amendment (SA 3985) to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 . The Ensign amendment (submitted for himself, Sen. Santorum, and Sen. Inhofe), would have prohibited the payment of Social Security benefits based on quarters of coverage earned by an individual who has not at some point had a valid Social Security number. This would have addressed part of the problem of aliens getting Social Security credit for work performed while they were illegally present in the United States (aliens who came in on temporary work visas, but overstayed their visas, would continue to get credit for all work performed, including after they became illegal). The motion to table the Ensign amendment passed by a vote of 50 to 49, effectively killing the amendment. http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=AZ&VIPID=33

The King of Clemency: the Serious Consequences of Huckabee's Leniency

The King of Clemency: the Serious Consequences of Huckabee's Leniency

John Aravosis at AMERICAblog.com has the story.

He's had the story up since Wednesday. I don't know how this has not gotten out!

The author starts with this case of Eugene Fields.

EUGENE FIELDS: JAILED FOR DWI IN 2003, SENTENCE COMMUTED IN 2004, ARRESTED FOR DWI IN 2006:

Eugene Fields Sentenced to Six Years For Fourth-Offense DWI. Eugene Fields was originally sentenced in August 2001 for his fourth DWI and began serving his six year sentence in May 2003, after the state Court of Appeals upheld his conviction.

Previous convictions against Fields were in 1996, 1998 and 1999. [www.myeyewitnessnews.com, 4/13/06; Associated Press, 4/14/06, 2/25/04, 2/27/04]

This guy has a real problem! His fourth DWI! Let him sit it out for six years.

2004: Huckabee Commutes Fields' Sentence, Saying Keeping Fields in Prison "Serves No Further Purpose." Huckabee said through a spokesman, "Eugene Fields requested clemency before going to prison. He deserved to spend time in jail. He has completed an alcohol rehabilitation program and has been a model prisoner. There's a critical shortage of prison bed space. Keeping him there serves no further purpose." [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/28/04]*

So, he started serving his sentence in May of 2003. And he finished his six-year sentence in early 2004? Come on, Huck.

Huckabee Was Heavily Criticized By MADD and Families of Drunk Driving Victim For Giving Fields Clemency. In 2004, Teresa Belew, state president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, sent Huckabee a letter asking him to change his mind about giving clemency to Eugene Fields of Van Buren.

"It is important that the process begun by law enforcement officers such as those we honored today be supported," Belew wrote in to Huckabee. "As our governor, your decision at this point in the process is strategic to ensuring that the process works." She wrote that Fields was to blame for making "continued choices to drink and drive."

The guy is a dangerous and highly irresponsible.

Paul Leopoulos, whose 17-year-old daughter, Thea, was a youth activist for MADD before her death in a car crash, said he was "blown away" by the governor's intentions in the Fields case. "I'm sorry. That's saying to everybody else ... 'you can continually do it and they'll slap your hand,'" said Leopoulus. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/28/04; Associated Press, 2/27/04]*

You're right, Paul. That's all Huck--Mr. Anything But Tough on Crime--did. A little hand slap.

Huckabee's Motives Questioned by Prosecutor. Prosecutor Marc McCune questioned Huckabee's motives in the Fields case. "[Fields] has not served one-sixth of his time, and the governor is already trying to give him clemency," McCune said. "It may be because he's a wealthy businessman in Van Buren or the governor is taking a light stand on DWI's. I don't know." Fields owned a shopping center in Van Buren, Arkansas and was involved in real estate developments in Rogers and in Texas. [Associated Press, 2/25/04, 2/27/04]*

He served less than one year, and got out. Just possibly, his standing as a wealthy guy made a difference. What do you think?

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Editorial: Huckabee Sent An "Unmistakable" Message with Drunk Driving Clemency.: "Drive Drunk And He'll Commute Your Sentence."

According to an editorial in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Governor Mike Huckabee "commuted the sentence of a Van Buren man-Eugene Fields, a shopping center developer-who'd been convicted of drunk driving four times. When the Guv does something like this, his message is unmistakable: Drive drunk and he'll commute your sentence. At least if you're a shopping center developer from Van Buren. It's a message he shouldn't be sending." [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 4/17/04]

Not good, Guv Huck. Bad message to send--especially to young people.

