User:A.J.A./Tohu&Bohu/Huckabee

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Michael Dale Huckabee
54th Governor of Arkansas
In office July 15, 1996 – January 9, 2007
Lieutenant(s)	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller (1996-2006)
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Mike Beebe
Born	August 24, 1955 Hope, Arkansas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet Huckabee
Profession	Minister
Religion	Baptist

Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24, 1955 in Hope, Arkansas) was the governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was the third Republican governor of the state since Reconstruction. In November 2005, TIME named him one of the five best governors in the U.S. He officially announced his intentions to set up a presidential exploratory committee for the 2008 election on the January 28th, 2007 edition of NBC's Meet the Press.

Contents 1 Early political career 2 Governor of Arkansas 2.1 Ascent to governor and partial term 2.2 First full term 2.3 Second full term 3 Health advocacy and personal weight loss 4 Presidential campaign 5 Personal life 6 Books 7 Notes and references 8 See also 9 External links

[edit] Early political career

Mike Huckabee made his first run for public office in 1992, challenging incumbent U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers (D). He received about 40 percent of the vote. That same election saw Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton ascend to the Presidency, elevating Lieutenant Governor Jim Guy Tucker to Governor. The 1993 special election was held shortly after the general election; having considerable name recognition from the general election, Huckabee won the special election and became the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve as Arkansas lieutenant governor. As the only Republican in statewide office, he clashed with Democratic leaders over many issues. Nonetheless, Huckabee was re-elected to a full term as lieutenant governor in 1994.

[edit] Governor of Arkansas

Mike Huckabee served as Arkansas governor between 1996 and 2007. In 1995 Governing magazine recognized him as as a "Public Official of the Year", writing:

He has overseen breakthroughs in health coverage for children, education management and school finance. He also sponsored the largest tax cuts Arkansas has ever seen, as well as the state’s biggest road construction package. And the state this year racked up the largest budget surplus in its history.^[1]

Time Magazine also noticed him in 2005, calling him one of the nation's five best governors. ^[2]

[edit] Ascent to governor and partial term

Preceding Governor Jim Guy Tucker was convicted of one count of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud as part of Kenneth Starr's investigation of the Whitewater scandal. Arkansas law prohibits convicted felons from serving as governor and he resigned. As Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in, Tucker rescinded his resignation, then reinstated it. On 15 July 1996 Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas. ^[3]

During his partial first term Huckabee created the ARKids First program, providing health insurance to children of families who did not qualify for Medicaid but also could not afford private insurance,^[4] signed the largest tax cut in Akansas history,^[5] and reformed the state's automobile registration procedures.^[6]

[edit] First full term

In November of 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term, receiving the highest percentage of votes for a Republican seeking statewide office in Arkansas history.

Huckabee led the campaign for a bond program to pay for road reconstruction, which passed. Before the repairs Arkansas had some of the worst highways in America. The program repaved 60% on the state's system within five years of adoption. ^[7]

Huckabee also led a campaign to dedicate via constitutional amendment 1/8 of one cent of the state sales tax to improvement of the state's park system and natural resources, which had fallen into serious disrepair (and was an embarrassment for a state billing itself as "The Natural State"). As part of the campaign Huckabee (an avid outdoorsman) traveled the entire length of the Arkansas River (the part within Arkansas) by boat.^[8]

In 2000, Huckabee also led a campaign to funnel 100 percent of the state's tobacco settlement revenues into the state's health care system, rather than into the general fund (as other states had done, where it could be used for non-health related purposes).

[edit] Second full term

In November of 2002 he was reelected to another four-year term (due to term limits, this was his final term as governor). By the end of that term, Huckabee owned the third-longest tenure of any Arkansas Governor (only Democrats Orval Faubus, who served 6 consecutive 2-year terms (1955-1967), and Bill Clinton, who served 11 years, 11 months (1979-1981; 1983-1992), had longer tenures).

He was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in that capacity through 2000. He has chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Southern Region Education Board, the Southern Technology Council, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and currently serves as Chair of the Education Commission of the States. He is also a member of the Republican Governors Association and former Chairman of the National Governors Association.

On November 21, 2002, the Arkansas State Supreme Court declared that the state's school funding procedure was unconstitutional and ordered the state to produce a fair system. Huckabee proposed a controversial plan that would consolidate many of the state's smaller school districts. School consolidation is very unpopular in rural Arkansas and may be the "third rail" of Arkansas politics. Huckabee's plan was not accepted by the legislature, and the court order has not yet been satisfied.

After Hurricane Katrina made landfall and numerous evacuees fled to Arkansas (the total number was estimated at around 70,000), Huckabee ordered state agencies to "take care of those human needs first and worry about the paperwork later". State parks offered deep discounts, waived pet restrictions, and bumped other reservations in favor of evacuees. Pharmacists were given emergency authority to dispense prescriptions and provide access to dialysis machines. Shelters opened up in nearly every portion of the state, and Huckabee requested that the entire state be declared a disaster area. Many of these shelters, either closed or set to close, were reopened or kept open to process a "second wave" of Katrina evacuees being moved from Texas in the wake of arriving Hurricane Rita. (See also Hurricane Katrina disaster relief).

