LIBERAL: Mike Huckabee?

I’ll agree with Mike Huckabee here. To call candidates he’s endorsed as moderates is wildly misleading if not simply dishonest. In today’s Republican Party, there is far right and farther right.

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But it is still entertaining to see the continuing attack on Huckabee by the Club for Growth, which favors even crazier candidates. I suspect the high volume of Club criticism of Huckabee is in part to be sure Mitt Romney gets the message to avoid the Huckster as he chooses a running mate.

From National Review, in an article focusing on Huckabee’s support for David Dewhurst for Senate in Texas:

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The Club for Growth, which has had a contentious relationship with Huckabee for years, has endorsed Cruz and spent millions advocating his candidacy. The Club sees Huckabee’s overall record of endorsements as oriented toward promoting moderates rather than conservatives in Republican primaries. Huckabee, it says, has picked the moderate in the GOP primary not only in Texas but also in the Senate race in Wisconsin and in a congressional race in North Carolina.

“It’s not surprising that Mike Huckabee has supported liberal, big-government Republicans like Tommy Thompson, David Dewhurst, and Richard Hudson,” says Club spokesman Barney Keller. “Mike Huckabee is a big-spending, big-taxing liberal, and birds of a feather stick together.”

There is no love lost, of course, between Huckabee and the Club. “The problem is when very strong conservatives who have actually effectively governed and innovated are called ‘moderates’ by divisive and strident groups like Club for Growth,” retorts Huckabee in an e-mail. “How anyone with serious political perspective or depth could call Tommy Thompson or David Dewhurst a ‘moderate’ is silly on its face.”

“Huckabee still blames the Club for sabotaging his presidential race in 2008,” argues a conservative activist.

SUPPORT GAY DISCRIMINATION? Join Mike Huckabee at Chick-Fil-A Aug. 1.

  • SUPPORT GAY DISCRIMINATION? Join Mike Huckabee at Chick-fil-A Aug. 1.

MORE HUCKABEE CHICKENBLEEP: Now he’s feeding red meat to the fundies with a defense of Chick-fil-A for proudly promoting discrimination against gay people. It’s the chicken chain that’s the victim of bigotry, in Huckworld, not Chick-fil-A. (Note: Chick-fil-A doesn’t merely oppose same-sex marriage. It has spent millions fighting laws to protect gay people against job discrimination and to provide family benefits equal to those available to heterosexual-headed families.) Huck joins the latest rallying cry of the Religious Right — it takes courage to discriminate against gay people. They’ll show their appreciation, by God, by stepping up patronage of those brave enough to discriminate against one of the least powerful segments of the American population. Careful about that traffic hazard they created on Markham when you go, fellows. But if you don’t mind, I’ll find a more inclusive sort of place to eat Aug. 1.

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Here’s the thing: The bigots want to be free to discriminate and also not be criticized for it. For now at least, speech is still legal.

ALSO: 1) Time magazine blogger gives Huck hell. 2) LA Times reports that the Muppets have ditched Chick-fil-A on account of its anti-gay politics.

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