2006: Fields Arrested Again. In April 2006, Eugene Fields pleaded guilty to driving drunk again. Barling Police Chief John Roth said Fields was arrested on a driving-while-intoxicated charge on the evening of April 4 after almost crashing head-on into police officer Kevin Dugan on Arkansas 59.

#5. What a surprise!

When Fields was arrested again in 2006, Huckabee said he was disappointed with Fields' actions. "Mr. Fields has broken all trust and deserves the full penalty the law allows," the governor said. "Not everyone does right, but when a person fails a second chance he forfeits a future one." [www.myeyewitnessnews.com, 4/13/06; Associated Press, 4/14/06, 2/25/04, 2/27/04; Arkansas Democratic-Gazette, 4/14/06]

Finally disappointed, Mike?

Fields didn't fail his 2nd chance, Huckabee. He failed his FOURTH chance. He didn't deserve that FOURTH chance.

Huck was Mr. Nice Guy, handing out clemency like it was candy. This results from bad judgment.

This demonstration of pathetic judgment transcends Wayne DuMond and Mr. Fields. Remember, Governor Huckabee released (on average) one felon every five days !

Update: I googled this Eugene Fields character and found this story at ArkansasTonight.com:

The director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving criticized Gov. Mike Huckabee after a four-time DWI offender to whom the governor granted executive clemency two years ago recently pleaded guilty to driving drunk.

Eugene Fields, 67, of Fort Smith was arrested April 4 (2006) in Barling and charged with DWI and refusing to take a blood alcohol breath test. He pleaded guilty Friday to DWI in Barling District Court.

According to Rebecca Walsh…

… Anyone who says that they believe in Jesus, and doesn't mention atheist along as one of the 3 best parts of America's "faith tradition" is "propping up bigots"…

I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, but that is exactly what Ms (assumption) Walsh says. She uses these two facts 1. Romney mentioned that he believed in Jesus Christ, 2. Romney did not mention atheist in his speech about RELIGION, and so he is "propping up bigots"…

Listen to the hatred directed at Romney for these two unforgivable sins:

1. Romney, "reduced to a faith litmus test"
2. Said; "God bless America" at the end of his speech (which of course Bill Clinton also said at the end of his speeches)
3. Presented an "arbitrary world-religions spectrum" (is their a non arbitrary world-religion spectrum)
4. "dispatched American nonbelievers with a sentence"

Lets think about this logic for a second, because it is the same logic everyone on hot air is using… Romney never said anything bad about atheist… that's the problem, according to Rebecca and Michele Malkin and Rebecca… Romney is "propping up bigots" because he didn't mention atheist in his list of 3 specific religions that he mentioned as examples of contributing to America's "faith tradition".

Lets continue the list of Romney's unforgivable sins…

5.   "made himself a supplicant to Jesus Christ" (they have been asking what Romney believes for 16 months and now that he says he believes in Jesus he has "made himself a supplicant to Jesus Christ)

 

6.   "pandering to the Moral Majority by infusing government with Judeo-Christian values and practices". So this would be bad? Why would this be bad? She does not like "Judeo-Christian values"? The only practices Romney advocated was that we allow god to stay on our currency, and allow Hanukkah and Christmas stuff. See that is the thing. These people are totally distorting what Romney said. No worse than distorting, they are totally lying about what he said.

 

7.   "According to the Romney-Bush version of this country's past and present, the president is "Believer in Chief." Is that what Romney said? Of course Ms. Walsh is going to give you a link to the speech, so you can decide for yourself right? Right? Nope.

 

8.   Made, "no more private prayer in American politics." Have you ever seen Romney pray in private? Is she saying that she is un-aware that the supreme court, and congress have always had "public prayer". See this is how stupid this stuff gets.

 

9. "  Romney seemed to miss the part where he was a victim in all this. He rightly confronted persistent, virulent bigotry against Mormons. At the same time, he propped up the very bigots who forced his speech in the first place." How does Romney prop "up the very bigots who forced his speech in the first place." America can keep "in god we trust" on our money and still elect those who are from religions minorities. Ms. Walsh believes that America must become totally secular in order for religious minorities to have rights. She believes this as a matter of faith. This is her religion, because she never gives any reasons to agree with her, trying to use logical arguments, she just states her conclusion, as if she just came with tablets from the mount. If she actually tried to use logical arguments, instead of stating a list of conclusions, she would eventually bump into the fact that France is a much more secular society, and a much worse place for religious minorities.

