On the trail in Texas

My candidacy is, and always has been, about convictions – and the issues and core values that are critical to our country’s future, such protecting traditional marriage, the sanctity of life, individual empowerment and a revamping of our federal tax code to encourage productivity. It’s about lifting Americans up, from hope to higher ground, with a positive vision for America’s future that is grounded in a belief in our nation’s basic goodness, and defined by a ‘can—do’ spirit that knows how to gets things done. My goal is to offer Republican voters, a voice and a choice in this election.

The last four out of five U.S. Presidents have been governors, and there is a reason for this: the challenges facing our nation require steady, experienced, executive management. As governor of Arkansas for 10 ½ years, I delivered on my promises to cut taxes 94 times, reduce welfare by half, reform health care for children and our education system, and transform our transportation infrastructure. My record of results, achieved with a Democrat legislature, gives a meaningful viability to my candidacy.

There are millions of Republicans from across this country who have yet to be heard from. Clearly we were disappointed by the results in Wisconsin, but I look forward to campaigning hard in Texas and Ohio this week – and taking my case before the good people of those states. I encourage you to leave a comment on our campaign blog today and share with me your thoughts.Emailing you from the road in Texas and with deep gratitude,

Huckabee Speech to CPAC

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Part 4:

Two Man Race

Interesting developments…

Mitt Romney ended his 2008 presidential bid today. That in effect makes Mike Huckabee the only viable contender against McCain for the GOP nomination. Now is the time for all conservatives to rally around Governor Huckabee; here are the top 5 reasons why:

1. Immigration: Mike signed a pledge today that was drafted by Sen. Sessions that he will make immigration a top priority as President. Mike is a man of his word and is the ONLY electable candidate who will END ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Newsroom.PressRelease&ID=588

2. Second Ammendment: Mike is the strongest candidate dedicated to defending the 2nd Ammendment – check out his record.

3. Tax Reform: It is utterly ludicrous to call Mike Huckabee an economic liberal. What he did in terms of cutting taxes in Arkansas was Revolutionary. He has the most conservative plan for federal taxes -eliminate the IRS and replace it with the flat consuption-based FAIR Tax.

4. Judges: In the next two presidential terms there are likely to be 3 vacancies in the US Supreme Court. Unlike Mike Huckabee, John McCain is not dedicated to appointing true conservative judges like Sam Alito who will support the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and the right to bear arms.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=599795.

5. Communication: Mike is young, energetic and motivational. Not only will this give him a huge advantage in beating the Democratic Nominee (once he gets financial support of GOP), but it will make him the president who will unite the American people and get things done by selling concepts to the American people who will in turn compel their representatives (House and Senate) to support the President’s proposals.

Suprisingly Liberal

My 5 Smooth Stones – Mike Huckabee

We are in this race to win despite the desperate efforts by the Romney campaign to try and say that “a vote for me is a vote for McCain”.  Actually, a vote for me is a vote for me!

We have outlasted Rudy, Fred, and others who were supposed to be the winners.  Only 8% of the Republican delegates have been selected, and we have about the same number of delegates as McCain or Romney.  We are in it to win. 

The Romney campaign knows this and they are running scared.

So far the media has with a few exceptions, been content to sell this sham of a story to their viewers and listeners.  You would think that under this coordinated assault, we would be sinking in the polls nationally.

Not so.  FOX News has us tied with Gov. Romney in 2nd place nationally in a new poll of registered voters.

What’s more, in Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma, recent polls have us in first or tied for first.

We can win.  We will win.

To close this gap from 2nd to 1st and shock the pundits and more importantly our rivals I need your immediate financial support.  I am counting on you as I always have, because you are the five smooth stones in my pocket.

Make an immediate contribution of $25 or more today and watch us soar.

I am counting on you for victory.

With deepest gratitude.

Mike

The Only “Catholic” On the Ballot: Mike Huckabee?

