Pandermania! Huckabee no longer supports federal smoking ban
posted at 9:42 pm on January 15, 2008 by Allahpundit
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First the reversal on immigration, now this. Pinkerton’s wasting no time, huh?
You’ve got yourself quite a Charlie McCarthy to work with there, Jim. Keep up the good work.
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has reversed his position on a federal ban aimed at workplace smoking and now believes the issue should be addressed by state and local governments.
The about-face is apparent in a Huckabee campaign statement, sent to The Hill Tuesday evening in response to questions about the smoking ban proposal. It clashes with the stance Huckabee has taken during his race for the White House and with his record as governor of Arkansas, when he signed into law a measure prohibiting smoking in most indoor public places…
In its statement to The Hill, the campaign stated, “At a Lance Armstrong cancer forum last August, Governor Huckabee said that if Congress presented him with legislation banning smoking in public places, he would sign it, because he would not oppose the overwhelming public support that such a congressional vote would reflect. However, since such sentiment for federal legislation doesn’t exist at this time, and since he has said that the responsibility for regulating smoking initially lies with the states, the governor believes that this issue is best addressed at the local and state levels.”
Really? Huck supported the ban only because the public dragged him to it kicking and screaming? Here’s the clip. Judge for yourself how reluctant he is.
Update: I linked this in the Romney victory thread but it belongs here, too. Huckabee split the evangelical vote in New Hampshire evenly with McCain and Romney; if the trend holds here he may actually lose to Mitt within that group. If you’re curious as to why Huck’s suddenly tacking right on a host of red-meat issues, it’s probably because he realizes the base he’s leaning on to carry him through can’t be leaned on as heavily as he thought.
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You can’t erase skid marks, Huckster.
a capella on January 15, 2008 at 9:43 PM
Boo Huckster!
Hooray Mitt!
And I think you mean ‘pandermonium’
Jeff_McAwesome on January 15, 2008 at 9:44 PM
But Huck wholeheartedly supports “letting the air out of the tires of voters for other candidates”. And I thought these were just tricks for donks.
burnitup on January 15, 2008 at 9:44 PM
but he wont get marked as a flip flopper like Mitt got smeared with
Drunk Report on January 15, 2008 at 9:44 PM
remind me who the flip flopper in this race is again?
lan astaslem on January 15, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Anti-Christ!
Gregor on January 15, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Now we just need Mitt to grow a pair and not be a gun-grabber. We’re not gonna live under a Nanny State without a fight.
doubleplusundead on January 15, 2008 at 9:46 PM
What a stupid excuse. Congress passes laws that the public doesn’t want all the time. It tried to pass shamnesty twice when the public was screaming for it not to.
Once again, the Huckabee campaign is just winging it and insulting our intelligence in the process.
Bryan on January 15, 2008 at 9:46 PM
LOL … well put!!!
There’s no bleach in political campaigns.
thirteen28 on January 15, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Heh. Huckleberry is starting to step in it now…
eanax on January 15, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Seriously, how can anyone call Romney a flip flopper when you we have a genuine charlatan trying to flip flop and pander his way to broader support and pretend he is something he isn’t. What a joke.
Patriot33 on January 15, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Crash and burn baby, crash and burn.
Fred!
RobertInAustin on January 15, 2008 at 9:48 PM
Nothing is as it was, or as it will be. Around the beginning of Nov. 2008 all truths will be defied and redefined, by both sides. The voters are considered superidiots. If they believe these politicians, they deserve the label.
Wait and see!
Entelechy on January 15, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Are the wheels coming off the Holy Roller…?
snickelfritz on January 15, 2008 at 9:49 PM
How very convenient as he heads to South Carolina, a major tobacco producing state …
eucher on January 15, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Its too late to retract that massive pile of dung.
Huckascam going down with a bullet!
Bye Bye Lightweight.
SimplyKimberly on January 15, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Bryan beat me to it. Huckabee seems to believe whatever is politically convenient at the moment. I hope the failure of his class-warfare message in Michigan hurts his campaign.