Excerpts from "An Open Letter to Iowa Voters"

Excerpts from An Open Letter to Iowa Voters by Matt A.

“There are many issues to be considered in this election, and for many voters, including myself, social issues, including abortion and gay marriage, are high on that priority list. Because of this, many voters in your state have recently turned to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as their favorite candidate, believing that his strong Christian background and Socially Conservative positions would help to make him a capable, strong, and trustworthy leader on these and other important issues. I believe that these voters are making a very serious mistake, and that the results for both the nation and the party could be extremely severe.”

“I don’t dispute Gov. Huckabee’s record or opinions on Social Issues, and, if they were the only issues at state in this election, I can say that he would probably be my first choice as well. However, the reality is that there are other issues that must be considered, issues that are no less important, and, in some cases, far more pressing. And it is on these issues where I find Huckabee to be a poor choice for the Republican Nomination.”

“…in choosing Mike Huckabee as our next President, they would risk returning illegal-friendly policies to the White House with a new mandate. During his term in office, Mike Huckabee supported tuition breaks and scholarships for illegal aliens, and, in a speech to the Arkansas legislature, he called on America to “open our doors and our opportunities” to illegals. What is more, he attacked opponents of Amnesty during a Republican debate, calling them “racist” and “mean-spirited”.”

“Another issue where Conservatives must be wary of Gov. Huckabee is taxes. During his administration, the Governor raised taxes several times, with actual amounts far exceeding other tax cuts during his term.”

“Mike Huckabee has many other dark spots on his record, including reversals on important terror-fighting policies, the pardoning of convicted criminals - who would return to their murderous ways, and ethics problems, and Mike Huckabee is much less Conservative than he appears to be at first glance.”

“As a fellow Conservative who wants what is best for America, I have only one request for those who read this letter: Step back for a moment, avoid getting caught in a snowball that may only lead to disappointment, and, before you vote for Mike Huckabee - or any other candidate - make sure you know their positions.”

Governor Mitt Romney On World AIDS Day

Saturday, Dec 01, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Romney Press Shop (85) 288-6390

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on World AIDS Day:

"On World AIDS Day, we are reminded of the importance of America's commitment to fighting one of mankind's most deadly infectious diseases. Around the world, over 33 million people are living with HIV/ AIDS. In 2007 alone, 2.5 million people became infected with HIV and another 2.1 million died from AIDS. To strengthen our fight against HIV/ AIDS and bring hope to those afflicted with this disease, we need strong executive leadership that can build on President Bush's groundbreaking efforts.

"As President, I will mobilize our civilian instruments of power to address HIV/AIDS , poverty and other challenges across Africa by empowering a single U.S. official with the responsibility and authority to lead all of America's civilian efforts in the region. I will fundamentally transform our international aid efforts so that more of our assistance goes to those suffering rather than bureaucracy. Today, only one-third of all foreign aid gets to the people it was intended to help. That must change.

"As devastating as HIV/AIDS has been around the world, we must not forget that over a million Americans are living with the disease here at home. We should do all we can to ensure that America continues to lead the world in cutting-edge research and development into new medicines. I believe in supporting policies that foster innovation and get every American access to affordable, quality health insurance. I also believe that government should work in partnership with our nation's pharmaceutical researchers and manufacturers to advance the HIV/ AIDS research agenda and move us toward a cure."

More Romney and AIDS

July 23, 2003

ROMNEY CELEBRATES NEW CHAPTER IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Signs legislation that provides flexibility in meeting housing goals

Governor Mitt Romney today celebrated the signing of a new law that will allow MassHousing to continue to make loans to finance affordable housing in the Commonwealth.

Within weeks, the quasi-public agency was poised to come up against its legal debt cap for rental housing, which would have prevented it from making any new loans for mixed-income rental housing developments.

"This new law will allow MassHousing to finance mixed-income homes without interruption," said Romney. "We must work harder, and be smarter, to increase the state's housing supply and have it affordable to those across a broad range of incomes."

While MassHousing had additional lending capacity to make loans to first-time home buyers, the measure signed by Romney allows MassHousing to combine two separate debt limits for rental housing and home ownership into one. No new funds are being made available. Rather, the action allows MassHousing to make better use of its existing resources.

