Mike Huckabee is the former Governor of Arkansas (1996-2007) and is currently a candidate for Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

Social issues

Abortion

Mike Huckabee is strongly opposed to abortion in all forms, and has said that it will certainly be a good day for America when Roe v. Wade is repealed. Huckabee supported proposed legislation in South Dakota to outlaw all abortions except when saving the life of a mother, with no exceptions for rape or incest.^[1] He has also said that being pro-life means improving life after birth, and that public funding for abortion organizations needs to be eliminated.

Marriage

Huckabee has been an advocate for the importance of marriage. He passed Covenant Marriage legislation. ^{[2] [3][4]}

Embryonic stem cell research

Huckabee has said that embyronic stem cell research creates life only to end a life.^[1] He applauded President George W. Bush’s veto of legislation meant to loosen federal funding for embryonic stem cell research in June 2007, saying that the bill was wrong on moral grounds and based on inconclusive science. He also said that scientists have developed other types of stem cell research that would not require the use of a human embryo. He said that "vital scientific research can and is being conducted without the destruction of life."^[5]

LGBT issues

Huckabee has voiced opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. He says that Americans should respect gay couples, but no gay adoptions should take place. He signed legislation outlawing same-sex marriage in Arkansas.^[1]

Huckabee also stated, in an interview with GQ Magazine^[6]:

GQ: Is the strategy shifting because social conservatives are losing on those core issues? Ten years ago, it would have been unimaginable to have gay marriage even in liberal Massachusetts. Now it's there.

Huckabee: I don't think the issue's about being against gay marriage. It's about being for traditional marriage and articulating the reason that's important. You have to have a basic family structure. There's never been a civilization that has rewritten what marriage and family means and survived.

Crime and drugs

Huckabee said that he supports the death penalty, but only reluctantly. He believes that eliminating parole gives no incentive for rehabilitation, and believes that more prisons should be built, and their management should be privatized.^[1] He supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs, and supports tougher juvenile crime penalties, but believes that the states should set them. Huckabee supports drug courts for non-violent drug offenders, believes that drug education fails and drug punishment works, and that stricter penalties for drug-related crimes should be enforced. He opposes the medical use of marijuana, and said he would continue to raid, arrest, prosecute, and imprison patients who are using marijuana as a medicine.^[7]

Education

Huckabee believes that incorporating character education into school curriculums is necessary, and that when schools fail, the whole school board should be replaced. He supports charter schools, and the displaying of the Ten Commandments in schools. 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."^{[8][9][10][11]} 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."^[12] He has called for more federal funding of IDEA for the education of disabled students.^[1]

Huckabee is a strong supporter of academic testing.^[13]

Environment

Mike Huckabee believes that Americans should follow the Scout rule: "leave the earth better than we found it." He supported conserving the Buffalo River in north Arkansas against dams, and supports the State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible clean water.^[1] He also supports the national drought policy. As Governor, Huckabee supported a conservation tax for Arkansas parks. ^[14] Huckabee supports a "cap and trade" emissions control and also thinks confronting global warming is a moral issue. ^[15]

Gun control

Huckabee has voiced his support for self-defense and the Castle Doctrine, and has generally taken an anti-gun control stance. He believes that the concealed carrying of weapons should be allowed.^[1] He has said that whenever he hears people start talking about hunting when referring to the second amendment, he realizes they do not know what they are talking about, because the second amendment was to allow an armed citizenry the opportunity to protect themselves in case a tyrannical government ever came into power. ^[16]

Immigration

In 2001, Huckabee endorsed the use of foreign workers from Canada and Mexico for agricultural labor. ^[17]

In 2006, Huckabee gave a speech where he said that Hispanic immigration into the US gives Americans a second chance to prove that they are not racist by accepting Hispanic immigrants.^[18]

In 2006, a Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock. Huckabee strongly supported it.^[19] Critics of Huckabee say his support of the Mexican consulate was illegal. ^[20]

