FNS: Huckabee Pedals Around His AIDS Quarantine Statement
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Every once in a while Chris Wallace surprises me. You can see the hint of journalist rather than the White House sanctioned propagandist. Chris asked Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee about his 1992 statements questioning whether we might consider quarantining AIDS patients as a potential public health risk, and Huckabee tried to dance around it, claiming that back then we just didn't understand the risks. Now, if Mike had made those statement 10 years earlier in 1982, that might have been believable, but as Chris Wallace points out:
But Governor, forgive me, I don’t think that’s right. All the way back in 1985- this wasn’t political correctness--the Center for Disease Control, seven years before you made your statement, said that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact.
Oops. As PERRspectives points out, even Ronald ("AIDS? What's that?") Reagan refuted Huckabee's extremism--in 1987.
What Huckabee really meant: I was making a bigoted statement. I am the same bigot today but I won't admit it.
I wonder if Huckabee would have personally handled Magic Johnson's quarantine.
I can't help but watch Huckabee on television and think it's Kevin Spacey doing some fine, fine acting.
"I knew people who had AIDS...some of my best friends were Black...er...HIV Positive rather...heh heh"
Weasel.
He's not being a journalist-- his bias is just working against this particular candidate. The GOP establishment wants Rudy or maybe Romney, not Huckabee. So this particular loon's past is relevant right now. Their chosen candidate's past will NEVER be worthy of Chris Wallace's scrutiny.
Cat Atomic @ 5:
Bingo.
My feeling exactly.
Faux News Opinion Poll, 12-8-2007
Please vote:
When will we see the Second Coming here in America?:
A. George Bush is already here.
B. 2009, when Jeb takes the Oath of Office.
C. When George Bush Sr. decides to run for his Second term. He is eligible you know.
Stephen @ 3:
Let's nominate Putzabee for an Academy Award in a brand new category---acting like you're competent. Or worst tap dance in a leading role.
I can't stand Huckabee anymore than other C&L's readers. But this has Murdoch written all over it. His candidate is Giuliani which he clearly promotes on Fox. This "AIDS-scandal" is started by NY Post - his paper.
I disagree. Wallace shows as a quasi-journalist only because Huckabee is not his horse and that being the case, he will actively work towards puting him in bad light/ uncomfortable positions.
Same Wallace, nothing new. I'm happy he pressed the issue, but he is still just a simple prick.
What a fabulous idea! Let's quarantine the religious right so their desease is contained!
Sorry, Nicole, Chris Wallace was not being a journalist when he confronted Huck. He was still being every bit the propagandist.
Huck is a threat to the ruling class every bit as much as Kucinich, etc. is. So Chris will do whatever he can at the bidding of his masters to see to it that Rudy or Mitt makes the cut, and not someone like Huck.
The problem is, most Huckabee supporters have no problem with the notion of quarantining AIDS patients - or all gays, for that matter.
Cat Atomic @ 5 and Mark @ 12: Right on the money.
When i look at the Republican candidates for President one is just scarrier than the next.
xoites defends Constitution @ 11:
LOL. That's a great idea. I bet Gitmo has some extra room.
lol I have to laugh, in Canada our politicians are just plain crooks, they don't think that they sit at the right hand of god
Wallace still let him off the hook by not following up when Huckabee tried justifying his quarantining statement by saying people could get aids by going to the dentist. In other words, Huckabee was justifying his 1992 statement but Wallace failed to point out that all he was doing was rejustifying his earlier statement.
Chris Wallace does not surprise me at all here. Of course he's going to be tough on Huckabee. Rudy is Fox's corporate candidate of choice. Fox (and Murdoch) does not want to see a Huckabee presidency. Of all the GOP candidates he is by far the least corporate friendly.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/dems-beware-an-economic-_b_60...
Now when Chris gets tough with Rudy that's when I start getting surprised when Mr. Wallace acts like a journalist...
His not recanting the statement is code to all the jeebus freaks out there.
It tells them: Don't worry. I hate the gays just as much as you do!
Cat Atomic @ 5:
Thank you.
Evian flu? Thank God I drink well water.
Mike the Canuck @ 17:
You oughta see how politics is handled in my home state of Louisiana. Now there's a spectator sport.
By his logic we should have quarantined all dentists. What a tool.
