Mike Huckabee

I'm watching the whole Huckabee ascendancy with interest. I have to say that the Chuck Norris endorsement stuff sounds really funny. (""Chuck Norris doesn't endorse... He tells America the way it's gonna be.")

Still, this is a guy who doesn't believe in evolution and had no idea the NIE report came out (about nukes in Iran). (Thanks to nimh for that latest piece of info, on the Republican '08 thread.) I can't imagine he's going to get that far, but who knows.

Thursday, December 06, 2007
Huckabee as Deer in the Headlights
Trusts hearsay over NIE
Gov. Mike Huckabee did not know about the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran when asked about it on Wednesday. It had caused a furor in Washington because it concluded that Iran had halted any weapons-related experiments in 2003.

It is not such a big scandal that Huckabee hadn't heard the news. When you are traveling and out among people, often you don't, until you get back to the hotel that night. I can testify to that myself.

What is the scandal is that Huckabee had been briefed by someone to opposite conclusions from those of the NIE and had swallowed it hook line and sinker.

He told a reporter for Politico.com:



' I don't know where the intelligence is coming from that says they have suspended the program or how credible that is versus the view that they actually are expanding it. … And I've heard, the last two weeks, supposed reports that they are accelerating it and it could be having a reactor in a much shorter period of time than originally been thought.
'


So here's what is troubling. Huckabee puts what he's "heard" above the findings of the 16 US intelligence agencies. And, he seems to be confused that the problem with Iran is that it is building nuclear reactors. Reactors can be used for peaceful energy generation. It is if they were building a bomb that anyone should be concerned. The reactors at Bushehr cannot easily be put to bomb making purposes.

We will soon be rid of the religious freak now in the oval office. We certainly do not need another one.

Cole has it right. There are deeply serious problems here

Quote:

Thursday, December 06, 2007
Huckabee as Deer in the Headlights
Trusts hearsay over NIE
Gov. Mike Huckabee did not know about the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran when asked about it on Wednesday. It had caused a furor in Washington because it concluded that Iran had halted any weapons-related experiments in 2003.

It is not such a big scandal that Huckabee hadn't heard the news. When you are traveling and out among people, often you don't, until you get back to the hotel that night. I can testify to that myself.

What is the scandal is that Huckabee had been briefed by someone to opposite conclusions from those of the NIE and had swallowed it hook line and sinker.

He told a reporter for Politico.com:



' I don't know where the intelligence is coming from that says they have suspended the program or how credible that is versus the view that they actually are expanding it. … And I've heard, the last two weeks, supposed reports that they are accelerating it and it could be having a reactor in a much shorter period of time than originally been thought.
'


So here's what is troubling. Huckabee puts what he's "heard" above the findings of the 16 US intelligence agencies. And, he seems to be confused that the problem with Iran is that it is building nuclear reactors. Reactors can be used for peaceful energy generation. It is if they were building a bomb that anyone should be concerned. The reactors at Bushehr cannot easily be put to bomb making purposes.

more at link
http://www.juancole.com/

The only interesting candidates I see are Gravel/Huckabee/Paul and Kucinich. Interesting innit?

I was liking the guy more and more...but..I'm checking into this thug he let loose. There is a story around it that some rightwing groups were pressuring him to release Wayne Dumond. It sounds like a conspiracy...but worth checking out.

On the NIE, yes he should have known. Is this incident a hazard of being out campaigning rather than doing his job, yes I think so. He needs to do his job first then campaign and that goes for all candidates.

dyslexia wrote:

The only interesting candidates I see are Gravel/Huckabee/Paul and Kucinich. Interesting innit?

No surprise!

au1929 wrote:

dyslexia wrote:

The only interesting candidates I see are Gravel/Huckabee/Paul and Kucinich. Interesting innit?

No surprise!

Yes of course but then it's well known i am both stupid and lack a sense of humour.

Huckabee is riding the Colbert Bump! Governor Mike Huckabee will be the next president.

I am no conservative, but I think the good Evangelicals don't care who'se gay, or how to get rich, or put abortion as their no.1 priority (this is where Huckabee and I part)--they care about homelessness, poverty, racial inequality and people in other parts of the world who are starving or dieing because of war, famine, natural disasters, etc.

Nonetheless, he has a sense of social responsibilty which I admire.

Gala wrote:

I am no conservative, but I think the good Evangelicals don't care who'se gay, or how to get rich, or put abortion as their no.1 priority (this is where Huckabee and I part)--they care about homelessness, poverty, racial inequality and people in other parts of the world who are starving or dieing because of war, famine, natural disasters, etc.

Nonetheless, he has a sense of social responsibilty which I admire.

Isn't that what liberals are about (at least in declarations), but on a much more systemic (rather than personal charity) level?

I mean yay for a Republican talking about poverty, but that doesn't change anything in their camp, I'm afraid.