Mike Huckabee
54 Governor of Arkansas
In office July 15 1996 – January 9 2007
Lieutenant	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller (1996–2006)
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Mike Beebe
12th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
In office November 20 1993 – July 15 1996
Governor	Jim Guy Tucker
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
Personal details
Born	(1955-08-24) August 24, 1955 (age 68) Hope, Arkansas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet McCain Huckabee[1]
Children	John Mark, David, and Sarah
Alma mater	Ouachita Baptist University
Profession	American Politician, Author, Public Speaker, & Inactive Minister
Signature	File:Huckabeesig.png
Website	http://www.mikehuckabee.com

Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24 1955) is the former governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.^[2] He officially announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States presidential election on January 28 2007.

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 (50 kg) in a very short time and advocating a healthy lifestyle.^[3] He and his wife, Janet, have three grown children: David, John Mark, and Sarah.

Early life

Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas, to Mae Elder and Dorsey W. Huckabee. His father worked as a fireman and mechanic and his mother worked as a clerk in a gas company.^[4] He has one sister who is a middle school teacher.^[5] Huckabee's first job, at 14, was working at a radio station where he would read the news and weather.^[6] 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.^[7] He married his wife Janet McCain on May 25, 1974.^[5] He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelors degree in Religion in 2½ years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas where he dropped out after one year.^{[8][9] [10]} He has two honorary doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters, received from John Brown University in 1991, and a Doctor of Laws from Ouachita Baptist University in 1992.^{[11] [12]}

At 23, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a television evangelist.^[7] Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes."^[7] 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".^[13]Huckabee believes in Biblical inerrancy.^[7] 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.^[7] He served as president of a religion-oriented television station. In 1989 Huckabee ran against Rev. Dr. Ronnie Floyd of Springdale for the presidency of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.^[14] Huckabee won and served as president from 1989 to 1991.

Early political career

In 1992, in Huckabee's first political race, he lost to incumbent U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers (D), receiving 40 percent of the vote in the general election.^[15] That same election saw Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton ascend to the Presidency, making Lieutenant Governor Jim Guy Tucker the new Governor. Huckabee narrowly won a special election for lieutenant governor on July 27, 1993. He defeated Nate Coulter, who had been Bumpers' campaign manager the previous year.^[16] Huckabee became only the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve as Arkansas lieutenant governor, the first being Maurice L. Britt from 1967 to 1971.

Dick Morris, who had previously worked for Bill Clinton, advised Huckabee on his race in 1993, and again in 1994 when Huckabee ran for re-election.^[17] Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend".^[17] 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.'"^[17] 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."^[17]

In 1994, Huckabee was re-elected to a full term as lieutenant governor, beating Democrat Charlie Cole Chaffin with nearly 59% of the vote.^[18] While Lieutenant Governor, Huckabee accepted $71,500 in speaking fees and traveling expenses from a nonprofit group, Action America. R. J. Reynolds was the group's largest contributor. ^[19]

In December 1995, Huckabee opposed then-Governor Tucker's plan for a constitutional convention.^[20] The plan was defeated by voters 20%-80% in a special election. In January 1996, Huckabee campaigned in televised ads paid for by the Republican National Committee and the Arkansas Republican Party against a highway referendum. Tucker supported the referendum, which included tax increases and a bond program, to improve 1,300 miles of highway.^[21] On the referendum, the bond question, which included a sales tax increase and a gas tax increase, lost 13%-87%. A second question, a 5 cent increase on diesel tax, lost 14%-86%.^[21][22] Huckabee also opposed Tucker's plan for school consolidation.^[22]

In 1996, Huckabee ran for U.S. Senate again, winning the Republican nomination unopposed^[23]. But in May 1996 he announced he would quit the race and would instead fill the unexpired term of Tucker. Tucker had announced that he would resign in July while appealing a federal conviction in the Whitewater scandal.^[23]

Governor of Arkansas

Tucker rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in, but within a few hours reinstated his resignation after Huckabee threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Tucker.^[7] Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas on July 15 1996. In November 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term by defeating retired Colonel Gene McVay in the primary and Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow in the general election. In November 2002, Huckabee was reelected to his second four-year term by defeating State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, garnering 53 percent of the vote. By the end of his 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).

