JAYCEE
11-24-2007, 04:06 PM
Here are a few items of interest on Mike Huckabee from Wikipedia. He's not nearly as dirty as Rudy and not nearly as clean as Romney. He does have several issues in his past that voters in Iowa, NH, SC, etc should know about before they vote.
Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee
Huckabee has come under criticism for his handling of the case of Wayne Dumond, a convicted rapist who was released during Huckabee's governorship and who subsequently sexually assaulted and murdered a woman in Missouri.[85] Dumond's case had attracted national attention in the mid 1990s from critics of President Bill Clinton who felt the former Arkansas Governor had been too harsh with Dumond because Dumond's victim was a distant Clinton relative. Even before taking office, Huckabee met with Dumond's wife and privately announced his intention that Dumond be set free, stating his unhappiness with the way Clinton had handled the case.[86] Dumond was castrated prior to his trial; he stated that he was attacked by two men in his home (though district prosecutor Gene Raff suggested it was a case of self-mutilation[87] and a urologist who'd studied the topic told the Forrest City Times-Herald that self-mutilation isn't that rare among psychologically disturbed sex offenders.[88]) On September 20, 1996, Huckabee publicly announced his intention of commuting Dumond's sentence based on the commutation given by Jim Guy Tucker, who had served as governor during Clinton's presidential run and had overseen the case.[89] There was strong opposition to Huckabee's plan, leaving Huckabee in a difficult situation politically.[85] On October 31, 1996, Huckabee met privately with the parole board to talk about the Dumond case. On January 16, 1997, Dumond was granted parole, just five months after he had been rejected. Huckabee released a statement saying, "I concur with the board’s action and hope the lives of all those involved can move forward. The action of the board accomplishes what I sought to do in considering an earlier request for commutation ...In light of the action of the board, my original intent to commute the sentence to time served is no longer relevant."[85] His full disclosure of the incident is described in his book From Hope to Higher Ground.
Dumond had been sentenced to life in prison until 1992, when Tucker reduced the sentence to 39 1/2 years which made Dumond eligible for parole. The parole was granted on the condition that another state take him. Wayne Dumond moved to Kansas City in 2000 and was convicted there of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman that lived near his home. Wayne Dumond died in prison in 2005.[90]
Huckabee has been criticized for his positions on illegal immigration.[91][92] In his 2005 State of the State address, he complained that a Hispanic student was not able to get financial aid because he was an illegal alien. Huckabee said: "But when he applied for financial aid, he wasn’t eligible for the various scholarships or grants because of his status, a status that he had no decision in or control over."[93] [94][95] Huckabee supported a 2005 bill by Arkansas State Representative Joyce Elliott to make some illegal aliens eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition.[96][97][98] Huckabee vehemently opposed a 2005 bill sponsored by Arkansas State Senator Jim Holt which would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants, calling it "un-Christian."[99] Huckabee argued that illegal immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits: "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around."[100] When a Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock in 2006, Huckabee strongly supported it.[101] The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported: "Before he left office, former Gov. Mike Huckabee gave $10,000 to Little Rock. The money was given to help the consulate. Former Mayor Jim Dailey had requested that the governor match the city’s Dec. 19 contribution of $50,000 in a letter written Dec. 20. Huckabee’s contribution came from the governor’s $500,000 emergency fund and was one of roughly 20 appropriations Huckabee made from the taxpayer fund in his final days in office."[102] Critics of Huckabee say his support of the Mexican consulate broke federal law.[103] In 2007, Huckabee said, "I just don't think it's realistic to say this weekend we're going to round up 12 to 20 million young people and their children and we're going to put them across the border and they're never going to come back."[104] In a 2007 interview, Huckabee argued against job loss caused by illegal immigration saying, "You know, when people say, 'they're taking our jobs'—I used to hear that as Governor—and I started asking this question, 'can you name me any person, give me their name, who can't get a job plucking a chicken or picking a tomato or tarring a roof that would like to do that work?' ... I never, ever, had a person who could come up with the name of a person who could not get a job because an illegal immigrant had stepped in front of them because it was either a job that person didn't want to do or didn't exist."[105]
In November 2006, both Huckabee and his wife drew criticism for creating wedding registries in the amount of over $6000 at both the Target and Dillard's web sites, in conjunction with a housewarming party to celebrate a new house they had purchased in Little Rock. The Arkansas Times, which first reported the story, noted that wedding gifts represent one of the exceptions to a $100 cap on gifts to political leaders under Arkansas law.[108] Huckabee said that the registries were intended only for those who were invited to the event, that he was not involved in organizing the event, and that they were classified as wedding registries only because those sites did not have separate categories for housewarming parties.
