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Huckabee: U.S. Should Monitor Pakistanis Coming Into Country
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ShareDecember 28, 2007 7:59 AM
ABC News' Kevin Chupka reports: During a press conference Thursday night in West Des Moines, Iowa, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee suggested that after the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the United States should, "have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our border, and particularly to make sure, if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country. We just need to be very very thorough in looking at every aspect of our own security internally."
While his argument echoed his calls for strict immigration law, Huckabee argued Bhutto's death should not be politicized.
"I don't think it's appropriate to respond in a political way on this," he said. "I think what we need to do is maintain our focus on the fact that it's a real tragic day in the world when a significant political leader, a person of great courage and I think former Prime Minister Bhutto is a person of great courage and she was willing to knowingly risk her life to go back into Pakistan to lead her country once again knowing full well the dangers of it but also showing a remarkable sense of fortitude in perusing it."
He added, "She (Bhutto) represents a threat to Islamic fundamentalists in that as a woman, an educated, sophisticated, strong, capable woman leader, that does pose a threat to those that don’t believe a woman should not be given that platform and that level of equality."
Huckabee also attempted to clarify comments he made earlier about marshal law in Pakistan. In Orlando, earlier in the day, he suggested that one of the United States' priorities should be to determine, "what impact does it [Bhutto’s murder] have on whether or not there’s gonna be martial law continued in Pakistan, suspension of the constitution."
Marshal law having ceased two weeks ago, tonight Huckabee attempted to clear up his gaffe: "And what I said was, and it’s not that I was unaware that it was suspended two weeks ago, lifted to weeks ago. The point was, continued, would it be reinstated, would it be placed back in –- all the aspects of marshal law have not been completely lifted, even now. There’s still a heavy hand I think Musharraf has used."
Pakistan was not the only thing on reporter’s minds tonight in West Des Moines.
Huckabee was asked, as he so often is these days, about the negative attacks sent his way by the Romney campaign. “If the polls are any indication it’s not having the effect I’m sure he’s desiring and I would say it doesn’t look like he’s getting his money’s worth out of it. To spend that kind of money and not being able to move those numbers any more, it’s got to be disappointing to him, “ Huckabee said, “I think a lot of people know that the attacks are both desperate and dishonest. “
He then entered into the argument of his record on commutations.
The rhetoric has become commonplace in his stump but there was a bit of a bite in it just one week away from the pivotal Iowa caucus. "Quite frankly the politics of commutations are simple: don’t ever do one. But if you’re acting in what’s best for your own politics, you don’t ever give one. If you’re acting because you honestly take those cases and you look at them and you try to do justice to them, you will do some. You may even make some mistakes, in fact you probably will ... I’d put my record up against his any day in the world and let that record, the true record go out there before the people of Iowa and they’ll see some mistakes but I’ll tell you, most of the time what they will see is that I would have treated their own son and daughter in a way that they would have wanted their son and daughter to be treated.”
Huckabee fires up the Iowa campaigning early Friday morning and will focus on the central part of the state for the next several days.
December 28, 2007 in Giuliani, Rudy, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (45)
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The Huck-ster is at it again. Let’s monitor the Pakistani’s in the country, what about the Saudi’s since all of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi or what about the Iranians since their leader wants to kill all Israeli’s?
He was so diligent on immigration that he is offering in state tuition for illegal aliens who go to school in Arkansas. What a huckster.
Posted by: Jeff In Miami | Dec 28, 2007 9:41:04 AM
Huckabee is a "huckster" and has no chance of winning the nomination. The mainstream media and the democrat party continue to play it soft with him b/c they know that when the real game starts (i.e., the general election campaign), they will club him to death like a baby seal.
America needs another former governor of Arkansas as President like I need a new hole in my head.
He is a light-weight and no right-minded Republican should vote for this southern baptist nut job...
Posted by: Robert Marley | Dec 28, 2007 9:44:10 AM
Nut job is Ron Paul, any use of the term toward anyone else is copyright infringement.
Posted by: Matthew, Roanoke VA | Dec 28, 2007 9:59:52 AM
The correct term is martial law NOT marshal law. Huckabee is yet another example of someone who uses the Bible not to live by its message but as a means of masquerade. His humorous one-liners, his constant reach for Biblical references, all should reveal what he really is - another scheming, conniving self-serving politician from the swamp land of Hope, Arkansas. America deserves better. A lot better.