Legislative Record

In the fall of 1996, Huckabee campaigned for ballot Amendment 1, a plan to adjust property tax rules 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 improve the state's park system and natural resources.^[24][25]As part of the campaign, Huckabee traveled the entire length of the Arkansas River within Arkansas by boat.^[26] Amendment 1 passed 52-48 and Amendment 2 passed 51-49. ^[27]

Huckabee proclaimed 1997 as a year of racial reconciliation by saying "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."^[7][28]

Huckabee signed legislation to create a health insurance program which extended coverage to children of lower income families, to be funded in part by Medicaid, SCHIP, and a tobacco industry lawsuit settlement.^[29] The program, ARKids First, cut the number of uninsured children from 12% nationally to 9% in 2003, comparatively.^[30]

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.^[31] In October, 1998 the Arkansas Times suggested Huckabee used a fund set up for the maintenance of the Governor's Mansion for his own personal use.^[32][33] The Times later reported Huckabee was listed as the recipient of furniture given to the Governor's Mansion and not the Mansion itself.^[34] Tom Mars, Huckabee's attorney, denied any misuse or inappropriate actions.^[35]

On April 1 1999, Huckabee signed into law a three cent increase in tax on gasoline and a four cent increase on diesel.^[36] 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."^[37]

Huckabee led a public relations campaign for the bond program for road reconstruction.^[38] Arkansas voters approved Huckabee's program.^[39] In 1999, the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) was established.^[40][41] Huckabee modeled ACTAAP after K-12 programs in other states:

"..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."^[42]

Subsequent legislation amended ACTAAP to conform to No Child Left Behind.^[43] Later, in 2005, Huckabee stated,

"And one thing I salute about the president is No Child Left Behind, and no matter what you've heard about it let me tell you it's the best thing that ever happened in education because it says we're not going to let children spend years and years and let taxpayers spend thousands and thousands of dollars only to find out when the kid graduates high school that he's basically a functional illiterate, that we're not going to leave him lingering back in those classrooms and that he or she will get a decent education and we will hold accountable those who are responsible for getting that child a good education."^[44]

Rather than funnel one hundred percent of the state's tobacco settlement revenues into the general fund, Huckabee campaigned to put it in the state's health care system.^[45]

On March 7 2001, Huckabee signed a tax on private nursing homes for $5.25 per day per non-Medicare patient.^[46] However, Huckabee was named “Friend of a Taxpayer” by Americans for Tax Reform for his cut in statewide spending.^[47]

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.^[48][49] Huckabee said the law, "offers couples a chance to be held to a higher level of marital commitment."^[50] He and his wife converted to a covenant marriage in 2004.^[51]

In 2001 Huckabee urged student districts to allow students to pray and proclaimed October as "Student Religious Liberty Month."^[52]

On November 21 2002, the Arkansas Supreme Court declared the state's school funding procedure was unconstitutional and ordered to produce a fair system. Huckabee proposed a plan to consolidate schools districts of less than 1,500 students. The plan would have consolidated 310 schools districts into 107-116 schools districts with a more centralized administrative and governance network.^[53] The legislature instead passed a plan in January 2004 to consolidate school districts of less than 350 students.^[54][55]The issue would resurface when the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled again on school funding in December 2005.^[56]

On April 11, 2003 Huckabee signed a law which mandates annual body mass index (BMI) measurements for all public school children. The results are reported to parents with information about how to combat obesity. The law also sets up advisory committees to promote exercise and good nutrition for schools. ^{[57][58][59][60]} On May 8 2003, Huckabee signed into law increases in cigarette and tobacco taxes as well as a three percent income tax surcharge.^[61]

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.^{[62][63][64][65][66]}

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.^[67][68]

In November 2005, Time named Huckabee one of the five best governors in the U.S.^[30]

