Huckabee Talks to ABC News About the Tea Parties: Dick Armey “Owes Me a Big Apology”

Asking if Obama’s surprise visit to Iraq was staged to give a false impression = Out of line. Asking if tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people are all brainwashed = What’s the problem?

I know it is going to pain many Republicans, but what Huckabee is saying is what the Republicans need to save the party. Wall Street and profits certainly have a place, but not at the expense of absurdity. At the same time government has a role in ensuring a robust economy, but they don’t have a right to spend that which they do not have.

Can something be ‘spontaneous’ and created by Fox News at the same time?

geecee:”The talk-radio ultra-cons, fear-mongering, hateful talking heads are spewing their poison”
The Tea Party protests do not appear to be primarily driven by fear mongering or hate (well, officially – we’ll see who shows up I guess). They certainly do seem to be driven by an ignorant and naive base, but they are primarily protesting (and laughably distorting) economic policy in a peaceful manner. The Republican party has gone to the hate well so many times recently that it is actually a little heartening to see them drift back towards at least bumpersticker conservatism, even if it is laced with doublethink and contradiction.

How do you people not get it???!! This isn’t a Conservative thing. This is a rejection of failed policy from BOTH SIDES! G.W. Bush doubled the deficit!, and now it’s getting doubled again under Obama, under completely maligned guidance and economic forecasts. It’s Economic VOODOO! That’s why we’re starting tea parties. We’ve just had enough, plain and simple.

Leave it to MSM to navel gaze at possible divisions between conservatives over the nature and origin of the tax protests.
Non-issue, Jake. The minute you can prove that Richard Scaife Mellon bused three hundred tax-weary retirees in front of local TV you have a story.

“How do you people not get it???!! This isn’t a Conservative thing. This is a rejection of failed policy from BOTH SIDES!”
Which is why its being promoted by FoxNews, Fox Business News, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity while having various speakers from the Republican party.
Its a bipartisan thing!
ROLFMAO!

If you ask a dozen different people attending the “tea parties” why they plan to attend, you will get a dozen different reasons and none will have any merit based on reality.
Obama has not raised taxes, he has cut them for the vast majority of Americans.
The Bush Administration created the national deficit problem, and now we MUST invest federal dollars to re-right the ship.
And it was the LACK of government regulation that caused the banking system to crash.
Complaining about “socialism”? Does that mean you plan to refuse Medicare when you become eligible? Will you encourage your elderly loved ones to do likewise? Cause there isn’t anything more “socialistic” at the federal level than taxpayer-subsidized health care for senior citizens.
Or are you one of those extreme right-wing fringe whack-jobs that still think Obama is a Muslim…or a foreigner….or an alien?
Quick, run to Rush. He’ll give you a new batch of scripted talking points.
And to the handful of folks that mistakenly believed that they would be participating in a genuine grass roots political event, well, there is no Easter bunny either. It is true that you have every right to protest, air your concerns, and express your anger about the economy. But at the same time, the reality is that you are being reduced to a propaganda tool for the bozos on FOX News, FreedomWorks, and elsewhere that wish to exploit your concerns for their own self-serving, disingenuous purposes. Best to take a hot shower when you get home.
Of course, these tea parties can help improve the economy if everyone had purchased stock in Lipton on Tuesday and then sells in on Thursday…

“How many times have you heard about “Bush’s tax cuts for the rich?” How many times have you heard it pointed out that in fact Bush cut taxes for every single tax-paying American, and in fact took several million of them of the tax rolls entirely. But that’s left-wingers for you: they always leave out important information.”
So we were supposed to be happy that in exchange for a small percentage of people getting off the tax rolls we gave away several trillion dollars in revenue to people that already had tons of cash to begin with? Which information is more important?

The tea parties would have more credibility if the participants were not so ignorant about the merits of their cause. It would be like people protesting “illegal aliens” by holding up signs that read “Martians go home!”.

“…we gave away several trillion dollars in revenue to people that already had tons of cash to begin with? Which information is more important?”
Incorrect “information” is always unimportant. First, tax cuts do not “give away” a single penny to anyone. Second, where did this “several trillion” figure come from? Total income taxes paid in 2008 were $8 trillion; the top 5% of earners paid 51% of it.

“The tea parties would have more credibility if the participants were not so ignorant about the merits of their cause. It would be like people protesting “illegal aliens” by holding up signs that read “Martians go home!”.”
That gave me quite a chuckle.

Obama, the man so in touch with the people, supposedly doesn’t know about the thousands of people all over America holding tea parties.
He’s so scared he had to give another speech today about his tax cuts.
Another speech. That poor TOTUS.

“A bunch of liars…”
I was there. I know John Kerry was lying repeatedly. And don’t forget: in that struggle, “we won.”

