The John Edwards of the GOP
Is Huckabee the John Edwards of the GOP?
Washington – As Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee attempts to capitalize on his second-place finish in the Ames straw, he is quickly morphing into the John Edwards of the Republican Party.
At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor this morning, Huckabee adopted a mix of lefty populism and class-warfare rhetoric that one would expect to hear from the likes of John Edwards or Hillary Clinton. He has also signaled his rejection of free market principles, attacking what he calls the GOP’s “Wall Street mindset,” while embracing protectionist language and questioning the new U.S. trade deal with South Korea.
Of course this leftward swing is not a new development but an echo of his ten-year record as Governor of Arkansas, where Huckabee accumulated a record that ought to make the folks at Daily Kos proud:
- A sales tax hike to fund the Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas parks (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
- Higher gas taxes (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 06/29/99)
- Higher taxes on nursing home beds (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
- Allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times, 03/02/04)
- Supported taxes on the Internet (Reuters, 02/23/04)
- Supported a 50% increase in government spending (Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration, Office of Budget)
- Raised the minimum wage and encouraged Congress to do the same (US Newswire, 08/03/06)
- Signed a bill into law that would prevent companies from raising their prices a mere 10% ahead of a natural disaster. Services like roof repair and tree removal were targeted (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 03/07/97)
“Governor Huckabee is an entertaining speaker, but clever jokes and one-liners cannot paper over his long tax-and-spend record and hostility toward the free market,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “At the end of the day, American taxpayers are looking for a leader who will protect their hard-earned money and encourage economic growth, not a stand-up wannabe.”
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
