SCHotline Press Releases

 Thompson Launches Closing TV Ad in Iowa, “Substance”

McLean, VA -Senator Fred Thompson today launched a new 30-second television ad, titled “Substance,” which will begin airing today in Iowa.  The 30 second spot can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lssb6gkjQa4

Below is the script for the new ad.

Substance (30 seconds)

Fred Thompson:  I’m Fred Thompson and I approve this message.

Announcer:  The Wall Street Journal says Fred Thompson’s tax cut plan “leads the GOP field.”

A leading economic group calls it a plan “conservatives can rally around.”

The conservative National Review says only Thompson has outlined “specific, conservative policies” on immigration. 

Investor’s Daily says Thompson’s national security plan features a “Reaganesque rebuilding of our military.”

And the National Right to Life Committee endorsed him because they know he can win.

Fred Thompson.  The clear conservative choice.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial: “Meet the Huckster”

“Positive first impression he often makes fades when you learn more about him.”

Excerpts from “Meet the Huckster”

Editorial

San Diego Union-Tribune

December 3, 2007

…

Unfortunately for Huckabee, the positive first impression he often makes fades when you learn more about him. He may have been a solid steward in his 14 years as lieutenant governor and governor in Arkansas. But he also showed an enthusiasm for parlaying his public office into a cushy lifestyle that makes Fabian Núñez, California’s similarly inclined Assembly speaker, look like a Boy Scout.

Over the years, Huckabee has:

Used campaign funds to pay himself $14,000 for being his own media consultant.

Used campaign funds to pay himself $43,000 for use of his private plane while attempting to hide what the payment was actually in return for.

Used an account set up to cover operational costs of the governor’s mansion to pay such obviously personal expenses as fast-food and dry-cleaning bills.

Set up a nonprofit organization that paid him $23,500 without disclosing the source of the money.

Attempted to take $70,000 of furniture with him when moving out of the governor’s mansion.

Took more than 130 gifts worth more than $300,000 - while suing to overturn a law that made him disclose the gifts.

We could go on in this vein, but space is limited. The bottom line: Mike Huckabee has an awful lot of explaining to do. And neither voters nor the national media should let the man Arkansas journalists call the “Huckster” get away with pretending that tough questions over his tawdry ethics record amount to mudslinging.

To View The Entire Editorial Please Visit:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071203/news_mz1ed3bottom.html

[PR] Sent by FRED08, S.C. Communications Director Joshua Gross to SCHotline.com

Mike Huckabee appeared tonight on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and once again tried to laugh away his record as governor of Arkansas. Huckabee should stop cracking jokes about raising taxes and start taking responsibility for his actions.

Excerpted quotes from Mike Huckabee on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, November 29, 2007

HUCK CHECK #1: Huckabee claimed that if you dismantle the IRS and implement the Fair Tax, make “the federal government operate more efficiently…[and] get rid of a $10 billion industry.” In reality, Huckabee’s plan replaces one government bureaucracy with another.

• Reality: “It is true that the Fair Tax would get rid of the agency that we now call the IRS. But, according to the bill Huckabee supports: ‘There shall be in the Department of the Treasury a Sales Tax Bureau to administer the national sales tax in those States where it is required.’ So, Huckabee would ‘eliminate’ the IRS by replacing it with a Sales Tax Bureau.” (”GOP YouTube Debate Flubs,” FactCheck.org, 11/29/07)

HUCK CHECK #2: Huckabee claimed “it’s not the purpose of the federal government to see how many people we can employ.” But an examination of his Administration concluded that “state government grew more during his time as governor than during Bill Clinton’s.” (John Brummett, “Pro-Life, Pro-Gun Liberal,” Arkansas News Bureau, 11/4/07)

• Reality: He added 8,000 state workers to the payroll. “Meanwhile, the state added about 8,000 full-time workers to its payroll during that period, according to the Bureau of Legislative Research. That’s a 19 percent increase.” (Daniel Nasaw, “Home Turf Not Rock Solid For Huckabee,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/4/07)
• Reality: Increased Spending. Under Huckabee, state spending increased by over 65%, three times the rate of inflation. (Americans for Tax Reform, “Governor Huckabee’s Record on Taxes,” 1/7/07)

HUCK CHECK #3: Huckabee tried to laugh off the video of him begging the Arkansas Legislature for a tax increase by saying “I was in a state of sugar stupor.” He then claims that the clip was “taken out of context” and that he “was giving a put up or shut up speech to the legislature who had been saying we have a $200 million dollar deficit and we don’t like any proposal the governor has to fix it. So I said ok, you don’t like my proposals, here’s one of yours, I’ll take it.” In reality, Huckabee consistently increased taxes throughout his time as Governor and turned first to raising taxes, not cutting government spending, to offset his spending habit.

• Reality: Under Huckabee, 21 tax increases went into effect. (Daniel Nasaw, “10-Year Record On Taxes Studied,” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 10/9/07)
• Reality: Under Huckabee, there was a net tax increase of $505 million, adjusted for inflation and economic growth. (Daniel Nasaw, “10-Year Record On Taxes Studied,” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 10/9/07)
• Reality: The tax increase Huckabee begged for in the video was to cover general revenue spending. Instead of cutting wasteful government spending, Huckabee looked to take more from Arkansas taxpayers.
  • “The governor said he would accept any of the increases that lawmakers have proposed, including higher tobacco taxes, raising the state sales tax, and adding an income tax surcharge. How revenue is raised isn’t important as long as the state meets its pressing needs, he said.” (Michael Rowett, “Pass Taxes, Budget, Huckabee Exhorts,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/6/03)

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