Romney signed the bill at the Providence House in Brighton, which will become a 102-unit assisted living complex for the elderly. Adjacent to the Providence House will be the rehabilitated Seton Manor, an existing 20-unit building that houses people with HIV/AIDS.

Romney and AIDS

A GENERATION'S LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

Today's challenges are daunting. They include the conflict in Iraq, the resurgence of the Taliban, and global terrorist networks made even more menacing by the threat of nuclear proliferation. While Iran's leaders relentlessly pursue nuclear weapons capabilities and spout genocidal threats against Israel, the world largely stands silent, unable to agree on effective sanctions even as each day the danger grows. Genocide ravages Darfur even as the world stands frozen. In Latin America, leaders such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez seek to reverse the spread of freedom and return to failed authoritarian policies. AIDS and potential new pandemics threaten us in an interconnected world. The economic rise of China and other countries across Asia poses a different type of challenge. It is easy to understand why Americans -- and many others around the world -- feel so much unease and uncertainty. Yet although we face fundamentally different issues today, the United States has a history of rising to meet even greater challenges. Indeed, we need not look to ancient history, but only to the courage and determination of our parents and grandparents to see a stark contrast with the confusion and infighting of Washington today. Just over 60 years ago, we were in the midst of a global war that would take the lives of tens of millions. The outcome was far from certain. General Dwight Eisenhower drafted a short note before the D-day landings at Normandy accepting full responsibility "in case of failure."

The invasion did not fail. Yet no sooner had we defeated fascism than we were engaged in a 50-year struggle with communism. Those whom the journalist Tom Brokaw memorialized as "the greatest generation" made the tough choices that allowed us to prevail in these struggles. And it was not just our Washington leaders who were decisive. In the 1940s, Americans rationed and saved, and mothers and daughters enlisted to work in factories. Together with the GIs who returned home, they built this country's prosperity and fueled a sense of optimism. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, America pursued learning and innovation to lead the world in space, technology, and productivity -- outcompeting the Soviets and driving them to an economic bankruptcy that matched their moral bankruptcy.

In the aftermath of World War II and with the coming of the Cold War, members of "the greatest generation" united America and the free world around shared values and actions that changed history. They unified U.S. military and security efforts, creating the Department of Defense and the National Security Council. They rethought U.S. approaches to the world, building the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Peace Corps. They forged alliances, such as NATO, that magnified the power of freedom and created a world trading system that helped launch the greatest expansion of economic and political freedom and development in history. Our times call for equally bold leadership and for a renewed sense of service and shared sacrifice among Americans and our allies around the world.

Romney and AIDS

"In this era of fiscal belt-tightening, we need to ensure that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation on public health issues - from AIDS prevention to bioterrorism preparedness ."

• Governor Mitt Romney, 01-16-2003 Press Release

"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.... It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents."

• Governor Mike Huckabee, 1992 Questionnaire for The Associated Press

Wrap your mind around this...

...

 

The republican party is thinking about electing a guy who calls the Club for Growth, the Club for Greed...

 

What can we do to save our party

 

Who is John Galt?

Fred Criticizes Huckabee on Iran

Posted on December 7th, 2007
By Sean Hackbarth in Iran

In Columbus, OH Fred had a few words to say about Mike Huckabee's lack of knowledge about Iran and the National Intelligence Estimate:

"Not only is Iran the major long-term threat to our country, the nuclear program is the most important part of the Iran consideration. For a presidential candidate not to know that and not to keep up with that is very surprising," said Thompson.

"These are the kinds of things I've been talking about all of my life. Now, if the American people have other priorities, if they want someone who smiles a lot more than I do, or someone who is a better quipster than I am, who has no experience in these areas, that's for the American people to decide."

UPDATE: Yesterday on MSNBC Huckabee found an excuse as to why he didn't know about the NIE:

HUCKABEE: Well, I don't blame my staff. It is a situation where a report was released at 10:00 in the morning, the president hadn't seen it in four years and I'm supposed to see it four hours later.

Think Progress notes the following:

1) The NIE was released the previous day, not that morning. The NIE was released to the public in the early afternoon on Monday, December 3rd. The dinner where Huckabee was asked about the NIE took place on the evening of Tuesday, Decemeber 4th.