Huckabee exposed himself as hypocrite in republican debates when asked what would Jesus do on death penalty issue, he made a crude joke that Jesus was too smart to run for office, Huckabee a self proclaimed theology expert, seems too not know Jesus had a opinion on death penalty, and was anti-dealth penalty, as proven in the parable of the adultress...., Huckabee likes too link himself too Jesus teachings when he references abortion[killing unborn fetuses], but also wishes too link himself too tough justice[by overseeing executions of criminals] which he disconnects from innocent fetuses as deserving of their deaths..., how unlike Jesus Huckabee truly is, whom would not have oversaw any executions..., now we see Huckabee mirroring himself as a modern day Pharisee who in Jesus's time isolated, persecuted the leper as deserving of their illness as proof of sin, gods punishment upon them, how ironic even on this issue Huckabee sits with the Pharisees of Jesus time and not with Jesus teachings, Jesus ministered too the leper, healed them, did not villify them..., Huckabee is perfect example of why republicans are unchristian, and more fit the blind biblical goat description of Jesus teachings they pay lip service too Jesus teachings, believe in only the parts that suit them or their agenda..., or in Huckabees case will win him right wing votes....
Stephen @ 3:
Yeah, Huck is from K Pax
Wallace isn't that good a journalist. He didn't ask the logical follow-up: if Huckabee, as he says, was not calling for a quarantine, but simply making the point that previous new diseases resulted in quarantines, what other possible reason could there have been for him to make this point other than to favor a quarantine here?
It is also interesting that Faux News and the New York Post are going after Huckabee. What happened to the idea, which made sense to me, that a rising Huckabee takes away votes from Romney and thus helps Fox's pet candidate, Giuliani?
seevee @ 24:
You're an anti-dentite.
Media Concepts @ 27:
Wallace could have asked what previous new diseases in recent US history resulted in a call for quarantine by the CDC. Answer: none. It was well understood in 1992 that the virus could be present in a person for years and years without causing symptoms. So how would a quarantine work, other than to round up teh gays?
Rupert Murdoch's in cahoots with Hillary. Add it up.
Did I really just hear that? Did Huckleberry really just say that even though the Center for Disease Control has said that AIDS could not be spread through casual contact,
He really said that? This is apparently how prominent Republicans see genuine factual controversy. As long as someone -- regardless of expertise, regardless of the merits of their claims -- verbally contradicts scientific knowledge, a genuine controversy exists.
So it is for evolution, global warming, WMD in Iraq, etc.
This is the kind of thinking that will doom us. Policy by panic and petulance.
and Chris Wallace demonstrates the smirk, the official facial expression of the Fox News Network
Just exactly what kind of "christian" is this person supposed to be???? I thought christians were supposed to try to immulate Jesus. His kindness, mercy, forebearance, forgiveness. His love of mankind. This man and most of the people that I know who claim to be christians are eaten up with hatred, judgement, and self importance. All the things Christ warned against.
I used to be a christian, but when the faith turned toward hatred and intolerance and judgement, I laid it aside. It has nothing for me. All the christians today only seem to be concerned that their many sins will be forgiven simply because they pay lip service to believing in Christ, but I don't think they know a damned thing about him, and as the bible says, the bridegroom will tell them "I never knew you" as he closes the gate on them.
To be honest, that's 15 years ago, if we hold everyone accountable to that sort of shit when they might not think that way now. We'd all be screwed. (Unless you have a bang up PR team like Bush)
It's only a hop, skip and a jump to "quarantining" Mexicans, Asians, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, etc. Who knows what kind of diseases they carry.
AF
pinkobait @ 6:
I was going to chime in with these remarks but I was beaten to the punch as well. For whatever reason, the Republican machine is at work trying to discredit Huckabee. (I am not saying that there aren't excellent reasons he ought to be made a fool of; I'm simply saying that, from the perspective of the GOP, this doesn't make a lot of sense. You'd think that Huckabee would be right up their alley.)
RH @ 25:
If Yutzabee said Jesus was too smart to run for office, than I believe the proper thing to do would be for him to wise up and drop out now rather than compromise the 1% of integrity he has left.
Karen @ 31:
It's the Lou Dobbs syndrome. If we say it, it's the absolute truth.
Shawnmeat @ 36:
They didn't view him as electable at first, and many prominent GOP figures have already made their endorsements. It would be an embarrassment to support Huck at this stage in the game. (Not that they won't pretend that they've loved him all along if he ends up winning the nomination.)
