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At times, as far-right personalities go, Mike Huckabee doesn’t necessarily come across like a bad guy. He tells charming stories; he frequently jokes around with Jon Stewart; and he even plays bass. As right-wing preachers-turned-politicians go, Huckabee seems non-threatening, and to some, even likable.
It’s worth pausing from time to time to remember the ugly edge to this guy’s personality.
During a Fox News appearance this evening, Mike Huckabee suggested that Mitt Romney, who has come under fire for refusing to immediately release his tax returns, respond by challenging President Obama to release his college application materials in order to “show whether he got any loans as a foreign student.”
Speaking on The O’Reilly Factor, Huckabee said of Romney, “Let him make this challenge: ‘I’ll release my tax returns when Barack Obama releases his college transcripts and the copy of his admission records to show whether he got any loans as a foreign student. When he releases that, talk to me about my tax returns.’”
Really? College transcripts? “Loans as a foreign student”? This right-wing hackery isn’t just cheap, it’s pathetic. It’s the kind of rhetoric one might expect from random crackpots, not a former governor and presidential candidate.
But it’s also the latest in a lengthy series. Less than a year ago, Huckabee falsely claimed President Obama “grew up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather.” Soon after, he endorsed “death panel” garbage. By the early summer, Huckabee was equating the national debt with the Nazi Holocaust.
For a guy with a jovial reputation, there’s something rather twisted about Mike Huckabee’s worldview.
In August 2009, Huckabee argued on his own radio show that President Obama’s health care reform package would have forced Ted Kennedy to commit suicide. Ed Kilgore argued at the time, “This despicable rant should disqualify Mike Huckabee from any further liberal sympathy, no matter how much he tries to joke or rock-n-roll his way back into mainstream acceptability.”
That’s as true now as it was then.
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DAY on January 21, 2012 10:00 AM:
Jabba the Hut also had some endearing qualities.. .
Mark-NC on January 21, 2012 10:08 AM:
I've been trying to decide which is the worst blend of politics and religion. Is it the Taliban, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, or is it Christian Republicans.
I think we have the worst on the planet. Absolutely vile people.
c u n d gulag on January 21, 2012 10:12 AM:
DAY,
And, Godwin forbids me from writing it, but, you know who, loved dogs!
The Huckster is a formerly fat, good old red-neck bubba, who hates him the n*ggers and sp*cs, and wants his women barefoot and pregnant, and looking up to him as if he's just a notch right below Jesus.
This is a Dominionist Christian Charles Manson, wearing a smiling Reagan mask, and playing a fairly decent bass.
You should hear him tear into it when he plays, "Get the Bisquit's in the Oven, and Your Buns in the Bed."
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1070489/get_your_biscuits_in_the_oven_your_buns_in_the_bed/
SKM on January 21, 2012 10:14 AM:
This should be a warning to every American - these once closet bigots are now mainstream.
BTW, it has nothing to do with Romney and Obama, this has to do with the law - either Romney releases his tax returns or else, he is not qualified.
OTOH, I think Romney is running scared. I think, or should I say believe, that he fudge his Financial Disclosures, and since he lies so much, he probably missed the 'tax amnesty period.' I think he is probably scared that the FBARs (Form TD F 90-22-1) and Form 8938 Foreign Financial Assets Form will show something completely different - so he uses the excuse he wants his privacy.
But, again, these people can continue to race-bait, but, it will catch up to them eventually, just like Paul's past is coming into question now. Regardless if they use the excuse that they were only targeting a market to sell or not, this will hurt them in the future because they can never erase what they have said or done. But, one thing I have notice, maybe it doesn't happen in all cases, but, I have noticed that when these southern white men are the biggest so-called 'bigot,' they usually end up having a secret 'gay life,' and that is something I found with all of them so far. Maybe Huckabee is secretly gay, I don't know, but maybe.
Kenneth D. Franks on January 21, 2012 10:15 AM:
I have always given Mike Huckabee the benefit of the doubt because he plays bass and is a supposed supporter of music education. It is sad if he really believes this stuff.
