Huckabee is TRULY Pro-Life

There has been much controversy over Mike Huckabee's position on immigration when he was governor. As you might know Huckabee supported a law allowing illegal immigrants to get scholarships (or have the chance of getting one) to colleges if they met the same standards as other kids. The only catch was they had to become US citizens. Now many have said this is amnesty and soft on immigration. I am here to say it is the only true pro-life position and one that benefits society.
First take a look at the video below for Huckabee's response to the issue:

Now explore the options for a second. The scenario requires the student who had no choice in breaking the law to complete high school and meet the same requirements as others to even become eligible for the scholarships. They added a requirement, as I stated earlier, to first become a citizen. Now what is the opposite view? The student still does well in high school but now has no chance at college (or little chance since the illegal family normally has little money) and remains an illegal immigrant causing the illegal immigrant problem to be worse. Furthermore, this child will now take a probably illegal low paying job which hurts our economy. Is that really a better option? The answer is an obvious no. If the person becomes a citizen and a productive member of society then more good has been done and a life has been helped. So what is the true pro-life position here? To keep a child in a bad environment because of the illegal actions of others or to stop the chain of law breaking and create a new American? The answer is clear and I support Huckabee for supporting an idea that I too used to criticize. One needs to really think about the consequences and think of what is better to accomplish. Mike Huckabee, luckily, has a strong moral conviction and this law would solve many problems while creating none.

I encourage folks to really think about these issues and determine whether or not they actually support your convictions. Pro-life includes after birth and Mike Huckabee has shown that not only does he believe this but he puts it into action. And that's why I like Mike.

Fact Check: A Response to FactCheck.org

I was reading factcheck.org today and noticed an article on Huckabee and taxes. The article can be found by clicking here.

The first thing FactCheck.org addresses is a video where Huckabee says he is for a tax increase. Huckabee said the following after a clip of the speech was aired:

That was in the context of a [Arkansas] Supreme Court order that we had to fund education at a higher level. The legislators had come down to the special session and there was all kinds of talk about, well, this tax increase or that revenue possibility is out of the question, dead on arrival. … Now we were at the point, with a court order over our heads – we were going to have to improve our schools.

It is true that Huckabee was incorrect about this. The speech was about an overall budget shortfall and not about education. Huckabee is right in saying that you should look at the entire speech because if you did you would find out why he is qualified for the job of president.

Take a look at the entire speech found here: Part 1 Part 2
The speech talks about how Arkansas was having budget troubles in 2003. After years of cutting and cutting spending Huckabee finally decided you can't cut anymore without "amputating a vital limb". This shows good leadership and proper role of government. You first trim what you can and then when that is not enough you have to raise revenue. People get this crazy idea that taxes are a bad thing but in reality they are the only way we pay for roads and schools. The fact that Huckabee was willing to do what it takes to help his state out shows how he can really get the job done.

The next claim is really no big deal. FactCheck talks about how Huckabee signed a bill taxing nursing home beds at about 6%. As noted it was supported by the Arkansas Health Care Association mainly because Medicare needed to be funded somehow. Once again this shows how Mike Huckabee did what was necessary to provide for its citizens.

Next up is the gas hike:

Huckabee: Yes, I did. Certainly, there was an issue that involved road building and infrastructure on roads and bridges, and I did support that. We added $1 billion to our economy, 40,000 jobs, went from having the worst to the best roads. When we put that out there for the people to decide whether they wanted to affirm it, they did by an 80 percent vote, I would call that leadership.

We would call that not true. Huckabee is right that about 80 percent of Arkansas voters approved a referendum to increase funding for highway repair. But the referendum happened after the gas tax hike had already become law.