In 2005, Huckabee, supported by then Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe, opposed efforts by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson to reduce water pollution.^{[69][70][71][72][73]} Edmondson had sued Arkansas poultry companies alleging that chicken waste fouled Oklahoma rivers explaining, "You can't stand on the Arkansas side of the border, dump toxins into the river and wash your hands of the problem."^[74] Huckabee accused Edmondson of "political gamesmanship" ^[75], later Edmondson, in 2006, called Huckabee "a poultry company apologist."^[76] Huckabee went to Oklahoma to campaign against Edmondson in the 2006 election.^[77][78][79]

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.^[80]

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%.^[81]

Weight loss and 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 Frank White, whose obesity led to a fatal heart attack), Huckabee began dieting and exercising. He subsequently lost over 110 pounds.^[82][83] The New York Times called the weight loss so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out."^[84] Although Huckabee has stated that he never smoked nor drank,^[5] he 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.^[85]

Huckabee has discussed his weight loss and used health care reform as a major focus of his governorship.^[86]

Huckabee has run in several marathons: the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathon and the 2006 New York City Marathon.^[87] 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."

Campaign for United States President, 2008 election

Huckabee announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28 2007.^[88] Huckabee's national poll numbers remained below 10% until October 2007, but he saw increasing support in polling through November and in early December of 2007 was named "co-front runner" by a number of media outlets. ^[89]

Criticism and controversies

Fiscal record

Huckabee's fiscal record as governor has been criticized by various groups and individuals. The Club for Growth argues that Huckabee increased state spending 65.3 percent (1996–2004) and supported five tax increases, prompting them to accuse Huckabee of being a liberal in disguise.^[90] The group ran ads against Huckabee in Iowa during the days leading up to the 2007 presidential straw poll. In response, his campaign released a statement claiming that 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.^[91] Ernest Dumas of the Arkansas Times, a consistent Huckabee critic^[92], 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 that Huckabee was "the biggest taxer and spender in Arkansas history".^[93] Former Arkansas State Representative Randy Minton (R) has said; "[Huckabee's] support for taxes split the Republican Party, and damaged our name brand." ^[94] The Club for Growth has purchased more ads attacking Huckabee's tax record as governor, which are expected to run first in Iowa and South Carolina (two states with early Republican presidential primaries) and then nationwide in early 2008.^[95]

The group has pointed out that 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.^[96][97][91] The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration states that during Huckabee's tenure, 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.^[98] 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. ^[99]

The Cato Institute, a libertarian non-profit public policy research foundation, gave Huckabee an "F" for spending and tax policy in 2006.^[100] 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.^[91] He also signed the first broad-based tax cut in Arkansas's history.^[47] For 2007, he says that his state enjoyed a surplus of nearly $850 million.^[101] However, during his tenure, the state’s general obligation debt increased by almost $1 billion.^[47] 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.^[102] State Sen. Minority Leader John Brown called the "Tax Me More Fund" a campaign tactic.^[102]

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”,^[103] 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.^[91] Huckabee's manager has said that it would have been in violation of Governor Huckabee’s oath of office^[104] to override the voters with respect to the referendums, and concluded that the citizens were responsible for the increases in taxation.^[91] However the tax increase was signed into law over two months before^[105][106] the voters approved a bond issue which did not include the gas tax increases.^[105][107]

In January 2007 on Meet the Press, Huckabee said "I think you've 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."^[108] Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, who in 2006 called the governor a “serial tax increaser,"^[109] stated recently, "Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the challenge is to rein in spending and reduce taxes."^[110] Huckabee supports the Fair Tax, which would do away with all federal taxes and replace them with a single national sales tax.^[111] 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.^[110]

Illegal immigration

Huckabee has been criticized for his positions on illegal immigration while he was Governor.^[112][113] 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 immigrant. 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."^{[114][115][116]} Huckabee supported a 2005 bill by Arkansas State Representative Joyce Elliott to make some illegal immigrants eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition. ^{[117][118][119]} 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."^[120] 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."^[121]

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."^[122] In a 2007 interview, Huckabee argued job loss caused by illegal immigration is not a problem, 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."^[123] Huckabee 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.”^[124] 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.^[125]

Roy Beck, whose 1.5 million member organization NumbersUSA played a major role in defeating the Senate immigration bill, calls Huckabee "an absolute disaster as governor of Arkansas... Every time there was any enforcement in his state, he took the side of the illegal aliens." Huckabee responded by saying if voters are looking for the toughest guy on immigration, he's not their man. ^[126]

