PrintJanuary 8, 2008
Huckabee's Shameless Flip Flop on Immigration (Update: Huckabee's Denial)
Heading into South Carolina, where illegal immigration appears to be the biggest issue among Republicans, Huckabee is going to support a constitutional amendment prohibiting birthright citizenship? Did I not hear him in several debates, including on Sunday, admonishing those of us who've long opposed birthright citizenship, about God's children coming out of the shadows? Is this not the same man who only a few months ago supported McCain-Kennedy?Nearly 50% of South Carolina voters are Christian conservatives who apparently pay little attention to the media or to whatever Huckabee said last week for that matter. Mike Huckabee will probably win the South Carolina primary because of these voters who proved in Iowa that their candidate could be a flip flopping con artist but as long as his heart is in the right place on their issues, he will be their man.
Romney has explained his conversion on abortion — the day it occurred, how it occurred, and why it occurred. We have to make judgments about the credibility of a politician making a conversion, based on their records, recent statements, and ultimately, character. You can accept it or not. But for Huckabee to throw on the table such a dramatic shift of position from one day to the next, just before the South Carolina primary, without ever indicating such a view during any of the debates or in any of his many media appearances since the beginning of his run for president, is to me as cynical as it gets in a season of cynical acts.
As for the rest of us, all we can do is stand back in awe and marvel at the chutzpah of a man who is flim flamming the public as he goes along.
UPDATE: Huckabee Denial
Via correspondent Sallyvee, It seems there is some disarray in the Huckabee camp today.
The former Arkansas governor is denying the story that he supports a constitutional amendment denying birthright citizenship:
I do not support an amendment to the constitution that would prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens. I have no intention of supporting a constitutional amendment to deny birthright citizenship.
The confusion arose this morning in a Washington Times story where Minuteman founder James Gilchrist told the Times that Huckabee supported the amendment, Huckabee now says that simply isn't true which raises the question why Gilchrist, who is supporting Huckabee now, would have supported him to begin with.
It turns out, according to NRO's Byron York, that Gilchrist sent out questionaires to all the candidates and Huckabee was the only one who responded. That's why he got the organization's endorsement.
I think Gilchrist should probably go back to playing soldier on the border while the adults handle politics.
