Andrew Stuttaford: "The idea that Gov. Huckabee could conceivably be the GOP’s presidential nominee is simply appalling"

Huckabee's Record   [Andrew Stuttaford]

There's still no sign that Mike Huckabee is going to release the text of the sermons he gave as a pastor — curious behavior, to say the least, from a candidate who has chosen to make his religious beliefs a central part of his campaign.  Other aspects of the governor's record, are however, more easy to ferret out. Here's Cato's Michael Tanner on some of them:  

On its annual governor's report card, Cato gave Huckabee an "F" for fiscal policy during his final term, and an overall two-term grade of "D." Only four governors had worse scores, and 15 Democratic governors got higher grades, including well-known liberals like Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, and Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. But Huckabee doesn't just embrace big government in the form of big taxes. He truly appears to believe that if something is a good idea it should be a federal government program. For example, having become health conscious while losing more than 120 pounds (a remarkable feat), he now calls for a national smoking ban. Because he believes that "art and music are as important as math and science" in public schools, he wants these programs funded — and thus, directed and administered — federally. Huckabee is, incidentally, the only Republican candidate for president who opposes school choice.   
 

Ugh. The idea that Gov. Huckabee could conceivably be the GOP's presidential nominee is simply appalling, and so, while I'm on the topic, is the notion (that I've seen floated around here and there) that he could be a vice-presidential pick. Just say no.     

No Laughing Matter

Below you will find some information about Governor Huckabee’s troubling record on illegal immigration, his key immigration endorser’s assessment of that record as a “disaster,” and the following on the record quote from spokesman Kevin Madden:.
 
“Mike Huckabee is known as someone who is very witty, but his record of using taxpayer dollars to provide tuition breaks to illegal immigrants is no laughing matter.  At a time when the American people are looking for leadership that will deliver stronger border security, it is clear that Mike Huckabee’s weak posture towards illegal immigration is entirely at odds with many grassroots Republicans who want stronger enforcement.”
 
-Kevin Madden, Romney for President campaign spokesman
 

 
NO LAUGHING MATTER: GOV. HUCKABEE'S TUITION BREAKS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS "A DISASTER"
 
 
The No Laughing Matter!:  A serious look at Governor Mike Huckabee's record and policy beyond the one-liners.  As in:
 
·        Governor Mike Huckabee:  "And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night."  ("Imus In The Morning," 12/4/07)
 
·        National Review:  "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate."  "In sum, conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of Mike Huckabee’s foreign-policy views. And staying at a Holiday Inn Express is not going to be enough to allay them."  (Editorial, "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate, National Review, 12/10/07)
 
 
Today, Gov. Huckabee Says The Jim Gilchrist Endorsement Shows That He Was Not "Soft On Immigration":
 
Gov. Huckabee:  "You know, clearly Iraq we've been through, and I think there could have been questions on immigration, in part, because some major developments.  Even though I'm being attacked on it, it was our campaign who got the endorsement of Jim Gilchrest, the founder of the Minutemen Project.  So I think the issue of soft on immigration is taken off the table for me."  (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 12/13/07)
 
To watch Governor Huckabee, please see:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=favuJq2i-jg
 
However, Yesterday, Huckabee Supporter And Minutemen Founder Jim Gilchrist Calls Gov. Huckabee's Tuition Breaks For Illegal Immigrants "A Disaster":
 
Lars Larson:  "But I want to ask you a couple of questions. I've looked at Huckabee's record.  I've actually interviewed the Governor and I think he's a nice guy, but on illegal aliens, he's a train wreck."
 