“It must seem that way to the 43% of parasites who don’t pay any taxes. For them, taxes are no more real than Martians.”
Except they do pay taxes. They pay payroll taxes.
The 43% is people who pay no net income tax.
And I love calling 43% of taxpayers parasites, that will serve your side well in 2010 and beyond.

WOW! and first stimulus package was put in place by the Bush white house, and, Bush also left a 1.3 trillion defecit, they seem to for get he was a Replubican, I guess the GOP party is imploding, how embarrasing it is to watch.

Your TeaParty is a total bust…Nobody is showing up, and unless you watch FOX, it’s a none-event….I guess whoever organized your 2008 Presidential campaign is also guilty of this failure….thanks for the minor distraction – Aloha

“First, tax cuts do not “give away” a single penny to anyone. Second, where did this “several trillion” figure come from? Total income taxes paid in 2008 were $8 trillion; the top 5% of earners paid 51% of it.”
Since you like to play with numbers: Just take the amount of taxes that the top 5% of earners would have paid over Bush’s entire term, had Bush not cut them, and then subtract what they did pay and then tell me how much you think that is.

ABC is failing to explain where the money is coming from that’s funding these events. Scaife and other Republican millionaires are the puppeteers of this fake populism.

A couple of statements from other posters sum up these tea parties nicely:
“This is not an Obama bashing event….It is a government bashing event”
“They’re (tea party participants) objecting to a Washington that is leading this nation to ruin because it’s addicted to spending.”
\\===///
I (as I suspect many/most taxpayers) am not opposed to paying my “fair share” but what I (we) are opposed to having the money that we work hard for being recklessly “re-distributed” by politicians (of both parties) for political purposes rather than the common good. This is not new, the problem is that this reckless spending is unprecedented and is unsustainable (and without end in sight).
The U.S. debt to U.S. GDP ratio has held pretty consistently around 40% (the debt has increased, but GDP has grown as well). Under the budget that has been submitted for deliberation by Congress, the U.S. debt will double again in 5 years and triple in 10 (estimates from Congressional Budget Office). The debt-to-GDP ratio will double to 80%+. This is not sustainable in an economy as large as ours as the interest payments will consume ever-increasing portions of the U.S. budget, resulting in more borrowing (think Argentina). It’s a death spiral. Couple this spending with unfunded entitlements and changing demographics (e.g., retirement of baby boomers) and the economic picture is not good at all. In the meantime, the $$$ the govenment does not take that we are able to save will inevitably be worth less (due to inflation) as the government continues to ramp up the printing presses over at Treasury at the behest of politicians.
Those of us who understand these economic realities are outraged at the blatant irresponsibility of members of our elected class, regardless of party affiliation. Obama supporters and the MSM equate these protests as anti-Obama and rush to dismiss them. We all have a stake in the future of the economy, it’s unfortunate that many citizens are so grounded in ideology and hero worship that they are unwilling to see the big picture for what it is.

The 2012 Republican primary is going to be quite interesting.
Posted by: Ryan C
******************************************
Michael Steele, Sarah Palin and Joe the fake plumber, oh yes, and Rush Limpbaugh (fortunately they have pills now to help with drug addiction)…….

“ABC is failing to explain where the money is coming from that’s funding these events. Scaife and other Republican millionaires are the puppeteers of this fake populism.”
How much money does it cost to show up with a homemade sign? It is possible to demonstrate without charter buses, professionally constructed signage, etc. (think unions, ACORN, etc.)

“Just take the amount of taxes that the top 5% of earners would have paid over Bush’s entire term, had Bush not cut them…”
On what basis do you assume that, had the rates been higher, those people would have worked just as hard for the priviliege of giving more to the government? As Reagan and Thatcher (and Bush and JFK) taught us, when you reduce marginal rates you get more innovation and a higher tax base. Reagan cut taxes drastically and federal revenues doubled during his tenure.

“Huckabee is a bigot and a charlatan, just like Obama. I pray that the two of them are not the major party candidates in the next election.”
You might just wear a hole in the carpet because Huckabee is probably the best shot that the Republicans have next time, except that the ‘Main St. not Wall St.’ is going to be a tough sell when most Americans believe that Republicans are actually government representatives of Wall St.

tip612:
You are obviously very knowledgeable about economics, and I respect that. But let’s not forget that what is happening now is unprecedented. Investments in our future with education, energy and health care are long-term goals meant to stimulate our future economy. Right or wrong, the attempt is to correct whatever mistakes/errors were made, not only in the past 8 years, but also the past 35-40 years.
Also, look at the signs being held up by the tea party demonstrators. The only proper name used is “Obama.” If it is “Washington,” then where are the signs in opposition to specific congresspeople or senators? It’s easy to conclude these protests as “Obama bashing.”

