The Huffington Post is reporting that former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has been encouraging supporters of an anti-union ballot measure in Ohio to stop its opponents from voting, allegedly jokingly urging the crowd to let the air out of tires and intentionally give out a wrong election date.
It reported from MasonBuzz, that the 2008 presidential candidate spoke to a crowd of about 350 Issue 2 supporters at a pancake breakfast and rally in Mason, Ohio on Friday. Huckabee expressed his support for the referendum, and outlined what supporters could do to ensure the measure’s passage in next month’s general election.
“Make a list,” said Huckabee, referring to supporters’ family and friends. “Call them and ask them, ‘Are you going to vote on Issue 2 and are you going to vote for it?’ If they say no, well, you just make sure that they don’t go vote. Let the air out of their tires on Election Day; tell them the election has been moved to a different date. That’s up to you how you creatively get the job done.”
The crowd laughed at Huckabee’s remarks. In 2009, he made a similar joke in Virginia, saying, “Let the air out of their tires … keep ’em home. Do the Lord’s work.”
Only today’s uber-conservatives – the ones who claim to love and revere liberty and freedom and constitutional liberties – would think it was appropriate, or funny, to joke about or to laugh at suppressing voting.
Reportedly, Issue 2 is a ballot referendum on Senate Bill 5, which limits collective bargaining for Ohio’s public employees. The measure has been heavily opposed by pro-labor groups like We Are Ohio, which emphasize the bill would inhibit workers’ rights. Voters will decide on the ballot initiative next month.
“These comments reflect an entire campaign of deceit from Issue 2 supporters. They are willing to go to any extremes to keep Ohioans from letting their voices be heard,” said We Are Ohio spokeswoman Melissa Fazekas. “Enough is enough.”
The event where Huckabee spoke was hosted by the Warren County Republican Party and Building a Better Ohio, a pro-Issue 2 group that recently came under fire for using footage of an Ohio woman who opposes the legislation in one of their ads.
Huckabee does not love liberty, he does not love freedom, if he did he wouldn’t make light of suppressing a fellow American’s right to vote. Is this the America represented by FOX PAC – where Huckleberry has a daily show? Is this the type of liberty he thinks the Founding Fathers envisioned?
Huckles says he was only joking, most likely because someone reported what he said; but what if he hadn’t been reported on? Problem is, even if he were joking – which is doubtful – there will be some conservatives who will do as he says; they will attempt to keep their opponents from voting. This is the type of conservative activism practiced by the Brown Shirts during the 1930s, and it has no place here.
The Liberty Tree 