Jim Gilchrist:  "On a couple of issues.  Offering the illegal aliens in-state tuition, that's a disaster.  And I've talked to him about that."  ("Lars Larson Show," 12/12/07)
 
To listen to Jim Gilchrist, please see:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1lWTNua5xY

 

CITIZENS UNITED FILES SUIT OVER LIMITS FOR ISSUE ADS

New Court Battle with FEC over Hillary Clinton Film

Washington, D.C. — As it prepares to release its hard-hitting political documentary, Hillary: The Movie, Citizens United, a grassroots advocacy organization, led by election law attorney James Bopp, Jr., today filed suit against the Federal Election Commission, arguing that issue-oriented television ads are protected by the First Amendment and should not be subject to disclosure requirements under McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.
At issue are sections of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act ("McCain-Feingold") that imposed a blackout period before elections on television advertisements that mentioned the name of a federal candidate -- "electioneering communications." Earlier this year, the United States Supreme Court, in Federal Election Commission vs. Wisconsin Right to Life, ruled that groups could not be prohibited from running "genuine issue ads" during the blackout period, but the FEC has insisted that such groups must still put disclaimers on the ads and file reports about the ads, including naming their contributors. Citizens United is challenging these disclosure requirements, arguing the ads for the film Hillary: The Movie, is a commercial ad, exempted in recent FEC rulemaking, and that disclosure requirements cannot be applied to such ads consistent with the First Amendment.
Citizens United has retained James Bopp, Jr., the Indiana attorney who successfully argued the Wisconsin Right to Life case.
In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court today, Bopp asserts that Citizens United "intends to publish advertisements that will meet the statutory definition of electioneering communications…but are not properly considered electioneering communications for any purpose, including disclosure, because the 'ads may reasonably be interpreted as something other than as an appeal to vote for our against a specific candidate, …are not the functional equivalent of express advocacy and therefore fall outside the scope of McConnell's holding.'"
Citizens United has asked for a injunction so that it may begin running its ads by the first of the year.
Citizens United is a national 500,000 member, conservative grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to restoring government to citizens' control and reasserting the traditional American values of limited government, free enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security. Citizens United Productions is dedicated to producing thoughtful documentaries to educate citizens about significant public policy issues. Its most recent production, Rediscovering God in America, is available on DVD. Other films include "Celsius 41.11," "Border War" and "Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60.      

Gov. Romney: All Parts Of The Conservative Coalition

Michael Novak: "Why I Decided to Support Mitt Romney"

Why I Decided to Support Mitt Romney
By Michael Novak
 
National Review beat me to it, alas, but I have been deciding to come out publicly for Mitt Romney for some days now. I have been supporting him privately for weeks, though I was trying to avoid supporting anybody publicly.
 
But the attacks upon Romney's religion have been a last straw. They are just not fair. I remember his father's campaigns and what an upright man he was — and no one even breathed a word against him because of his religion.
...
Over two public generations now, the Romney family has given us examples of upright, decent, warm lives, given to public commitment even though they did not have to be.
...
Someone has to protest, in the name of Christianity itself, that spreading bigotry and hatred for the sake of winning a political campaign is wrong. I for one don't want to let this issue of bigotry and suspicion pass by without protest — and without open support for its victim. The least Americans can do is speak up for each other on matters of religious liberty.
 
Romney is a good, executive-keen man, and without this mud he would earn the respect and love of the American people on his own.
 
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTc5NjdiNWVhNThmZDJhZWYwMzM4ZmIyNjgxM2MwODI

MITT ROMNEY AT THE DES MOINES, IA GOP DEBATE

Fox News' Frank Luntz: "When we do these debates, usually there is some sort of a split in how people react in terms of winners or losers. We do not have a loser this time, but clearly, Mitt Romney was the winner." (Fox News' "Live," 12/12/07)
 
·        Luntz: "When Mitt Romney talked about education, it was an absolute home run. Romney's communication of education talked about his background and it was very effective in his presentation." (FOX News' Post-Debate Coverage, 12/12/07)
 
·        Luntz: "[Romney] united both elements of the Republican Party.  And not only was his language effective, but they thought that the job that he did was very well-communicated." (FOX News' Post-Debate Coverage, 12/12/07)
 
·        Luntz: "It was a very good day for Mitt Romney – very effective." (FOX News' Post-Debate Coverage, 12/12/07)
 