This is actually a misunderstanding of what Huckabee said. It is true that Huckabee "put that out there for the people to decide whether they wanted to affirm it". Perhaps FactCheck doesn't realize that affirming something doesn't have to be before the fact. You can affirm a result after the action has taken place. Huckabee is not claiming here that they voted for it and then it happened. The fact that he later allowed it to be put for a vote does indeed show leadership and the fact that 80% approved it shows he and the legislative body worked the entire time for the people.

In the end, what this shows is how Mike Huckabee can work with democrats on getting things passed and thinking in terms of "vertical" politics. You hear the "Club for Growth" drown on about tax increases but sometimes they are needed and sometimes not. Mike has already stated he doesn't believe tax increases are needed in the federal government but rather a reduction in spending. Mike Huckabee did this in Arkansas by first cutting the budget before being forced to raise taxes and that is the true fiscally conservative person. Someone who would rather run a deficit and threaten our country is no real fiscal conservative.

In Debate, Huckabee had "Strongest Performance"

Recapping the Republican Youtube Debate, CBS' Vaugnn Ververs declares that Governor Huckabee, "turned in the strongest performance of the evening." Read the full article here. Snippet below.

But Huckabee, who has distinguished himself in the debates all year, turned in the strongest performance of the evening at a time when he’s beginning to become a force in the race. Time and time again, Huckabee stood out, giving thoughtful and eloquent answers to questions about immigration, taxes, the death penalty and the bible, which for an ordained Baptist minister is a familiar subject. He also once again delivered the best punch lines. When asked what Jesus would do in regards to the death penalty, Huckabee said, “Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office.”

Huckabee Snatches the Lead in Iowa

Good news for Mike Huckabee today. The latest Rasmussen poll shows him leading in Iowa. Poll is here. Breakdown below.

1. Mike Huckabee: 28%
2. Mitt Romney: 25%
3. Rudy Giuliani: 12%
4. Fred Thompson: 11%

Huckabee's Second Ad

Mike Huckabee began running his second ad today. You can view it below.

The Washington Post Discovers What We Already Knew

There is another poll out today indicating that Mike Huckabee is a serious contender for first place in the Iowa Caucuses. The poll stacks up this way:

1. Mitt Romney: 28%
2. Mike Huckabee: 24%
3. Fred Thompson: 15%
4. Rudy Giuliani: 13%

The Washington Post compares these numbers to a poll they ran in July, and it is quite telling. See the graphic below:

Another significant finding is the enthusiasm that Huckabee supporters have. From the Post:

But almost half of Huckabee's supporters (48 percent) said they would definitely vote for him in January and only a quarter said there was a good chance that they would change their minds before the caucuses. In contrast, just 29 percent of Romney's backers said they would definitely vote for him, while 42 percent said there was a good chance that they could vote for someone else at the caucuses.

Huckabee truly is poised to upset the entire race for Republican nomination.

Best Political Ad

Released yesterday, many are already calling it the best political ad of the season. And it was, of course, created by Mike Huckabee. Watch and enjoy.

Could Huckabee Win Iowa?

Newsweek asks "Could Huckabee Actually Win Iowa?"

Why, yes. Yes he could.

Huckabee Poll Surge; Drudge Surprised?

Huckabee surprises Drudge? Check out the screenshot showing Drudge featuring a link to a recent poll showing Huckabee with excellent numbers in Iowa. While Drudge was surprised by this, I most certainly was not.

Drudge featured a headline outlining Governor Huckabee's excellent numbers in Iowa. Drudge refers to a CBS/New York Times poll that shows Huckabee in second place and within striking distance in Iowa. The poll for the Republican candidates broke down thusly:

1. Mitt Romney: 27%
2. Mike Huckabee: 21%
3. Rudy Giuliani: 15%
4. Fred Thompson: 9%

This is excellent news for Governor Huckabee.

Huckabee Now Top Tier

It appears Huckabee is officially in the "top tier" of candidates.

According to Rasmussen Reports, Huckabee is in a virtual tie for 2nd with three other candidates in the national polls.