From http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26620&page=1

Guest Commentary:The Only ‘Catholic’ On the Ballot: Mike Huckabee?

Faced with a more colourful line-up of candidates touting a wider array of viewpoints than ever before, an unprecedented number of voters remain undecided.

On the Democratic side, the race for the White House pits the first viable African-American candidate against the first viable female candidate, while the Republican field includes a bona-fide war hero running against a former Baptist preacher, a multi-millionaire business executive, a prime-time TV actor, and a guy who likes to be called “America’s Mayor.”

This time around, however, Catholics have been given extra-help in making wise choices at the ballot box. In a recent document entitled “Forming Consciences for Faithful citizenship” (2007), the US Conference of Catholic Bishops provided the faithful with a voter’s guide that can help them exercise their democratic responsibilities in accordance with the Church’s social teachings.

Of course, the Bishops of the Church offer no detailed social program; they claim no expertise in the finer points of economics or foreign policy. What they do provide, however, is an outline of general moral and social principles, clearly laid out and prioritized in a way that can enable Catholics — and, indeed, all people of good will—to apply those principles to the great issues of the day.

Here is a salutary exercise for every Catholic who wants to cast a well-informed vote this year: go to each candidate’s website, and read over their public statements of where they stand on the issues. Then, immediately after that, read the Bishops’ statement on “Faithful Citizenship.” Compare and contrast what you find.

When this exercise is done fairly and without prejudice, many Catholics will be surprised to discover that the presidential candidate whose viewpoints seem most “in sync” with the Church’s guidance is none other than the most devout Evangelical in the race: Mike Huckabee.

Read the rest: http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26620&page=1

Huckabee on the Issues

Huckabee for President Volunteer Issue Guide

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. With ten-and-a-half years of experience running state government, Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has more relevant executive experience than any candidate in the race – either Republican or Democrat.2. Recognized and tapped by his peers for leadership, the National Governor’s Association selected Governor Huckabee as it’s Chairman,

3. TIME Magazine honored him as one of the five best Governors in America.

4. Governor Huckabee is a fiscal conservative who cut taxes almost 100 times in the state of Arkansas, including the state’s first broad-based tax cuts, and turned a $200 million deficit into an $850 million surplus.

ISSUES
1. TAXES/ECONOMY –Governor Huckabee supports The FairTax because it will restore the “Made in America” label, making American goods 12-25% more competitive, boosting economic growth, increasing our exports, and securing American jobs. It also prevents criminals or illegal aliens from avoiding taxes, and makes the taxes we all pay 100% transparent.

2. GOVERNMENT SPENDING – Governor Huckabee is committed to reducing government spending. One way he’ll do this is by reducing the cost of welfare. Governor Huckabee will work with states to reduce welfare roles through programs like the one he implemented in Arkansas, which reduced welfare roles by 50%.

3. HEALTH CARE –Governor Huckabee will implement a consumer-based healthcare system that emphasizes preventative medicine and wellness. Because 70% of our $2 trillion dollar healthcare costs is spent treating chronic, preventable diseases, this approach will make healthcare more affordable for everybody while keeping us healthier.

4. FAMILY VALUES –Governor Huckabee supports a federal constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. He Successfully fought for Arknasas’ marriage amendment and strongly supports a similar, federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

5. IMMIGRATION –Governor Huckabee will secure the border (with physical barriers, electronic surveillance, and more border-patrol personnel and detention facilities). He will also end sanctuary cities and increase penalties on, and enforcement against, employers who hire illegal immigrants. Governor Huckabee will make sure the border patrol has adequate funding to end our “catch and release” system so that everyone caught trying to enter illegally, overstaying their visa, or committing a crime will be held until they’re tried, convicted, and deported. Gov. Huckabee has also signed the Numbers USA “No Amnesty” Pledge.