Huckabee has made a number of public statements that have drawn criticism,[109][110][111][112][113][114] including comparing his weight loss to the experience of a concentration camp, for which the National Jewish Democratic Council chastised Huckabee,[115] and his use of suicide as a joke about fundraising efforts by himself and his opponents in the Republican primaries, for which he was criticized by various suicide awareness groups.[116][117] In both cases, Huckabee and his campaign publicly responded with clear apologies.
On April 1, 1999, Huckabee signed into law a 3 cent increase in tax on gasoline and a 4 cent increase on diesel.[20] Attached to the bill was a bond issue to pay for highway construction.
On March 7, 2001, Huckabee signed a tax on private nursing homes for $5.25 per day per non-Medicare patient.[31]
On May 8, 2003, Huckabee signed into law increases in cigarette and tobacco taxes as well as a 3 percent income tax surcharge.
Huckabee supports the War in Iraq, the troop surge and the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Club for Growth argues that he increased state spending 65.3 percent (1996-2004) and supported five tax increases, prompting them to accuse Huckabee of being a liberal in disguise.[65] The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration states that taxes were cut ninety times for savings of $378 million dollars, while taxes were raised twenty-one times for an increase of $883 million dollars.[66] According to a National Review writer, during his tenure, the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion.[67] Huckabee publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002, signed a bill raising taxes on gasoline in 1999, and signed a $5.25 bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001.[68][69][70] These taxes, according to the Arkansas Democratic Gazette, increased "average Arkansan’s tax burden from $1,969 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1997, to $2,902 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, including local taxes".[66] The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation, gave Huckabee an "F" for spending and tax policy in 2006.
At 23, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a television evangelist.[5] Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes."[5] Huckabee believes in Biblical inerrancy.
Dick Morris, who had previously worked for Bill Clinton, advised Huckabee on his races in 1993 and 1994.[10] Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend".[10] A newspaper article reported on Huckabee's 1993 win: "Morris said the mistake Republicans always make is that they are too much of a country club set. What we wanted to do was run a progressive campaign that would appeal to all Arkansans.'"[10] Morris elaborated, "So we opened the campaign with ads that characterized Mike as more of a moderate whose values were the same as those of other Arkansans."
On May 22, 1998, the Arkansas Ethics Commission fined Huckabee US$1,000 for failing to report campaign payments made to Huckabee and his wife.[19]
Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee
Huckabee has come under criticism for his handling of the case of Wayne Dumond, a convicted rapist who was released during Huckabee's governorship and who subsequently sexually assaulted and murdered a woman in Missouri.[85] Dumond's case had attracted national attention in the mid 1990s from critics of President Bill Clinton who felt the former Arkansas Governor had been too harsh with Dumond because Dumond's victim was a distant Clinton relative. Even before taking office, Huckabee met with Dumond's wife and privately announced his intention that Dumond be set free, stating his unhappiness with the way Clinton had handled the case.[86] Dumond was castrated prior to his trial; he stated that he was attacked by two men in his home (though district prosecutor Gene Raff suggested it was a case of self-mutilation[87] and a urologist who'd studied the topic told the Forrest City Times-Herald that self-mutilation isn't that rare among psychologically disturbed sex offenders.[88]) On September 20, 1996, Huckabee publicly announced his intention of commuting Dumond's sentence based on the commutation given by Jim Guy Tucker, who had served as governor during Clinton's presidential run and had overseen the case.[89] There was strong opposition to Huckabee's plan, leaving Huckabee in a difficult situation politically.[85] On October 31, 1996, Huckabee met privately with the parole board to talk about the Dumond case. On January 16, 1997, Dumond was granted parole, just five months after he had been rejected. Huckabee released a statement saying, "I concur with the board’s action and hope the lives of all those involved can move forward. The action of the board accomplishes what I sought to do in considering an earlier request for commutation ...In light of the action of the board, my original intent to commute the sentence to time served is no longer relevant."[85] His full disclosure of the incident is described in his book From Hope to Higher Ground.
