No Laughing Matter: A serious look at Gov. Mike Huckabee's record and
policy beyond the one-liners.
Gov. Mike Huckabee: "And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the
expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a
Holiday Inn Express last night." (WABC Radio's "Imus In The Morning,"
12/4/07)
National Review: "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate." "In sum,
conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of
Mike Huckabee's foreign-policy views. And staying at a Holiday Inn
Express is not going to be enough to allay them." (Editorial, "The
Holiday Inn Express Candidate," National Review, 12/10/07)
PLAYGROUND DIPLOMACY: COME ON, EVERYBODY, BE NICE!
Gov. Huckabee's Foreign Policy: Be Nice And Follow The Golden Rule.
"Huckabee also said that nations deserve the same kind of treatment
that individuals do. 'You treat others the way you'd like to be
treated,' he said. 'That's to me the fundamental issue that has to be
re-established in our dealings with other countries.'" (Lisa Rossi,
"Huckabee: Restore U.S. Ties Around World," The Des Moines Register,
12/4/07)
Gov. Huckabee Says The U.S. Shouldn't Act Like An Arrogant High School
Student. GOV. HUCKABEE: "The United States, as the world's only
superpower, is less vulnerable to military defeat. But it is more
vulnerable to the animosity of other countries. Much like a top high
school student, if it is modest about its abilities and achievements,
if it is generous in helping others, it is loved. But if it attempts
to dominate others, it is despised." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "America's
Priorities In The War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
Gov. Huckabee Wants The U.S. To Negotiate With Iran Because We Should
Be Nice To Our Friends. GOV. HUCKABEE: "Yet we have not had diplomatic
relations with Iran in almost 30 years; the U.S. government usually
communicates with the Iranian government through the Swiss embassy in
Tehran. When one stops talking to a parent or a friend, differences
cannot be resolved and relationships cannot move forward. The same is
true for countries. The reestablishment of diplomatic ties will not
occur automatically or without the Iranians' making concessions that
serve to create a less hostile relationship." (Gov. Mike Huckabee,
"America's Priorities In The War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
FOREIGN POLICY PLAYBOOK CRIBBED FROM DEMOCRATS
Huckabee/Democrat Talking Point #1 – Blame Bush Foreign Policy:
Gov. Huckabee: "The Bush Administration's Arrogant Bunker Mentality
Has Been Counterproductive At Home And Abroad." (Gov. Mike Huckabee,
"America's Priorities In The War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Said The Bush Administration Was In "Bunker
Mode." KERRY: "Attempting to prevent the Senate from investigating
only prolongs the toxicity and further isolates a White House in
bunker mode." (Sen. John Kerry, "Sen. Kerry Says White House
Stonewalling Disservice To Democracy," Press Release, 7/9/07)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Said The Bush White House Was "In A
Bunker Mentality." "Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat,
suggested that 'the White House is in a bunker mentality — won't
listen, won't change.'" (Carl Hulse and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "U.S.
House Panel Authorizes Subpoena For Rove And Others," International
Herald Tribune, March 21, 2007)
Gov. Huckabee: "After President Bush Included Iran In The 'Axis Of
Evil,' Everything Went Downhill Fast." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "America's
Priorities In The War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
DNC Chairman Howard Dean Said The Axis Of Evil Was A "Foolish Phrase."
MATTHEWS: "When you hear the phrase, axis of evil, is that a
convincing phrase, a useful phrase, or a dangerous phrase? How do you
hear it?" HOWARD DEAN: "I think it's a foolish phrase." (MSNBC's
"Hardball," 1/26/04)
Huckabee/Democrat Talking Point #2 – Have Tea With Ahmadinejad:
Gov. Huckabee Is Calling For Negotiations With Iran. GOV. HUCKABEE:
"We have substantive issues to discuss with Tehran. … We have valuable
incentives to offer Iran: trade and economic assistance, full
diplomatic relations, and security guarantees. … Another way to
contain Iran is through diplomacy. We must be as aggressive
diplomatically as we have been militarily since 9/11. We must
intensify our diplomatic efforts with China, India, Russia, South
Korea, and European states and persuade them to put more economic
pressure on Iran." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "America's Priorities In The
War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Would Negotiate With Iran "With No
Conditions." "But campaigning in New Hampshire this week, Clinton
said, 'I would engage in negotiations with Iran with no conditions.'"
(Margaret Talev, "Clinton's Position On Iran Under Fire," The Miami
Herald, 10/13/07)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Said He Would Meet With Leaders Of Rogue
Nations Like Iran. OBAMA: "And I think that it is a disgrace that we
have not spoken to them. We've been talking about Iraq -- one of the
first things that I would do in terms of moving a diplomatic effort in
the region forward is to send a signal that we need to talk to Iran
and Syria because they're going to have responsibilities if Iraq
collapses. … And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not
talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the
guiding diplomatic principle of this administration -- is ridiculous."
(CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, 7/24/07)
Huckabee/Democrat Talking Point #3 – Attack Your Allies:
Huckabee Suggests Attacking Targets In Pakistan Without Pakistani
Approval. "Despite the Bush administration's continued claims that the
U.S. military will pursue 'actionable targets,' according to a July
2007 article in The New York Times based on interviews with a dozen
current and former military and defense officials, a classified raid
targeting bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Pakistan was
aborted in early 2005. Then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called
off the attack at the very last minute, as Navy Seals in parachutes
were preparing in C-130s in Afghanistan, because he felt he needed
Musharraf's permission to proceed. Why did Rumsfeld, instead of
President Bush, call off the attack? Did he ask for Musharraf's
permission or assume he would not get it? When I am president, I will
make the final call on such actions. … Rather than wait for the next
strike, I prefer to cut to the chase by going after al Qaeda's safe
havens in Pakistan." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "America's Priorities In The
War On Terror," Foreign Affairs, 1-2/08)
Sen. Obama Recently Suggested Attacking Inside Pakistan Without
Pakistani Approval. "Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would
be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the
Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the
already troubled region. 'If we have actionable intelligence about
high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we
will,' Obama said." (Steve Holland, "Tough Talk On Pakistan From
Obama," Reuters, 8/1/07)
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