Political positions of Mike Huckabee: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 05:35, 27 August 2007
Mike Huckabee is the former Governor of Arkansas and currently a candidate for Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Huckabee is considered to be socially conservative, but an economic moderate to liberal.[1][2]
Social issues
Abortion
Mike Huckabee is an outspoken opponent of abortion in all forms, and has said that it will certainly be a good day for America when Roe v. Wade is repealed. Huckabee supported proposed legislation in South Dakota to outlaw all abortions except when saving the life of a mother, with no exceptions for rape or incest.[3] He has also said that being pro-life means improving life after birth, and that public funding for abortion organizations needs to be eliminated.
Embryonic stem cell research
Huckabee has said that embroyonic stem cell research creates life only to end a life.[3] He applauded President George W. Bush’s veto of legislation meant to loosen federal funding for embryonic stem cell research in June 2007, saying that the bill was wrong on moral grounds and based on inconclusive science. He also said that he expected scientists to develop other types of stem cell research that would not require the use of a human embryo. He said that "vital scientific research can and is being conducted without the destruction of life."[4]
LGBT issues
Huckabee has voiced opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. He says that Americans should respect gay couples, but no gay adoptions should take place. He signed legislation outlawing same-sex marriage in Arkansas.[3]
Crime and drugs
Huckabee said that he supports the death penalty, but only reluctantly. He believes that eliminating parole gives no incentive for rehabilitation, and believes that more prisons should be built, and their management should be privatized.[3] He supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs, and supports tougher juvenile crime penalties, but believes that the states should set them. Huckabee supports drug courts for non-violent drug offenders, believes that drug education fails and drug punishment works, and that stricter penalties for drug-related crimes should be enforced.
Education
Huckabee believes that incorporating character education into school curriculums is necessary, and that when schools fail, the whole school board should be replaced. He supports charter schools, and the displaying of the Ten Commandments in schools. Huckabee does not believe in evolution, but at the same time said that no President should be writing science curriculum. He has called for more federal funding of IDEA for the education of disabled students.[3]
Environment
Mike Huckabee believes that Americans should follow the Boy Scout rule: "leave the earth better than we found it." He supported conserving the Buffalo River in north Arkansas against dams, and supports the State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible clean water.[3] He also supports the national drought policy.
Gun control
Huckabee has voiced his support for self-defense and the castle doctrine, and has generally taken an anti-gun control stance. He believes that the concealed carrying of weapons should be allowed.[3] He has said that whenever he hears people start talking about hunting when referring to the second amendment, he realizes they don't know what they are talking about, because the second amendment was to allow an armed citizenry the opportunity to protect themsleves in case a tyrannical government ever came into power.
Immigration
In 2001, Huckabee endorsed the use of foreign workers from Canada and Mexico for agricultural labor. [5]
In 2006, Huckabee gave a speech where he said that Hispanic immigration into the US gives Americans a second chance to prove that they are not racist by accepting Hispanic immigrants.[6]
In 2006, a Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock. Huckabee strongly supported it.[7] Critics of Huckabee say his support of the Mexican consulate was illegal. [8]
Huckabee sees problems with the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform. He believes that the rule barring immigrants from running for president should be changed, and that costs of legal immigration should be shared between the state and federal government.[3]
Economic issues
Budget and economy
Mike Huckabee increased state spending 65.3 percent from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure, the number of state government workers in Arkansas increased over 20 percent, and the state’s general obligation debt increased by approx. $1 billion. [9] Huckabee has said that Wal-Mart is the case study in the genius of the American marketplace. He has said that consumerism is addictive but tranquility is immaterial.[3]
Tax reform
Huckabee supported 5 tax increases, prompting the Club for Growth to label him a liberal.[10] The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation,[11] gave him an F grade for spending and tax policy in 2006, and an overall grade of D for his governorship.[12]Huckabee has voiced support for the FairTax system, and wants to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service. He has called FairTax the flatter, fairer, finite, family friendly overhaul. He has claimed to be the first Governor of Arkansas in history to lower taxes. He claims to have lowered taxes 94 times although most of these were tiny deductions that the legislature initiated.[13] He supports the removal of the poorest taxpayers from the tax rolls, and believes in no national sales tax. He also believes that states should independently determine estate taxes.[3]
National security
Mike Huckabee is supportive of the War in Iraq, and says that the war should not be judged while we're in the midst of it. He believes that opposition of the President's troop surge is dangerous, and that the job in Iraq must be finished and finished right. He believes that states should be included in anti-terrorism planning.[3] Huckabee said that the Iraqi government has been disappointing, but we can't get up and pull out. He has insisted that neighboring countries should assist the effort militarily and financially.
He supports the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, saying its prisoners are treated well and it is better to make mistakes there than risk the safety of American citizens.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Mike Huckabee is a Liberal The Club For Growth. Retrieved August 16, 2007
- ^ "'Electability' the key". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 28, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Mike Huckabee on the Issues". OnTheIssues. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
- ^ "Huckabee Commits to June, August Debates in Iowa". PBS, June 25, 2007
- ^ http://www.southerngovernors.org/publications/PDF/SGA%20AgFinal.pdf
- ^ http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/12/6/110901.shtml
- ^ http://hispanictips.com/2006/09/09/mexican-consul-ready-facilitate-based-little-rock-arkansas-looking-memphis-tennessee/
- ^ http://acan.gohotsprings.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=245
- ^ Taxing Claims Is Mike Huckabee an “authentic conservative?” National Review by, Jennifer Rubin. February 12, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2007
- ^ "Club for Growth page on Huckabee". Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "About Cato". Retrieved 2007-02-10.
- ^ ""CATO Governors Report Card"". Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ Huckabee’s record Arkansas Times August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2007