2) Huckabee had more than "four hours." According to the timeline above, Huckabee could have learned about the NIE anytime overnight or during the course of the next day if he had picked up a newspaper. Hotline notes, on the same day Huckabee said he hadn't heard of it, the Iran NIE "not only dominated the Democrats' debate here in town but also prompted a presidential press conference in response."

3) Bush couldn't have seen the report "four years" ago. The NIE was initially completed only a year ago, thus Bush couldn't have had "four years" to see the report. While the intelligence community did eventually learn that Iran shut down its nuclear program four years ago, that knowledge didn't come to the intelligence community until this past summer.

Mike Huckabee should be a little more thoughtful before looking for a clever quip.

Huckabee Released One Felon Every Five Days

Mitt Fans,

 

Slick Willy--who occasionally posts at NY for Mitt--put together a wonderful story:

 

It drives home the point that Huck released a felon about every five days!  Below are a few key paragraphs:

 

Huckabee's Very, Very Poor Judgment: Released One Felon Every Five Days

 

Earlier this week I posted a story about Gov. Huckabee influencing the parole board to release convicted rapist Wayne DuMond from prison and DuMond's subsequent two rapes/murders. In addition to making me sad, the story convinced me that Huckabee's judgment is a big problem. 

 

These numbers are staggering. To put them into context, on average, Huckabee was prematurely releasing 70 felons a year. Or, one felon every five days.

Do you really believe he knew their cases and history as well as the jury that put them behind bars? Do you really believe he studied the data well enough to truly be informed about each of these decisions? Impossible. Where was his respect for the legal/criminal process the founders created?

But then again, how could he be expected to do all that homework? Between fighting for the rights of illegal aliens, raising the taxes and out-spending the liberals where would he find time to read tedious pleas from victims of the felons he was forgiving?

 

Slick Willy did a fine job.  This is a weak spot for Huck that we need to magnify.

 

Neal

--
NY for Mitt
http://nyformitt.blogspot.com/

Red State Huckabee Reading

Huckabee Fundamentally Reshaping American Politics by RainbowRepublican

This is my greatest fear. As someone who is both a social conservative AND an economic conservative, I've always suspected that the South American model of social conservative/economic populist could possibly catch fire in the United States and have the same detrimental economic consequences as they have experienced in South America.

If elected, Mike Huckabee would be that fear realized.

Like many of the wannabe conservatives... by jforFRED

Huckabee is putting on a show, fooling people into thinking he is someone he is not. He is receiving a free media ride right now because he is a good talker. Without funny one-liners at the last debate, he was a non-issue. It would be nice to see him respond to a question with something other than a sermon or a joke. I've been critical of Romney's flip-flopping (he did give a good speech today) and of Guiliani's reference to 9-11 or New York on every issue (I still admire his leadership.)

Though a strong Fred Thompson supporter, I'll take Mitt or Rudy any day right now over Huck. Are voters really fooled into thinking that this guy is anything other than a comedian with a theology degree? Early in this campaign, despite my obvious support for Thompson, I was able to find something positive about all the other top tier candidates. I've yet to find anything about Huck. (other than the party line of taking him over Clinton any day.) If voters are concerned that America will have trouble voting for a Mormon for president who is doing his best to prove he will not govern as a Mormon, what will America do with a candidate who seems to be nothing without his Bible?

Separation of church and state still should mean something.

www.fred08.com

The first (and last) Fred08 link on my site!

Gopher holes by David Ribeirao

Mike Huckabee reminds me of the gopher that lived in my backyard for a few months. For quite a while there was only one hole with the dirt piled around. Every once and a while the cute little gopher would poke it's head out and we didn't really mind having him around. Then it actually became kind of fun to see him poke his head out of the hole, it made us smile. Then I woke up one morning and there was another pile of dirt, the next day another, and so on until there was dirt all over the place.

Long story short - we finally poisoned the gopher and got rid of the dirt.

 

 

Larry Kudlow and Mike Huckabee

LK: Regarding Governor Huckabee, Governor Huckabee is a very interesting guy who is not running as the kind of traditional, free-trade, cut taxes, limit government, supply side conservative. He is not. And we walked through a whole bunch of things on trade and China and taxes, and also, he just blurted out CEO pay, which he violently disagrees with. And in fact, he said he would…he doesn't want to regulate it, but he said at one point he would regulate CEO pay as a last resort. 

HH: Oh. 