Slublog on January 15, 2008 at 9:50 PM
oops, going down like a bullet
*not a crazy person wanting to shoot anyone
SimplyKimberly on January 15, 2008 at 9:50 PM
Somebody should tell Huckabee that restaurants and bars are work places.
Oh, wait! That’s why they ban smoking in restaurants and bars.[smacks forehead]
Jaynie59 on January 15, 2008 at 9:51 PM
You mean like Mitt pandering to the auto workers by offering them 20 billion of our dollars?
P. James Moriarty on January 15, 2008 at 9:52 PM
LOL…maybe someone let the air out of his tires.
hoosiermama on January 15, 2008 at 9:52 PM
blowing in the wind…..
custer on January 15, 2008 at 9:53 PM
I’m sure he realized it wasn’t helping him in SC - a state built on Tobacco!
TheBigOldDog on January 15, 2008 at 9:54 PM
All true, but I’ll give the Hucktard this, he’s not a complete tin-eared dumbass like Bush and most of the GOP in DC, he now knows he can’t make it with just evangelicals, and now he has to backtrack from his scorched earth/identity politics strategy.
I consider that a minor win, maybe he and his flock will finally get it through their boilerplate skulls, they can’t win without us.
doubleplusundead on January 15, 2008 at 9:54 PM
Pinkerton, Pinkerton… next time consult with your HotAir pundits before you switch bread winning jobs.
Our poll could’ve shown you just how bad a mistake that choice has become.
Mcguyver on January 15, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Bring out the flip-flops again!
SouthernGent on January 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Poor John Kerry. Outdone by a Republican again.
baldilocks on January 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Heh. Tiger can’t change his stripes, ya know?
BacaDog on January 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Absolutely, but you and Bryan are missing it…this is an unspoken acknowledgment that he can’t win without us, and that was the larger problem, a lot of Huck’s evangelical base thought they were gonna do this without us, they’re getting a b*tchslap by reality, they can’t do it without us, and this is Huck’s admission of it.
Is it a pander? Hell yes! And he’d probably screw us over the first chance he got if elected, but, he knows he can’t win without making some concessions to the small government crowd, and that’s what matters here.
doubleplusundead on January 15, 2008 at 10:01 PM
oops, messed up the quote thing.
BacaDog on January 15, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Does Chuck Norris knows about this?
gr8inferno on January 15, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Chuck Norris lost Michigan for Huckabee….and socialism.
CABE on January 15, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Bye Chuck.
Mcguyver on January 15, 2008 at 10:04 PM
He probably will offer to increase the farm subsidy on tobacco. Then in CA, he’ll return to the ban.
a capella on January 15, 2008 at 10:04 PM
W00t! Fred’s on Dunce&Eyebrow.
doubleplusundead on January 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Don’t worry Allah, in South Carolina Huck supporters are going to be distributing Christian justice by slashing the tires of cars bearing support of the other candidates.
BKennedy on January 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Huck is dead.
Long liveStay in the grave, Huck.wccawa on January 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Huckaberry Hound Dog, just lift your leg on anything.
Kini on January 15, 2008 at 10:09 PM
I get the sense that Hot Air is pro-Mitt and anti-Huck.
jediwebdude on January 15, 2008 at 10:11 PM
The Huckster manages to lie out of both sides of his mouth. Maybe we should just elect Alice Cooper–at least he’s completely open and honest about his willingness to say or do anything to get elected.
ReubenJCogburn on January 15, 2008 at 10:11 PM
stole the words right out of my mouth
Resolute on January 15, 2008 at 10:12 PM
Dang. How can you tell when Huck’s lying?
Spirit of 1776 on January 15, 2008 at 10:14 PM
The problem is that he believes that it should “be addressed” by any government.
Deety on January 15, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I just saw the huckster and his wife in a cute little “staged” snow ball fight.
jees!
TheSitRep on January 15, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Chuck is gonna have to go back to hawking total gyms.
TheSitRep on January 15, 2008 at 10:16 PM
Of course Huck is not a lone voice in this unfortunately.
Deety on January 15, 2008 at 10:17 PM
He is sooooo Potsy!!!!!!
Winebabe on January 15, 2008 at 10:17 PM
Huck, up in smoke!