While the Republican race remains very fluid, voters are starting to pay attention and meaningful trends are starting to take shape. Over the past week, those trends have signaled good news for Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee while delivering the opposite message to Fred Thompson.

Over the past week Guiliani has remained at the top with around 23% and Romney, McCain, Thompson, and Huckabee area all around 12% to 14%. If you look at the Iowa polls, Huckabee is in second and gaining on Romney.

Rasmussen Reports has been the most accurate polling group over the last two elections.

Dobson Says "Huh?"

The Spectator has updated its earlier story that reported the Dr. Dobson was preparing to endorse Governor Huckabee. From the update:

Tim Minnery, Senior Vice President for Focus on the Family, Dobson's organization, denied on Friday afternoon that Dobson intended to endorse Huckabee in the coming days. Minnery's denial was submitted to the Spectator after Dobson received calls from other social conservative leaders inquiring about the leaked endorsement plans from the Huckabee campaign and Dobson associates. "Dr. Dobson isn't close to an endorsement of anyone in the 2008 race," Minnery wrote in an email to the editor denying there was an endorsement planned.

"Dr. Dobson isn't close to an enodrsment of anyone in the 2008 race." Isn't close? That's too bad, really. Huckabee is the clear choice for Conservatives. If such a high level individual goes out of the way to make such an unequivocal denial on Dobson's behalf, then I would suggest that today's earlier report is flat out wrong. Dr. Dobson has not come around like so many of us have wished he would.

And MSNBC's Firstread reports that the Mike Huckabee campaign has released a statement speaking to the confusion. From the release:

“There is no imminent campaign announcement about his [Dr. Dobson's] support -- and my campaign has not said there is, despite wild Internet rumors and some press accounts to the contrary. I have also spoken personally to him about the matter.”

This is probably going to serve only to make people upset. There were already plenty of people who were upset at Dobson (and others) for not backing the clear candidate for social conservatives. Then today many of those people were elated to hear that Dr. Dobson had come around. Now they find out that Dr. Dobson "denies ferociously" that he is planning to endorse Mike Huckabee. That is just going to remind everyone about how much they have despised the way Dobson and other leaders have handled this election cycle.

Dobson to Back Huckabee?

According to a post at the American Spectator today, there appears to be some indication that Dr. James Dobson has settled on Mike Huckabee as his preferred candidate for President of the United States. The Spectator writes:

Sources close to Dobson say that within the next ten days he is coordinating an endorsement plan with the presidential campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Many people, myself included, have been somewhat critical of Dr. Dobson and other Christian leaders for their refusal to back Governor Huckabee. If this report is true and Dr. Dobson does intend to publicly endorse Governor Huckabee, I have a couple of thoughts.

1. Dr. Dobson's endorsement would mean that Mike Huckabee's campaign would see a significant increase in support. This would likely include, among other things, a significant increase in campaign funding.
2. Dr. Dobson's endorsement would indicate that some significant Christian leaders still do care about the principles upon which they live. Dr. Dobson's endorsement of Huckabee could trigger a domino affect, and his influence could encourage other leaders to hop on board.

If the Spectator report is true, the race for the Republican Nomination could see a significant shift.

Dick Morris: Huckabee Can Win in Iowa

Dick Morris writes on Mike Huckabee's chances to win in Iowa.

But Huckabee has no money. Yet, despite a total absence of advertising, he has risen steadily in Iowa from single digits to double digits to second place. Indeed, his lack of funding may be creating a reverse chic, attracting voters who are turned off by the massive hard sell of the other campaigns.

Alcorn Backs Huckabee

Randy Alcorn, committed pro-life advocate, explains why he supports Mike Huckabee.

While I would hate to be a politician, I have always thanked God for men and women who are called to that. So I thank God for Mike Huckabee. And especially when he labors to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, I feel like the least I can do is support him.

Alcorn is another individual who has found pragmatism to be unacceptable when it demands that one abandon principle.