6. WAR ON TERROR AND IRAQ – Governor Huckabee knows it takes a large, well-equipped military to ensure our national defense and to deter conventional military confrontations. He also knows we need large, well-equipped intelligence and Special Forces operations for our national offense – so we can effectively find and eliminate terrorist threats at home or abroad. Governor Huckabee will be a Commander in Chief who knows that IF WE HAVE TO FIGHT A WAR, our President has to fight it the way our GENERALS tell him it can be won, not the way we wants it to be won.

7. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE –Governor Huckabee will implement a program to end the import of foreign oil in the next ten years by increasing domestic oil production in the short term, and then replacing oil-based energy infrastructure with alternative and renewable energies.

8. CLEMENCIES – Arkansas Governors grant clemency, but the parole board grants parole. Wayne DuMond’s parole was granted by the board and NOT Governor Huckabee.

9. TAXES –When Governor Huckabee left office, the tax rates remained exactly the same as when he first came into office. Governor Huckabee returned almost $400 million to Arkansasf taxpayers, and he also DOUBLED the standard deduction for individuals and married couples, DOUBLED the childcare tax credit, and eliminated the marriage penalty. He also repealed capital gains taxes for home sales, lowered the capital gains rate by 25%, expanded the homestead exemption, and set up tax-free savings accounts for medical care and college tuition.  Gov. Huckabee has also signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge not to raise taxes.

10. SECOND AMENDMENT-
• Lifetime member of the NRA, member for over 15 years
• First Governor to have concealed-carry permit
• Removed restrictions on carry permit holders
• Protected gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits
• Opposes reauthorization of the Assault Weapon Ban
• Opposes expansion of the unconstitutional “Brady Bill”
• Opposes waiting period for purchase of firearms
• Opposes background checks on private firearms transactions at gun shows
• Will nominate judges who interpret the constitution as the Founders intended, rather than as a “living document reflecting current political trends or opinions”
• An avid hunter and conservationist, and a member of the Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and BASS.

Huckabee heating up in SC

Welcome to Huckabee Country

Andrew Romano

TIGERVILLE, S.C.–They’re spread like breadcrumbs on the road from Lyman to North Greenville University.

Churches.

I counted at least 17 on the 18 mile drive; when I turned off the main road, Rt. 29, they passed by the windows of my white Chevy Impala at a rate of one or two per intersection. And nearly all of them were Baptist.

Which is just to say: this here is Mike Huckabee country.

The former Arkansas governor (and former Baptist minister) may trail John McCain by 2.5 percent in the latest South Carolina polling averages, but seeing the two leading Palmetto State contenders back-to-back on the same afternoon, it’s immediately clear that it’s McCain, not Huckabee, who’s fighting the uphill battle this week.

McCain’s goal: protect his right flank. Unlike in Michigan, New Hampshire or Iowa, the Arizona senator opened both of his appearances this morning by boasting of his “24-year record supporting the rights of the unborn”; when asked about his new lead-in, he told reporters it’s “because we know phone calls are being made that say I’m not, so I have to remind people.” (Asked if an opponent–namely the Huckabee-supporting group Common Sense–was making the calls, he laughed: “No, they’re coming from Mount Olympus.”) Attempting to blunt further questions on his pro-life credentials, McCain added that he would “nominate the closest thing to a clone of Justice Roberts I can find.” He railed against internet pornography and spoke frequently of “family values” and the “breakdown of the family”; he turned a question about drug use into an opportunity to talk tough on illegal immigration, dropping phrases like “go back where they came from” more often than “humane” and “compassionate,” his usual standbys. And McCain even revived an old ad slamming Hillary Clinton’s support for a Woodstock museum. Let the culture wars begin–again.

Don’t get me wrong. McCain’s shifting emphasis is all well and good–and probably necessary in a state where Confederate Flag loyalists are swarming each of his events. But it’s largely a defensive crouch, and it detracts from what even McCain says is his main strength–national security and veterans issues, which play well among South Carolina’s massive military community.

