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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Washington Times Studies Huck
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 9:19 AM
The Washington Times takes a close look at Mike Huckabee.  Key graphs:


Now that Mr. Huckabee has reached first place in Iowa polls, those days are over. His 10 years as Arkansas governor and his conservative credentials are now relentlessly scrutinized, and Mr. Huckabee is under fire for substantial increases in taxes and spending by the Club for Growth and the CATO Institute. Numbers USA, a research and advocacy organization which opposes illegal immigration and monitors politicians' records on the issue, is sharply critical of his record as governor.

and

Mr. Huckabee has come under withering fire from critics of illegal immigration. Asked last month about complaints that he is "soft" on illegals, the former Arkansas governor said he opposed sanctuary cities and opposes amnesty, although he contradicted himself somewhat by adding that he believes illegal aliens can be put on a path to citizenship.


Asked on ABC Television's "This Week" about his Arkansas record on the issue, Mr. Huckabee replied: "You don't punish a child because a parent committed a crime, or committed a sin, you just don't do it." He didn't rule out extending this principle to the federal level, but suggested that he might view state and federal benefits differently. On Friday, Mr. Huckabee unveiled a plan for tougher immigration enforcement and border security, pledging to complete a border fence between America and Mexico by 2010. He also said that immigrants who failed to register within 120 days and then leave the country would be deported and barred from re-entry for 10 years.


With no experience conducting or voting on foreign policy issues, Mr. Huckabee's comments and writings are closely scrutinized. Within the past week, he has decried waterboarding of captured terrorists, called for shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and suggested that America could bolster its standing in the world by treating other nations with more "respect." You can bet that if Mr. Huckabee continues his surge in the polls, his opponents will go to great lengths to try to force him to give more structured, coherent explanations of his world view.






View in ascending order View in descending order
PolitBurro writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 9:36 AM
Huckabee has the stongest immigration
stance of anyone, right now.


All he needs is an announced FP advisor with credibilty on islamic terrorism to be THE GUY...

Rudy admitted on MTP that he's still learning and admits past mistakes, so does Mike.

Take your pick.

There's your two choices for the GOP nomination.

LHarris writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 9:52 AM
I'll take any Repub candidate over Huck
Just say no to Huckabee. His ideas and past record scare the willies out of me. I would take any of the other candidates over Huckabee. (He and Ron Paul would probably be tied for my last choice) His big government ideas combined with a complete lack of foreign policy knowledge (let alone experience) is a scary combination. I don't trust his judgement--he granted 1,033 pardons and commutations mostly because he took the advice of ministers. Huck needs to go back to preaching the good word--he's good at that.

slate writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:00 AM
Rush is right 98.5% of the time
Rush is right 98.5% of the time. How often does Mr. Hewitt get things right? Mitt Romney may win the nomination but he is going to have to move a lot of mountains. His infatuation with the negative Huckabee news is getting hilarious. If Huckabee was truly terrible, he will self implode.
PolitBurro writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:01 AM
Let's Compare Governors
How many times was the death penalty carried out in MA?

You wanna have a Huck is soft on crime compared to MITT discussion????

LOL
PolitBurro writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:04 AM
The Secure America Plan (1 of many)
A 9-Point Strategy for Immigration Enforcement and Border Security
Overview: Implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population.

1. Build the Fence

Ensure that an interlocking surveillance camera system is installed along the border by July 1, 2010.
Ensure that the border fence construction is completed by July 1, 2010.
2. Increase Border Patrol

Increase the number of border patrol agents.
Fully support all law enforcement personnel tasked with enforcing immigration law.
3. Prevent Amnesty

Policies that promote or tolerate amnesty will be rejected.
Propose to provide all illegal immigrants a 120-day window to register with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and leave the country. Those who register and return to their home country will face no penalty if they later apply to immigrate or visit; those who do not return home will be, when caught, barred from future reentry for a period of 10 years.
4. Enforce the Law on Employers

Employment is the chief draw for most illegal immigrants and denying them jobs is the centerpiece of an attrition strategy.
Impose steep fines and penalties on employers that violate the law.
Institute a universal, mandatory citizenship verification system as part of the normal hiring process.
Prevent the IRS and the Social Security Administration from accepting fraudulent Social Security numbers or numbers that don't match the employees' names.*
PolitBurro writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:05 AM
(2 of 3)- Huck's immigration Plan

5. Establish an Economic Border

Move toward passage of the FairTax.
The FairTax provides an extra layer of security by creating an economic disincentive to immigrate to the U.S. illegally.


