Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and since has moved to Florida, came out swinging Monday at the federal judge who struck down aspects of Arizonas new immigration law.
Last week's decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton is just another example of an activist judge putting their ideas ahead of the law, wrote Huckabee in an e-mail to supporters. He has become increasingly politically active in the Sunshine State.
Huckabee, who is considering making another bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, noted that Bolton expressed in her decision that the state of Arizona implemented the measures due to public safety concerns.
Yet her decision did nothing to help the people of Arizona deal with these serious public safety concerns. Instead, she chose to put the politics of the Obama administration ahead of the welfare of the people, continued Huckabee. Keep in mind that Judge Bolton could have simply let the matter move ahead for a full hearing on the merits of the case, rather than picking the law apart as she chose to do.
Her decision to choose piecemeal the parts of the Arizona law is a clear indication that she simply intended to make a political statement, rather than apply established law in reaching a fair and equitable decision, insisted Huckabee. I suspect that Judge Bolton was willing to take this bold step of legislating from the bench because she knew that she would have the consistently ultra-liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals backing up her decision.
Huckabee wrote that he thought the decision was headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the end, this matter will go before the United States Supreme Court, where Judge Bolton may not fare so well, wrote Huckabee. It is inconceivable that a federal judge -- who knows the residents of her state don't feel safe, even in their own homes -- would reward the federal government for not doing its job.
Huckabee moved to Florida and registered to vote in the Sunshine State earlier in the year. Last week, Huckabees leadership PAC organized in Florida to back more candidates at the state and local level. Huck PAC also backed Hernando County Sheriff Rich Nugent, a Republican candidate, in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite.
Staffers at Huck PAC said, as they have not seen any of the actual legislation written up,that they would not comment on proposals similar to the Arizona-style law currently being kicked around by legislators and backed by both of the two leading Republican gubernatorial candidates -- health-care executive Rick Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum. However, the staffers said they had backed similar measures in other states to the Arizona laws once they were fully developed and expected something similar would happen in Florida.
Huckabee has been very active in backing candidates in Florida. He was one of the first national Republican figures to back former House Speaker Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate election. Huckabee came in fourth in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, placing behind U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
With the new paperwork to back local candidates filed, Huck PAC promises to be more active in Florida.
Governor Huckabee and Huck PAC remain committed to electing good conservatives nationwide and Florida is another great place to focus our efforts for the 2010 elections, said Hogan Gidley, Huck PACs executive director. Huck PAC has started filing the necessary paperwork to endorse and financially support Florida state Legislature candidates in the future. We do this because we recognize that true conservatives must be returned to office at every level of government.
Huckabee tabbed Frank Tsamoutales, a Tallahassee-based lobbyist and attorney, to lead Huck PACs Florida efforts. Tsamoutales is a longtime financial backer of Republicans in Florida, going back to the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush as well as the gubernatorial campaigns of Bob Martinez and Jeb Bush.
We are proud that Huck PAC Florida and its new chairman will work to ensure future electoral successes for conservatives throughout the state, said Gidley.
Huck PAC Florida was formed to further the conservative cause in Florida, promoting the ideas upon which Huck PAC was formed: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, said Tsamoutales. Huck PAC Florida will support local Republican candidates who are passionate advocates for tax reform, a strong national defense, real border security, life, the family, less government, and individual liberty.
The formation of this new PAC demonstrates the commitment Governor Huckabee has to his new home state and the conservative candidates throughout, not solely those with a national spotlight on them, but all the way down through the state and local levels, added Tsamoutales.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