In early 2006, Huckabee - along with fellow governors Rick Perry (R-TX); Jim Doyle (D-WI); and Dave Freudenthal (D-WY) - travelled to the Middle East and South Asia as part of Department of Defense-sponsored trip to provide the state leaders with an idea of the conditions under which American forces are serving. While visiting Baghdad and Tikrit, Huckabee and the governors received briefings from Gen. George Casey and Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad.^[9]

In November 2006, both Huckabee and his wife drew criticism for creating wedding registries in conjunction with a housewarming party. The Arkansas Times, which first reported the story, noted that wedding gifts represent one of the exceptions to a $100 cap on gifts to political leaders under Arkansas law.^[10] Huckabee noted that the registries were intended only for those who were invited to the event, that he was not involved in organizing the event, and that they were classified as wedding registries only because those sites did not have separate categories for housewarming parties.^[11]

Huckabee has also been criticized for his fiscal record as governor having increased state spending 65.3% from 1996 to 2004. ^[12] The CATO Institute gave him an F grade for spending and tax policy in 2006, and an overall grade of D for his governorship. ^[13]

[edit] Health advocacy and personal weight loss

When elected governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee was significantly overweight. During 2003, physicians diagnosed the governor with adult-onset diabetes and informed him that he would not live more than 10 years if he did not lose weight. This diagnosis (as well as the subsequent death of former Governor Frank D. White, whose obesity led to a fatal heart attack) shocked the governor into reflecting on his own mortality, and his ability to serve as the governor of Arkansas. Huckabee subsequently lost over 110 pounds through a disciplined diet and exercise,^[14][15] according to a New York Times article at a pace so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out." ^[16] The governor now wakes up at approximately 5 a.m. for a five-mile jog, and he and his wife routinely pack his own healthy meals for lunch and dinner in a portable cooler--even when attending political, ceremonial, or fund-raising events.

He has publicly recounted his previous burdens as an overweight man: the steps of the Arkansas capitol building from the entrance of the building up to the Governor's office were so long and steep that Huckabee would be out of breath and exhausted by the time he reached the top of the stairs; Huckabee secretly feared that he would be interviewed by media at the top of the steps, and that he would be unable to respond appropriately due to his overexertion and breathlessness.^[17]

Huckabee has trumpeted his weight loss and made health care reform a major component of his later tenure as governor, promoting both his own life story as well as his decision to dedicate 100 percent of tobacco settlement proceeds to health-related issues.

Huckabee was received a 2006 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Impact Award acknowledging his work as a "Health Crusader".

Huckabee has ran the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathon, and the 2006 New York City Marathon^[18]. The 2005 Little Rock Marathon had a contest between Huckabee and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (D). Huckabee completed the marathon in 4:38:31, defeating Vilsack by 50 minutes. (Interestingly, Huckabee was assigned runner number "2008").

[edit] Presidential campaign

On January 27, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Huckabee planned to file papers to form a presidential exploratory committee. He annouced his run for the White House on "Meet The Press" on January 28, 2007.^[19]

Mentioned on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on January 23rd, 2007 after a CNN poll showed Huckabee polling at 1%, with a margin of error of ±5%. "According to that poll, Mike Huckabee might be imaginary." --Jon Stewart

[edit] Personal life

Mike Huckabee is married to Janet Huckabee (née McCain); they have four children.

Huckabee was elected Governor of Arkansas Boys State in 1972. He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelors degree in 2 1/2 years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.^[20]

Prior to his political career, Huckabee was pastor of several Southern Baptist churches in Arkadelphia, Texarkana, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He served as President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention from 1989 to 1991 and as President of a religious-oriented television station.

[edit] Books

Huckabee has authored or co-authored four books, with the most recent published in January 2007 by Center Street:

• Character is the Issue (1997), a memoir (inspired by the crisis surrounding the incidents prior to his taking office as governor)
• Kids Who Kill (1998), a book about juvenile violence (inspired by the Jonesboro massacre, which took place during his tenure as governor)
• Living Beyond Your Lifetime (2000), a guide for leaving a personal legacy
• Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork (2005), a health and exercise inspirational guide (based on his personal health experience) Publisher: Center Street
• From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America's Greatness (2007) Publisher: Center Street

• Foreword to My Story Your Story His Story (2006) by Larry Toller

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] See also

• Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2006

[edit] External links

• Exploratory Committee
• Mike Huckabee President 2008 blog Huckabee for President grassroots blog
• On the Issues - Mike Huckabee issue positions and quotes
• Follow the Money - Mike Huckabee campaign contributions for the 2002 Governor race
• The New York Times - Mike Huckabee News news stories and commentary
• Huckabee for president?, Arkansas Times, September 22, 2005
• Track Mike Huckabee Presidential Campaign Follow Huckabee in the news and on the trail
• AARP Impact Award article
• Life Extension Magazine: Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, A New State of Health for America
• Encyclopedia of Arkansas stating "Mike Huckabee was born on August 24, 1955, in Hope (Hempstead County), the son of Dorsey W. and Mae (Elder) Huckabee."
• Mike Huckabee on Charlie Rose

Preceded by Jim Guy Tucker

Governor of Arkansas 1996–2007

Succeeded by Mike Beebe

Governors of Arkansas

Territorial: Miller • Izard • Crittenden* • Pope • Fulton* J. Conway • Yell • Adams* • Drew • Byrd* • Roane • E. Conway • Rector • Flanagin • Murphy • Clayton • Hadley* • Baxter • Garland • Miller • Churchill • Berry • Hughes • Eagle • Fishback • Clarke • Jones • Davis • Little • Moore* • Pindall* • Martin* • Donaghey • Robinson • Oldham* • Futrell* • Hays • Brough • McRae • Terral • Martineau • Parnell • Futrell • Bailey • Adkins • Laney • McMath • Cherry • Faubus • Rockefeller • Bumpers • Riley • Pryor • Purcell • Clinton • White • Clinton • Tucker • Huckabee • Beebe * denotes acting

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Persondata
NAME	Huckabee, Michael Dale
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Arkansas politician
DATE OF BIRTH	August 24, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hope, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH	living
PLACE OF DEATH