6. Empower Local Authorities

Promote better cooperation on enforcement by supporting legislative measures such as the CLEAR Act, which aims to systematize the relationship between local law and federal immigration officials.
Encourage immigration-law training for police. Local authorities must be provided the tools, training, and funding they need so local police can turn illegal immigrants over to the federal authorities.
7. Ensure Document Security

End exemptions for Mexicans and Canadians to the US-VISIT program, which tracks the arrival and departure of foreign visitors. Since these countries account for the vast majority of foreigners coming here (85 percent), such a policy clearly violates Congress' intent in mandating this check-in/check-out system.
Reject Mexico's "matricula consular" card, which functions as an illegal-immigrant identification card.
PolitBurro writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:06 AM
Huckabee Immigration Plan (3 of 3)
8. Discourage Dual Citizenship

Inform foreign governments when their former citizens become naturalized U.S. citizens.
Impose civil and/or criminal penalties on American citizens who illegitimately use their dual status (e.g., using a foreign passport, voting in elections in both a foreign country and the U.S.).
9. Modernize the Process of Legal Immigration

Eliminate the visa lottery system and the admission category for adult brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.
Increase visas for highly-skilled and highly-educated applicants.
Expedite processing for those who serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Improve our immigration process so that those patiently and responsibly seeking to come here legally will not have to wait decades to share in the American dream. Governor Huckabee has always been grateful to live in a country that people are trying to break into, rather than break out of.

*This policy will be drafted to comply with the final federal court decisions on this issue.



Note: This plan is partially modeled on a proposal by Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. ("Re: Immigration: Ten Points for a Successful Presidential Candidate," National Review, May 23, 2005.)



bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:14 AM
Huckabee

Well, for those who say Huckabee is excellent on illegal immigration now.

Yes, that is true.

He also used to be absolutely horrible on illegal immigration.


So here we have the mother of all flip floppers.


Now, I don't mind a flip flopper if I can believe he is not going to flop back.


I have no doubt that Huckabee still loves illegal immigration. But whether the political climate would ever allow him to revert back to his "erase the borders" posture is not certain.

I know in the past, any immigration hawk that ever showed softness at any time in the past on illegal immigration could be counted on to revert back to their true left wing nature once they figured they could get away with it.

But as much as public opinion has hardened on this issue, I'm not sure politicians can get away with it any more.

(frankly, I'm suprised that Huckabee's previous radical stance in favor of illegal immigration didn't kill his political career already)


So, what's my point? I don't think I have one.



Here's a point though: Who would ever have thought Hugh Hewitt would even know who Numbers USA was, let alone use their assessment of a politician as a supporting argument in an article?
richard_223 writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:20 AM
This Will Have a Major Impact
From Captain Ed this morning:

'With less than four weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, the presidential campaigns have begun pulling out all stops for the first contest of the primary season. Mitt Romney has gone negative first, stunned by a rapid rise by Mike Huckabee and a potential embarrassing loss in a state where he invested heavily. His switch to the negative underscores the importance of Iowa to his overall strategy, and perhaps reveals a hint of desperation.

As negative attacks go, this is really fairly mild. Candidates should have the ability to compare records and policies without getting accused of unfair personal attacks, and this lands squarely in the former category. However, Iowans don't care much for negative advertising as a rule, and as I explain at Heading Right, being the first to launch them implies a certain back-against-the-wall quality.'
And/but/so writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:23 AM
I don't see
where the "Huckabee loves illegal immigrants" meme is coming from.

Maybe "Huckabee loves the kids of illegal immigrants" or even more specifically, "Huckabee loves the high-achieving kids of illegals who have been in the US for 10+ years."
Satcomm writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:36 AM
Two-man race, Hugh?
:)
richard_223 writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:37 AM
Grass Roots Campaign
If those immigrant kids get a education, who is going to be left to rake Mitt's leaves?
KKat writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 10:39 AM
Hugh still don't get it...
Which is sad, considering this used to be on Christian radio.

