Club for Growth Challenges Huckabee to a Debate...I Bet He Won't Take It

The following is a press release I received from the Club for Growth. They are challenging Mike Huckabee to a public debate about his fiscal record, one replete with never-ending taxes and spending. Huck has called into question the claims of the Club for Growth, but he hasn't been able to disprove any of them. Instead, he's been parsing the issues, claiming the mantle of fiscal conservative while excusing his career of being a fiscal liberal.

Darnit, he just couldn't help it. He had to raise all those taxes and start all those entitlement spending programs. He didn't have a choice...I mean, you know he had a democrat majority, right? (Ahem, so did Reagan...But I digress.)

Their release is below.

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For immediate release—November 19, 2007

Club for Growth Challenges Huckabee to Public Forum
Washington – In response to Huckabee’s interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace yesterday morning, the Club for Growth challenged Mike Huckabee to engage in a public forum on economic issues.

“Rather than explain his record, Huckabee has resorted to name-calling, which strikes us as rather unbecoming of a man who aspires to become the President of the United States,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “At the Club for Growth, we take our responsibility to educate the public very seriously, and all of our presidential white papers and press releases have been exhaustively researched and documented. If Governor Huckabee feels that the Club for Growth has unfairly represented his record, despite our thorough documentation, we would be happy to debate his economic record in a public forum. After all, the American people deserve to hear honest explanations, not ad hominem attacks.”

When Chris Wallace asked about his long list of tax hikes cited by the Club for Growth, Huckabee brushed them aside, arguing that he cut taxes 94 times and calling the Club for Growth “despicable.” But Huckabee refused to respond to the Club for Growth’s basic conclusion, as cited by Chris Wallace: “Huckabee’s substantial tax hikes far surpassed his modest tax cuts, with the average tax burden increasing by a whopping 47% over his tenure.”

Nor did Huckabee address the laundry list of tax hikes he supported and helped enact over his ten and a half years as governor. These include:

· Sales Tax, 1996: Huckabee campaigned on behalf of a constitutional amendment to raise the state sales tax (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
· Gas and Diesel Fuel Taxes, 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 04/02/99, 04/25/99)
· Sales Tax, 2000 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/25/02)
· Cigarette Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 04/02/01)
· Nursing Home Bed Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
· Sales Tax, 2002: Huckabee proposed a sales tax hike, but it was rejected by his Legislature (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/15/02)
· Income Surcharge Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
· Tobacco Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
· Sales Tax, 2003: Rather than fight the largest tax increase in Arkansas history, Huckabee allowed the tax hike to become law without his signature (Associated Press, 02/06/04)
· Internet Taxes, 2004: Huckabee opposed a federal moratorium on taxing Internet access (Bond Buyer, 02/24/04)
· Beer Tax, 2006: Huckabee objected to letting the beer tax expire (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/17/06)

While Huckabee passed two modest tax cuts during his tenure, the rest of his so-called 94 tax cuts consisted of minor tweaks and cuts, such as exempting residential lawn care from the sales tax; reducing taxes on bets made at Southland Greyhound Park; and exempting Arkansas Symphony Orchestra purchases from the sales tax (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07).

“While Huckabee deserves comedic points for his “Club for Greed” line, his attacks on the Club for Growth and economic conservatives in general raise important questions about his economic philosophy,” Mr. Toomey continued. “If Mike Huckabee disagrees with the fundamental principles of economic freedom and limited government as embodied by the Club for Growth and other economically conservative groups—i.e., lower taxes; lower spending; less government regulation; school choice; freer trade; tort reform; and market-based reform of our entitlement programs—why does he continue to call himself an ‘economic conservative,’ and what exactly does his version of ‘economic conservatism’ stand for?”