Todd Beeton goes over the numbers on Mike Huckabee; basically his rise will depend on both how many people watched the debate and how much media coverage he gets as a result. I'm also hearing secondhand from reporters that Huckabee has no organization in Iowa but that he is winning over hearts and minds.
Huckabee claims to have cut taxes "almost 94 times" while Governor. (An odd construction, but whatever.) He adds that he saved "the people of Arkansas almost $380 million." That's true. Huckabee cut taxes 90 times from 1997 to 2005, reducing state revenues by $378 million.
But Huckabee also presided over 21 tax increases, none of which he mentions on the stump. And those tax increases totaled much more than $378 million. According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the "net tax increase under Huckabee's tenure was an estimated $505.1 million," adjusted for inflation.
Spending did go up under the Huckabee regime-the state budget was $10.4 billion in his first year as Governor (again, adjusted for inflation), while it was $15.6 billion in 2006. So he is, technically, a tax-and-spender. But Huckabee balanced the Arkansas state budget every year he was governor (balancing the budget is a requirement under Arkansas state law) and in the end, Huckabee had a positive effect on the state ledger: He faced a $200 million deficit in 2002, but ended his term with a $844.5 million surplus. That's a billion dollar turnaround, taxing-and-spending be damned.
I like Huckabee's willingness to raise taxes when necessary, and his position on illegal immigration is somewhat progressive.
Gov. Mike Huckabee is proposing extending eligibility for state-funded college scholarships to illegal aliens who graduate from Arkansas high schools - an idea that several legislators predicted will go nowhere.
Huckabee said it's "terribly unjust"for a child who arrived in Arkansas at a young age and graduated from high school to be denied state-funded college scholarships because of a "a status that he had no control over." "Do we want to change the future for these kids? Then let's give them the opportunity. Let's not say that our doors are open but our opportunities are closed,"Huckabee said Tuesday in his State of the State Address to the General Assembly.
The Republican Party is a perverted, racist institution organized around narrow greed. Should he improve his standing, Huckabee will look more and more like George Bush, and he is a crazy social conservative that wants to peek into everyone's bedroom.
But if I had to pick one of the freaks up on stage last night, I would pick the one who raised taxes to pay for social services and doesn't want to deport all immigrants.
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