Huckabee and School Choice
Will the Real Mike Huckabee Please Stand Up?
Washington – First it was taxes, now it’s school choice. Mike Huckabee has a habit of playing make believe with his own record.
In an interview with Mike Huckabee yesterday, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson asked the surging candidate what he thought about vouchers and school choice. Despite his documented opposition to vouchers, Mike Huckabee responded as follows:
School choice is a good thing. In rural states like mine, it`s not very practical because most of our schools are rural. The idea of creating competing schools in a very small area would be difficult. While I think vouchers has [sic] some tremendous potential, I also believe in charter schools. I think parents ought to make home school an option. More than saying about vouchers, here`s what we ought to say. Empower mothers and fathers to make these education decisions. Give them a stake in it. Ultimately moms and dads, not governments, ought to decide what`s best for their children.
This is deliberately misleading. In a September interview, Mike Huckabee told the New York Jewish Week that he opposes school vouchers because they may lead to “inequality” in schooling and could undercut public education. In fact, Rhonda Wesolowski, President of the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association, said the group endorsed Huckabee this week specifically because of his opposition to school vouchers (Concord Monitor, 12/12/07).
“Three months ago, Mike Huckabee told a reporter he opposes school vouchers; today he says he supports vouchers,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Well, which one is it? It sounds like Mike Huckabee wants to have it both ways on school choice. His position changes depending on the audience he speaks to—one position for the National Education Association and the opposite position for Iowa Caucus voters. The American people have a right to know exactly where Mike Huckabee stands on this issue.”
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