Tzetzes on January 15, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Colmsey just confronted the “Christian Leader” on his move to amend the constitution to reflect a theocracy. He said he only wanted a theocracy in the context of gay marriage and abortion.
Huck just called Fred a “registered foreign agent” who worked for Libya.
OUCH!
Huck is totally on the defensive. He’s seeing the writing on the wall. MOST evangelicals voted for other candidates.
csdeven on January 15, 2008 at 10:20 PM
HA is pro common sense and anti-religious gibotry.
csdeven on January 15, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Ooooo! Ooooo! Ooooo! I know! I know!
csdeven on January 15, 2008 at 10:23 PM
HA is pro common sense and anti-religious gibotry.
csdeven on January 15, 2008 at 10:22 PM
I will admit that Mitt’s getting better at this. He’s figured out that he doesn’t have to buy the election with his own money, he can use promises of our money too. 20 billion to the auto industry that doesn’t have to come out of his own pocket to by the Michigan auto workers votes must seem like quite the bargain to him.
P. James Moriarty on January 15, 2008 at 10:28 PM
We have our differing opinions on the candidates, but csdeven does sum up what we have in common here:
Bryan on January 15, 2008 at 10:29 PM
I can’t wait to hear the RINO of the Radio Micheal Medved trying to downplay Ronmeys win tomorrow. The early states in this primary have been heavily liberal democrats and the RINO of the Radio is trying to convince us that we need to be half democrat to win at all. I don’t agree. When you’re in a tug of war and the other team pulls harder, you pull harder, if you decide to pull half as hard as they do, you lose everything.
Bikerken on January 15, 2008 at 10:29 PM
This has been a great day with both McVain and the Huckster being knocked down in Michigan. As to smoking bans, the town where I live put in a total smoking ban on bars two years ago. Since then, my favorite watering hole (as well as many other bars in town) have closed down due to an extreme drop in business.
dawgyear on January 15, 2008 at 10:47 PM
No longer in favor of smoking bans, eh?
You would think the campaign was about to head South, or something…
gridlock2 on January 15, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Hey he supported it BEFORE he opposed it, AFTER he thought supporting it would make him look righteous!
Gatordoug on January 15, 2008 at 11:06 PM
I see a new venture more befitting Hokeybee’s principles, or lack thereof. How about he open a chain of car dealerships? Huck and Chuck’s Auto Worlds! Their slogan? Buy your car here, you know your SOUL will no let you buy somehwere else.
Huck and Chuck’s Auto World, a
smoke-freesmoke ‘em if you got ‘em establishment!Gatordoug on January 15, 2008 at 11:11 PM
There is a smoking ban in Arkansas. You cannot smoke in restaurants, motel rooms, or your own car if you have a passenger under the age of 16. Huckster signed that law. Also, someone explain to me, if there is a $300 million surplus, wasn’t taxes too high?
annexwcp on January 15, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Taking a little idea from Mitt’s campaign…it works, just tell the people what they want hear, they will accept it.
right2bright on January 15, 2008 at 11:20 PM
.
How? Simple. There’s two!
News2Use on January 15, 2008 at 11:22 PM
to borrow a phrase from the Romney camp, at least he saw the conversion. So, what’s worse - being for the murdering of babies and changing your mind or the smoking ban and changing your mind… hmmmm, I’ll take the former! We can’t get the babies back.
Dhornertx on January 15, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Fail. Trampling property rights is trampling property rights whether it is done by a local government or the federal government. Huck thinks he is “talking their language” by invoking “states’ rights,” but it doesn’t apply here. This is an issue of individual liberty: the right to own property without others making a claim to it.
Mark Jaquith on January 15, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Wow… with so much spin output from the Huxter, we should be able to attach him to a generator and solve most of our energy needs.
electric-rascal on January 15, 2008 at 11:56 PM
Hey Huckster,
I stopped buying that snake oil of yours months ago!
CABE on January 16, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Heck why not make it $100 billion or whatever it takes to buy out (bail out) the big 3’s retiree health care liability. Making cars is only a part time job for the big 3, they are primarily health care providers.
burnitup on January 16, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Huckabee is disloyal to his own convictions.