Huckabee, on the other hand, is all offense. Take today’s appearance at the Baptist North Greenville University–”Where Christ Makes the Difference.” At the end of Huckabee’s remarks, the dean of the school asked the candidate two “hard-hitting” questions. “Not to put you on the spot,” he said, “but are you a Christian? And can you tell us about your salvation experience?”

Shockingly, Huckabee was happy to oblige. “I came to Christ on my tenth birthday,” he said. “August the 24th, 1965. It was at the Vacation Bible School at the little church I attended in Hope, Arkansas. I have to tell you the whole story. I didn’t go to Vacation Bible School to be spiritual. I went because my sister said you get all the Kool-Aid you could drink and all the cookies you could eat. That sounded like a good deal to me, so I went that next day. I was a little disappointed because when I got there, they didn’t think I could drink more than one cup of Kool-Aid or eat more than two cookies. They were wrong about that. But they were right about that day telling me what it means to come to Christ… I remember praying their prayer and feeling overwhelmed with the sense that God loved me. In fact, so much so, when everybody went out to play baseball, some of my friends said, ‘Let’s go play, man.’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t want to get dirty.’ Because I’d never felt so clean in my life.” Hallelujah.

Then, after scribbing some autographs and posing for pictures, Huckabee walked across the hall and at a little press conference signed a “No Amnesty Pledge”–a pledge that McCain had already refused to sign.

Game on.

This is the latest from Newsweek and can be viewed at: http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/01/16/welcome-to-huckabee-country.aspx

A Rush to judgment

This is a great article by Chuck Norris examining the claims that Mike Huckabee is a liberal in GOP clothing.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59670

A supporter from Michigan reports

Link: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=1176

Randy Bishop is a truck driver by trade and a dedicated Mike Huckabee supporter. He sent in this report about his travels and events over the last few days getting the word out about Mike Huckabee.

Hey Everyone,

I don’t know how Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee keep up with their busy schedule! After driving down from Traverse City to the Birch Run event on Friday, getting signs, a banner, and other supplies, I drove back home and went to bed about 1:00 am.

I started out Saturday morning at 6:30 am, and got out to my pickup truck which was covered in a fresh lake effect snow. I headed up to the Northern Michigan Voter’s Fair & Straw Poll and setup a table right up front between the Romney and McCain tables. Great turnout and we answered alot of really good questions about Mike and his positions. The organizer gave us access to a laptop that had a high-speed connection to the web, that displayed it’s screen on a overhead projector which showed up on the stage’s huge big screen. So we ran YouTube videos of Mike all day long.

I left the Fair about 4:00 pm, and headed over to the Ronald Reagan Dinner/Charlevoix GOP fundraiser. I put out some yard signs out on the shoulder of the road, in the driveway and was able to park in the very first spot, which was a straight shot viewable from the small entrance driveway. So I put a yard sign on my rear bumper, which was right between my FairTax bumper stickers. The Huckabee sign greeted everyone as they arrived at the event (over 150 people including Duncan Hunter and all the other speakers)!

I was the first person there, besides the host, Charlevoix GOP Chairman – Wes Dillworth (Romney supporter) and his family. I chose to sit at the very first table on the right, next to the bar (even though I don’t drink).

People started trickling in about 5:15, and then walked in U.S. Congressman-Peter Hoekstra R-MI. Wes Dillworth was setting up behind the bar and Peter walked over to Wes to say hello. They shook hands, and Wes asked Peter, “so how are we doing in the tracking”? Congressman Hoekstra said…”McCain is drawing smaller crowds than us, but Huckabee is kicking our {backsides}”. Right then, Wes happened to look over and see me sitting behind my laptop, and leaned back and whispered something to Peter. Peter immediately looked over at me and nodded…I simply smiled at him and nodded back. This exchange really boosted my confidence to speak in front of the group on behalf of Gov. Huckabee.

