He is a through and through nanny-stater, not just raising taxes but signing entire new classes of taxes into law here, such as taxes on SERVICES like pest control and taxes on used cars – things that didn’t used to have a sales tax affixed to them.

He also signed a minimum wage increase and a statewide smoking ban. Nanny-stater to the core.

And look at the Cato institutes’s scorecard for Governors on Fiscal Policy in 2006…

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa581/reportcard_table.html

Huck gets an F for his second term, tying with another Governor as worst Republican governor on the list in fiscal matters, and only four DEMOCRATS rank worse…

Huck is snowing Conservatives. He started off fairly conservative, but after two terms in office he became a flat-out nanny-stater… He may have shrunk in size, but he “grew” in office in that horrible way that so many bureaucrats do.

True, well-founded ideology is the only way to blunt the pressures and temptations of growing in office. That’s what we need.

Let me get this straight, You think first amendment, put me in charge of judges McCain is more conservative than Huckabee?

Do you think pro campaign finance wont sign a tax pledge Thompson is more conservative than Huckabee who wants to eliminate the IRS and reduce spending?

Are you saying that Mitt who was even against the Bush tax cuts is more conservative than Huckabee? Mitt, the same person who has recently flipped on every major issue.

Are you holding out for Duncan Hunter?

Are you saying that it was ok for Ronald Reagan to raise taxes in California but Huckabee who by the way, is our only candidate who approaches the eloquence of Reagan, can never have raised a single tax or he is disqualified?

Give me a break.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/sl_burden_arkansas-2007-04-04.pdf

But this isn’t from them – who said when said how said

These are the real raw numbers from independent sources

The fact is that Huckabee raised taxes according to the Neutral Tax Foundation and the United State Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the US Census Bureau Arkansas went from being ranked 35th (50th is the lowest in the country) in State taxes to 13th under Huckabee’s run.

Whatever the story, whatever the excuse whatever who said what to who and when:

These raw numbers don’t lie – in fact notice the Federal Tax Burden actually went down and Huckabee sucked it up by adding in more state taxes.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/sl_burden_arkansas-2007-04-04.pdf

Also remember Hucky Baby blames democrats – democrats have always run the state……

He noted that many strong Christians lean toward tax-and-spend, control-your-life nanny-statism, out of a misplaced concern for “the poor” and moral values.

Splashman on November 9, 2007

I would agree with this. It is unfortunate. The reason for this is a lack of understanding about the Bible and our history. The following are old testament verses. This was God speaking directly,, giving laws to Moses, Exodus 23:2,3 “You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice: NOR SHALL YOU BE PARTIAL TO A POOR MAN IN HIS DISPUTE.” (I added the caps)
Exodus 30:15 “THE RICH SHALL NOT PAY MORE, AND THE POOR SHALL NOT PAY LESS than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord…” {I added caps again}
Lev. 19:15 “…you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great…” there are no scriptures in the Bible that talk about taking money from the rich or anyone and giving it to another. Jesus even told the soldiers to not take what is not theirs and to be satisfied with their pay! when Mary washed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume,, it was Judas, the traitor, that questioned Jesus saying they could have given the money to the poor! In the first verse I shared their, God is saying “Hey,, just because everybody else is doing it, perverting justice by being partial to the poor,, DON’T DO IT!” We are an ignorant people. Ignorant about our liberties. Ignorant about God. Ignorant about our history.

Huckabee’s wrong on a lot of stuff… taxes, illegal immigration, Fair Tax. He’s dangerous because everything is wrapped in the cloak of good intentions, just like President Bush.

I agree that Huckabee’s political views are wrong. I am not
questioning his character simply because I personally have never met the guy.

But I agree with you that a lot of bad stuff comes wrapped in the “cloak of good intentions,” just like Jimmy Carter in the 70s. That is why we need to trust, but verify. Verify all the facts before sealing the deal. And the facts make me very uncomfortable with Huckabee, speaking as a Christian voter myself.

There is nothing Christian about making people dependant on someone or something else (like government). Whatever happened to teaching a man to fish?

I agree.

How can professing Christians encourage other people to steal? The Bible says it is always wrong to steal. Yet tens of millions of illegal aliens commit document fraud, Social Security number fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft fraud, causing financial ruin to millions of Americans. And yet John Kyl of Arizona, McCain, Senator Switchback, Graham-Amnesty of SC, Richard Lugar of Indiana, and the Democrats wanted to reward these same law-breakers with the gift of USA citizenship. How is that Christian?

Answer: It is not Christian. It is morally wrong.

How can professing Christian leaders encourage government policies that reward people to covet jobs illegally that do not belong to them? The Bible says it is wrong to covet. And yet tens of millions of people are coveting jobs that do not belong to them simply because they are not USA citizens. And yet Graham-Amnesty of SC and others wanted to reward these law-breakers with the gift of USA citizenship? How is that Christian?

Answer: It is not Christian. It is morally wrong.

How is it “Christian” to support government policies that reward unwed mothers with the gift of USA citizenship through “anchor baby citizenship?”

Answer: It is not Christian. It is wrong.

