Former governor and Fox television show host Mike Huckabee spoke at the Clinton Presidential Center this afternoon to promote his book, “A Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need From Washington (and a Trillion We Don’t!).” Huckabee laid out his argument for a smaller government, stronger families and a government that spends within its means. You know, the normal stuff. He did say a couple of things that were a bit surprising – things that would certainly be used against him had he chosen to run for president. Huckabee told the crowd that there was a need out there for some social programs that helped those who were less fortunate. He mentioned ARKids First by name. He also admitted that Republicans bore some responsibility for the national debt. The former governor also said he wasn’t sure the country was governable. “It is becoming where it is impossible to govern. Not because the other side is going to take you on and parse every word, but because your own party will do that. One of the processes I was going through in deciding whether or not to run for president this election cycle was whether or not the environment in the Republican Party was really about moving toward pragmatic solutions to governing the country or whether it was all about, ‘Can we poke out the eyes of the other guy before they poke out our eyes?’ I’ll be honest with you, I’m convinced that it’s all about poking out each other’s eyes.”

Advertisement

When asked after his talk (see the video above) if he felt the Fox News network was exacerbating the partisan nature of the political climate, Huckabee said no. He said the news division of his network was wholly separate from other “programming” like his show, “Hannity and Colmes,” etc. He then said that other networks were just as biased and cited Chris Matthews’s program “Hardball” on MSNBC as evidence, although “Hardball” falls in the same category as Fox commentary programs. But who’s counting? When asked if he would accept a running mate position, he was noncommittal, saying he “wasn’t looking for anything,” but wouldn’t make a “definitive categorical statement” either. He also said he was working on a number of projects including more books and something to do with “children’s history.” Let’s hope it’s not this. Other quote-ables: “90 percent of the press is going to let Obama skate [during the next election cycle].” Whoever comes out of the GOP primary will be “broke, bloody and battered.” “Tax consumption, not productivity.”

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article Now-Again’s new True Soul compilation shipping early? Next article Vote to save the Cash house!