EJDolbow on January 16, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Mitt’s just proving that he will say anything, promise anything, spend anything, including money that isn’t his, to gain the office. There’s “fire in the belly” for ya! Hope the public’s happy with it, the press sure is.
/s
P. James Moriarty on January 16, 2008 at 12:15 AM
Mark,
It was interesting out here in Phoenix in 06. We had a couple of ballot initiatives to outlaw smoking in restaurant s and bars. With all the outrage over the Kelo decision the year before one would think that the voters would understand the irony of enabling the local government to tell businesses how to run their establishments.
burnitup on January 16, 2008 at 12:16 AM
ahh..epiphany
saying whatever it takes to get elected and shameless pandering equals “fire in the belly”
/s
burnitup on January 16, 2008 at 12:19 AM
I smell smoke!
Oh, wait, that’s just Huckabomb’s campaign flaming out.
Nevermind.
SuperCool on January 16, 2008 at 12:19 AM
It’s pretty clear that the Huckabust has begun in earnest. to tell you the truth I am going to miss him because it was about the only time that the Rombots and Fredheads saw eye to eye on the important task of destroying the William Jennings Bryan of Arkansas. Also, I am going to miss Wise Golden’s threats to destroy the Republican party.
Sorry wise one, the party woke up. Now for old times sake how about everybody root for Fred to beat the Huckster in SC. Probably won’t happen because if the Huckster does beat Fred I will be a lot closer to becoming a Rombot.
Bill C on January 16, 2008 at 12:44 AM
So….I guess Fred! questioning Hucksters conservative credentials must’ve rattled the Minister’s campaign a wee bit.
omnipotent on January 16, 2008 at 12:48 AM
With idiots like Huckabee, Big Gov Republicans like Mitt, and RINO’s like McCain garnering such support, it makes me wonder whether Reaganism is dead. If we don’t elect a leader who both GETS conservatism, and is willing to sell it, I don’t know if the movement will survive, except as a fond memory.
Good luck Fred…
edgehead on January 16, 2008 at 12:53 AM
Oh, I get it- he only supports it if Congress passes a bill, then he’ll sign it. Until there is no bill to sign, he’s against signing the non-existant bill.
Idiot.
Hollowpoint on January 16, 2008 at 12:55 AM
I’m with you Bill, Mitt’s my #1 and Fred’s my #2. Fredheads cheered for Mitt tonight and I’ll be cheering for Fred in SC. I think that is the best outcome for anti-McCain’t and anti-Hucks.
lan astaslem on January 16, 2008 at 1:05 AM
Good decision by Huckabee… that was the only thing that I didn’t agree with him about.
Every other policy of his I agree with 100%
*Win the global war with islam
*Energy Independence within 5 years
*Prevent amnesty for illegals and deport illegal aliens
*Prevent immigration from islamic and enemy countries
*Overhaul the failed liberal
educationindoctination system*Eliminate the socialist income tax and replace with national sales tax that decreases as the economy grows larger
*Amend constitution to ban abortion
*Amend constitution to ban gay marriage
*Protect right to prayer in schools
*Increase military budget
*Take back American sovereignty lost to UN and protect America’s sovereignty
*Protect Second amendment right to own guns
*Promote free market health care solutions, prevent socialist medicine
*Prevent formation of EU styled north american union
*Protect Israel and prevent the creation of a palestinian muslim terrorist state in the middle of Israel with Jerusalem as it’s capitol.
*Force the “palestinians” to move back to their original homeland of syria or other arab countries
*Go into pakistan, kill osama bin laden and destroy all pakistani nukes
*Bomb all iranian nuclear facilities and destroy the iranian revolutionary guard
*Eliminate vast majority of lobbyists via fair tax
*Increase all American’s freedoms by eliminating the IRS
HaraldHardrada on January 16, 2008 at 1:23 AM
Wow, I don’t believe how unrealistic tha vast majority of that list is. Just as example:
You list at leat three amendments to the constitution. Remember the ERA? That ones had widespread support for 30+ years and how far has it gotten? Beyond that, how is it conservative (federalist if you like) to have the federal government mandate morality, unless your a democrat?
