Huckabee Campaign Press Release - Huckabee War Room: Debate Coverage Update

By Jack Sisson, Director of Research and Rapid Response

Someone's been hitting the bench-press and nursing some bicep curls… that was a 'gun show'!... I guess that happens when you compare salad-making with confiscating firearms...Ms. Janet is back on the trail in Iowa as the governor races through South Carolina these next few days with stops in Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Richburg, Pawleys Island, Union and Myrtle Beach (but there won't be time for any golf.) Solid coverage across the board, but this race is far, far from over. Some brief clips below and be sure to check the last story….

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Republican Debate 2016 — The Telegraph

... Mike Huckabee may have had the most poignant moment of the night, nearly breaking into tears describing the people who had worked for 40 years "on a cement floor" but may have to wait longer to retire because of social security shortfalls. To sum it up in a sentence..Mr. Huckabee was the most engaging.

"Huckabee: Need Clearly Defined Goal in the Middle East" — Wall Street Journal

During Thursday's GOP debate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said the U.S. needs to be in the Middle East to "destroy radical Islam and everything that threatens civilization"… "When I went to Afghanistan, I saw a land that looked the 'The Flinstones.' It was desolate and barren. It's been that way for thousands of years. They want to take the world back to be just like that. We don't…We need to never ever spend a drop of American blood unless there is a clearly defined goal. And we can't make sure we win unless we have a military that's the strongest in the history of mankind."



"Obama Policies Under Fire at GOP Evening Debate, Huckabee Calls Gun Rules 'Insane'" — Fox News

President Obama's policies on everything from gun control to counterterrorism got hammered by the Republican candidates... with Mike Huckabee calling recently announced firearm regulations "completely insane." "I promise you, I've been to more gun shows than President Obama," the former Arkansas governor said at the evening Fox Business Network debate -- claiming the gun show loophole, which allows people to buy firearms at gun shows without undergoing a background check, is a myth. "He keeps pushing ideas that never work." Huckabee also commented on the progress of the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan, saying he was skeptical about efforts to rebuild a country he likened to "the land of the Flintstones." Huckabee, who was responding to a question about whether the United States should continue to aid the Afghanistan government, said, "You can't create for other people a desire for freedom and democracy"...Huckabee called for a fair tax to "transform our economy"...

Huckabee: "There is no gun show loophole" — The Hill

Mike Huckabee said he's been to more gun shows than President Obama has and "there is no gun show loophole." The former Arkansas governor...said Obama is wrong in suggesting it is easier to buy a gun than groceries. "I've been to more gun shows than Obama, and I've bought more weapons at them," Huckabee said. "I've purchased guns, and I can assure you it is much more difficult to buy a firearm than to get ingredients in a supermarket." Obama last week announced new executive actions intended to require all sellers at gun shows to perform background checks on buyers. Huckabee has called Obama's action to close the gun show loophole "unconstitutional" and "completely insane."

Huckabee: 'We Don't Buy' That Obama Says You Can Keep Your Guns — The Daily Caller

Huckabee blasted Barack Obama's credibility for allowing you to keep your guns saying "we don't buy it, we don't believe it."...Huckabee said Obama "has lost his credibility and his inept inability to work with Congress and pass legislation has led him to do what I never even imagined doing as a governor and that's just going and doing it my own way." While discussing getting rid of the visa waiver program, Huckabee said while it "may slow it down" international commerce "a slowed down commerce that is making us safer is worth it." "This lady who came and joined with the San Bernardino killer and passed three background checks and that's why a lot of Americans didn't buy it when the President said, 'We'll bring in Syrian refugees, but don't worry, we'll check them out.'"

Do Mass Shooters Target Gun-Free Zones? It's Complicated — Newsweek

At the debate on Thursday night, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee repeated an oft-heard claim that most mass shootings happen in places where guns are banned and potential victims can't return fire. Asked by Fox Business Network moderators about what the federal government can do to stop Americans who pose a risk to public safety from obtaining guns, Huckabee claimed that some mass shootings might have been prevented if more Americans were armed with firearms. "Of course we want to stop gun violence, but the one common thing that has happened in most mass shootings is that they happened in gun-free zones, where people who would have been law-abiding citizens, who could have stood up and at least tried to stop it...were not allowed to under the law," Huckabee said to applause from the crowd gathered in South Carolina...

"Huckabee: Taxes Like Training Dogs, Raising Kids, Reward Good Behavior" — NewsMax

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said... tax policy should be like "we raised our kids and trained dogs." "You reward behavior you want more of, and you punish behavior you want less of," he said…."We now punish behavior we want more off, by taxing it and reward the behavior we want less of. If you make a good investment, we punish you with a tax. If you make a bad investment you can write that off and rest of taxpayers help subsidize you and help bail you out." The tax system moves people into a higher tax bracket when they improve their lives by getting a better job, he noted... "No matter how many different reforms you have to a tax on people's productivity, you're still taxing their works, their savings, you're taxing their capital gains, inheritance, dividends. Taxing everything that produces something," he said, touting his "fair tax" with "no payroll tax deducted from their checks. They get their entire paycheck."