Christians had a choice:
Rudy is a good speaker with a good record, but with Clintonesque sexual ethics. Nominating him invalidates a lot of what we said about character is destiny during Clinton. We are kinda saying "you know that ethics thing... nevermind" and we'll pay dearly for that for at least 10 years even if he looses.

Mitt is a good manager (Covey of "7 Habits" fame is also a Mormon, if I recall correctly), but we are really dreading voting for someone from a cult not at all unlike Iran's in terms of its feelings on nationalism and fate (Mormons essentially see the US as the solution to the world's problems - which it may be, but not like they see it). Mormonism, Islam, and David Korresh all had the same theme - God's word was corrupted/ believe this guy with terrible grammar skills who rewrote it all in his image and claims he got it from some angel in a cave/ Go kill people/ take multiple wives/ sex in heaven/ etc./ etc. I just don't want bumper stickers saying "our cult leader can beat up your cult leader" if we come to blows with Iran

And so Christians are left with A) a choice between two evils, and B) the leftist press saying that the Christian right is no longer a viable political force.

Enter Mike.

Frankly, even if he is shot down over his lack of foreign policy knowledge and so on, we may have killed (B), above, at least for now. That alone is worth the price of admission. As for (A), he may have made himself an excellent choice for VP or some higher cabinet position. If by some chance he does become President, let's hope he is smart enough to do a Reagan and fill his staff/ VP slot with people smart enough to get the job done (including Mitt and Rudy), rather than pull a Carter and do the "compassionate" thing when the Christian thing is to be wise and shrewd yet innocent.
talisman writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:00 AM
values voters support vindictive Huck?
Yeah, too bad Huck is looking pretty awful these days what with the revelations coming out daily now about just how very involved he was with purposely and actively working towards releasing a known rapist out of jail - who went on to rape and kill two women.

Huck likes to blame Clinton for his woes from back then. The truth of the matter is coming out: Huck valued vindictive politicizing over keeping his constituents safe. That is the sick fact in this matter. He sought political vengeance, and released a killer. Fine thing.

Is this okay with values voters? Really?
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:16 AM
Huckabee was just awful
on Hannity and Colmes last night.

This Dumond thing is outrageous. He looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole when Sean Hannity read from the letter he wrote to Dumond where Huckabee wrote (paraphrasing) "My desire is to see you released from prison."

Wow. No running from that one. The rest of the interview went south from there. ANd then he stonewalled on releasing his records about the Dumond case.

Huckabee intervened in the parole board decisions and actually wrote this killer a letter saying he desired to see his sentence reduced and have him walk free.

Big mistake, but unfortunately he won't own up to it.
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:20 AM
If Huck enforces the border
what will he do with all the taxpayer money he's been handing out to illegal immigrants?
steve writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:24 AM
Rasmussen: A vote 4 Mitt a vote 4 Rudy

Latest poll as of today (Tue)from Rasmussen out minutes ago:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/ele ction_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_t racking_poll

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination can’t get much closer. Mike Huckabee attracts support from 22% of Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide and holds a statistically insignificant one-point lead over Rudy Giuliani. With 21% support, the former Mayor of New York is followed by Mitt Romney at 14%, Fred Thompson at 12% and John McCain at 9%"

There goes Hugh's "The Speech Will Change the Political Universe" meme

Hugh, many of us are just coming here for laughs daily to see you spin your man-crush on Mitt... but we won't be back again afterwords, knowing you've lost credibility in your triple-down bet on Mitt.

Strike One: Supporting Harriet Meiers to the bitter end when the rest of the conservative world was crying foul.

Strike Two: Supporting Arlen Spector in his close campaign as an establishment GOP-suckup when the conservative world wanted true conservative Toomey who narrowly lost due to propping up by those like you.