National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Mitt won – sounded presidential, competent, made a case for himself, and was optimistic but realistic about the threats we face. He's hit his stride." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "Romney, the Manager," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Lopez: "…he seems to be focusing on his managerial skills in a big way this debate. Strikes me as a smart idea." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "Romney, the Manager," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 12/12/07)
 
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Mitt Romney had a hell of a good afternoon." (Marc Ambinder, "First Take: The Final Republican Debate," The Atlantic, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Ambinder: [Romney] seemed more sinewy than usual, less programmed, quite (dare we say) presidential, and even-tempered." (Marc Ambinder, "First Take: The Final Republican Debate," The Atlantic, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com, Posted 12/12/07)
 
National Review's Rich Lowry: "Romney wins in a romp. Positive and substantive." (Rich Lowry, "Luntz Focus Group," National Review's "The Corner," http://corner.nationalreview.com/=, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Lowry: "Romney nails his answer to the tax question." (Rich Lowry, "Middle Income Families," National Review's "The Corner," http://corner.nationalreview.com/=, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Lowry: "I think Romney's tax answer was so good with its emphasis on 'middle class families' is that so far the only candidate to try to address the anxieties of the middle class is Huckabee. Romney needs to get on that territory, but provide better policy answers than Huckabee. Which is exactly what he did." (Rich Lowry, "Off The Charts," National Review's "The Corner," http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/=, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Lowry: "Another plug for 'middle class families' from Mitt. It's important for him to keep hitting on it." (Rich Lowry, "Another Plug For 'Middle Class Families'," National Review's "The Corner," http://corner.nationalreview.com/=, Posted 12/12/07)
 
Commentary's John Podhoretz: "Romney says it's incredibly important that the next president should be a conservative. We need to follow Ronald Reagan's model: social conservatives, economic conservatives and foreign policy conservatives. I want to draw on those strengths. Very strong answer." (John Podhoretz, "LIVE: Blogging the Republican Debate Part Two," Commentary's "Contentions" www.commentarymagazine.com/, Posted 12/12/07)
 
·        Podhoretz: "Quick call on the debate: Romney is very good." (John Podhoretz, "LIVE: Blogging the Republican Debate Part Two," Commentary's "Contentions" www.commentarymagazine.com/, Posted 12/12/07)
 
The Weekly Standard's Richelieu: "Romney on his game." (Richelieu, "Richelieu: The Iowa Debate," The Weekly Standard's "Campaign Standard," www.weeklystandard.com/, Posted 12/12/07)
 
National Review's Jim Geraghty: "The issues – education, the budget – played to [Gov. Romney's] strengths." (Jim Geraghty, "Iowa PBS and the Des Moines Register: Making CNN Look Good," National Review's "The Campaign Spot," http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/, Posted 12/12/07)

an absolute home run

Frank Luntz at Fox News reviews Governor Romney's answer on education and deems it "an absolute home run" according to his focus group's dial testing.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AchGxcvPbQ4
 
FRANK LUNTZ: When Mitt Romney talked about education, it was an absolute home run. He united both elements of the Republican party, and not only was his language effective, but they thought that the job he did was very well communicated.  Let's take a look:
 
GOV. MITT ROMNEY: We've made the same effort in our state, actually before No Child Left Behind was passed. We test our kids. We have high standards. We teach them in English, English immersion. We say to be successful in America, you've got to speak the language of America. We also put in place incentives for kids to do well. For those that take the graduation exam, which you have to take to get out of high school, we say that you're going to get, if you score in the top 25 percent of the test, a four-year tuition-free scholarship to a Massachusetts institution of higher learning. The federal government insists on those tests and those standards and it's key. Let me continue: I think we also have to have higher pay for better teachers and people who are not good teachers ought to find a different career.
 
LUNTZ: Not good pay for not good teachers. Romney's communication of education talked about his background, and he was very effective in his presentation.