Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24 1955) is a former governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas, having served from 1996 to 2007. He was the third Republican governor of the state since Reconstruction and was the highest rated political figure in Arkansas for parts of his tenure.^[1] He officially announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States presidential election on January 28 2007, and is currently ranked first in national polling among Republicans by Rasmussen.^[2]

Huckabee is the author of several books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, public speaker, and a musician, playing bass guitar in his rock-and-roll band Capitol Offense. He is well known for losing 110 pounds in a very short time and advocating a healthy lifestyle.^[3] In 2005, Huckabee was praised by TIME Magazine as one of the five best governors in America and Governing Magazine who named him among the Public Officials of the Year.^[4] He has also received the AARP Impact Award recognizing those who have done something extraordinary to make the world a better place. Huckabee has been criticised on his fiscal record, his handling of the Wayne Dumond case, and handling of illegal immigration. Mike and his wife, Janet, have three grown children: John Mark, David, and Sarah.

Early life

Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas, to Mae Elder and Dorsey W. Huckabee. His father worked as a fireman and a mechanic and his mother worked as a clerk in a gas company.^[5] He has one sister who is a middle school teacher.^[6] Huckabee's first job, at 14, was working at a radio station where he would read the news and weather.^[7] He was elected Governor of Arkansas Boys State in 1972 and is a Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Alumnus. He was president of Hope High School in 1973.^[8] He married his wife Janet McCain on May 25, 1974.^[6] He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelors degree in 2½ years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.^[9]

At 23, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a television evangelist.^[8] Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes."^[8] Huckabee has stated, "Politics are totally directed by worldview. That's why when people say, 'We ought to separate politics from religion,' I say to separate the two is absolutely impossible".^[10] Huckabee believes in Biblical inerrancy.^[8] Prior to his political career, Huckabee was pastor of several Southern Baptist churches in Arkadelphia, Texarkana, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He encouraged the all white Immanuel Baptist Church to accept black members.^[8] He served as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention from 1989 to 1991 and as president of a religion-oriented television station.

Early political career

In Huckabee's first political race, he lost to incumbent U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers (D) in 1992, receiving 40 percent of the vote.^[11] That same election saw Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton ascend to the Presidency. This made Lieutenant Governor Jim Guy Tucker the new Governor. Huckabee narrowly won a special election for lieutenant governor over Nate Coulter, who had been Dale Bumpers campaign manager the previous year, on July 27, 1993.^[12] He then became only the second Republican since Reconstruction to have served as Arkansas lieutenant governor, the first being Maurice L. Britt from 1967 to 1971. Huckabee was re-elected to a full term as lieutenant governor in 1994 beating Charlie Cole Chaffin 59-41.^[13] Dick Morris, who had previously worked for Bill Clinton, advised Huckabee on his races in 1993 and 1994.^[14] Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend".^[14] 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.'"^[14] 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."^[14]

In 1995, Huckabee campaigned against a highway referendum which included tax increases and a bond program supported by then Governor Tucker. The referendum lost 13-87.^[15] Huckabee also opposed Tucker's plan for school consolidation.^[15] In 1996, Huckabee ran for US Senate again and won the Republican nomination. He quit the US Senate race in order to become Governor.^[16]

Governor of Arkansas

Ascent to governorship

On July 15 1996, Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas; Tucker had resigned because of a felony conviction in the Whitewater scandal. He rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in, but within a few hours reinstated his resignation because Huckabee had gone on television and threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Tucker, and Huckabee was sworn in.^[8] In the fall of 1996, Huckabee campaigned for the passage of ballot Amendment 1, a plan to adjust rules concerning property taxes to make school funding more equal across the state, and Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment dedicating one eighth of each cent of the state sales tax to improvement of the state's park system and natural resources.^[17][18] As part of the campaign, Huckabee traveled the entire length of the Arkansas River (the part within Arkansas) by boat.^[19] Amendment 1 passed 52-48 and Amendment 2 passed 51-49.^[20]

