What is behind Club for Growth’s attack on Mike Huckabee?
November 4th, 2007 at 7:22 pm . by nukeThere they go again.
The “Stop Huckabee” campaign sponsored by the Club for Growth, has launched yet another “fact-check” on Mike Huckabee’s record, similar in both style and rhetoric to most any Pat Toomey-led campaign. Like any good sleight of hand artist, Toomey’s attacks are designed to distract the audience just long enough for the illusion to be successful. So it is with this one as well.
The current Club for Growth strategy even has some Arkansas flavoring in the mix. Salon reports on “a spin-off group called Club for Growth.net, which files regular disclosures through the Internal Revenue Service. A quick review of those filings showed that the group had taken in no new money in 2007. But in the second half of 2006, a Little Rock neighbor and political rival of Huckabee’s named Jackson T. “Steve” Stephens Jr. had given the group $125,000, including a $50,000 check just days before the 2006 election, when it was too late to spend more on that election. A member of one of Arkansas’ richest families, Stephens also serves as chairman of Club for Growth.net, along with his Arkansas business associate, Gary Faulkner. The group’s only other six-figure donor in 2006 was John Childs, a secretive, Boston-based financier and longtime Club for Growth funder, who has also given money to Mitt Romney’s campaign.”
Why would monied interests from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts to Arkansas to New York be so vehemently opposed to Mike Huckabee, going so far as to try and paint him as a “tax and spender?”
What core campaign issue clearly separates and differentiates Mike Huckabee from his chief rivals among the Republican top tier?
What fundamental change is advocated by Huckabee that clearly defines him as an catalyst for reform, and his rivals as the defenders of the status quo?
The Fair Tax.
Could it really be that simple?
What about Phyllis Schlafly and the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund?
Well, has it occurred to anyone that a 501(c)(3) organization that receives tax deductible contributions under IRS code might possibly be opposed to a candidate like Mike Huckabee who advocates abolishing the IRS code? And, what would happen to Eagle Forum E&LDF if contributions to them were no longer tax deductible?
If the CfG were truly pro-growth, they would embrace rather than oppose the Fair Tax. Being pro-growth means more than boasting of “never voting for a tax increase,” but rather, balances the need for responsible governance with revenues necessary to meet the government’s obligations. As we’ve noted before, Huckabee left the governor’s office with approval ratings in the 60’s, and a budget surplus of nearly $1 Billion. Obviously he did more than a few things right.
If CfG is truly pro-growth rather than pro-status quo, then it’s time for them to get with the program.
Here’s a link you can follow to learn about the Fair Tax.
Here are other sources for this article:
Salon, The Club for Growth, Wikipedia, Fair Tax.org
And, here is a video of Mike Huckabee on Beck’s show, talking about the Fair Tax.
and here is another video of Mike on the Fair Tax.
Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Midnight Sun, , The Random Yak, A Blog For All, Right Truth, The Populist, Grizzly Groundswell, Shadowscope, Webloggin, Wake Up America, Stuck On Stupid, Big Dog’s Weblog, Phastidio.net, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Cao’s Blog, third world county, Walls of the City, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, CommonSenseAmerica, Stageleft, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Sphere: Related Content
The first attack from CFG, stated Mike was a (paraphrasing) chronic tax raiser, and that was the extent of their criticism, throwing various numbers around that I either could not, or would not, verify, nor many others. Considering the condition Arkansas was in, after so many years of the Democratic Machine controlling state politics, it didn’t really shock me to see an increase in some taxes, to improve the infrastructure, education, and state services. That he did reduce personal income taxes, and leave a surplus in the treasury, tells me he did control spending, unlike his predecessors.
My first thought, when I saw the earlier attack on Mike, back in August(IIRC), made me think there was more behind it, and that someone’s interest were involved, and not necessarily the public’s.
/oh what wicked webs we weave…
Very well researched and written article. Thanks for getting the truth out there.
thanks guys. I appreciate you saying that.
The fair tax would pee in a lot of people’s cornflakes.
Darn right.
Huckabee’s the moderate? He only wants to eliminate the income tax, payroll tax, corporate tax, dividends tax, capital gains tax, alternative minimum tax, and estate tax. What to the other candidates want to do? Twiddle with the code and give special privileges to some? And Huckabee’s the moderate?
Gimme a big fat break!
I’m a bit confused on this tax issue as churches are now tax exempt. If we instituted a fair tax, a tax on consumption, then wouldn’t the churches be taxed on all the items they routinely have to buy?
That’s a good question Alice.
F.A.Q.’s
don’t address churches specifically, but if you look at the bill itself, you can find what you’re looking for.
Here is a pdf of the bill
Link
Look at Section 706 “not for profit organizations”
You should check your facts. Tim Walberg Michigan-#7 is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Faiir Tax supporters in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, he was elected with and by the support of the Club for Growth, ousting the RINO Schwartz. So how is the Club Anti-Fair Tax? It’s not, but it is tough on RINOS like Huckabee.
Show me a link to Cfg’s whitepaper on the Fair Tax Emmet.
I’ve never said CfG won’t support a candidate if they feel it is in their best interest.
But if they support Fair Tax, then show me. You can’t, because they don’t.
You show me a statement against the Fair Tax by the CFG, Nuke. You can’t becasue there isn’t. Huckabee is a RINO and can’t hide from his record no matter how he tries to obfuscate it with phantom issues.
The CFG supports the Fair Tax or Flat Tax because either would be better than the mess we have now.
“either would be better than the mess we have now.”
At last, a statement we can agree on.
The RINO namecalling is kind of silly.
[…] after Huckabee as well. If they spent a significant portion of their time and energy going after Democrats […]
[…] Previous posts: What is behind Club for Growth’s attack on Mike Huckabee? […]
Great article.
[…] Previous posts: What is behind Club for Growth’s attack on Mike Huckabee? […]
I have been puzzling over why many on the religious right will not endorse Huckabee even though he has consistently supported their values. They are afraid of their organizations losing tax-exempt status; it makes perfect sense.
[…] Is Huckabee the economic wiz that will save the free-market capitalistic economy that we know and love? No. Is he the worst possible choice in this arena? I know some will say yes, but I disagree. It doesn’t matter how hard CfG or others attack Mike on economic issues, the fact remains that he is an economic Conservative. He governed conservatively in a highly democratic state. Dick Morris made some good arguments over here. And the source for the real cause for the Club for Growth attack can be found here. […]