Sometimes you just don’t know what to expect from Conservatives. There are days when you turn on the television and Mike Huckabee is on, criticizing Obamacare as a “government take-over” – a claim that has been debunked by the way, since the millions of new policies are provided by private insurance companies. And then there are times when he bucks his party’s talking points and actually defends someone on the other side of the political divide.
This time, Mr. Huckabee is defending Michelle Obama against the onslaught of criticism coming from some in his own camp, namely Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin. On February 23rd, Mike was asked why the First Lady’s anti-obesity drive was viewed with such hostility. Huckabee replied;
Unfortunately I think a lot of it is because she’s the one presenting it, and that’s why I’ve been defensive of her. I still think her approach is the right one. I do not think she’s out there advocating that the government take over our dinner plates, in fact she’s not.
She’s been criticized unfairly by a lot of my fellow conservatives. I think it’s out of a reflex rather than out of a thoughtful expression. And that’s one of the things that bug me most about our political environment today.
We don’t have to believe everything the other side proposes is immediately all together bad. And the reason I’ve been very vocal, even doing an event with her and publicly speaking out for her initiative, is because it is exactly what Republicans say they believe, – that you put a focus on individual responsibility, you encourage people to make good choices and you reward them for doing so. I thought that was exactly what we were about!
At the end of the video shown below, Huckabee says obesity is also a national security problem, and that Michelle Obama bringing this debate to the national level is good for the nation’s security. He then added;
Rather than us condemning Michelle Obama, I think we ought to be thanking her, and praising her for what she’s done.
Of course, when Huckabee says the First Lady has been “criticized unfairly” by his fellow conservatives, he’s primarily referring to Rush and Sarah. The two have been a personal vendetta to destroy Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity drive. But don’t expect the words of the Republican presidential candidate to change any minds, there is money to be made in disagreeing common sense practices, or disagreeing with the occupants of the White House.
See the rest of the video below.