SKM on January 21, 2012 10:30 AM:
c u n d gulag,
I really didn't want to say this, but, believe it not, the University of Nebraska published the books for the madrassas in Pakistan, it was done through grants. Just google this and you will see. I was shocked when I saw this. But the UofN has it on their website.
Kathryn on January 21, 2012 10:31 AM:
Mr. Franks, it's more than sad. If he believes it or if he only says it to rile up the base and stay relevant on FOX, it's, to quote Gingrich, despicable. In either case Mr. Huckabee's claim of being a Christian and allegedly a minister is a farce, all too common in evangelical world. He's just another slimy Fox phony, raking in the dough.
Gambler 2 on January 21, 2012 10:32 AM:
Huck pretends to be kind and loving, but underneath he's a snake just like the rest of the extreme right wingers.
Anonymous on January 21, 2012 10:40 AM:
'there’s something rather twisted about Mike Huckabee’s worldview.' Lately I have been perusing the right wing crazies blogs and there is something 'twisted' about all their worldviews. I am shocked at the amount of 'victimization' that they believe in. And then I started thinking about the 'fair and balanced' news reporting that came out with FOX 'winning'. I know it was x% positive vs x%negative remarks but that is not how the crazies took it. They believe that Fox for all it's fear mongering is telling them the TRUTH. I tried to argue but they are entrenched. They honestly believe the country is going the wrong way, they are getting screwed, etc. etc. I try to tell them that most of the things that Obama has accomplished began as center right ideas and enjoyed huge support but they don't BUY it. They have been indocdrinated with hate, fear and loathing of anything a 'liberal' does. They believe the Dems are 'evil'. Honest to God.
pablo on January 21, 2012 11:02 AM:
This would be the same Mike Huckabee that won't release his sermons: http://motherjones.com/politics/2007/12/huckabee-hides-his-full-gospel
c u n d gulag on January 21, 2012 11:09 AM:
SKM,
The Conservatives will say that Obama made the UofN do that - that Fascist Muslim Imam!
coldhotel on January 21, 2012 11:17 AM:
Huckabee has nothing to gain from releasing his sermons.
I also believe there is a grasping meanness in the DNA of an SBC preacher. It must be a terrible job.
cld on January 21, 2012 11:17 AM:
Maybe the President should pull down his pants and prove he's not a Jew?
TCinLA on January 21, 2012 11:53 AM:
He's just a typical Southern Baptist preacher. Warm and cuddly on the outside, fire and brimstone on the inside. Plus, like all Southern Baptists, he's dumber than a bag of rocks.
As Garrison Keillor says, never go fishing with a Baptist, 'cause he'll drink all your beer; go with two, and they won't drink any.
g on January 21, 2012 12:08 PM:
WTF is the obsession with the college transcripts, anyway?
Yes, I know, "affirmative action." Even so - the man's been president now for almost four years. Why does this matter anymore? Do they honestly think, going into an election, that "Look, he got a C in history so Harvard Law let him in because he was black!" is going to mean anything?
Bill K on January 21, 2012 12:36 PM:
College transcripts would only show his grades, correct? I dug out a copy of mime from the early 80's and other than my name and address it only contained my grades and the class I took. To see the information that the birthers want, would mean opening up internal records from the universities the President attended. I doubt that they even exist anymore.
SadOldVet on January 21, 2012 12:40 PM:
I don't heart any asshole preacher who tells me I am going to hell because I am not a Southern Baptist!
Gingerpye on January 21, 2012 12:57 PM:
I may be wrong but I don't even remember Obama or any of his surrogates asking for Romney's tax returns. I'm sure they will if he doesn't release them before he gets the nomination (if he does). But right now the only ones asking for them are the media and the other Republican candidates. Why is Huckabee even bringing Obama into this (don't answer, I know, but it makes no sense at this point).
JW on January 21, 2012 1:24 PM:
"Loans as a foreign student".
