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March 18, 2024

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2008 Elections

Mike Huckabee on the Issues

 

(Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican presidential race on March 4 after voting in four states that day put John McCain very close to winning the GOP nomination.)

Abortion
I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned. I believe in using existing stem cell lines for research, but I do not believe in creating life for the sole purpose of destroying it. ... more

 

Environment and Energy
He wants to ensure energy independence by exploring all avenues of alternative energy, such as nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, bio-diesel and biomass. He says greenhouse gas emission should be curtailed. He supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and he supports increasing offshore drilling, but insists that the country should stop relying on oil. In terms of storing nuclear waste: "Everybody wants the benefits of nuclear energy, but nobody wants the storage of the nuclear material in their own backyard. Part of it is you have to make it economically viable for somebody to actually receive it. But a lot of it is changing attitudes, educating the public that nuclear byproducts can be disposed of safely, because the first reaction people have is, 'Our kids are going to glow in the dark if we put that stuff in our state.' That's not the case." ... more

 

Foreclosures
In response to the Bush administration's plan to help families in jeopardy of losing their homes in foreclosures by freezing interest rates for some sub-prime borrowers, Huckabee warned Bloomberg Television of a "chilling effect" on lending. Bush's plan, Huckabee stated, would make those in the lending industry weary of loaning money because they may not get their money back. He opposes any further action by the president and Congress in combating the issue of mortgages, saying the issue is a market-based one better left without government intervention. Huckabee told NPR that the government bailing out individuals at risk of being unable to pay for their homes once their mortgage loan rates change to a higher rate is not in the best interest of the people. He places the blame on overambitious borrowers and greedy lenders. ... more

 

Immigration
The U.S. needs to secure its borders. We need a fence along the border with Mexico, electronic in some places, and more highly trained border agents. The amnesty bill that was defeated by the Senate in June was not the answer. But the laws need to be revised to allow the 12 million illegal immigrants here a process where they can pay a reasonable fine in admission of their guilt for violating the border laws and agree to start getting legal status and citizenship. The U.S. needs to crack down on employers who are hiring illegal immigrants at lower wages by putting penalties on those employers....more

 

Health Care
The system is broken because it emphasizes health care over health. We don't needed federally mandated universal health care, but we do need to get serious about preventive health care. Policies should encourage the private sector to bring down costs, with the states serving as test sites to develop market-based approaches. We should move from employer-based health care to consumer-based health care...more

 

Iraq
"Setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake. This country has never declared war until "a week from Wednesday," we have always declared war until victory. I am focused on winning. Withdrawal would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis. I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors become militarily and financially committed to stabilizing Iraq...more

 

Taxes
Americans should be taxed on what they buy not what they earn. He plans to enact this philosophy with the "FairTax,"what he refers to as the productivity tax. It will eliminate all income and payroll taxes, essentially taking away the need for the IRS. Under the FairTax, Americans will only be taxed on what they buy and will receive monthly reimbursements on necessity purchases. What the Fair Tax does not do is put money in the government's pocket, it is what he calls "revenue neutral." Despite the tax hike-free reform plan, he has fallen under criticism from his Republican opponents, especially Romney, who pointed to his tenure as Arkansas governor where he raised the sales, gasoline and grocery tax. Huckabee has fired back stating that some taxes are necessary to ensure services such as firefighters and drivable roads are available to the public. ...more

 

Yucca Mountain
While not taking a firm stance on whether Yucca Mountain should be used to house nuclear waste, he has gone on record supporting the expansion of nuclear power in the United States. He believes the country has an unfounded bias against nuclear energy, and cited France as a country not known for risky behavior yet friendly enough toward nuclear power to become an almost completely nuclear country. He acknowledged that nuclear waste storage is "the sticky part." He said that the American public should be educated that nuclear byproducts can be safely disposed of. ... more

 

— Las Vegas Sun new media managing editor Dave Toplikar and new media interns Jenna Kohler and April Corbin compiled this report.

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