Huckabee's Statements Lead to Questions by Conservatives

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: I like Mike Huckabee and enjoy his Baptist preacher way of smiling and spinning a tale to support his position when speaking. It worked in the pulpit, found success in Arkansas and may be successful in his bid for the presidency. While Mike has declared to the press that he is not a liberal, he has openly acknowledged that he "is not shy in bucking his party on some matters." Now he has declared himself to be “centrist.”

Our former Gov. Mike Huckabee appears to be stumbling with conservatives as he attempts to reach out for more liberal voters. While governor, he tread to some degree on Arkansas families when he forced all schools to weigh students and to send weight "report cards" to parents and added to the tax burden to fund it (slimming the kids and fattening the state's coffers). After he left office, this procedure was repealed.

His comments on the campaign trail continue to raise concerns with conservatives. He has repeatedly identified that he believes obesity is one of America’s top problems. He has said will support a National Smoking Ban. While smoking for some may indeed be harmful and being overweight may have medical consequences, in the United States both smoking and eating are legal. While some States have exercised their right to limit smoking in public places, Huckabee is advocating a Federal smoking ban. As a Baptist preacher is he willing to force his morals on the nation - no smoking, no gluttony, etc.? Will he next tell the fast food industry what they can and cannot serve?

Now, Huckabee is treading on the constitution by saying that if he were president, he would sign the D.C. voting rights bill. In a teleconference with reporters, Huckabee said, “They’re American citizens. They pay taxes and it just doesn’t seem right that someone could be even partially disenfranchised.” DC residents are already entitled to vote. However, Huckabee failed to acknowledge that D.C. is not a State and therefore does not have a right under the constitution to a voting US Representative or Senators. "The Constitution says "the several states" shall send representatives to Congress - not the District or Territories." Previously, a proposed Constitutional Amendment on the issue of granting DC voting representation was not ratified. Now Huckabee seems to be playing to the crowd and is willing to support violating the Constitution via congressional fiat.

A March White House statement said that the president would be advised to veto the bill if it reached his desk, citing concerns that giving the district a representative would be unconstitutional. In an attempt to separate himself from President Bush, is Huckabee willing to separate himself from the US Constitution and Conservative Republicans? In an article Huckabee backs D.C. voting rights bill "Huckabee acknowledged the reluctance of some of his fellow Republicans to back the bill. He has not been shy in bucking his party on some matters, saying, 'I’ve been running for president of the United States, I am not running for president of the Republican Party.'"

Even those of us who know Mike Huckabee are asking questions. He has said he is a centrist, what happened to being the "real conservative" running for president? Huckabee advocates, as we do, for the FairTax. He opposes the current Income Tax but because it is a “dismal failure.” However, he does not oppose the Income Tax because it is constitutionally flawed. This begs the question, what is his real reason for supporting the FairTax? In Arkansas, he sought new forms of taxation. Could he be looking for a new tax source to replace expected future declines in income taxes created by the importing low cost labor, outsourcing, and American jobs going overseas?

Huckabee supports voting representation for D.C. residents in violation of the Constitution. Will Huckabee propose the same for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and America Samoa who each also have a nonvoting member in the House of Representatives? Will he then oppose the Federal Government returning the remaining portion of D.C. to the sovereign state of Maryland as was done with the Virginia portion?

Is the entry of Fred Thompson, a Federalist, into the race, causing our friend Mike Huckabee to move away from conservatives to find new votes? We hope not! Our fellow Arkansan wants to be president of all the people. However, to gain the Republican nomination, Mike Huckabee must gain the vote of conservatives. As conservatives, we are looking for answers to our growing list of questions.

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Tags: Arkansas, conservatism, conservative, Election 2008, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, presidential candidate, U.S Constitution, Republican, ARRA, Bill Smith