From the Arkansas News (past issue)- Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.
Holt, R-Springdale, replied later that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.

Senate Bill 206, filed Wednesday, also would require proof of citizenzhip to register to vote and would require state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally.

Holt replied, “I think the politically correct movement has
misconstrued what compassion really means. They think compassion means that any person can disrespect our laws and that we’re supposed to be tolerant and let them get away with it.

Amen to Jim Holt. Joe McCutchen, Chairman of Protect Arknsas NOW, a newly formed group supporting the bill had this to say. “They broke the law,” he said. “My angst is not with them, though. My angst is with the state and federal government for not enforcing our laws.” People living illegally in the United State has “overwhelmed our school and welfare system,” McCutchen said. As for whether the bill reflects un-Christian attitudes, McCutchen said: “Jim Holt is as good a man and as good a Christian as any man walking this Earth.”

“Doggone it, the rule of law is not being upheld, and that’s wrong,” McCutchen said.

MB4 on November 9, 2007 at 2:13 PM

MB4,

I agree with most of your negative comments concerning Huckabee. Huckabee and Senator “Switchback” are very disappointing to me, as a Christian. It really bothers me that both men have championed “Christian compassion” as the reason for their enthusiasm for rewarding law-breakers with the gift of USA citizenship.

God ordains the purpose and role of government to be different from the purpose and function of the church. For a Christian to confuse and conflate the 2 separate realms is not only exegetically wrong (from a Biblical perspective), but also opens the door to other evils, like tyranny and oppression. This is called the “2 Kingdom” view.

From the Biblical perspective, it is never the purpose of government to reward law-breakers with the gift of USA citizenship. To claim otherwise in the name of “Christian compassion” or “loving others” or whatever, is just flat out wrong thinking.

I really wonder what many pastors are preaching in the pulpits nowadays.

I’m a conservative Christian, and was talking with a fellow right-wing wacko the other day. He noted that many strong Christians lean toward tax-and-spend, control-your-life nanny-statism, out of a misplaced concern for “the poor” and moral values. It is no less ironic than true that well-intentioned nanny-staters (religious or not) have contributed more to the moral decline of American society than atheists, Hollywood, and Bill Clinton combined.

Splashman on November 9, 2007 at 2:18 PM

Good point. Many well-intentioned, sincere religious folks do not have a Biblical understanding of government, as well as the God-ordained view of the purpose of the church.

God ordains functions or roles that are not assigned to the church. For the very same reason that God ordains responsibilities and functions to government, but these are not assigned to the church.

It is a tragic mistake when church and government are confused and conflated.

My hubby and I went to a Bush fundraiser during the re-election cycle, and I had to bite my tongue when he talked about the prescription plan for seniors, saying that people who had achieved that age deserve it. (Er….WHAT?) I looked around and everyone was clapping and I wanted to boo. Honest. I saw a bunch of lemmings who were willing to compromise core GOP principles so they could bask in the reflected glow of the President’s ‘compassionate conservatism’ and feel that somehow gestures like this will win people over.

What the party doesn’t understand is that people vote GOP because they do the hard stuff; not because we are namby pamby sycophants. The GOP is principled (was anyway); whereas Dems’ goal is to get elected and you don’t know WHERE they stand, really, on anything. People, I think, by nature, don’t like lots of change, or want slow, thoughtful change, and the more we take on the mantle of the Dems by contravening our principles for the ‘greater good’ the more we drive the ‘purple staters’ away.

There is nothing Christian about making people dependant on someone or something else (like government). Whatever happened to teaching a man to fish?

I am really alarmed with this growing GOP grassroots fandom of Huckabee. Do we want President Bush, v2, when most of us have been gnashing our teeth the past few years over immigration and spending?

I am open to being swayed, but I am leaning towards a Giuliani/Hunter ticket.

moughon on November 9, 2007 at 3:45 PM

Not a great argument if Huckabee is a tax-raising, pro-amnesty liberal Republican as some of his critics back home have been suggesting. Not all of us who have a problem with Huck are in favor of Rudy.

Hmm? You’re a professional theif?

Zetterson on November 9, 2007 at 3:04 PM

What is a theif?

Hmm? You’re a professional theif?

Zetterson on November 9, 2007 at 3:04 PM

Now that’s cold.

The worst thing Republicans could follow the path of the Democrat Party which has essentially forced itself into choosing whether the inexperienced but black Senator or the Senator with more baggage than a 747 gets the top slot on a ticket that will have them both. That’s no choice! That’s merely arranging the negatives to be least negative possible. That is, of course, unless you think Dodd, Biden, or Edwards have a shot (snigger).

From the Arkansas News (past issue)- Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.

Oh, and by the way, I wouldn’t trust Grover Norquist as giving insight onto anything. That’ guy’s been in bed with the Saudi/Arab money as well as the open-borders business lobby.

Think about it some more. Big hint: What do illegals sometimes do when they are not picking lettuce?

MB4 on November 9, 2007 at 2:50 PM

Hmm? You’re a professional theif?

Straight from the dKos playbook.

Splashman on November 9, 2007 at 2:45 PM

You have me at a disadvantage as I have never read it and you appear to have.