Gift Registry

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.^[127] 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.^[128]

Wayne DuMond case

Main article: Wayne DuMond

Huckabee has come under criticism for his handling of the case of Wayne DuMond (also spelled Dumond), a convicted rapist who was released during Huckabee's governorship and who subsequently sexually assaulted and murdered a woman in Missouri.^[129] DuMond's case had attracted national attention in the mid-1990s from critics of President Clinton who felt that Clinton, Arkansas Governor at the time of the rape, had been too harsh with DuMond because DuMond's victim was a distant Clinton relative. Clinton had recused himself from any involvement in the case. 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.^[130] 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^[131] 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.^[132]

On September 20 1996, Huckabee publicly announced his intention of commuting DuMond's sentence to time served. DuMond had originally been sentenced to life plus twenty years in prison, but in 1992, Tucker reduced the sentence to 39½ years, which gave DuMond the possibility of parole. ^[133] There was strong opposition to Huckabee's plan from DuMond's rape victims, female Arkansas legislators, and various law enforcement officials, leaving Huckabee in a difficult situation politically.^{[134][129][135]}

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."^[129] The parole was granted on the condition that DuMond leave the state. He moved to Smithville, Missouri in 1999 and was later convicted there of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman that lived near his home.^[134] DuMond was also a suspect in the murder of a pregnant woman in Platte County, Missouri.^[134] DuMond died in prison in 2005.^[136] Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley has argued that Huckabee granted too many clemencies.^[137]

In 2005, The Arkansas Times reported on the role that Huckabee played in the parole board's decision.^[138] When questioned about the case during his presidential campaign in 2007, Huckabee has denied pressuring any parole board members to release DuMond.^[139] Huckabee has also discussed the incident in his book From Hope to Higher Ground.

Other Pardons

NBC News reported in December 2004, Huckabee granted clemency to Eugene Fields over the objections of a law enforcement officials.^[140] Fields, of Van Buren, Arkansas, was convicted on his fourth charge of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in August 2001. It has been suggested by some Arkansas Republicans that Huckabee's clemency was linked to political contributions. The Huckabee campaign stated only that "there was no connection between the handling of any clemency application and any political donation."^[140]

The Huckabee's Political Runs

In 2002, Huckabee ran for Governor and his wife Janet ran for Arkansas Secretary of State. The New York Times reported 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"^[141] Mike Huckabee won his race with 53 percent of the vote, while his wife Janet lost having only 38 percent of the vote.^[142] Mike Huckabee stated Janet Huckabee tried to recruit other candidates willing to run for Secretary of State. But no one else was willing, so she ran herself.^[5]

Public comments

Huckabee has made a number of public statements that have drawn criticism,^{[143][144][145][146][147][148]} including comparing his weight loss to the experience of a concentration camp, for which the National Jewish Democratic Council chastised Huckabee;^[149] 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;^[150]and his asking "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" when discussing Mitt Romney's religion.^[151] In all three cases, Huckabee and his campaign publicly apologized. Commenting on another incident comparing Arkansas journalists critical of his policies with 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."^[152]

Huckabee stirred controversy again in October 2007, likening abortion to a "holocaust".^[153] The non-partisan Anti-Defamation League called on Huckabee and all candidates to resist using such "disturbing and offensive language."^[154]

Expunging of data upon leaving governor's office

Shortly before announcing his candidacy for the President of the United States, Huckabee ordered that the drives of 83 computers and 4 servers be destroyed during his transition phase in leaving office. According to Claire Bailey, director of the Arkansas Department of Information Systems, the governor’s office chose a combination of writing over the data and destroying the hard drives.^[155] Huckabee said that the decision to crush the hard drives was made in order to "protect the privacy of those who had personal information on the drives." Critics, however, recalled that early in Huckabee's term as governor, documents, e-mails and memos stored on hard drives just like the ones that were destroyed formed the basis of embarrassing stories about Huckabee, including a 1998 story in the Arkansas Times detailing how Huckabee and his family were using the $60,000-a-year Governor's Mansion fund as their personal piggy bank ^{[156] [157]}.