Bush Sr. pulled the same crap with Clinton during a televised debate in '92. He hinted that Clinton's having visited the USSR as a student during the Vietnam War was tantamount to treasonable behavior. In response, Clinton weirdly alluded to information about Bush's WW2 record that would pain him to be forced to publicly discuss [note: it was rotten gossip that Bush deserted his crew mate after their plane was shot down. The crew mate died]. I remember Bush shot him a sharp look, and also remember that being the last heard of either Moscow or war records.
beejeez on January 21, 2012 2:05 PM:
College transcripts.
Really.
Requesting that a multimillionaire out of office for the last four years, who makes a living manipulating tax breaks, provide his latest 1 or 2 tax returns, is equivalent to demanding the leader of the free world's college transcripts from 25 years ago. Sounds fair.
SKM on January 21, 2012 4:34 PM:
c u n d gulag,
That's the interesting part, this was done in the 80s and 90s and was done in part with S.Ara.
The pres. was nowhere in office at this time. But anyway, look it up. And yes, I think that is what is happening here too.
Interesting how people like Huckabee can tell his flock 'Jesus loves you. Jesus loves everyone.' Then he goes and does stupid stuff like this. Amazing, they have more respect for someone (God and Jesus) that they have never seen, but so much hatred for people they see almost everyday.
I guess that is why I am so against religion in public education (for one, everyone has a right to practice their own religion, which in not allowed in this country due to some christians), and I am definite against religion in public office (example of this is they criticize the Muslims, but, not the people of other faiths) especially when they where it on their sleeves and say that they will pray on it to make their decisions, or God told them to run for office...
Jim Treacher on January 21, 2012 5:25 PM:
It's cheap and pathetic to reveal information about a presidential candidate's past, unless he's a Republican.
Doug on January 21, 2012 5:43 PM:
I presume the sense of "victimization" that pervades the squealings of so many Republicans may be due to their inability to recognize that change itself is the cornerstone of life. They apparently reached a point in their lives when their sense of themselves was complete and cannot understand why things are different NOW than THEN.
Unfortunately for this country, the point at which their sense of self completed its' development was, as is usual with most humans, when they were teens/(very)young adults. As with many (most?) such people, they are certain they know EVERYTHING! No age subset of our race has a greater sense of paranoia and victimization than this one, even as the media and markets try to cater to their every whim. While it may all be due to hormones and a still-developing sense of self, I wish we could fall back on the old tried-and-true methods of dealing with such behavior in our handling of Republicans.
So, how do you go about sending 27% of the population to its' room until it learns how to act properly in public?
smartalek on January 21, 2012 7:10 PM:
"Why is Huckabee even bringing Obama into this?"
For the same reason that the reichwingers blame the "liberal media" for the takedown of Herman Cain -- when, IIRC, it was FoxNews and the Weekly Standard.
toowearyforoutrage on January 21, 2012 8:32 PM:
Liberals like Paul and Huckabee because they have a smattering of redeeming qualities.
We can enjoy that Romney passed an Obamacare clone in Masschusetts even as we know public option is a more cost-efficient model.
We praise Romney's pro-choice rhetoric even as we give him the hairy eyeball for his slippery grasp on women's reproductive rights.
Gingrich has a few good ideas nestled in with a few bad ones and some WTF nutjob hallucinations.
Americans are easily hoodwinked by billions in attack ads and polished PR campaigns which means we have to hope that one of the less toxic people gets the nod to limit the damage.
Miriam on January 22, 2012 2:00 AM:
With Huckabee you have to listen carefully to his words and not his tone. He says some pretty foul stuff in a pleasant calm tone. Then when you get mad at the things he says, he can make you out to be the bad guy for raising your voice.
Crissa on January 22, 2012 10:51 PM:
How would you even prove something like that?
I don't have copies of the bill for college from just a couple years ago, let alone when I first applied and got Pell grants. What college would retain records of where checks came from twenty or thirty years later?