LK: I thought that was very important. He's very biased against China trade. He's skeptical. He says the middle class is in trouble. He didn't acknowledge the prosperity. I really asked him about today's excellent jobs report, and the general prosperity we're enjoying. He didn't want to go there.  

HH: You know, Larry, last night I watched Glen Beck as I was preparing to give a speech. I'm told it was a replay of a Huckabee interview. But what I heard last night, he was talking about the ruling class in America. 

LK: Yeah. 

HH: You know that's populism, Huey Long yahooism.  

LK: Yeah. 

HH: That's not the Republican Party. 

LK: Nope. It's interesting to me, because I mean, I said are you a pessimist, I say you sound pessimistic on the campaign trail. And he said I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. And I think he's the only candidate, Hugh, who is acknowledging these middle class anxieties, almost reaching out to them. He doesn't have a solution except to curb trade. But he's really playing to that, in that sense, just like the Democrats are. And the thing is, you have to look at this in a serious vane, because he's doing so well in the polls. I mean, it would seem that the more his message gets out, the better he's doing. And I find that quite troubling, but I think that's the reality. I'm going to look at the tape of my interview tonight, because as you know, it's awfully hard when you're on the spot, I've got producers in my ear… 

HH: Right. 

LK: And I want to look at the whole thing. I didn't dwell on his sales tax hikes and all that in Arkansas, because he's already answered those charges, and he's been beaten up. I was interested in what his future policy was, and it's very vague. The reality is his future policy is very vague.  

Reflections On "Faith In America"

Yesterday, Governor Mitt Romney delivered his "Faith in America" address at The George Bush Presidential Library. Today, the newspapers and columnists are reflecting upon Governor Romney's words. Please find below some key columns:

Kathleen Parker: "One Nation Under Mitt" (Townhall, 12/7/07):

"He held up a mirror and, for the first time in a long while, Americans did not have to avert their gaze. They could see themselves reflected and be both proud and humbled by their country's unique beauty."

"Voters may not know any more about Mormonism than they did before Mitt Romney's faith speech on Thursday, but they surely know more about what it means to be an American.

"Romney's much-anticipated address from the George H.W. Bush library at Texas A&M reminded Americans of some fundamental truths that often get lost in the guerrilla warfare of presidential politics."

...

"If Kennedy's speech was an important landmark in American political history, Romney's was surpassing. With heartfelt humility and poetic eloquence, he tracked the nation's struggle with and for freedom.

"He held up a mirror and, for the first time in a long while, Americans did not have to avert their gaze. They could see themselves reflected and be both proud and humbled by their country's unique beauty.

"That may be the most valuable result of Romney's speech. He raised the bar by focusing on broad principles of religious freedom, rather than on the small details of doctrinal differences. In the process, he elevated everyone – even those not-so-deserving."

To read the full op-ed, please click here .

Patrick J. Buchanan: "Mitt's Hour Of Power" (Townhall, 12/7/07):

"And it is hard to see how Romney does not benefit hugely from what was a quintessentially 'American' address."

"If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, it will be due in large measure to his splendid and moving defense of his faith and beliefs delivered today at the George Bush Presidential Library."

...

"This was a tour de force, and it was delivered before perhaps the largest audience Romney will have for any speech before the January caucuses and primaries. It will be the subject of editorials and columns in coming weeks. And it is hard to see how Romney does not benefit hugely from what was a quintessentially 'American' address." 

...

"The issues of religious tolerance, what it means to be a Christian in politics, and of secularism versus traditionalism are all now out on the table, and will likely be the social-moral issues on which the race turns between now and January.

"To this writer, Romney is on unassailable grounds. Nor is he hurt by the fact that his wife and five children testify eloquently that he is a man of principles who lives by them."

To read the full op-ed, please click here .

Rich Lowry Op-Ed: "Mitt The Patriot" (The New York Post , 12/7/07):

"He partially wrote and then delivered a speech that was a deeply felt love poem to America, a defense and celebration of its religious vibrancy and world-shaping commitment to liberty."

"In College Station, he delivered his speech with a transparent sincerity and, at times, passion. He even misted up." 

...

"In the conclusion of his speech, Romney talked of the difficulty of settling on a prayer at the First Continental Congress in 1774 because of all the different faiths represented there: 'Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.' Amen."

To read the full op-ed, please  click here . 

Michael Medved: "Romney's Home Run" (Townhall, 12/7/07):

"This is, frankly, precisely the sort of clarity and courage
Americans expect of a presidential candidate."