He proclaimed 1997 as a year of racial reconciliation.^[8] He said, "Let every one of us make it our priority to bring reconciliation, not so much that we can force it or legislate it, because we cannot, but that we begin in each of our own lives to purpose in our hearts that we will not harbor anger, hostility, prejudice, bigotry and racism toward any person."^[21]

As governor, Huckabee signed legislation that created ARKids First, a health insurance program which extended coverage to children of lower income families, and is funded in part by Medicaid, SCHIP, and the tobacco industry lawsuit settlement.^[22] The program cut the number of uninsured children to 9% in 2003, compared to 12% national level.^[23]

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.^[24]

First full term

In November 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term. He defeated retired Colonel Gene McVay of Fort Smith in the primary and Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow, a Democrat, in the general election.

On April 1 1999, Huckabee signed into law a 3 cent increase in tax on gasoline and a 4 cent increase on diesel.^[25] Attached to the bill was a bond issue to pay for highway construction. The Commercial Appeal reported: "All the diesel money will be earmarked to pay off the bonds or, if the bond issue fails, to directly finance repairs to the interstates. The gasoline tax money will finance work on non-interstate state roads, notably projects approved in a 1991 road program that without new money remains seven years from completion. Should the bond issue fail, the taxes would remain in place, lessening the chances that the trucking industry will campaign against the bonds." Huckabee commented that the bond issue "won't affect taxes, it will only affect construction acceleration."^[26]

Huckabee led a public relations campaign for the bond program for road reconstruction.^[27] Arkansas voters had traditionally shied away from public debt, having experienced a major bond scandal that affected the state's finances for the latter half of the 19th century. This time, however, the voters approved Huckabee's program.^[28]

In 1999, the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) was established.^[29][30] Huckabee acknowledged borrowing the K-12 public education program:

"..I've been fortunate to become friends with Gov. Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Gov. George W. Bush of Texas. They've shared their comprehensive assessment and accountability programs. We now have statewide academic standards that allow us to set clear teaching objectives. We have statewide assessments linked to those standards. We have accountability systems with consequences for schools that fail to perform."^[31]

Subsequent legislation amended ACTAAP to make it conform to No Child Left Behind.^[32]

Huckabee was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in that capacity through 2000. He has chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Southern Region Education Board, the Southern Technology Council, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and currently serves as Chair of the Education Commission of the States. He is also a member of the Republican Governors Association and former chairman of the National Governors Association.

In 2000, Huckabee moved into a mobile home on the grounds of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion while the mansion was being renovated. The move became the topic of jokes on the evening talk show circuit. "It's not a trailer. It's a triple wide," Huckabee joked. Huckabee told Jay Leno that the 2,100-square-foot, $110,000 trailer (donated by the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association) "was big enough for your chin." Huckabee said the move saved the state substantial money because support and security staff did not have to move to a new rented location.^[33]

In 2000, Huckabee led a campaign to funnel 100 percent of the state's tobacco settlement revenues into the state's health care system, rather than into the general fund.^[34]

In 2000, Huckabee commented, "In almost four years as governor, no issue has excited Arkansans as much as the question of where the University of Arkansas should play its home football games. That debate attracted far more letters, e-mails and phone calls to the governor's office than any other issue we've faced. And those who contacted us felt strongly. I had made my feelings known to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, and those Arkansans who agreed with me were effusive in their praise. By the same token, some of those who disagreed were downright vicious in their comments."^[35]

On March 7 2001, Huckabee signed a tax on private nursing homes for $5.25 per day per non-Medicare patient.^[36] The same year, Huckabee was named “Friend of a Taxpayer” by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) for his cut in statewide spending.^[37]

In April 2001, Canadian comedian Rick Mercer aired his Talking to Americans special; in it, Huckabee was recorded congratulating Canada on preserving its "National Igloo".^[38]

On April 11 2001, Huckabee signed the "Covenant Marriage Act", which is a marriage contract option that compels the couple to seek counseling if problems develop during the marriage, provides limited grounds for divorce or separation, and restricts lawsuits against spouses.^[39][40] Huckabee said the law, "offers couples a chance to be held to a higher level of marital commitment."^[41]

In 2001 Huckabee proclaimed October as "Student Religious Liberty Month" and urged student districts to allow their students to pray.^[42]