“Reagan cut taxes drastically and federal revenues doubled during his tenure.”
He also raised taxes and ran absurd budget deficits.

In my opinion, there should be term limits for ALL political offices held. With that being done, these clowns wouldn’t have 20-40 years lining their pockets with power and money. They should have to work for their PART-TIME job and not have all the luxury benefits they do. They have no read idea what real americans are going through. They’re too busy being wined and dined to care about something like taxes which is obvious that most don’t pay.

Now, that’s some Hucka-Math for you DA!

Jill Q,
Thank you for your reasoned response. I’m not sure I agree that “what is happening now is unprecedented.” It could be argued that the recession in ’81-’82 was more severe in that unemployment was higher then.
“Investments in our future with education, energy and health care are long-term goals meant to stimulate our future economy.”
I do not intend to demean your position, but this approach is definitely debatable as well. I don’t think it is a stretch to imply that all three of these objectives have been on the “wish lists” of Democrat leaders for quite some time (after all, the U.S. has proven for years on end that throwing increasing sums of money at education doesn’t improve results, but it does keep the teacher unions happy; if Dems truly wanted to decrease reliance on foreign oil while stimulating the economy with very well-paying jobs they would promote more drilling within the U.S., etc.).
“Also, look at the signs being held up by the tea party demonstrators. The only proper name used is “Obama.” If it is “Washington,” then where are the signs in opposition to specific congress people or senators? It’s easy to conclude these protests as “Obama bashing.”
Obama is the face of the government – After all, “he won”. As the face of the government, he will at times be the object of public dissent just as he is (on a daily basis for the MSM) an object of adulation.

Look, I’m one of the parasitic freeloading losers who pays no income tax at all. Please tell me: Which of my taxes has Barack Obama cut? If he cut taxes for everyone, then surely he cut mine, right? Just tell me which ones they are, so I can thank him.
And maybe I should go out and thank those protesters. After all, I’m living off of them, and I give them nothing in return.

“Are budget deficits bad? How did Reagan’s deficits compare to those Obama proposes?”
Of course budget deficits are bad and the sooner we start taxing and spending responsibly the better off we will be.
It is how and who we tax and where we spend that we differ.
I prefer spending to be on social safety nets and education rather than new military weaponry.
I think the rich should shoulder a larger burden of taxes.

It’s tax day.
Has the Obama administration paid their taxes?
Oh that’s right–they don’t have to.
Two sets of rules.

It’s wrong for people to have friendly Tea Parties to protest our Government.
But it’s OK to give ACORN millions of our money to bully AIG, banks, etc.

The tea parties are about love of country.

“Families, private charities, and communities are much better at providing safety nets than anything the government can muster up.”
Which is why poverty did not exist until FDR.
ROFLMAO.
Seriously do you believe what you write?

tjp612
The solution for reliance on foreign does not have to come in the form of drilling in the US. It could also come in the form of discovering new technology that, help us off the oil-standard and could provides long-term jobs in this country as well. Drilling in the US will take time and is costly (same with developing new technology), but more importantly may only provide enough oil for a finite amount of time.
And I’m against teacher unions, so I agree with you on that note. Teachers are underpaid, but I also feel many under-perform because they’ve become too comfortable with the status quo and do not fear getting fired.

Tom -
“The solution for reliance on foreign does not have to come in the form of drilling in the US.” It could also come in the form of discovering new technology that, help us off the oil-standard and could provides long-term jobs in this country as well.”
I see your perspective here, but why can’t we do both (move away from reliance on foreign oil while working agressively on new energy technologies)? The reality is the shift away from oil as the primary source of energy for transportation is a long time off, so why not drill (safely) here at home while benefiting the U.S. economy? If the argument is that “it is bad for the environment” an argument could be made that it is better environmentally (on a global scale) for the U.S. to drill than other countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, etc. who take much less care in protecting the environment.
Agree with you about teachers: The good ones are underpaid, the bad ones are overpaid. Not much accountability due to unions.

Jill,
With regards to education, energy, and healthcare policies, I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree. My parents were both teachers, but they taught in “a different time” and were not union sympathizers. I don’t mean to imply that teachers are the entire problem with out education system; quite frankly, a portion of blame (and a significant responsibility for learning) definitely rests on the shoulders of parents.
With regards to the “Obama-bashing”, he (thru his policies) has become the face of government excess and reckless spending. A lot of these same people held their nose when GW Bush’s spending over his 8 years and watched government spending explode with advent of the “Stimulus” Package and the proposed $3.4 Trillion 2010 budget. Notice that Republicans are not immune from this revolt: Sen. Arlen Spector is likely to face a primary challenge next year due to his vote for the “Stimulus” package. Tax payers have had enough.

