Huckabee asked about my column

In the second of a two-part series Friday night, KATV’s Scott Inman asked Mike Huckabee about a column I wrote for the Arkansas News Bureau in which I speculated that he would not run for president for a lot of reasons, the evidence being that he is building a $2.2 million mansion on the beach in Florida. My point then: No one would build that kind of house if he were seriously planning on spending the next 17 months on the campaign trail and eight years in the Oval Office.

The link is below. At the 2:25 mark, Inman referred to the column by saying that “an Arkansas writer … and someone who served on your staff” had written that he wouldn’t run, in part, because “your life’s a little too cushy right now.”

Huckabee laughed and said, “It’s not about the cushiness and of the life. You know, frankly, the campaign’s pace couldn’t be more intense than what I’m doing now.”

That wasn’t quite true, of course, but he was exaggerating for effect.

During the interview, Huckabee also said, “It’s just impossible to run a presidential campaign without an obscene amount of money, and it’s especially going to be that way because the Democrats aren’t going to have a primary. The Republicans could end up with a demolition derby, which I hope doesn’t happen. And so part of what I’ve got to decide is, can I raise enough money to be competitive?”

Here is the KATV story.

Here is the column that led to that question.

Were he to run, Huckabee hopefully would add a voice of reasonableness to a primary process that has already become a circus. Asked in the Thursday segment about his recent spitting match with Fox News host Glenn Beck, who called him a “progressive” in part because he supported first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity, Huckabee said:

“I refuse to be one of those Republicans who hate everything Obama just because of the source. Whether it’s the first lady, or the president, and I think they’ve done something good, then let’s acknowledge that.”

Here is the link to part one of that report.

Mallett picked in third round

By now you probably have heard that Ryan Mallett was not picked until well into the third round by the New England Patriots.

Hog fans will take that as a personal affront, but NFL general managers obviously saw something that spooked them. My guess: It had to do with football, not a few youthful indiscretions Mallett may have had at Michigan or Arkansas. Scouts must have been scared off by Mallett’s lack of mobility or decision-making in late-game situations. I hope it didn’t have anything to do with his grammar and accent, but it might.

Regardless, this may have been the best thing that could have happened to him. Kid could use a little humility. More importantly, he’ll be going to the best-run organization in the NFL, where he will learn under Tom Brady, the best quarterback of our era. That’s a heck of a lot better deal than getting killed in Cincinnati week after week.

Column: GOP Medicare proposal bold but wrong

My Arkansas News Bureau column this week is about the Medicare reform plan passed by Republicans in the House of Representatives April 15. It was supported by all three freshman Republicans from Arkansas.

The plan replaces Medicare as we know it with a voucher system that would give each senior $15,000 to purchase private health insurance starting in 2022.

My take is that while I appreciate Republicans for at least addressing the problem, it’s the wrong plan as a policy and politically. It’s the wrong as a policy because, just like President Obama’s health care plan, it relies on the private insurance industry, which I believe is as much to blame for our current problems as the government because private insurance only pretends to be a free market solution but doesn’t really behave like one. Because of it, consumers don’t make their purchasing decisions at the point of sale, which is what makes the free market work.

I didn’t say how to fix it in the column, which I should have, but the truth is, I don’t know. Americans are going to have to pay for more of their own health care. Insurance should insure against catastrophic loss, not pay to “treat” every sniffle, with a safety net staying in place for the poor.

The other problem with the Ryan plan is that it is wrong politically. It will never pass, which makes it a distraction, and it has made Republicans vulnerable in the upcoming elections.

Here is the column.

Column: Huckabee isn’t running

I wrote a second column for the Arkansas News Bureau this week to give my fellow columnist, Jason Tolbert, a break. In the column, I assert that the fact that Mike Huckabee is building a $2.2 million Florida beach house is a pretty good indication he isn’t running for president.

I think the former governor is simply making too much money and enjoying life too much to throw his hat into a presidential race that he probably won’t win. He’s going to keep doing what he is doing and enjoy his new beach house while the other candidates trudge through the snow in Iowa.

Anyway, it’s an educated guess, and we’ll know in a couple of months if I am right. Here is the column.