Strike 3: Ridiculously over-the-top campaign for lifelong liberal Mitt (until he got within a couple yrs of the election). You're being mocked around the blogosphere by conservatives on this one, as michelle malkin reports:
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/12/07/mitt-romneys-worst-ene my/
IMWITHMCCAIN writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:24 AM
Come On Hugh
As long as Huck is around long enough to beat your love Mitt "Flip Flop" Romney in Iowa who cares. Once the flip flopper shows what a poor investor he is by investing ad dollars in his losing campaign in Iowa, McCain can finish him off in NH. Then you and your love can spend quality time reading your book.
PC writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:27 AM
Huckabee is a joke
With "conservatives" like Huck, who needs liberals?
PC writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:36 AM
Another thing
The slam on Rudy was because he is wrong one 1-2 social issues. The slam on Huck is that he is wrong on EVERYTHING but 1-2 issues.

I'll take Rudy over Huck any day of the week. Rudy would be an effective president and would not do much damage to social issues.

Huckabee would do enormous damage on every issue except Life. Taxes, immigration, foreign policy, WOT, criminal justice, etc. He would be an umitigated disaster, any which way you look.

Rudy was happy to get some help from Huck taking Mitt down. Now Huck threatens to take out Rudy? It's not going to happen. I guess Rudy's strategy will probably work, and it's unfortunate because Romney is more qualified to lead than the both of them put together. And both are lying to CYA's. Rudy on the security protection payments for his concubine, and Huck on paroling DuMond.

Let's see. Romney has been faithful to his wife and family, and Romney did not pardon anyone in 4 years. And he doesn't LIE.
sheryl writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:38 AM
I'm out of the party
if the GOP elects Mike Huckabee.

Mike Huckabee possess' the worst trait about religion.......sanctimoniousness.

Mike and his minions will be the death of the GOP.

I don't want to belong to a party where Mike's kind of religious bigotry gets rewarded.

And I will try to persuade as many of my Republican friends to leave the party as well.
sheryl writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:42 AM
I'm out of the party if
the GOP elects Mike Huckabee. Who I believe represents the worst trait in religion....sanctimoniousness.

I don't want to belong to a party that rewards this kind of religious bigotry of Mike Huckabee and his minions.

And I will try to persuade as many of my Republican friends to leave the party as well.

Mitt has my vote
Fred Thompson is a distant second.
I will vote for Rudy but won't like it

Won't cast a vote for Huckabee or McCain.
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:42 AM
expect this story to get legs
this week. it just broke at the New York Sun

http://www.nysun.com/article/67835

"Michael Huckabee once accepted $40,000 in contributions from the tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds to campaign against a national cigarette tax proposed by Hillary Clinton. But later, Mr. Huckabee ignored his sponsors and imposed his own tax on cigarettes."

Not only a tax-raiser, but took money from the tobacco industry, and then ignored his sponsors.

Every day you learn something more about this fellow.
PC writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:42 AM
Drudge's latest headline is hilarious
And so obviously true.

http://drudgereport.com/flashhu.htm

Notice that ROMNEY has had the most fire from the DNC. Wonder why?
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:44 AM
From the same story
"On average, Mr. Huckabee granted clemency once every four days."

And that doesn't even count the early paroles he was pushing (i.e. with Dumond).

Was this guy running a state or a turnstile for criminals?
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:46 AM
He pardoned or commuted the sentences of
ELEVEN MURDERERS

Seems like he had a lot of respect for the criminal justice system, huh?

Looks like he had as much respect for state law as he had for federal immigration law - little to none.

"Also among Mr. Huckabee's many contentious acts of absolution is that concerning James Maxwell, the killer of a pastor of the Church of God in Arkansas, who was working at the governor's mansion in Little Rock when his prison sentence was reduced. Mr. Huckabee also pardoned Robert Arnold, who had killed his father-in-law. Arnold's father was a friend of Mr. Huckabee, according to AP. Denver Witham, who beat a man to death with a lead pipe, also had his life sentence commuted by Mr. Huckabee.

According to the Nashua Telegraph, during his first eight years in office, Mr. Huckabee pardoned or commuted the sentences of 669 criminals, including 11 murderers."
Skeptic of Jingoism writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:48 AM
If the Club for Growth is against him...
then I'm for him. If your only reason for being a Republican is to keep your own tax rates down, that's pretty pathetic. I would guess that there are more Republicans who would refuse to vote for Giuliani than those who would refuse to vote for Huckabee.
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:50 AM
You know why Hugh opposes Huck
so vehemently?