There’s more going on than just tax payers “having enough”. I question Gov. Huckabee’s statement that these tea parties are a “spontaneous effort by ordinary people from all over the political spectrum.” It would be interesting to discover the percentage of right wing conservatives vs. ordinary centrists.
Keep in mind, Gov. Huckabee is in fact a right wing conservative and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who believes separating politics from religion is “absolutely impossible”. He believes in “Biblical inerrancy” including the historical and scientific parts. Huckabee is also promoting his feature in a documentary about tax reform called An Inconvenient Tax, due to be released this year.
For decades, right wing Christians, like Huckabee, have warned that evil “secular humanists” were taking control of public schools and universities, the news media, and the entertainment industry, with the aim of driving Christianity from American life and creating a “socialist” state.
For the past 8 years, the response was to attack US national education and challenge the teaching of Evolution. So it makes sense that conservative mouth pieces have rallied their listeners by describing spending on public schools is “fiscal child abuse” and “irresponsible”.
For decades the extreme Religious Right has objected to income tax as “idolatry,” property tax “theft” and inheritance taxes simply not allowed in the Bible. And, over the past 8 years they made inroads to build their version of a “Christian Nation.” Deregulation and tax cuts swept through America’s financial system, as if the free market’s “invisible hand” was the hand of God.
President Obama’s proposed new government regulations and a return to earlier tax rates fly in the face of not only Republican economics, but also conservative religious beliefs. Obama’s policies jeopardize the ideals of a “Christian Nation”, so it’s no wonder they have been re-packaged and promoted as “socialism”.
We may not all agree on President Obama’s implementation, but the majority of Americans did agree in November that our country had been moving in the wrong direction. We want changes in our illegal immigration policy. We want bank reform. We want better education for all our children. We want to break free of our addiction to oil. We want affordable health care for every citizen. We want to build new jobs and restore fiscal discipline. And, many of us want to reaffirm our Constitution’s clear separation of Church and State.

Did he ask the same questions of ACORN as they committed voter fraud for Obama? Did he ask these questions of Soro’s Moveon.org?
Nah, that we be fair and balanced.

“My objection to US drilling is not based on environmental impact but rather on its inefficiency at providing long-term benefits to this country.”
So you’d prefer to continue to ship $$$ out of the country? I see your point about lack of immediate gratification with drilling, but if not now, when? I disagree that both objectives (short term and long term) can’t be pursued concurrently.
“It’s all a game on BOTH sides, so let’s not kid ourselves about that.”
Agreed. But if you think Wall Street and associated entities cozy up to (and are “owned by”) Republicans, that is not necessarily true. According to opensecret donations from the “Fianance/ Insurance/ Real Estate sector are as follows:
Obama: $38,089,102
McCain: $28,145,457

The Tea Parties remind me of the anti-war protests during the build-up to the 2003 Iraqi War. I “tooked to the streets” along with many tens of thousands of ordinary, concerned citizens, trying to prevent the loss of blood and treasure which befell our country. There were many more of us then than today’s Tea Parties, and we were simply ignored and dismissed.
The Republicans don’t like that they lost, and will not like that they are ignored and dismissed. Give them a pillow they can cry in.

There is a difference now.. Huckabuck is on the payroll.

Its no suprise that some Americans are not letting the facts get in the way of rhetoric when it comes to this crisis.
Here are some facts for ya…
1. No matter what generally accepted accounting principle/standard you apply(Sarbines-Oxley anyone), the U. S. Goverment has been technically insolvent for a long time.
2. When President Bush took office the national debt was approximately $5.5 Trillion, and when he left office it was over $10 Trillion.
3. Republicans controlled BOTH houses of Congress for 12 of the last 14 years, and the White House for 8 of those same years, so WHY…when they were in control for so long… didn’t they do something THEN to sure up our finances?
4. President Bush did not veto a SINGLE spending bill in his first 7 years of office. And some of the most vocal anti-administration Republican congressmen or some of the same ones that voted for every spending bill President Bush pushed through.
5. When you are facing a severe recession, historically the government has deployed spending packages to pull us out. Look it up. Even Ronald Reagan realized that.
Speaking of Reagan, even though he did reduce the top tax rate on citizens, he also significantly raised fees on other government issued items such as passports. Ordered all National Parks to now start charging entrance fees, and proposed the largest peacetime tax increase in American history as part of a budget deal to get the federal deficit under control. The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) of 1982 was signed into law on Sept. 3.
During his time in office federal spending more than doubled, growing from almost $591 billion in 1980 to $1.25 trillion in 1990.
Just a few facts.