In 2002, Huckabee and his wife Janet ran on the same ballot. Mike Huckabee ran for Governor, while Janet Huckabee ran for Secretary of State. The New York Times reported that this set off an "avalanche of criticism." A Republican State Representative, Jake Files, commented, "'That's just a lot of power in one family's hands"^[43] Mike Huckabee won his race with 53 percent of the vote, while his wife Janet lost having only 38 percent of the vote.^[44] Mike Huckabee has stated that Janet Huckabee had tried to recruit other candidates willing to run for Secretary of State. But no one else was willing, so she ran herself.^[6]

Second full term

In November 2002, Huckabee was reelected to his second (and final because of term limits) four-year term. Huckabee narrowly defeated State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, garnering 53 percent of the vote to her 47 percent. By the end of that term, Huckabee owned the third-longest tenure of any Arkansas Governor (only Democrats Orval Faubus, who served six consecutive two-year terms (1955–1967), and Bill Clinton, who served eleven years, eleven months (1979–1981; 1983–1992), had longer tenures).

On November 21 2002, the Arkansas Supreme Court declared that the state's school funding procedure was unconstitutional and ordered the state to produce a fair system. The Arkansas State Constitution contains a clause which mandates equitable public education which has been the basis for repeated lawsuits over the years.^{[45][46][47][48]} Huckabee proposed a plan that would consolidate schools districts of less than 1,500 students. The legislature rejected that and instead passed a plan in January 2004 that would consolidate school districts of less than 350.students.^[49][50] School consolidation is a contentious issue.^[51][52] The issue would resurface when the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled again on school funding in December 2005.^[53]

On May 8 2003, Huckabee signed into law increases in cigarette and tobacco taxes as well as a 3 percent income tax surcharge.^[54]

In July 2003, Roby Brock reached a settlement with Huckabee and the Arkansas Educational Television Network. Brock had filed a lawsuit alleging that the defendants had conspired to remove his television program from the air.^{[55][56][57][58][59]}

After Hurricane Katrina made landfall and an estimated 70,000 evacuees fled to Arkansas, Huckabee ordered state agencies to take care of them. State parks offered discounts, waived pet restrictions, and bumped other reservations in favor of evacuees. Pharmacists were given emergency authority to dispense prescriptions and provide access to dialysis machines. Shelters opened up in nearly every portion of the state, and Huckabee requested that the entire state be declared a disaster area. It was not. Many of these shelters, either closed or set to close, were reopened or kept open to process a "second wave" of Katrina evacuees moved from Texas in the wake of arriving Hurricane Rita. (See also Hurricane Katrina disaster relief).

In April 2005, Huckabee vetoed a bill which would have allowed public drinking of alcohol in entertainment districts.^[60][61]

In November 2005, Time named Huckabee one of the five best governors in the U.S.

In early 2006, Huckabee — along with fellow governors Rick Perry (R-TX); Jim Doyle (D-WI); and Dave Freudenthal (D-WY) — went on a week long visit to the Middle East and South Asia as part of a Department of Defense-funded trip to provide the state leaders with an idea of the conditions under which American forces are serving. While visiting Baghdad and Tikrit, Huckabee and the governors received briefings from Gen. George Casey and Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad.^[62]

Throughout his tenure as Governor, welfare rolls declined by nearly half and during his last year in office the state's economy grew 4.4%, beating the national average of 4.2%.^[63]

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.^[64] 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.^[65]

Awards, praise, themes and controversy

Health advocacy

When elected governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was significantly overweight. In 2003, physicians diagnosed the governor with adult-onset diabetes and informed him that he would not live more than ten years if he did not lose weight. Prompted by this diagnosis (as well as the subsequent death of former Governor White, whose obesity led to a fatal heart attack), Huckabee began dieting and exercising. He subsequently lost over 110 pounds,^[66][67] according to a New York Times article at a pace so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out."^[68] Although Huckabee has stated that he never smoked nor drank,^[6] Huckabee declared himself a "recovering foodaholic". Huckabee has publicly recounted his previous burdens as an overweight man: the steps of the Arkansas capitol from the entrance of the building up to the Governor's office were so long and steep that he would be out of breath and exhausted by the time he reached the top of the stairs; he secretly feared that he would be interviewed by media at the top of the steps, and that he would be unable to respond appropriately due to his overexertion and breathlessness.^[69]