Moreover, as much as I dislike the guy, he does appear to have the capacity for independent thought. He won't necessarily be controlled by the machine, as it were, and might make decisions, say, not to go to war.
video killed the rapture bunny star
It's less a case of Chris Wallace actually doing his job as a journalist (instead of being his typical Repub talking-points mouthpiece), than it is a case of Huckabee being a radical religious extremist with no understanding of science.
It's such a completly insane thing to advocate on Huckabee's part, there is no Repub talking point that exists that Wallace can mindlessly repeat to cover up for it.
Chris Wallace is a tragic case, because he is indeed a good journalist. He knows how to do it, at least, but he's apparently chosen not to by working at FOX. And the spot-on analysis here is that he was given the green light to trash Huckabee because FOX likes Giuliani.
On the other hand, Huck lied. It was well-known, among scientists and rational people, that AIDS was not analogous to a flu or other air-borne epidemic, where quarantine is effective to halt a sudden spread of an acute infection. If cholera or influenza gets going, you do need to isolate carriers, because they can transmit just by walking past you. The arithmetic gets astonishing, and that infection curve goes up like a rocket. However, a blood-borne disease, particularly one that needs intimate and often repeated contact, simply does not spread the same way, and quarantine is definitely not the way to go. Instead, sex and medical education, and competent treatment, retard the growth of the disease sufficiently while we work on an effective treatment and cure.
When Wallace grills Fox's guy, Rudy, then hell will freeze over. Until then, remember to bring the sunblock.
Del Capslock @ 32:
Wallace has the best smirk on TV. He coached Bush through several sessions until boredom took over. It's a long walk from Camp David to Dulles.
just like rom-knee, campaigning on hate-speech.
perfect
christiannaziministerleader, eh?Jim H @ 42:
what, again, make a good journalist?
Huckabee: "In 2007, I'm gonna lie my ass off. I want to be Commandant-in-Chief of the Concentration camps. Oops, did I say that out loud?"
PS Of course, Chuck Norris will be Sergeant Schultz.
Heraldblog @ 29:
Good point. And as others pointed out, Huckabee did in fact call for a quarantine. I don't know how else to read the meaning of the word "must" in his quote.
And Chris, don't forget, some of my best friends are black, er, homosexual. What a tool.
No doubt that this was a Fox hachet job, nevertheless, Huckabee had better get used to it. With apologies to Karen and Richard Carpenter; "We've only just begun..."
I guess it's nice when Murdoch doesn't have his aim on the left for once... but I bet this act is something they see as very merciful.
"Look, we aren't partisan, we will attack either side"
It's not though, the reason they don't like Huckabee isn't because of his beliefs with AIDS and homosexuals, it's because he wont' be a pawn for them. He's a religious nut but the kind that won't be bought or sold. He's also the kind that shouldn't be elected, which is why many people won't get too upset about this... but it should still be noted that the media has once again set it's eyes on something it deems as a threat to itself.
Just saying.
All you need to know about Huckabee can be found in these 4 links.
http://www.arkansasleader.com/frontstories/st_07_21_04/huckabee5.html
http://www.arkansasleader.com/frontstories/st_07_14_04/huckabee4.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/05/exclusive-the-complete-h_n_7537...
http://www.taxhikemike.org
homophobic bigot.
*
1992 was the year Huckabee swore-off kissing the male prostitutes he picked up.
Ya don't need no brains to be a baptist minister.
i would never vote for this man in a million years -- but i can't help but to like Mr. Huckabee. He doesn't infuriate me b/c you can tell he's being honest -- even if that honesty is a bit horrifying.
Marty @ 22:
LOL! I had the same thought!
This needs to be an SNL Skit word for word. Seriously.
You simply have to stop giving people like CW any credit what so ever. The only reasons for why he, according to you, comes across as a journalist from time to time, is: 1) Because you are looking for it, and if you're looking for it hard enough, you will convince yourself you can see it; 2) Pure chance. If you put a monkey in front of a key board, he will hammer a real word from time to time. This is no different.
Yeah, "hint" of a journalist is right. Look at how he enters the question, first asking for forgiveness for challenging him, then giving him an out by saying he doesn't "think" Huckabee was right. It should have been, "Governor, you're wrong. All the way back in 1985..."