The event finally started late at 7:00 pm… We started by having the local sheriff leading us through the Pledge of Allegiance, then a local pastor lead us through a prayer, and then we had a buffet style dinner.

Presidential Candidate/U.S. Congressman-California Duncan Hunter started it off, by giving a great speech. He brought his wife and his son, Duncan Jr. who just got back from Iraq and is running for office in California.

Next, Ex-Presidential Candidate/U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, spoke and asked us to support John McCain for President.

Next, U.S. Congressman-Peter Hoekstra R-MI, spoke about Mitt Romney .

Oh, I forgot to mention…prior to the speeches starting, I had given the emcee my name to put on his lineup sheet. When I told him my name, he asked me what office I held? I said, “I don’t hold an office, I’m a Truck Driver and I’m supporting Mike Huckabee for President, and I’m sorry I don’t own a suit so I’m a little under dressed (Black & Silver pullover sweater and black dress slacks), so if you could please tell the audience that when you introduce me, I’d appreciate it.” He said OK.

“Next, we have Randy Bishop speaking on why he’s supporting Mike Huckabee for President. Randy is a Truck Driver, and he wanted to apologize for being “undressed” for this evening’s event because he doesn’t own a suit, so here’s Randy”. (I got more applause than Sam or Peter, they were very nice to me). I told Duncan Hunter, that Gov. Huckabee told me to say Hello….Duncan said, “Tell Mike I said Hi Back”…the audience applauded.

I started off by telling them a little about my trucking business. I told them that I drive an average of four (4) times around the world per year (100,000 miles), using 16,662 gallons of diesel fuel, which cost $53,357 in 2007. After corporate taxes, truck payments, repair bills, insurances, and a semi’s license plate ($1,850 per year) I end up with less than 30% to claim as my personal income, which I then have to pay personal taxes on… and end up with less than 22% of my gross income to actually live on and pay for my personal expenses. Needless to say, the entire room was shaking their heads in disgust and amazement.

I told them about Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minutemen Project, and how he interviewed all of the candidates for President. Jim told me personally in Traverse City this week, that the Democratic candidates, “don’t even think we have a problem with illegal immigration”, and out of all of the Republican candidates, that Mike Huckabee has a real solution to this problem and that’s why Jim Gilchrist endorsed Mike Huckabee for President. I told them to go to MikeHuckabee.com under Issues, and read his 9 point strategy listed as his Secure America Plan.

Also, I told them that Mike wants to close the IRS, shut it down and replace it with the “FairTax”. I explained that it’s a consumption tax and does not tax us on our productivity. I told them to go to MikeHuckabee.com and read more about it there. But more importantly, all these illegal workers would start paying into our tax system when they bought their necessities to live. Other people who get paid in cash, and even visitors to this country (like all of the Canadians who cross over from Windsor into Detroit, or Sarnia into Port Huron) and many others would start paying into our Federal Treasury. Many applauded right then.

I finished by saying simply, Mike Huckabee wants to seal the border, have all of us not be penalized for our labor and profits, and get the U.S. economy booming like we have never seen before in our lifetime!!! That’s just some of the reasons I’m supporting Mike Huckabee for President”! The room broke out in a huge, loud applause.

I stayed for the other politicians and listened to their speeches. When it was over, I had no less than 20-25 people come over and tell me that they were switching their vote, and would be voting for Mike Huckabee. A former judge, (I promised not to tell you his name) came up to me and said, “you were the most credible guy on that stage tonight, the rest of them were just politicians”! That made me feel good for Mike.

Gov. Huckabee, I tried to do my best for you. I hope I didn’t say anything to hurt your campaign or anything that you didn’t want me to bring up…but like I told you at the Birch Run Rally, “I’m just a Truck Driver, who wants you to be our next President”.

God Bless you and Janet! I think God has a hand in everything we all are doing in this campaign and hopefully we will deliver a win in Michigan for you this Tuesday.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you,

Randy