David Huckabee and Killing of Dog

Huckabee's son, David Huckabee, is alleged to be involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. The incident led to the dismissal of David Huckabee, then 17, from his job as a counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Ark. The local prosecuting attorney was bombarded with with complaints by a national animal-rights group to write state police to investigate whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws. John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request. Bailey, who had been appointed chief by Huckabee's Democratic predecessor, said he viewed the lawyer's intervention as improper and terminated the conversation. Seven months later, Huckabee fired Bailey and reportedly said "I've lost confidence in your ability to do your job." Bailey says Huckabee said "I couldn't get you to help me with my son when I had that problem." The former FBI chief in Little Rock, I. C. Smith says "Without question, [Huckabee] was making a conscious attempt to keep the state police from investigating his son." Huckabee called Bailey's account "totally untrue" and described him as a "bitter" exemployee. "I asked him to resign because he had so alienated the entire state police," he said. "It had nothing to do with my son." Brenda Turner, Huckabee's then chief of staff, and Kevin Crass, the Huckabee family lawyer, also disputed Bailey's account, although both acknowledged talking to him about the dog slaying. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Investments

Huckabee is criticized by the Biblically Responsible Investing Institute for investing in companies it disapproves of. BRII says Huckabee owns stock, either directly or through mutual funds, in firms the institute says “aggressively promote a homosexual lifestyle” through same-sex partner benefits or by giving money to gay rights groups. The organization also complained about investments in casinos and companies that give to Planned Parenthood. ^[158]

Political positions

• Huckabee opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, and civil unions. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Huckabee said, "There’s never been a civilization that has rewritten what marriage and family means and survived."^[159]

• Huckabee is against gun control and is a hunter.^[160]

• Huckabee supports the death penalty.^[161]

• 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."^{[162][163][164][165]} 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."^[166] Huckabee's position is that acceptance of evolution is not relevant to being President.^[167][168]

• Huckabee supports the War in Iraq and the troop surge.^[169]

• Huckabee has expressed concern that Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a distraction from the Global War on Terror.^[170] Previously, he stated, "[Guantanamo is] 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". ^[171]

• Huckabee endorsed the use of foreign workers from Canada and Mexico for agricultural labor,^[172] opposed aspects of the McCain/Kennedy immigration bill^[173] and believes the United States' number one priority should be to secure America's borders.^[174] However, Huckabee supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.^[175] He said of the border, "Police it, absolutely. Militarize it, no."^[176] Huckabee supports increases in visas for skilled workers.^[177]

• Huckabee supports the FairTax as a replacement for the current tax system.^[178]

• Huckabee supports increasing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from $15 billion to $30 billion over five years. He also supports more funding to fight tuberculosis and malaria.^[179]

• In a 1992 statement, Huckabee advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general population.^[180] In 2007, Huckabee no longer advocates such an isolation, but he stands by his earlier view, saying that in 1992 "there was still a great deal of, I think, uncertainty about just how widespread AIDS was, how it could be transmitted. So we know more now than we did in 1992, all of us do -- hopefully."^[181] However, by 1992 it was well known that HIV/AIDS could not be spread by casual contact.^[182][180] In the same statement, Huckabee also opposed increasing federal funding for HIV/AIDS research and suggested that Hollywood celebrities should provide additional funds instead. Huckabee now supports additional funding for HIV/AIDS research.^[180]

• In 1992, Huckabee said that "homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk."^[180] In 2007, his view that homosexuality is sinful and not normal has not changed.^[181]

• Huckabee has credited divine intervention with some of his political success.^[183]

Organizations

Huckabee was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in 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.

Jeremy221 (talk) 03:50, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Band

Huckabee's band, Capitol Offense^[184], has played for political events and parties, including entertaining at unofficial inaugural balls in Washington DC in January 2001^[185] and later again 2005, both organized and promoted by the conservative website Free Republic^[186] as well as the 2004 GOP Convention.^[187]

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 - Mike Huckabee
• Huckabee: Another overachiever from Hope - brief AP biography of Mike Huckabee.
• Mike Huckabee at Curlie

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