I wonder how people will react when the avian flu strikes, its deemed by scientists inevitable, not a matter of if, but when it will happen, you can bet the authoritarians like Huckabee will demand "quarantines", people will panic being in the "quarantine cities" will be not a pleasant thing, imagine being in a city, labeled a quarantine city, and your not sick, but forced too stay in "zone" those like Huckabee deem necessary too contain the disease, panic, chaos, civil unrest, reminds one of the stories of the "black death" [bubonic plague] during middle ages, people abandoned sick spouses, siblings, their own sick children too die alone, entire cities fortified themselves refusing entry of those fleeing the infected cities, society broke down too its most base and inhumane form, caring only for themselves. I cannot imagine abandoning my children, I like too think I am stronger than that, and would stand by them even if it cost me my own life, but then I do not fear death since I believe their is a better place after we leave this one, for those who are atheists, or lip service christians who like fair weather friends are there as long as things are good but abandon when the weather gets bad will not likely fair as well..., avian flu or some terrorist who self infects himself with some mutated airborne virus could bring all of humanity too its knees, so the Huckabee's of the world who pay lip service too Jesus and his teachings will lead many too a sad end..., the bible tells us fear not that which can destroy the body but that which can destroy the soul....
Shawnmeat @ 36:
Yeah, but alot they do doens't make sense. Anyway, his comments are still disgusting and he's still a bigot.
Isn't it obvious that Fox News doesn't care about the substance of this story but are so afraid of Huckabee's rise in the polls that they'll pedal anything they can.
This is no surprise. fox is for Guiliani. They expect big favors if he is elected to continue to ignore his past. Contrast this interview with the next if Huckabee wins the nomination. He won't even get a nerfball let alone a hardball. fox isn't so much conservative as crony conservative. They expect to paid for their support with a more relaxed FCC, more free publicity, etc.
What! Am I hallucinating? For some reason you seem to be giving Fox News a compliment. How can this possibly be? For how long have you been "alerting" us that Fox is biased; endlessly, repetitively, ad naseum, as if that were the sole purpose of this terribly important web opinion page?
Who cares if they are trashing a Republican candidate for president. Shouldn't the question, given your famously obvious, stated position on Fox news be, "Why the hit job on Huckabee: How Fox's distrust warrants further study of the embattled minor candidate."
C& L Red Alert! Fox News lies! Tell your friends before they lie again! Right?
I agree with huckabee on this issue, he shouldn't go back on what he said. He still stands by it and that is good. all the lying democrats who are going to get owned in this upcoming election by him are just trying a last ditch effort to take him down. It will not work and hillary and barack will lose.
Jeez, can't anyone see thru this one? Anywhere in the south, all you have to do to get votes is slam Aids and homosexuals. What other rally cry is there if you're a shotgun-toting 6-pack drinking pickup driving long-haired blue-collar working guy, and what other topic of conversation between GoodOle Boys? Havent you seen the rise in the polls, corresponding with the news about Huckabee's stance on aids and homosexuals? Hasnt hurt him one bit, in fact it has helped him. That's the truth.
How is a dentist bleeding in a patient's mouth support for the idea that HIV might be transmissible by casual contact? WTF kind of social interactions is this Dingleberry getting himself into?
How bout we quarantine the Neocons. I heard it's contagious, and you can catch it from gay sex.
Just so no one misses it....Schmuckabee also advocates keepin those bitches barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. See his views on marriage and subjugation of women to their husbands.
Imagine a cretin like this, or THOMPSON (worse) running the country.
Do something.
***Jeez, can’t anyone see thru this one? Anywhere in the south, all you have to do to get votes is slam Aids and homosexuals. What other rally cry is there if you’re a shotgun-toting 6-pack drinking pickup driving long-haired blue-collar working guy, and what other topic of conversation between GoodOle Boys? Havent you seen the rise in the polls, corresponding with the news about Huckabee’s stance on aids and homosexuals? Hasnt hurt him one bit, in fact it has helped him. That’s the truth.***
Hmmm, sorta maybe like, kinky haired hoes, sitin on a porch or hanging out on a corner waiting for "their" next check in the mail??? What other group you wanna slam. why you axe me dat?? I bet mine gets taken as racial and yours doesn't??
I am laughing all the way. Hillery was so into helping out the "party" in her college days, racial equality and such. Now, who is her biggest threat in the Demo run. Hardy har har.
i remember that time, and people WERE worried about that stuff, but it was up to the leaders to spread fact not fear
For the life of me, I can't figure out what about this statement is causing such a ruckus. All the guy did was make the observation that we weren't following proper health protocols in dealing with the HIV virus in the 80's and early 90's. Look at how we react to mad cow disease and bird flu today.
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