Because Huck is, for all intents and purposes, a big-government, bleeding heart, soft on crime and illegal immigration, liberal. He's getting the same treatment that Hugh has given Edwards and Clinton.

That's why.
PC writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:51 AM
Do the math, people
Romney is the hardest person to beat ACCORDING TO THE DNC!

And Huckabee is the EASIEST.

http://drudgereport.com/flashhu.htm

What in the he** is wrong with the GOP? Oh, yea, that pesky little Mormon thing.
PC writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:53 AM
Skeptic - no way.
I can hold my nose and vote for Rudy in a heartbeat.

No Way Am I Ever Voting For Huck.
n. a. palm writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 11:54 AM
Duck the Huck
At best Huckabee is an altruistic liberal. At worst, he is most likely a shill placed into to republican candidacy by the Clintons. If we were foolish enough to nominate the Huck, he would be destroyed by the Arkansas mafia (Clintons)in a nanosecond.

Wake up America.
cottoneyed writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:08 PM
Hey lefties, the gigs up,
just read Drudge. The lead story. Huckleberry's finished. A true conservative would never get an endorsement from labor union thugs. The left loves this guy for a reason. Not in this life, Huckleberry!!
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:10 PM
richard_223

Richard, the fact that you call the children of illegal aliens "immigrant kids" is very telling.

Left wingers love to call illegal aliens "immigrants".

You Huckabee supporters should really be more careful about revealing your true views about illegal immigration by your use of language.

But at least you Huckabee folks are astute enough not to call illegal aliens "undocumented".
religiouslib writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:11 PM
dan bartlett calls hewitt a lackey

this is an interview from texas monthly with dan bartlett, close aide to g.w. bush.



TM) Yeah, or what if [conservative blogger] Hugh Hewitt called?

DB) That’s when you start going, “Hmm . . .” Because they do reach people who are influential.

TM) Well, they reach the president’s base.

DB) That’s what I mean by influential. I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It’s a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on.

Daniel writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:12 PM
KKat


"a cult not at all unlike Iran's in terms of its feelings on nationalism and fate (Mormons essentially see the US as the solution to the world's problems - which it may be, but not like they see it). Mormonism, Islam, and David Korresh all had the same theme - God's word was corrupted/ believe this guy with terrible grammar skills who rewrote it all in his image and claims he got it from some angel in a cave/ Go kill people/ take multiple wives/ sex in heaven/ etc./ etc. I just don't want bumper stickers saying "our cult leader can beat up your cult leader" if we come to blows with Iran"

There is so much wrong with the comment above that one really doesn't know where to start.

At least, that's so from the perspective of a believing Mormon (me) who has a Ph.D. in Islamic studies and has spent time in Iran.

Enough of the NONSENSE!!!
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:14 PM
Skeptic of Jingoism
Great, so you support someone because the anti-tax Club for Growth is against them.

In other words, your idea of a true conservative is someone who believes in raising taxes.

Good grief.


Sure, I agree that taxes aren't the only issue and shouldn't be the only consideration in sizing up a candidate.

But making a litmus test that you will only support someone who believes in higher taxes?
Sugar writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:17 PM
Forget Huck, Mitt AND Rudy
Vote for Fred Thompson and you have a candidate that is A LOT more consistant on conservative issues.

Rudy is socially liberal. Huck is fiscally liberal (see what he does w/ Taxes when he can't get the Fair Tax through). Mitt is conservative, for now anyway.

Fred is, on balance, the best of the bunch. Pro-Life, Anti-Amnesty, Pro 2nd Amendment, Pro-Growth fiscally, Anti-Nanny State. This is the man that wrote the book on government waste and has stopped corruption at the highest levels.

It looks like we have the right choice if we will actually make it. Fred Thompson
CDubber writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:17 PM
Drex
"Not only a tax-raiser, but took money from the tobacco industry, and then ignored his sponsors."

Apparently Huckabee was *with* the tobacco industry before he was *against* it.

Yet Romney is the only "flip-flopper" in the running according to the wackos on this discussion board. Hilarious.