Your suggestion of going to Pakistan and Israel and enforcing solutions would require a military 5x or better than the one that we have now and would have global political repricussions that would be nothing less that world war to include the Soviets. These suggestions show the (to put it politely) the gross nievité of the Huckster.
Beyond that many of the bullet points, like the one about illegal immigration are directly contrary to his record and history.
Long story short, Huck isn’t ready for prime time and should get off the national stage.
P. James Moriarty on January 16, 2008 at 2:22 AM
More fun and games from the Huckster (yeah I know, he denies it, riiight)
Massive pro-Huckabee push polling effort begins in SC
P. James Moriarty on January 16, 2008 at 2:46 AM
Nobody does push polls quite like the Huckster.
sulla on January 16, 2008 at 3:23 AM
Huckabee claim for AR schools in 8th place exposed: Can You Solve This Riddle?: Huckabee Education Claims
…Those states with the most government control get the highest ranking - this organization’s report is a propaganda tool to encourage more government control. Achievement is only about one-sixth of the final grade or ranking (and part of that one-sixth has nothing to do with actual scores but rather with narrowing the poverty gap, etc.) The other aspects that make up the ranking are all things that are attained by government control and mandates by the state.
Scum!
electric-rascal on January 16, 2008 at 5:59 AM
Huckabee claim for AR schools in 8th place exposed: Can You Solve This Riddle?: Huckabee Education Claims
…Those states with the most government control get the highest ranking - this organization’s report is a propaganda tool to encourage more government control. Achievement is only about one-sixth of the final grade or ranking (and part of that one-sixth has nothing to do with actual scores but rather with narrowing the poverty gap, etc.) The other aspects that make up the ranking are all things that are attained by government control and mandates by the state.
Huckabee=Scum!
electric-rascal on January 16, 2008 at 6:17 AM
Hucka-BEE-Nejad
Shirotayama on January 16, 2008 at 6:57 AM
Edgehead, I completely agree. Unfortunately I have no choice but to agree, seeing Fred’s numbers. It’s as if people just aren’t hearing him.
Reagan left office in ‘89. A mere 19 years ago. The young republicans, particuarly among Evangelicals, who are huckstering along with Huck or going for Mitt or McCain likely don’t remember a thing about Reagan, but…what about everyone over 30? They MUST remember. WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY? And, for the life of me, why can’t they hear Reagan’s message as loud and clear in Fred’s words as others among us do? Mind officially boggled here.
Shirotayama on January 16, 2008 at 7:01 AM
He was for it before he was against it…I really like that in my politicians.
The cold must have frozen the brains of voters in Michigan. After at least 8 years of RINO rule in the White House and Congress, the good people of Michigan are sending the message to the country that they love their RINOs (McCain and Huckabee) while giving the only conservative (Thompson) 4% of their vote. I can only conclude that only 4% of the people in Michigan are conservatives. Let’s hope that the people of SC aren’t left of Michael Moore and vote for either Fred or Mitt.
orlandocajun on January 16, 2008 at 8:00 AM
All he has to do is watch Mitt’s campaign. He will learn how, instead of changing his mind, he “evolves”…Instead of flip-flopping he “learns with experience”…
right2bright on January 16, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Reagan left office 19 years ago.
15 years after Eisenhower left office, we were electing Jimmy Carter. I didn’t hear anybody whining then that Gerald Ford had lost touch with Eisenhowerism.
Reagan was great, no doubt. But it is time for the next Great Republican to come along. Well past time, actually.
gridlock2 on January 16, 2008 at 9:09 AM
??????
right2bright on January 16, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Then why is he so adamant about using the power of taxation? How do you support his government schools without the NEA endorsement, and the relationship with the NEA and the federal tax system is so strong.
Do you think the NEA would support Huck, if you really wanted to defund them (federal funded, supported schools)?
That alone shows how he prints one thing and “deals” for anther.
right2bright on January 16, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Fixed it for you!
sleepy-beans on January 16, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Hey! No yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded blogroom!
Oh…wait…just Huckabee going down in flames.
Never mind!
EyeSurgeon on January 16, 2008 at 12:56 PM