We Need a Policeman Outside Of Every Mosque (And God In The Constitution)

I was talking to a progressive co-worker today about Huckabee’s outrageous statements on God and the Constitution and I was surprised that he didn’t think they were THAT big of a deal. He tried to explain that he has a different perspective coming from Indiana, and that while he obviously doesn’t agree with Huckabee, he believes that this type of religious pandering is common when candidates come to more conservative states.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZX0bOAYMU

Does anyone agree with that? Having grown up in IL (near or in Chicago) I can’t really relate to that perspective, so maybe I’m not being fair. I still think this DOES make Huckabee radical (if you didn’t think he was in some ways already). It’s interesting because if you take away his excessive religiosity (and fair tax and immigration plan which I’ll touch on in a minute), he’s actually a pretty likable guy and I think he *does* care about the poor/middle class relative to the other republican candidates. Did anyone see him on the Colbert Report last week?

But what you didn’t see in the clip above that was discussed later in the show is that one of Huckabee’s new advisers (Freeman I believe?) is a hateful nut. He actually stated once that he wanted to have a policeman outside of every Mosque until he was sure he knew what was going on(!).

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/16/pinkerton-mosques/

But wait, it gets better. Apparently this new adviser has influenced Huckabee (formerly moderate on immigration) and his new plan for *legal* immigration. If you haven’t heard, the plan is to not allow ANY immigrants from countries that are involved in terrorism in some way, even slightly. Ok, so there goes the Middle East, but not JUST the Middle East if you take this ridiculous plan to its logical conclusion. For example, what about the IRA? Aren’t they considered to be terrorists as well? What an insane precedent such a plan would set, not to mention the awful message sent to the world.

I wrote a previous post saying that the worst Republican president would be Rudy. But in light of Huckabee’s new statements on God, the Constitution and immigration, I just might have to bump Giuliani from that top spot:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/ihavenobias

Does that mean "here, here" you're jokingly agreeing with the title of my post of "here, here" you agree with the content?

Eeeeek!! The bogeyman is gonna' getchya!!

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken

I wonder how many republicans actually LIKE these outrageous statements. I know some secular republicans (aka, fiscal conservatives who care only about myopic tax cuts) who are really uncomfortable with the religious right/republican relationship.

But fear and anger at various scapegoat groups does seem to unify them. And apparently the newest bogeyman is anyone from the Middle East.

the pandering is more likely in small towns, I think. But even then, folks have to be very careful about what they say. I remember a Baptist running for office who asked "How many Methodists in the crowd? How many of you wish you were Baptist?" THAT went over like a lead balloon. Unfortunately, the Islamophobia will continue as long as people are taught that Islam=terror. There is a definite anti-Muslim bias where I live, and I have to keep my faith hidden for fear of retribution, including losing my job.

I get pandering in small towns. But these days reporters/cameras follow the candidates pretty much everywhere. So small town or big city, the same message will eventually be shared with most of America.

I get the feeling that this type of rhetoric is meant to energize the radical Christians and inflame the Left for media attention among other reasons.

to get into politics because he felt he could do more for God (that's my paraphrase of what he basically said years ago), I'd say that's plenty of reason for real concern.

And how about his statements about quarantining people with AIDS (said in the 90's) or the document he signed (therefore saying he agreed with it) that said women need to be subservient to their husbands (again, long before this run for president)?

If he wins another, I am gonna have to do some digging myself into his record, I just ask the question to lay it out there in case anyone knows already. He was also a radio personality or some such, right? My feeling so far has been he will say anything, as to whether he is genuine preacher or more salesman I just don't know but am looking forward to watching him some more and doing the digging on his record.

Sadly I think you're right.

TR would gladly beat these pitiful sods to the ground for representing themselves as Americans and Republicans.

that there's nothing "conservative" about starting preemptive wars, violating the constitution and increasing the national debt by insane amounts?

Except as that article says the effort failed (and we don't have a policy that says we won't allow ANY more immigrants from Ireland because of the IRA).

then discrimination, then incarceration without trial, then torture, and ends with toleration of murder. It's time to turn back this nascent fascism. History is not kind to those societies that wait.