Posted by
Darvin Dowdy on Thursday, January 24, 2008 8:57:52 PM
A not so flattering picture is beginning to emerge of the real Mike Huckabee. Mostly from those who've had to sit across the table from him during his "reign" in Arkansas. I'd like to keep an open mind but I am simply not wanting to endure another 4 years of disrespect and insults from an arrogant GOP Hierarchy. So when I read this Washington Times article by Steven Dinan ( link ) today, needless to say, it left me with this clammy, cold chill. There is another side of Gov. Huckabee. A dark side. Now don't get me wrong. The article speaks of his "my way or the highway" style of governing. And if he'd deal w/the dem's in that manner I'd vote for him. But in Arkansas he sided with the dem's against his own party! In a very ruthless way. The way Dinan describes the good Governor he sounds like George W. Bush on steroids. Kind of like a Jekyll and Hyde. A little scary. Of course I want to withhold judgment but I've learned to watch the road signs. Especially those that say "Bridge Out Ahead". Again, if Huckabee was elected and he direct that sort of aggressive, in-your-face attitude towards the dem's, well he'd get my vote enthusiastically. I am so sick and tired of our GOP being such doormats. But I have to say folks, the Huck has his work cut out for him in trying to convince folks like me that, once elected, he won't turn on us as "W" did. Starting on 1/20/05 the GOP base that got Bush elected became the unwanted step child.
On top of the Time's article I ran across even more damning evidence of this "other Huckabee". The evil twin. Anyone who's blog'd for any length of time has encountered the fiery patriot that calls herself "The Redhead Infidel". Especially if you visit milblogs. Well I ran across this excerpt from her about the Huck-a-Beast. Its a must read if you are considering a vote for him:
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The Redhead Infidel: I'm not easily offended, but Huckabee offends my conservative sensibilities deeply. There is something so wrong about him, not the least of which is that he is a liberal campaigning as a conservative. I always grimace when I hear anyone cite his religiosity, because he is actually not a moral man, in his personal life or his public one.
But the following comment from Huckabee, of whom I expect the worst, is beyond the pale.
From Arkansas News Bureau, an article by David J Sanders:
In 2001, when conservative Republican lawmakers opposed a higher sales taxes and fees the governor supported, he began calling them “Shiites.” Huckabee’s positions on fiscal policy became indistinguishable from Democrats’ positions.
And this isn't the first time Huckabee has called us conservatives "Shi'ites" (it infuriates me just to type that!). In December a Daily Press article chuckles over Huckabee's special little nickname for us:
There’s a species of Republican true believers right here in Arkansas who’ve always suspected his bona fides as an honest-to-goodness fiscal conservative and social reactionary. They’re largely to be found up in the hills, which tend to be Republican territory in any Southern state because of complicated historical, ethnic, economic and geological reasons having to do with soil, slavery and the plantation system. Back when he was a feisty, hefty pol instead of a walking –– no, running –– advertisement for weight loss, Brother Huckabee used to fondly refer to such critics as Shi’ite Republicans.
Bryan at HotAir muses about Huckabee's use of the Shi'ite moniker: "He started using it in 2001 and continued using it afterward. It’s the kind of attack that conservatives regularly get from the likes of the Daily Kos and other leftists who gleefully refer to conservatives and particularly Christian conservatives as the “Taliban wing” of the GOP or “America’s Taliban.” It’s a smear, and one that no Republican should lob at others and particularly not at conservatives, who are the base of the party."
I know that calling names in campaigns is de rigueur. Usually it's one candidate smearing another candidate. But Huckabee, in his liberal zeal, has the unmitigated gall to smear fellow Americans with the abominable label of the very fanatical barbaric creed that wreaks terror and death around the world. HOW DARE HE?!
Huckabee is DESPICABLE. He has crossed the line of decency! He is NOT witty, he is NOT funny, and he can take his chortling little one-liners that seem to hold his numbskull followers in thrall and chuck 'em where the sun don't shine.