Huckabee has discussed his weight loss and used health care reform as major focuses of his governorship.^[70]

Drawing attention to his weight loss and new outlook, Huckabee has run in several mararthons: the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathon and the 2006 New York City Marathon.^[71] The 2005 Little Rock Marathon featured an impromptu challenge between Huckabee and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Huckabee completed the marathon in 4:38:31, defeating Vilsack by 50 minutes. He wrote a book chronicling his experience, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork. Huckabee was one of 10 recipients of a 2006 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Impact Award acknowledging his work as a "health crusader."

Fiscal record

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.^[72] 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.^[73] According to a National Review writer, during his tenure, the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion.^[74] 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.^[75][76][77] 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".^[73] The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation, gave Huckabee an "F" for spending and tax policy in 2006.^[78] However, his campaign manager said Huckabee doubled the standard deduction and the child care tax credit, eliminated the marriage penalty and the capital gains tax on the sale of a home, and reduced the capital gains tax for both businesses and individuals.^[77] A critic responded that most of the tax cuts were small deductions and exemptions initiated by the state legislature, that the broad-based tax cut was proposed by his predecessor and called Huckabee, "the biggest taxer and spender in Arkansas history".^[79]

The 1999 gas and fuel tax hikes were never on the ballot in Arkansas, but Huckabee has told reporters that “the fuel tax was a vote of the people—eighty percent of the people voted to improve roads”,^[80] and his manager has stated that “more than 80% of the voters supported a four cent tax on diesel fuel to fix the roads” and that through the same process voters approved a tax increasing the sales tax by an eighth of a cent to preserve their natural and cultural heritage.^[77] Huckabee's manager has said that it would have been in violation of Governor Huckabee’s oath of office^[81] to override the voters with respect to the referendums, and concluded that the citizens were responsible for the increases in taxation.^[77] However the tax increase was signed into law over two months before^[82][83] the voters approved a bond issue which did not include the gas tax increases.^[82][84]

Arkansas Health Care Association President Jim Cooper stated that the private nursing home tax was necessary in order to avert future huge tax increases as a result of years of mismanagement.^[85]

Huckabee has asserted he did not raise spending significantly in areas he could control and in those areas spending rose six-tenths of one percent a year during his entire governance.^[77] Huckabee stated he cut taxes over ninety times while governor, saving Arkansas' citizens close to $380 million.^[77][86] He also signed the first broad-based tax cut in Arkansas's history. The tax cut included increasing the standard deduction, indexed tax brackets for inflation and eliminated capital gains tax on home sales.^[74] For 2007, he says that his state enjoyed a surplus of nearly $850 million.^[86] His refusal to raise taxes in the face of a budget shortfall sparked criticism from lawmakers and members of the media alike. In response to the criticism he created the "Tax Me More Fund", which was a voluntary fund for people who felt that the government needed to raise more taxes.^[87] State Sen. Minority Leader John Brown called the "Tax Me More Fund" a campaign tactic.^[87]

In January of 2007 on Meet the Press, Huckabee said "I think you got to be very careful. I wouldn’t propose any new taxes. I wouldn’t support any. But if we’re in a situation where we are in a different level of war, where there is no other option, I think that it’s a very dangerous position to make pledges that are outside the most important pledge you make, and that is the oath you take to uphold the Constitution and protect the people of the United States."^[88] Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, who in 2006 called the governor a “serial tax increaser,"^[89] stated recently, "Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the challenge is to rein in spending and reduce taxes."^[90] Huckabee supports the Fair Tax, which would do away with all federal taxes and replace them with a single national sales tax.^[91] In March of 2007, Huckabee signed the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge of Americans for Tax Reform, promising not to increase taxes at the federal level.^[90]