"The key to that notable and perhaps historic success involved the candidate's eloquent ability to insist on the proper distinction between religious values (which nearly all Americans share), and specific doctrines and traditions (on which we differ dramatically).

"The former Massachusetts governor drew this distinction with the most memorable rhetoric of the Presidential campaign so far.

"He satisfied his first goal – arguing that his Mormon faith shouldn't disqualify him – and he did so while affirming his personal loyalty and devotion. While acknowledging that there are some who 'would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion or disavow one or another of its precepts,' he stoutly and emphatically refused to bend. 'That I will not do,' he declared. 'I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs. Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it.'

"This is, frankly, precisely the sort of clarity and courage Americans expect of a presidential candidate."

...

"There?s still more than three weeks before the Iowa Caucuses and I still feel potent admiration and affection for Romney rivals Huckabee, McCain and Giuliani.

"But in Mitt?s remarks today, he not only looked and sounded like a President – he actually looked and sounded like a great one. All Americans should feel encouraged and grateful."

To read the full op-ed, please click here .

Dallas Morning News Editorial: "Reminders Of Tolerance" (12/7/07):

"In so doing, a passionate Mr. Romney delivered one of the clearest articulations of our civic religion by any presidential candidate in recent memory."

"Rather, the candidate took a more prudent path, focusing on the basic moral tradition that religious believers share. He persuasively contended that on important moral and political questions, his faith convictions are well within the mainstream of American history. In so doing, a passionate Mr. Romney delivered one of the clearest articulations of our civic religion by any presidential candidate in recent memory.

"The candidate properly assured his audience that, as president, he would recognize limits on his church's authority. Going on offense, he connected America's greatness with its religious tolerance and pointedly observed that 'religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.'

"Mr. Romney contrasted the American genius for accommodating religion in public life with Europe's history – state religion, followed by sterile secularism – and the Islamic world, where a totalist creed often persecutes dissenters. Only in America, he argued, are faith and reason held to be compatible within their respective spheres, thus keeping religion vibrant and relevant to democratic life. And this, he contended, is possible because in America, we honor God while respecting religious difference.

"The message was clear: Religious faith and religious tolerance define America's pluralist democracy and make it great. To dishonor that is to be less of a patriot."

To read the full editorial, please click here .

Michael Gerson: "Answering Critics – And Kennedy" ( The Washington Post, 12/7/07):

"Kennedy's speech remains a landmark of American rhetoric.
But Romney's deserves to be read beside it."

"Before his remarks, Romney tipped his hat to Kennedy's Houston address as 'the definitive speech.' But Romney, speaking at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University, declared his independence from the Kennedy model. Kennedy's speech began by playing down 'religious issues' as a distraction from the 'real issues' of 'war and hunger and ignorance and despair.' Romney declared this perspective – 'that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us' -- to be 'at odds with the nation's founders.'"
...

"Romney's speech, however, was an achievement. It had the boldness to argue with Kennedy on key issues and the intellectual seriousness to win some of those arguments. Kennedy's speech remains a landmark of American rhetoric. But Romney's deserves to be read beside it."

To read the full op-ed, please click here .

How Mitt Romney came to give The Speech--and how he did

Mormon in America
How Mitt Romney came to give The Speech--and how he did.

Friday, December 7, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST

Did Mitt Romney have to give a speech on religion? Yes. When you're in a race so close you could lose due to one issue, your Mormonism, you must address the issue of your Mormonism. The only question was timing: now, in the primaries, or later, as the nominee? But could he get to the general without The Speech? Apparently he judged not. (Mr. Romney's campaign must have some interesting internal polling about Republicans on the ground in Iowa and elsewhere.)

But Mr. Romney had other needs, too. His candidacy needed a high-minded kick start. It needed an Act II. He's been around for a year, he's made his first impression, he needed to make it new again. He seized the opportunity to connect his candidacy to something larger and transcendent: the history of religious freedom in America. He made a virtue of necessity.

He had nothing to prove to me regarding his faith or his church, which apparently makes me your basic Catholic. Catholics are not his problem. His problem, a Romney aide told me, had more to do with a particular fundamentalist strain within evangelical Protestantism. Bill Buckley once said he'd rather be governed by the first thousand names in the Boston phone book than the Harvard faculty. I'd rather be governed by Donny and Marie than the Washington establishment. Mormons have been, in American history, hardworking, family-loving citizens whose civic impulses have tended toward the constructive. Good enough for me. He's running for president, not pastor. In any case his faith is one thing about Mr. Romney I haven't questioned.