How on earth is there anyone out there – including HUNTER - who still somehow manages to believe that Huckabee is a conservative? Because the Republicans in Arkansas have no such illusions. From an article by David Sanders in the Arkansas News Bureau:
In 2000, Huckabee insisted on controlling the state party's separate Victory Committee, but the committee's finances were so poorly handled that a Federal Election Commission investigation resulted in the largest fine ever handed down by the FEC to a state party. That same year Republican Rep. Jay Dickey lost the 4th District seat he'd held for eight years.
In 2001, when conservative Republican lawmakers opposed a higher sales taxes and fees the governor supported, he began calling them "Shiites." Huckabee's positions on fiscal policy became indistinguishable from Democrats' positions. A year later, he openly campaigned against a ballot initiative to remove the sales tax on food and medicine. While he and Rockefeller won re-election in 2002, Sen. Tim Hutchinson didn't.
In 2003, Huckabee not only begged lawmakers for new taxes to make up a budget shortfall, but he rebuffed conservatives' (Republicans and a couple of Democrats) plan to cover the shortfall by tapping one-time money and cutting pork. In 2004, President Bush won re-election, but Huckabee campaigned for some Democrats - even some who had Republican opponents - and Republicans lost state legislative seats for the first time since 1990.
In 2005, a term-limited Huckabee frustrated conservatives when he pushed a bill to give in-state college tuition and scholarships to the children of illegal immigrants. The next year, Democrats swept Republicans in every race for statewide constitutional office and Republicans lost legislative seats for the second consecutive election cycle.
The bottom line? Under Huckabee: taxes up, government up, Democrats up and Republicans down.
Sanders follows up with Bryan at HotAir, providing specific names of Democrats Huckabee campaigned FOR:
As for a race in which Huckabee worked to defeat a Republican, there was a legislative race in Mountain Home, Arkansas, where Huckabee helped Democrat Benny Magness in his race against Republican Shawn Womack. Womack won.
In 2002, he campaigned for Rep. Bobby Glover, D, over Rep. Randy Minton, R, in a state senate race.
In 2000, he campaigned for Barbara Horn, D, in a Dem. primary against Dennis Young, D, and Spencer Plumlee, R, dropped out because Huck didn’t support him.
Bryan says: "Add it all up. Huckabee campaigned with Democrats and hurt the Arkansas GOP, which hurt conservatism in that state. He smeared Arkansas Republicans as “Shiite Republicans.” He raised taxes rather than cut spending when confronted with that choice. He pushed a bill to grant in-state tuition to illegal aliens. He would close Gitmo and move the terrorists there to US soil, which is the same position that the ACLU promotes. He’s an Obama supporter’s choice to make trouble for other GOP candidates in the Michigan primary."
BELCH. Seriously. I’d rather eat my own hand than vote for a guy who thinks fiscal Republicans are Shi’ites and who campaigns for Democrats to lose the Republican majority in his own state!
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Please, Redhead Infidel, don't eat your hat. Do you wear a hat? Everyone who visits my site knows that I've been a big Duncan Hunter supporter. And we all know that Duncan has now endorsed Huckabee. I'm also a huge fan of the Redhead Infidel and respect what she has written here. So I can hear that tearing sound like I'm being torn asunder.
I know that Republicans in my own state have, for the most part, been lousy. I get the gory details from a local talk radio guy, Dan Patrick, who also happens to be a member of the Texas Senate. He is in an uphill battle, mostly from folks in his own party. All the time. So I'm wondering if Arkansas had some of the same sort of loser Repub's as Texas has. But Dan is trying to cut taxes and seal the border. Seems like Gov. Huckabee had just the opposite goals from what I read above.
So I seek comments! Comments please! I know I can't support McCain, Paul or Rudy. Its down to the Huck-a-Beast or Romney. Or maybe Alan Keyes?? Or some 3rd party, maybe? Let me hear from you. Darvin Dowdy.