Wayne Dumond

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.^[92] Dumond's case had attracted national attention in the mid 1990s from critics of President Bill Clinton who felt Clinton 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.^[93] 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^[94] 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.^[95]) 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.^[96] There was strong opposition to Huckabee's plan from Dumond's rape victims, women Arkansas legislators, and various law enforcement officials, leaving Huckabee in a difficult situation politically.^[97][92] 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."^[92] 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.^[98]

Illegal immigration

Huckabee has been criticized for his positions on illegal immigration.^[99][100] 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."^{[101][102][103]} Huckabee supported a 2005 bill by Arkansas State Representative Joyce Elliott to make some illegal aliens eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition.^{[104][105][106]} 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."^[107] 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."^[108] When a Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock in 2006, Huckabee strongly supported it.^[109] 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."^[110] Critics of Huckabee say his support of the Mexican consulate broke federal law.^[111] 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."^[112] 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."^[113] Huckabee believes that Congress should seal the border and does not advocate punishing children of illegal immigrants for their parents crime. He stated in an interview with National Review, “I have always said you don’t punish a child for the crime of a parent ... Frankly, it’s in our best interest to try to get that child on to a higher level of education.”^[114] In his opening remarks among Hispanic civil rights leaders at a LULAC convention, Huckabee said the nation will need to address the concerns of the Hispanic community because of its growing influence and population base. "Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter. He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state's capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. "Your gathering is so very significant for our state," Huckabee said.^[115]

Public comments

Huckabee has made a number of public statements that have drawn criticism,^{[116][117][118][119][120][121]} including comparing his weight loss to the experience of a concentration camp, for which the National Jewish Democratic Council chastised Huckabee,^[122] 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.^[123] In both cases, Huckabee and his campaign publicly apologized. Commenting on a third incident paralleling Arkansas journalists critical of his policies to disgraced reporters Jayson Blair and Janet Cooke, Huckabee said "You'll see it—one of the things that gets me in trouble is my love of metaphors. I use hyperbole in the course of trying to paint a word picture. I pay a dear price for it."^[124]

Presidential ambitions

Template:Future election candidate

Huckabee announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28 2007.^[125]

On April 3 2007, Huckabee's campaign reported that it had raised only $500,000 in the first quarter of 2007, much less than rival candidates. The numbers prompted speculation in Arkansas that Huckabee might abandon the Presidential race for a U.S. Senate race against first-term Democrat Mark Pryor. Huckabee denied any plans to do this, and Huckabee campaign manager Chip Saltsman claimed that the campaign had actually surpassed its first quarter fund raising goal.^[126]

Huckabee has said that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is "creating a major distraction for the President and for the administration and for the Republican Party," and suggested that perhaps Gonzales should consider resigning due to the current controversy surrounding him.^[127]

Huckabee participated in the May 3, 2007 Republican Presidential Debates along with the nine other declared candidates. Huckabee expressed support of a FairTax, a balanced budget with reduced spending, making the Bush administration's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, combating climate change, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Huckabee generated publicity from his performance in the May 15, 2007 Republican Presidential Debates. One widely-reported Huckabee comment was "[w]e've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop", a reference to the report of Edwards, a 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate, spending $800 of campaign money on two haircuts.^[128]

Huckabee said on May 16 that, if his campaign falters, he would have to think long and hard before agreeing to become a vice-presidential candidate on a ticket whose presidential choice endorses abortion. "This is an issue to me that is very critical. It's one of the reasons that I got into politics because I believe the manner in which we treat innocent life and the matter in which we respect human life, at whatever stage ... is an incredibly powerful statement about who we are as a people," Huckabee told reporters in a conference call in South Carolina.^[129]

In a July 9 2007 interview, Huckabee said that his solution for ending the ongoing violence in Iraq would include a troop increase and seeking additional support from other nations in the Middle East.^[130]

Huckabee participated in the Iowa Republican Party's Straw Poll on Saturday, August 11 2007 in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State University. At that straw poll, Huckabee placed second with 2587 votes totaling 18.1 percent, behind Mitt Romney, but ahead of Sam Brownback who had spent far more money on the campaign.

