From Huckabee, an immigration bob and weave?
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee isn't expected to do well in New Hampshire -- he has said that he'd be thrilled with a third-place finish -- but he's making a splash today anyway.
In a story in the Washington Times, the founder of the Minuteman Project says Huckabee has told him that he wants to keep the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens. One small problem: The 14th Amendment states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
According to the Times, Minuteman founder James Gilchrist says Huckabee vowed to put the issue before the Supreme Court -- given the unequivocal language of the amendment, we're not sure it's much of a case -- and that he promised to push Congress toward passage of a 28th Amendment if the court challenge doesn't work.
Appearing on CNN this evening, Huckabee said that the story was wrong and that the only constitutional amendments he supports are ones that would "protect human life" and "affirm the traditional place of marriage" in American society.
Huckabee, who has played fast and loose with the facts when he has been caught in a jam before, said the Times had "never bothered to contact" his campaign for comment before running the story. However, the Times says in the story itself that it contacted a campaign spokesman, who did not object to the paper's characterizations of the comments attributed to Huckabee.
Hang up and drive
Vive la Obama différence!
The Obama show lands in Israel
Joan Walsh
Glenn Greenwald