Hugh Hewitt’s Interview with Huckabee
Hugh Hewitt had Tax Hike Mike on his show yesterday and asked the former governor about the Club for Growth’s white paper on him. Huckabee gave his standard “I cut taxes 94 times” spiel, and unfortunately, Hugh Hewitt bought it—hook, line, and sinker.
For starters, Huckabee’s “94 times” line is an exaggeration par excellence. Huckabee passed one moderate $90 million tax cut package and many minor cuts and tweaks to the tax code. But Hewitt is wrong when he writes, “His record on taxes during his governorship is mixed, with many cuts and some hikes, and his biggest hike was the result of a state Supreme Court mandate.” The truth is just the opposite. Huckabee passed and supported many tax hikes and some cuts, with his tax hikes far surpassing his tax cuts. In fact, the average tax burden in Arkansas grew 47% under Huckabee’s tenure, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Second, the Supreme Court did not force Huckabee to raise taxes. The Supreme Court mandated that the state spend more money on education and distribute that money equitably, leaving the state with two options: cut spending or raise taxes. Huckabee stood by silently while his Legislature passed the largest sales tax hike in the state’s history. And while Huckabee told Hewitt that he did not sign the tax hike, his silence was not due to ideological opposition to tax hikes, but anger that the Legislature did not approve his school consolidation plan. Huckabee would have happily signed the massive tax hike had the Legislature agreed to consolidate more schools, telling the Associated Press through his spokesperson that, “He doesn’t want to obstruct the wishes of the Legislature, but still believes we should have obtained a more significant level of reform for this size tax increase.” These are hardly the inspiring words of a fiscally conservative leader.
Third, the list of Huckabee’s other taxes is as long as it is frightening. I refer Hewitt to this list.
Fourth, Huckabee’s relationship with tax cuts on the federal level has always been tenuous. In 2005, campaigning alongside Sam Brownback in Iowa in 2005, Huckabee opposed further tax cuts, telling the crowd, “I don’t think it’s realistic to say we’re going to go in and slash taxes.”
Finally, Hugh Hewitt might want to watch Huckabee talk about SCHIP here and watch the Man from Hope eagerly embrace a federal smoking ban here.
If Hewitt is feeling qualms about Huckabee’s commitment to limited-government, free-market principles, it is for good reason. Where there is smoke, it is safe to assume there is fire. If Hewitt is interested, anyone from the Club for Growth will be happy to come on his show and set the record straight about Tax Hike Mike.