Huckabee has received several endorsements, one such from former South Carolina Governor David Beasley.^[131] In August 2007, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich predicted that Huckabee will catch on with Republican primary voters, and called him "the most interesting dark horse".^[132] Huckabee has also been endorsed by famous actor Chuck Norris,^[133] with whom Huckabee produced a television advertisement.^[134]

Huckabee has seen increased support in polling through October and November of 2007. On October 21 2007, Huckabee came in 2nd in the Values Voter Summit Straw Poll with 1565 (27.15%) votes, a close 2nd to Mitt Romney's 1595 (27.62%) votes, but among on-site voters he received a majority of votes, 488 votes out of 952 (51.26%).^[135] On November 6 2007, he was recorded as placing third for the first time in a nation-wide poll, garnering 14% of a presidential tracking poll, just 1% over John McCain and 3 points above Mitt Romney.^[136] On November 15 2007, Huckabee placed second in an Iowa American Research Group poll with 24%, and only 2% under the leader Mitt Romney.^[137] On November 16 2007, Huckabee placed second for the first time in a nation-wide presidential tracking poll, garnering 12%, and tied with Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.However, on November 17 2007, Huckabee came in at 4th place with 10% of the total vote.^[138] In an online CNN opinion poll following the Republican YouTube debate, Huckabee placed second with 23% of the vote, trailing only Ron Paul (47%).^[139]

Political positions

• Huckabee opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, and civil unions

• Huckabee is against gun control and is an avid hunter.

• Huckabee supports the death penalty

• Huckabee has voiced his support of creationism. He was quoted in July 2004 on Arkansans Ask, his regular show on the Arkansas Educational Television Network: "I think that students also should be given exposure to the theories not only of evolution but to the basis of those who believe in creationism." Huckabee also stated "I do not necessarily buy into the traditional Darwinian theory, personally."^{[140][141][142][143]} In the Third GOP Debate in June 2007, Huckabee was asked by Tom Fahey whether he believed in evolution, and he responded, in part: "I believe there is a God who was active in the creation process. Now, how did he do it, and when did he do it, and how long did he take? I don’t honestly know, and I don’t think knowing that would make me a better or a worse president."^[144] Huckabee's position is that acceptance of evolution is not relevant to being President.^[145][146]

• Huckabee supports the War in Iraq and the troop surge.^[147]

• Huckabee has expressed concern that Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a distraction from the Global War on Terror.^[148] Previously, he stated, "It's (Guantanamo) more symbolic than it is a substantive issue because people perceive of mistreatment when in fact there are extraordinary means being taken to make sure these detainees are being given really every consideration". ^[149]

• Huckabee endorsed the use of foreign workers from Canada and Mexico for agricultural labor,^[150] opposed aspects of the McCain/Kennedy immigration bill,^[151] and believes the United States' number one priority should be to secure America's borders.^[152] However, Huckabee supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.^[153] He said of the border, "Police it, absolutely. Militarize it, no."^[154]

• Huckabee supports the FairTax as a replacement for the current tax system.^[155]

Books

Huckabee has authored or co-authored several books:

• Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America (1997), a memoir (inspired by the crisis surrounding the incidents prior to his taking office as governor)
• Kids Who Kill (1998), a book about juvenile violence (inspired by the Jonesboro massacre, which took place during his tenure as governor)
• Living Beyond Your Lifetime (2000), a guide for leaving a personal legacy
• Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork (2005), a health and exercise inspirational guide (based on his personal health experience) Publisher: Center Street
• From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America's Greatness (2007) Publisher: Center Street
• Huckabee also wrote the foreword to My Story Your Story His Story (2006) by Larry Toller
• Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe, by Mike Huckabee (2007)

See also

• Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2006

Notes

External links

Official sites

• Official Campaign Website
  • Official Forum
  • Official Biography
  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • MySpace
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Flickr
  • Truth Squad

Documentaries, topic pages and databases

• Follow the Money — Mike Huckabee campaign contributions for the 2002 Governor race
• New York Times — Mike Huckabee News news stories and commentary
• On the Issues — Mike Huckabee issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart - Mike Huckabee voter information
• Genealogy of Mike Huckabee
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Mike Huckabee

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