"Obama More Interested in Protecting Islam Than Americans, Most Religious Hate Crimes Against Jews, Huckabee Says at GOP Debate" — Christian Post

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee argued President Barack Obama is more interested in not offending Islam than he is in protecting Americans, and most religious hate crimes are against Jews, not Muslims….former Arkansas governor asserted that President Obama focuses too much time on not offending Islam. "We have a President who seems to be more interested in protecting the reputation and image of Islam than he is protecting us," said Huckabee. Huckabee went on to note that despite the attention Obama gives to hate crimes against Muslims in the United States, Jewish American experience a higher rate of hate crimes. "He needs to read his own FBI crime stats from last year which would show him that of the hate crimes in the country, over 5,500, about 1,100 were religious hate crimes. And, of those, 58% were directed toward Jews. Only 16% directed toward Muslims…

"There are far more hate crimes against Jews than Muslims in the U.S." —Washington Examiner

Mike Huckabee during Thursday's debate noted that there are far more hate crimes against Jews in the U.S. than there are against Muslims — and he's absolutely right. Though the media and many political figures have focused the nation's attention on anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S., according to FBI hate crime statistics, Jews are targeted far more than Muslims, both in absolute terms and proportionately. In 2014, the FBI reported 1,092 hate crimes based on religious bias — 58 percent of those crimes were against Jews, compared with 16 percent that were against Muslims. There are about 3.3 million Muslims and 5.8 million Jews in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.

"GOP Debate 2016: 'Obama Should Worry About Jews, Not Muslims,' Huckabee Says" — International Business Times

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday criticized President Barack Obama'sState of the Union plea for American citizens and politicians to treat Muslims fairly... Huckabee used recently released FBI statistics about 2014 hate crimes in the United States to back up his argument that Obama should be condemning anti-Semitic comments instead of defending Muslims. While responding to a debate moderator's question about the U.S. visa waiver program, which was criticized after recent mass shootings for allowing tourists to enter the country unchecked, Huckabee alleged that Obama was prioritizing Islam over Americans' safety. He went on to denounce Obama's Tuesday night statement encouraging people to have open minds about diversity. "[When Obama] makes comments like he did the other night, that we have to be so careful because we don't want to offend Muslims, he needs to read his own FBI crime stats from last year," Huckabee said…

"Mike Huckabee Tells Heckler: Abortion Is the Ultimate Form of Child Abuse" — Lifesite News
Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee once again strongly affirmed his pro-life convictions at a campaign stop in Iowa...When confronted by an antagonist trying to make a scene... Leading a "Huckabee Huddle" session with voters at a local diner in Clinton, [he] was confronted by an angry woman who accused him of supporting child abuse. "I think it's an abominable practice -anyone who would abuse a child," said Huckabee. "I think the ultimate form of child abuse in this country is abortion. It'sthe most irreversible form of child abuse."

Mike Huckabee: Concerned For Hillary Clinton's 'Political Health' — Breitbart News

CHARLESTON, South Carolina — GOP presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he's worried about Hillary Clinton's political health, not her medical records...asked Huckabee if Clinton should release all of her medical records relating to her fall in 2012, which resulted in a concussion and a blood clot. "I'll leave that to Hillary. I'm not a practicing physician, so I'm not going to diagnose anything with her," Huckabee responded to a question referencing a recent Breitbart News story revealing medical professionals and security officials raising concerns about the former Secretary of State's health status. Huckabee added, "I'm concerned for her political health." I hope that people continue to realize that she has been very dishonest about many of the things she's done as Secretary of State. I think that is a greater concern to me that she would become a credible candidate for President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of our military when she left people stranded in Benghazi begging for help and never sent the help. Why that happened, I don't know, but that is a greater concern to me than her last medical checkup. Huckabee's comments on Benghazi come the day before the premier of "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi," which tells the story of what happened that night surrounding a stand-down order preventing military personnel from aiding the U.S. consulate under attack during Clinton's watch as Secretary of State.

Huckabee Eyes Obama — Fox Business

... Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee goes after President Obama's optimism in the State of the Union address saying he should have stood in line at the layaway counter at Wal-Mart around Christmas. ... In a question about Afghanistan, Huckabee referred to the country as the "land of the Flintstones" and said that radical Islam must be destroyed, calling it a threat to "every civilized person on this Earth." ... "Boos" from the audience where heard when moderator Trish Regan notes that the majority of Americans are in favor of universal background checks on gun purchases. ... "The President keeps pushing ideas that have never worked," says Huckabee. He also goes on to say that the President of the U.S. needs to "protect America" and that Obama cares more about protecting the image of Islam than keeping his country safe.

Former Governor Mike Huckabee to preach in Cayce Sunday — ABC

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)- Straight off the Republican Debate in North Charleston Thursday Night, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee announced he'll lead worship at Trinity Baptist. The Cayce Church service is set for this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. According to Huckabee's 2016 Presidential Campaign, the former Southern Baptist pastor will also play with the Church Choir and Praise Band during the service's first song.

Pro-Huckabee Super PAC Airs New TV Ad — National Journal

Pur­su­ing Amer­ica's Great­ness, a su­per PAC sup­port­ing former Arkan­sas Gov. Mike Hucka­bee (R), launched a new TV ad in Iowa..."New York City or Dubuque, Iowa, there is only one Mike Hucka­bee"...

This is GOOD………Mike Huckabee: Hillary Clinton May Use Massive Voter Fraud To Win — Right Wing Watch

Mike Huckabee, who in his quest for the GOP presidential nomination has been touting his record of having "consistently fought the Clinton machine" in Arkansas and "lived to tell about it"... "I always said in Arkansas that I had to get more votes than normal because I had to overcome the cemetery votes," he said. "One of the reasons I'm a committed Christian is because I believe in the resurrection. I saw it every Election Day, people coming out of the grave to go vote, and if you don't think voter fraud and every trick and the book will be used, then you have never played in that arena before.