Posted by: Kris Connolly | Dec 28, 2007 10:06:40 AM
Kris Connolly: "America deserves better. A lot better."
If our party nominates Huckster, we will get better...we'll get HillBillary...How sad is that.
Posted by: Elbeau | Dec 28, 2007 10:10:00 AM
Gaffe? What gaffe? Continued can mean as it was or has been in the past.
Can't you come up with anything better than that Kevin?
Hucka Boom, Boom, Boom. He is doing so well, and there's nothing you can do about it.
It must really be eating you up inside.
Posted by: KIP SPENCER | Dec 28, 2007 10:11:58 AM
The word you're looking for in this statement:
"Marshal law having ceased two weeks ago..."
is spelled "martial".
Posted by: passing by | Dec 28, 2007 10:21:09 AM
Huck knows as much about Pakistan as he does about evolution.
Posted by: Charles | Dec 28, 2007 10:27:24 AM
Paul may sound like a nut job to you, but he's right on about the FED and immigration. Thompson has a great plan for immigration if he could get the spotlight for ten minutes.
Posted by: Kim | Dec 28, 2007 10:29:21 AM
Oh my goodness, we shouldn't monitor anyone, what is this, McCarthyism? I wanna go back to the good old days when we would not let the intelligence community or the police do anything, and destroy careers because of an inference of productivity or enforcement advantage. The days when appeasement ran like the river of American blood it created during the 1990s that was left for the current administration to deal with. We should get Hillary in there and open the flood gates and disband the immigration agencies. Let anyone into this country who wants in, and stop this vast right-wing neo-con plot to conserve a constitutional republic!!!! After all, isn't appeasement what the founding fathers did?
Posted by: vincenzo4 | Dec 28, 2007 10:31:03 AM
Did a high schooler write this article??
"...showing a remarkable sense of fortitude in perusing it."
I think the word you're looking for is "pursuing".
I'm surprised by the lack of emoticons.
Posted by: huckawhat | Dec 28, 2007 10:35:24 AM
I will vote for Ron Paul whichever ticket he gets. Everyone else is a contributor towards America's destruction.
Posted by: Glenn | Dec 28, 2007 10:42:58 AM
With the events unfolding in Pakistan and the KNOWN Al Qaeda and Taliban presence there, it would be absolutely foolish and reckless NOT to monitor people crossing our borders from Pakistan. I think is a very wise move, is a national security must, and I agree wholeheartedly. I wonder about the critics so quick to snipe at Huckabee on the basis of faith and values. Which do you dislike the most, Huckabee or the Christian faith? I can only wonder at your motives.
Posted by: vindicator | Dec 28, 2007 10:53:34 AM
You idiots need to learn the proper usage of "marshal" and "martial".
Posted by: Bret | Dec 28, 2007 11:11:14 AM
Who wrote this article? Did they get paid for it? If so, I want a job with you guys. I'm no journalism major, but I know I could do a better job than the clown who wrote this piece........
Posted by: Phil | Dec 28, 2007 11:13:26 AM
This is just another reason to Vote for Ron Paul. The bigger the government gets, the more freedom is suppressed. Someone mentioned Mike H and Fascim a while back. Now I know what they were talking about.
Posted by: 600rra | Dec 28, 2007 11:17:47 AM
So what did he say that was wrong? We ought to be monitoring those whose profile fits the enemy. With this act in Pakistan, it could be a prelude to other attacks on US soil. It fits their usual methods.
Doesn't anyone else think it is stupid not the profile those who fit the enemy's profile? The profile is not Saudi - it is Islamic people who also exhibit support or sympathy for imperialistic Islam.
Posted by: JD | Dec 28, 2007 11:22:19 AM
At 6:10 in this interview Benazir Bhutto tells David Frost that Osama bin Laden was "murdered". Now she has been. Think about that when ABC distributes the latest "bin Laden" video.
Posted by: areyouawake | Dec 28, 2007 11:31:04 AM
Completely oblivious to U.S foreign policy and the rest of the world. It seems like he maybe like Bush in the since he had never really traveled anywhere outside the U.S and really has no idea what is going on in the world. He also mentions a Council On Foreign Relations leader and a New York Times guy as his foreign policy advisers. How sad, that people would even take this guys seriously or frankly any of the "mainstream" candidates on either side of the isle. Pathetic.
Posted by: ACUTS | Dec 28, 2007 11:35:08 AM
"Monitor"? How about "prevent"?!?
Posted by: Quixo | Dec 28, 2007 11:39:21 AM
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