Here are a few things Mike Huckabee has said about Immigration in the past. Though I do have some respect for some of Huckabee’s common sense, even on certain issues of immigration, the following illustrates some comments he has made and positions he has taken that are worth raising an eyebrow over.

—–

“I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families …,” -Mike Huckabee [spoken along with Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman and CEO John Tyson, at a noon luncheon of the League of United Latin American Citizens]

“‘Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority,’ Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter. He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state’s capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. ‘Your gathering is so very significant for our state,’ Huckabee said. ‘We are delighted to have you.’”

June 30, 2005; Arkansas News Bureau

——

Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday heaped criticism upon immigration legislation in the Arkansas Legislature, describing it as “inflammatory . . . race-baiting and demagoguery.” He also challenged the Christian values of its main sponsor.

Huckabee said the bill, seeking to forbid public assistance and voting rights to undocumented immigrants, “inflames those who are racist and bigots and makes them think there’s a real problem. But there’s not.”

The bill is modeled after Proposition 200, approved by Arizona voters in November. The Arkansas measure was filed by Republican Sens. Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith.

Huckabee, also a Republican and a Baptist minister, said Arkansans should be welcoming hard-working immigrants of all races. He singled out Holt, who often talks of his strong Christian beliefs, saying, “I drink a different kind of Jesus juice. My faith says don’t make false accusations against somebody.

“In the Bible, it’s called don’t bear false witness.”

In response, Holt said he was hurt by the governor’s questioning his faith.

“I just want to uphold the law and protect the benefits that apply to citizens,” Holt said.

Arkansas News: http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html

——-

Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.

Senate Bill 206, filed Wednesday, also would require proof of citizenzhip to register to vote and would require state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally.

…

Holt replied, “I think the politically correct movement has misconstrued what compassion really means. They think compassion means that any person can disrespect our laws and that we’re supposed to be tolerant and let them get away with it.

“True compassion is correcting them so in the future they can be law-abiding citizens,” Holt said.

“They broke the law,” he said. “My angst is not with them, though. My angst is with the state and federal government for not enforcing our laws.”

People living illegally in the United State has “overwhelmed our school and welfare system,” McCutchen said. As for whether the bill reflects un-Christian attitudes, McCutchen said: “Jim Holt is as good a man and as good a Christian as any man walking this Earth.”

“Doggone it, the rule of law is not being upheld, and that’s wrong,” McCutchen said.

Arkansas News: http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html

——-

Huckabee sponsored the Southern Governors’ Association resolution:

• Whereas, agriculture, which has critical importance in the South not only to our economy, but to our regional and cultural identify and way of life, is facing rapid changes in technology and an increasing global economy; and,
• Whereas, the cost of government commodity programs has varied in recent years between $5 billion and $26 billion in nominal terms, and removed acreage from production thus reducing the cost effectiveness of the program; and,
• Whereas, global trade is crucial to the survival of American agriculture, calling for fair application and enforcement of current and future trade agreements to secure a level playing field for exporters of U.S. food and fiber; and,
• Whereas, agricultural labor shortages, complicated by U.S. federal immigration policy, continue to plague the South, now, therefore, be it
• Resolved, That the Southern Governors’ Association, with respect to the 2002 farm bill, urges Congress and the Administration to:
  • Make commodity program payments, production agreements, limitations, and quotas, belong to and follow the producer, rather than the landowner — taking care not to violate WTO agreements;
  • Continue Loan Deficiency Payments and marketing assistance loans to protect farmers against price levels below the Marketing Loan rate.
  • Enact agricultural federal tax incentives — reducing local property taxes for small producers in high tax areas — so farmers can continue to farm rather than sell land for other uses as well as other tax provisions for environmental/conservation improvements, agriculture research and donations of commodities to charitable organizations;
  • Work together to ensure fair application of current and future trade agreements that will open the door to new foreign markets;
  • Implement a farm labor system, based on the agreement between Canada and Mexico, which will provide an orderly, efficient way to import farm workers.

  (http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Mike_Huckabee_Immigration.htm)

——————

“I didn’t sign the ‘No Amnesty’ pledge because it was a silly piece of campaign propaganda cooked up by Tancredo. Candidates don’t make pledges for each other to sign, and he knows that.”-Mike Huckabee August 4, 2007 http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=196021

—–

What you do say is you’re going to pay the fine, we’re going to have a system that can be done in an orderly fashion, and you’ll be able to be legal but we’re not going to let you off scot free. That’s important.” -Mike Huckabee March 27, 2007; RealClearPolitics.com

—–

“We need to create a process to allow people to come here to do the jobs – plucking chickens, tarring roofs, picking fruits – that are going unfilled by our citizens.’” MikeHuckabee.com

—-

“He [Mike Huckabee] also made the insane point that companies like Toyota would not invest in Arkansas if the state didn’t allow non-citizens to vote because it would “send the message that, essentially, ‘If you don’t look like us, talk like us and speak like us, we don’t want you.’” -Ann Coulter [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/AnnCoulter/2007/10/10/fred_sawyer_and_huckabee_finn]

—-

“You know, I’ve never hated the Clintons. I still don’t, I have great respect for them” -Mike Huckabee

(I just had to throw that one in there)

—

“I do believe that some of [the opposition to the McCain-Kennedy-Bush Amnesty Bill] is driven by racism or nativism. It’s not amnesty to make people pay for breaking the law” -Wash. Times May, 2006

—–

(Trade with China, according to some, is connected indirectly to our immigration problem. The argument (which I have not researched enough to be sure of myself, but I generally agree with because of the trust I place in those who have advocated this theory, as well as the common sense of it), NAFTA, which encourages open borders is ultimately helping Communist China increase trade with Mexico and put more goods into the United States. It even would allow for China to ship goods through Mexico that would not be checked by inspectors until it’s well into American soil according to the NAFTA superhighway plan. China is also using their current trade status to sell weapons to our enemies in Afghanistan, Iran, and the Iraqi insurgents. This could even come back to our border problems with these weapons ending up in the hands of terrorist cells using our open borders to get into our country. More info can be found at http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16407 In light of that information, here are a couple of quotes from Mike Huckabee on trade with China)

“As governors who are working hard to improve living standards for all Americans, we urge your support of PNTR status for China. The commitments China made during the WTO negotiations with the United States promise to open new markets and create tremendous opportunities for American workers. China’s accession to the WTO is a vital step in its incorporation into the rules-based multilateral trading system. This move will strengthen the rule of law and accelerate domestic reforms in China. The long-term political and social impacts of China’s accessionmay even exceed the commercial benefits”. -Mike Huckabee; Letter to Congress – March 2000)

“The good news is that China is becoming much more a part of the mainstream. In its economic development and even in giving greater liberties to its people”. -Mike Huckabee; Time Magazine – April 2007