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Huckabee Calls for Faith-Based Constitution

January 15, 2008

As the chaotic and unpredictable GOP presidential primary process grinds on, there is one thing we know for certain. Mike Huckabee is unashamed and unapologetic about his incendiary blend of politics and religious zealotry. Just one week after extolling New Hampshire congregants to be "soldiers for Christ" in "God's Army," the former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister told a cheering Michigan gathering that Americans must "amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards."
Huckabee's latest faith-based salvo should come as no surprise. Huckabee, after all, refused to backtrack from his 1998 statement proclaiming his mission in politics was to "take this nation back for Christ." And to be sure, tapping into the support of evangelical voters is central to his strategy in the upcoming Michigan and South Carolina primaries.
But in Warren, Michigan on Monday, Huckabee declared his personal crusade to amend the Constitution by copying and pasting from the Bible:

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And thats what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than trying to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."

In case there was any remaining doubt, that astounding statement eviscerated Huckabee's pretense of upholding the separation of church and state. In December, Governor Huckabee offered this charade on Meet the Press, words which obviously are no longer operative:

"The key issue of real faith is that it never can be forced on someone. And never would I want to use the government institutions to impose mine or anybody else's faith or to restrict."

As it turns out, using the institutions of government to impose his faith is exactly what Mike Huckabee has in mind. Quick to denounce sharia law and "Islamofascism," Huckabee seems quite eager to embrace a Christian version of God's law here at home.
This latest clarion call for Christ is just the latest example of the extremism of Mike Huckabee that Perrspectives previously detailed here and here. But it highlights yet again why this extremely talented campaigner and gifted orator scares, well, the bejesus out of the Republican establishment. (The National Review's Rich Lowry called a Huckabee nomination an "act of suicide by his party.") No matter what happens in the Michigan and South Carolina contests, the former minister may have just guaranteed that the GOP nominating process is about to become "Anyone But Huckabee."
For more history on Mike Huckabee's extremist past and present, see:

  • "Top 10 Moments in Mike Huckabee's Extremism"
  • "10 More Moments in Mike Huckabee's Extremism"
  • 18 comments on “Huckabee Calls for Faith-Based Constitution”

    1. True Republicans Barry Goldwater and Teddy Roosevelt warned us about injecting religion into American politics. After the decimation of our party by W and Lott and Delay and the rest of the Southern Republicans, if Huckabee is the nominee I fear they'll be no more GOP north of the Mason-Dixon. The last Republican in NY, please shut out the lights.

    2. It is a good idea to get God back in our country. There are so many many people who are trying to take God out of our country. If we take God out of the school that is bad enough, and we have done that. We need God in our schools and in our country, so what is so bad about Huckabee??? Go for it and God bless all of America.

    3. Delores, you need to explain something to me:
      How can a higher power that is omniscient and omnipresent be shoved out of anywhere by mere mortals? Really, you just sound silly.
      What's even sillier is mere mortals having the audacity to claim they know what God wants - ya know, kinda like Huckabee.
      Plus, America has this thing called the "First Amendment" Try reading it sometime.

    4. The American Jewish Committee, a nonpartisan organization, is deeply troubled by Governor Mike Huckabee's declaration at a recent Michigan campaign event that the Constitution should be amended because it is in conflict with "God's standards."
      "The Governor's words are a prescription for theocracy," said Jeffrey Sinensky, AJC's general counsel. "We urge him to retract his troubling remarks. Government cannot act to promote one religion -- or religion -- in general."
      Arguing for a change in our fundamental laws to ban both abortion and gay marriage, Governor Huckabee noted that "what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."
      "To advocate for the Constitution to be in lockstep with Biblical law, especially in our pluralistic society, is not a welcoming message," said Sinensky. "Indeed, it puts the very character of our democracy at stake."
      Governor Huckabee has put himself in a very controversial position for two reasons. He has now made America think that the Constitution was somehow influence by God himself, and that they are really guidelines from God given to us so that we can live to his standards. Many Americans are likely going to hold Huckabee to what he has said, meaning that his every moves are going to be watched, to make sure that he does nothing that goes against the Constitution , and the Bible. Another mistake Huckabee made was that there are still voters who don't believe in God. By stating the fact that he believes God's standards should dictate the actions Americans take each day, he is essentially saying that regardless of your religion, of you are an American, you must live by God's standards.
      http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx
      http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Huckabee_Amend_Constitution_to_meet_Gods_0115.html

    5. Huckabee has told South Carolina voters that he supports the confederate flag and supports South Carolina flying the confederate flag. Does that mean that he supports slavery, racism, and the southern United States suceeding from the northern United States. How does he get away with saying these things. He has so many radical beliefs. He has supports a quarantine of people with AIDS (reguardless of how they contracted it or if they are little kids), criticizes people for their religious beliefs, claims to be the new Christian leader, wants to ammend the constitution to what he thinks God's will is, and now supports the confederate flag. I don't know how he is still one of the main contenders for the republican presidential primary. I just hope people see him for who he really is. A minister running for President with radical beliefs.

    6. hi good thank you Arguing for a change in our fundamental laws to ban both abortion and gay marriage, Governor Huckabee noted that "what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."


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    Jon Perr
    Jon Perr is a technology marketing consultant and product strategist who writes about American politics and public policy.

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