Huckabee = a Democrat in Republican's clothing and a disaster waiting to happen for the GOP.
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:17 PM
Dan Bartlett

Well, if Dan Bartlett considers someone a lackey then you have to take that seriously because who's more of an expert on what a lackey is than Dan Bartlett?
jimgdvm writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:19 PM
Hugh..
Your getting a bit obsessed with Huckabee... Why, what ever for? Have you seen Mitt's knees shaking? Are your palms sweating from the fear of Mitt losing, along with the Buckeyes?

I'm not a Huckabee supporter, but he is in my top three.... When I see Mitt ALWAYS being the 1st one to go negative, and be a candidate that has to keep explaining his "flip-flops", I worry about what the General election tactics against him will be. He's pretty good on the stump otherwise. He's number 3 in my top 3.
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:19 PM
Sugar
I like Fred's positions on the issues, and he has the best immigration plan of the bunch.

I happen to think Romney is pretty good too.


But I totally agree on Huck and Giuliani. Do we really need another "bleeding heart conservative" in the White House?
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:24 PM
Giuliani

You know, it seems like Rudy just figures Romney and Huckster will slug it out and Rudy will quietly wrap up the nomination.

But he could be misjudging. The last polls I've seen show Rudy only around 22%.


Let us say Huckabee does well in the early primaries as is now expected. I think maybe then what is going to happen is the race becomes a two-man race between Huck and Romney.

The "derail Romney in the early primaries" strategy just might not pan out.

Because, in the early primaries, all the news is liable to be Huckabee and Romney news.



So my point is, Giuliani's achilles heel was whether he fades away in the early primaries. The idea was that Romney would run away with it.

Well, what if Romney DOES NOT run away with it but Giuliani fades away anyway?


Plus, frankly, I don't believe Giuliani has any solid support. I think he's popular in the Democrat states simply because people have heard of him.
csdeven writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:24 PM
richard_223
I don't see this as negative. Mitt actually complimented Huck. And I don't see how comparing records is negative. When was the last time Huck gave Mitt credit for his lifestyle in an ad? I don't remember seeing one. I remember him refusing to answer questions directly when he was asked about Mitt's faith. I also remember Huck claiming he was the "Christian" candidate. THAT, IMO is a negative passive/aggressive attack on the other candidates. Especially Mitt and by extension, Rudy also.
CDubber writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:26 PM
Daniel
Sorry, but apparently ignorant hearsay (KKat) is greater than your advanced education (Ph.D).

Personally, I think Romney would be a great president, Mormon or not. Being Mormon myself, however, I don't know how ready I am to continue hearing every two-bit clown with a keyboard pontificate on their "official analysis" of Mormonism. The amount of ignorance can be nauseating.

These people take the Huckabee approach to incompetence:

"I'm not a Mormon, I don't know any Mormons, nor have I ever visited a Mormon church, but I *did* stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!"

At least now I know how Jews, Catholics, racial minorities, etc. have been feeling for centuries. Apparently Mormons are the new punching bag for the angrily ignorant.
religiouslib writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:35 PM
bot feeder
so then you feel good about being manipulated by hewitt huh?

the conservative media has turned out to be more biased than the liberal media.
Drex Davis writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:37 PM
Briggsy
"Drex, maybe it just means Huck genuinely believes in redemption. People may disappoint him, but he has faith in the Spirit to transform."

I believe this too.

And criminals can be saved while in prison, serving time for the crimes they have committed. Just because they can be redeemed does not mean they should not have to pay the price for their crimes.

Should we let everyone who claims to have found God out of prison?

It's not the Governer's place to decide who has been redeemed and who has not. Could 11 MURDERERS in 8 years have found that redemption? Almost 700 criminals in 8 years?
defneocon1 writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:38 PM
RE: PolitBurro, death penalty
I would suggest that Mitt had 0 felons executed in Massachusettes since it is against the law here.

i agree with bot_feeder, the last thing we need is another "conervative" in office who is more liberal than conservative. All you need to do is look at Huckabee's record as governor.
CDubber writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:39 PM
religiouslib
"the conservative media has turned out to be more biased than the liberal media"

And the conservative media (a tiny minority) *claim* to be conservative, or at worst doesn't deny it, while the liberal media (network television and the vast majority of magazines and newspapers) claim to be "unbiased." Hilarious.