It is true that some in his campaign thought a speech risky, but others saw it as an opportunity, and a first draft was ready last March. In certain ways Mr. Romney had felt a tugging resistance: I've been in public life--served as governor, run the Olympics, run a business. I have to do a speech saying my faith won't distort my leadership?

In May he decided to do it, but timing was everything. His campaign wanted to do it when he was on the ascendancy, not defensively but from a position of strength. In October they decided to do the speech around Thanksgiving. Mr. Romney gathered together all the material and began to work in earnest. Then they decided it would get lost in the holiday clutter. They decided to go after Thanksgiving, but before Dec. 15. The rise of Mike Huckabee, according to this telling, didn't force this decision but complicated it.

The campaign fixed on Dec. 6, at the College Station, Texas, library of George H.W. Bush, with the former president introducing him, which would lend a certain imprimatur (and mute those who say his son's White House is pulling for Rudy Giuliani).

It is called his JFK speech, but in many ways JFK had it easier than Mr. Romney does now. The Catholic Church was the single biggest Christian denomination in America, representing 30% of the population (Mormons: 2%, six million). Americans who had never met a Catholic in 1920 had by 1960 fought side by side with them in World War II and sat with them in college under the GI bill. JFK had always signaled that he held his faith lightly, not with furrow-browed earnestness. He had one great question to answer: Would he let the Vatican control him? As if. And although some would vote against him because he was Catholic, some would vote for him for the same reason, and they lived in the cities and suburbs of the industrial states.

Mr. Romney gave the speech Thursday morning. How did he do?

Very, very well. He made himself some history. The words he said will likely have a real and positive impact on his fortunes. The speech's main and immediate achievement is that foes of his faith will now have to defend their thinking, in public. But what can they say to counter his high-minded arguments? "Mormons have cooties"?

Romney reintroduced himself to a distracted country--Who is that handsome man saying those nice things?--while defending principles we all, actually, hold close, and hold high.

His text was warmly cool. It covered a lot of ground briskly, in less than 25 minutes. His approach was calm, logical, with an emphasis on clarity. It wasn't blowhardy, and it wasn't fancy. The only groaner was, "We do not insist on a single strain of religion--rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith." It is a great tragedy that there is no replacement for that signal phrase of the 1980s, "Gag me with a spoon."

Beyond that, the speech was marked by the simplicity that accompanies intellectual confidence.

At the start, Mr. Romney was nervous and rushed, his voice less full than usual. He settled down during the second applause, halfway though the text--"No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths." From that moment he was himself.

He started with a full JFK: "I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith." No "authorities of my church" or any church, will "ever exert influence" on presidential decisions. "Their authority is theirs," within the province of the church, and it ends "where the affairs of the nation begin." "I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law." He pledged to serve "no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest." He will not disavow his religion. "My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my beliefs."

Bracingly: "Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it." Whatever our faith, the things we value--equality, obligation, commitment to liberty--unite us. In a passage his advisers debated over until the night before the speech, Mr. Romney declared: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind." He made the call. Why? I asked the aide. "Because it's what he thinks."

At the end, he told a story he had inserted just before Thanksgiving. During the dark days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, someone suggested the delegates pray. But there were objections: They all held different faiths. "Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot. And so together they prayed." At this point in Mr. Romney's speech, the roused audience stood and applauded, and the candidate looked moved.

There was one significant mistake in the speech. I do not know why Romney did not include nonbelievers in his moving portrait of the great American family. We were founded by believing Christians, but soon enough Jeremiah Johnson, and the old proud agnostic mountain men, and the village atheist, and the Brahmin doubter, were there, and they too are part of us, part of this wonderful thing we have. Why did Mr. Romney not do the obvious thing and include them? My guess: It would have been reported, and some idiots would have seen it and been offended that this Romney character likes to laud atheists. And he would have lost the idiot vote.

My feeling is we've bowed too far to the idiots. This is true in politics, journalism, and just about everything else.

Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal and author of "John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father" (Penguin, 2005), which you can order from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Fridays on OpinionJournal.com.