Huckabee disagrees with aspects of McCain-Kennedy immigration reform but in a May 16, 2006 Washington Post interview he agreed with President Bush's immigration plan, saying:

"I tend to think that the rational approach is to find a way to give people a pathway to citizenship. You shouldn't ignore the law or ignore those who break it. But by the same token, I think it's a little disingenuous when I hear people say they should experience the full weight of the law in every respect with no pathway, because that's not something we practice in any other area of criminal justice in this country... To think that we're going to go lock up 12 million people, or even round them up and drive them to the border and let them go, might make a great political speech, but it's not going to happen. What should happen, however, is exactly what I think the president has proposed, and that is that we create a process where people make restitution for the fact they have broken the law."^[21]

Huckabee believes that the requirement of being a natural-born citizen for president should be changed, and that costs of legal immigration should be shared between the state and federal government.^[1]

In 2007 he said, "We need to make it clear that we will say no to amnesty, and no to sanctuary cities, and no to the idea that there can be some complete ignoring of the fact that our laws have been broken."^[22]

Economic issues

Budget and economy

Mike Huckabee increased state spending 65.3 percent from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure, the number of state government workers in Arkansas increased over 20 percent, and the state’s general obligation debt increased by approx. $1 billion. ^[23] Huckabee has said that Wal-Mart is the case study in the genius of the American marketplace. He has said that consumerism is addictive but tranquility is immaterial.^[1]

Tax reform

Huckabee cut taxes while governor, which saved Arkansas' citizens close to $380 million.^[24] For 2007, his state enjoyed a surplus of nearly $850 million.^[24] Huckabee has voiced support for the FairTax system, and wants to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service. He has called FairTax the flatter, fairer, finite, family friendly overhaul. He was the first Governor of Arkansas in history to lower taxes. He lowered taxes 94 times, although most of these were tiny deductions that the legislature initiated.^[25] He supported the removal of the poorest taxpayers from the tax rolls. However, Huckabee has also been criticized for his fiscal record. Huckabee supported 5 tax increases, prompting the Club for Growth to label him a liberal.^[26] He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline in 1999, a $5.25 bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001, and publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002. ^[27] He believes that states should independently determine estate taxes.^[1]

Campaign Finance

Huckabee stated on the topic of campaign finance, "I think the best system, and to me the most American, is don't create a lot of prohibitions but create full disclosure."^[28]

National Security and Foreign Policy

Mike Huckabee is supportive of the War in Afghanistan, and says that the war should not be judged while the United States is in the midst of it. He believes that opposition of the President's troop surge is dangerous, and that the job in Iraq must be finished and finished right. He believes that states should be included in anti-terrorism planning.^[1]

Huckabee said that the Afghanistan government has been disappointing, but that the U.S. cannot withdraw. He has insisted that neighboring countries should assist the effort militarily and financially.

He supports the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, saying its prisoners are treated well and it is better to make mistakes there than risk the safety of American citizens.^[1]

Israel

Huckabee has visited Israel nine times. A newspaper reported, "When asked about a Palestinian state, Gov. Huckabee stated that he supports creating a Palestinian state, but believes that it should be formed outside of Israel. He named Egypt and Saudi Arabia as possible alternatives, noting that the Arabs have far more land than the Israelis and that it would only be fair for other Arab nations to give the Palestinians land for a state, rather than carving it out of the tiny Israeli state." ^[29] He calls Israel an "ally", "America's greatest friend in the region", and says Israel should have access to advanced weapons and technology.^[30] Huckabee has written that, "the Jews have a God-given right to reclaim land given to their ancestors and taken away from them."^[31]

Armenia

Huckabee issued a proclamation declaring April 24, 2001 as "Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."^[32]

Fight Against Global Disease

Huckabee supports increasing President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from $15 billion to $30 billion over five years.^[33] He also supports more funding to fight tuberculosis and malaria.

See also

• Mike Huckabee
• Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008
• United States presidential election, 2008

References

External links

• Mike Huckabee's positions on top foreign policy issues by Council on Foreign Relations