So then you feel good about being manipulated by the liberal media huh?
CDubber writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:40 PM
defneocon1
"I would suggest that Mitt had 0 felons executed in Massachusettes since it is against the law here."

Shhh, facts and logic make PolitBurro's head hurt...
csdeven writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 12:50 PM
Bwahahahaha!
"I would suggest that Mitt had 0 felons executed in Massachusettes since it is against the law here."

I was wondering about that. Didn't Mitt say on Glen Beck's show that he never pardoned anyone while he was governor?
religiouslib writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 1:21 PM
Cdubber
i make up my own mind thank you.

i read the washington post and the washington times.
i watch oreilly and olbermann
i listen to medved and shultz

if you only get info from one side you are only getting half of the facts.

at least the liberal media does not get its marching orders from the white house or dem leadership and regurgitate whatever they tell them.

that is like the soviet style of media.
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 1:28 PM
religiouslib said
"so then you feel good about being manipulated by hewitt huh?

the conservative media has turned out to be more biased than the liberal media."


1). I'm not manipulated by Hewitt, but I can't speak for you.

2). Did you just fall off a turnip truck? Of course the "conservative" media is biased. Look at Fox News. The Giuliani network. Look at Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, lapdogs for George W. Bush.
bot_feeder writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 1:32 PM
religiouslib

Great, religiouslib, you listen to both sides of the media, the lefties and the neocons. That really gives you the full picture!

Reminds me of the sunday talking heads programs that put a Ted Kennedy type Democrat on and also a Ted Kennedy type Republican like McCain and that is supposedly providing the viewers with a diversity of opinion.

(OK, at least you get a little bit of diversity by reading the Washington Times)
SEEHAWK writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 1:37 PM
Busgy
What did President Bush say to Carla Faye as he pushed the syringe into the IV tubing? Tell us,because sounds like you were there.
SEEHAWK writes: Tuesday, December, 11, 2007 1:41 PM
religiouslib/evolution worshipper
You've obviously never heard Rush string together the elite media's talking points from the DNC, you do live under a rock.
bot_feeder writes: Wednesday, December, 12, 2007 12:48 AM
Sugar
Thompson is good on the issues but unfortunately he just never caught fire.

When he was considering getting in my main skepticism was whether he would come across as someone with the fire in his belly to be able to slug it out in this arena.

Early on he did some speeches that seemed to fire up some people, but that seems to have petered out.

I'd happily vote for Thompson if he got the nomination but it sure doesn't look like that's in the cards now.

It seems to me it is basically a 3 man race between Rudy, Mitt, and Huck.

I'm for Romney. I'd gladly vote for Thompson if he won the nomination.

I will not vote in the general election if Huck or McCain were the nominee. If it's Rudy I will have to think long and hard whether to hold my nose and vote for him.

But if Rudy, Huck, or McCain were to win the nomination, maybe Lou Dobbs will jump in as a 3rd party candidate and then I will have someone to vote for.
bot_feeder writes: Wednesday, December, 12, 2007 12:57 AM
steve

Actually, Romney has inched up a little in the polls. Several showed him at 16%.

So right now the horse race is this:

Rudy has been a balloon with a very slow leak for months. The leak is so slow, however, that he may still have enough support to win the nomination.

Huckabee is skyrocketing. Time will tell whether it leads to him running away with the nomination, plateauing and winding up in a knock down drag out with Rudy and Mitt, or if he fizzles.

He has his work cut out for him because there is an awful lot of bad publicity coming out on him. The Aids thing, his pro illegal-immigration record, his tax record, his lack of knowledge on foreign policy, etc.

But perhaps that won't matter. People are fed up and want a fresh face and may not care about any of that stuff or things like issues.

Mitt's standing in the polls has been sitting there like a rock doing nothing for months. He does appear to have bumped up just a tad this week.

Bottom line is that this thing is totally up in the air at this point. The only thing I will say with confidence is that John McCain is not going to be the Republican nominee.
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