Dumond had been sentenced to life in prison until 1992, when Tucker reduced the sentence to 39 1/2 years which made Dumond eligible for parole. The parole was granted on the condition that another state take him. Wayne Dumond moved to Kansas City in 2000 and was convicted there of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman that lived near his home. Wayne Dumond died in prison in 2005.[90]
Huckabee has been criticized for his positions on illegal immigration.[91][92] In his 2005 State of the State address, he complained that a Hispanic student was not able to get financial aid because he was an illegal alien. Huckabee said: "But when he applied for financial aid, he wasn’t eligible for the various scholarships or grants because of his status, a status that he had no decision in or control over."[93] [94][95] Huckabee supported a 2005 bill by Arkansas State Representative Joyce Elliott to make some illegal aliens eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition.[96][97][98] Huckabee vehemently opposed a 2005 bill sponsored by Arkansas State Senator Jim Holt which would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants, calling it "un-Christian."[99] Huckabee argued that illegal immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits: "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around."[100] When a Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock in 2006, Huckabee strongly supported it.[101] The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported: "Before he left office, former Gov. Mike Huckabee gave $10,000 to Little Rock. The money was given to help the consulate. Former Mayor Jim Dailey had requested that the governor match the city’s Dec. 19 contribution of $50,000 in a letter written Dec. 20. Huckabee’s contribution came from the governor’s $500,000 emergency fund and was one of roughly 20 appropriations Huckabee made from the taxpayer fund in his final days in office."[102] Critics of Huckabee say his support of the Mexican consulate broke federal law.[103] In 2007, Huckabee said, "I just don't think it's realistic to say this weekend we're going to round up 12 to 20 million young people and their children and we're going to put them across the border and they're never going to come back."[104] In a 2007 interview, Huckabee argued against job loss caused by illegal immigration saying, "You know, when people say, 'they're taking our jobs'—I used to hear that as Governor—and I started asking this question, 'can you name me any person, give me their name, who can't get a job plucking a chicken or picking a tomato or tarring a roof that would like to do that work?' ... I never, ever, had a person who could come up with the name of a person who could not get a job because an illegal immigrant had stepped in front of them because it was either a job that person didn't want to do or didn't exist."[105]
In November 2006, both Huckabee and his wife drew criticism for creating wedding registries in the amount of over $6000 at both the Target and Dillard's web sites, in conjunction with a housewarming party to celebrate a new house they had purchased in Little Rock. The Arkansas Times, which first reported the story, noted that wedding gifts represent one of the exceptions to a $100 cap on gifts to political leaders under Arkansas law.[108] Huckabee said that the registries were intended only for those who were invited to the event, that he was not involved in organizing the event, and that they were classified as wedding registries only because those sites did not have separate categories for housewarming parties.
Huckabee has made a number of public statements that have drawn criticism,[109][110][111][112][113][114] including comparing his weight loss to the experience of a concentration camp, for which the National Jewish Democratic Council chastised Huckabee,[115] and his use of suicide as a joke about fundraising efforts by himself and his opponents in the Republican primaries, for which he was criticized by various suicide awareness groups.[116][117] In both cases, Huckabee and his campaign publicly responded with clear apologies.
On April 1, 1999, Huckabee signed into law a 3 cent increase in tax on gasoline and a 4 cent increase on diesel.[20] Attached to the bill was a bond issue to pay for highway construction.
On March 7, 2001, Huckabee signed a tax on private nursing homes for $5.25 per day per non-Medicare patient.[31]
On May 8, 2003, Huckabee signed into law increases in cigarette and tobacco taxes as well as a 3 percent income tax surcharge.
Huckabee supports the War in Iraq, the troop surge and the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Club for Growth argues that he increased state spending 65.3 percent (1996-2004) and supported five tax increases, prompting them to accuse Huckabee of being a liberal in disguise.[65] The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration states that taxes were cut ninety times for savings of $378 million dollars, while taxes were raised twenty-one times for an increase of $883 million dollars.[66] According to a National Review writer, during his tenure, the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion.[67] Huckabee publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002, signed a bill raising taxes on gasoline in 1999, and signed a $5.25 bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001.[68][69][70] These taxes, according to the Arkansas Democratic Gazette, increased "average Arkansan’s tax burden from $1,969 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1997, to $2,902 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, including local taxes".[66] The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation, gave Huckabee an "F" for spending and tax policy in 2006.
At 23, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a television evangelist.[5] Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes."[5] Huckabee believes in Biblical inerrancy.
Dick Morris, who had previously worked for Bill Clinton, advised Huckabee on his races in 1993 and 1994.[10] Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend".[10] A newspaper article reported on Huckabee's 1993 win: "Morris said the mistake Republicans always make is that they are too much of a country club set. What we wanted to do was run a progressive campaign that would appeal to all Arkansans.'"[10] Morris elaborated, "So we opened the campaign with ads that characterized Mike as more of a moderate whose values were the same as those of other Arkansans."
On May 22, 1998, the Arkansas Ethics Commission fined Huckabee US$1,000 for failing to report campaign payments made to Huckabee and his wife.[19]