Mike Huckabee's Full Speech at CPAC 2012

Former Arkansas Governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee talks at CPAC.
4:21 | 02/10/12


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Transcript for Mike Huckabee's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you and welcome for the second day at sea -- what -- is to be here. And I want to -- again today doing something that you probably didn't think was gonna happen it's -- packed. I want to say a great big thank you to President Obama. And I know that may seem supposed -- totally out of place at -- -- but. Is -- say thank you present Obama because you have done more than any person in the entire GOP field. Any candidate has done. -- -- bring this party to unity and energized this party as it. Result. Your attack on religious liberty and the attack on the personhood of every human being in America. Thank you President Obama for doing. What none of us Republicans can apparently get done. Single handedly. The president's. Attempt to trample all over the constitution. And the fact that there is a very explicit. Kind of wording there that he apparently did not get in ninth grade civics that the rest of us must have -- The First Amendment says congress. Shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion are prohibiting the free exercise there all. And Obama care precisely. Did that. And it's time that we tell him and congress no thank you we will elect a new president a new congress repeal Obama care. And stand up for life and for -- for every single. America. The First Amendment is pretty clear. In that it tells us that congress can't do any thing shouldn't do anything -- do anything. That either per first are prohibits. People's freedom to exercise their own faith. And the fact that Catholic hospitals and not just Catholic hospitals -- any hospital any organization. Would be required to provide not just contraceptive services but plan B abortion pills. And other services that are outside the conscience of people of faith. Is in fact a direct violation of the First Amendment. And I heard yesterday that. Need to be TN is filing a lawsuit or has filed a lawsuit. For that I am grateful and I remember very vividly. For John F. Kennedy said. That we are all berliners. Well in many ways thanks to President Obama we are all Catholics now we are all standing together. But. You know going up a Baptist in the south I never thought I'd see the day. When I was standing from a several thousand people and say we're all -- Praise the lord. Pass the offering plate it's time to get serious. By the way -- -- is giving out any awards this week out it suggests they give a great big. Person of the year award to Kathleen Sebelius. She has truly in -- absolutely. Adamant point -- -- Given us a reason to rally. And I think it is. Important. That we thank those who help help bring our party together bring the conservative -- together. And make it so that we will go toward. A victory not only in the White House and the congress but sixty votes in the US and it. And get a strong majority across Washington. There's one other thing for which -- wanted to say thanks to present a -- and that is that. Quite frankly. A lot of people thought that this election would center solely on the economy. And it -- many people who said we don't want to hear about some of these as -- often call social issues. Let me be very blunt with you and -- and whether or not this is a popular -- -- -- -- I really don't care. -- -- -- it anyway I'm not running for anything I can say any darn thing I want is a real refreshing position -- One of the things that the actions of the president and the secretary this week have shown us. Is that morality matters even more than money does because where there is a nation who has lost its morals. That is a nation who -- freely give up its money. Because if we give up the basic right to life we will certainly give up those things which are in our pockets. Let us never act as if somehow. But the simple idea how much money we get to keep -- more important than whether or not we keep our -- wives and our liberties under the constitution of the United States. Lose those and money -- Matter folks that's what's happened this week to remind -- of that great. Tie in between the two. Just as the constitution. Expressly prohibited. Congress from ever making a law that would prefer our prohibit the free exercise of anybody's faith. The declaration of independence. Was absolutely crystal clear. When it gave us the foundation of our liberty and freedom. And it's seven -- 1776. When these words were pen. And signed -- by the signers of the declaration they were radical words. We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created people. And they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights among -- life liberty. And the pursuit of happiness. Sometimes in the course of 240 years we tend to forget what those words really mean. We hold these truths to be self have a company has to explain to us but he has to amplify them forest because there so obvious. So absolutely on their face clear. That we recognize the truth album even without the expression of them. That all men are created equal. 1776. That was radical. Because up until that time people were not considered equal they were more equal are less equalled by the way of how much property -- wonder what their last -- wants. What ethnicity they had. Where they lived. What occupation they held. -- some people were considered more valuable than others for the external and temporal things. That were merely human manifestations. Our founders though most of them had come from a sense of nobility. And certainly would have justified perpetuating their own position in society as being more value than the people who serve them. Rejected that view philosophically and said all of us are created people. And then endowed. Not by our government. In -- by our creator. With on -- noble writes. On a little meaning they cannot be taken from us by a government because a government didn't give them to us in the first place. A creator gave -- the right. And government's only job. Is to secure and protect the rights that were given by god. And if we ever believe that government is our god -- we certainly can believe. That government is free to comment take the rights we have and that's why. The idea that we can separate faith from freedom is a ridiculously -- -- idea we cannot we will not we must not ever separate the idea. That we are a nation under god. The idea of our quality of life. Really is the essence of who yards Americans. Even -- took -- a long time to really get to the place where we applied appropriately. Women did not get to vote for 150 years African Americans were not given their full rights and freedom until the 1970s. Which is a hard part of our history. Nevertheless the framework was in fact there all along. It was the idea that no person is worth more than another and no person is worth less than another. I've made it very clear throughout my political life that I am not pro life because of politics I -- political because I'm pro life. And I do not want for one minute this country to ever. Fall back against the position that it was founded upon and that is that every human life from the moment of its conception. From the moment at which it became a creation of god. When 23 chromosomes from a male and 23 from a female joined together in the unique creation of -- DNA schedule that it never existed before. Will never exist again quite like that. Not a mere appendage of the mother because if it -- it would share all of the DNA characteristics including the blood type which -- that most certainly does not. Biologically scientifically. Irrefutable -- that is a -- from the moment it is conceit. It is a unique life and it is a human life. No reason. That is unique in human life and cannot be anything else is because the irrefutable science -- But this life that becomes. That -- schedule with a moment of conception. Can never become a puppy or -- dolphin -- a stalk of broccoli. It only has the capacity to be fully developed into the human beings that we are today it is a human being because that's what it started out to be. In its cellular dimensions and that's what it remains people -- but it's not looking like a human at that point. Well take a little baby and an old land they don't look the same either but they're still both human my friend. Having said that that may not be entirely true come to think up a lot of -- -- look a lot like a little lady. And they all drool all over themselves I guess -- maybe is some truth to that. The value of our lives is not in what we do. It's who we are. The value of our life is not -- what we -- It is who has created us. And I understand that the economy is going to be a centerpiece of this election cycle and that's fine it should be. But I also -- make it very clear. That I will never vote for someone who does not respect the sanctity of a human life because I believe that if a person does not respect. Your life or yours are yours are yours. They ultimately will not respect the liberty. And the sense of equality. That should be extended to every single American living under our constitutional form of government. I want to invite you all as you have been invited. To the screening of the gift of life movie I think it is a very powerful tool. To share with your friends and your family -- even the skeptics that you know at your workplace or maybe. Within your social circles. It is unlike any. Pro life film that I've ever personally seen -- been a part. And it is not so much about the plot. Of the issue of life. But rather the -- And the stories are compelling and powerful I hope -- 10 o'clock this morning you'll have a chance to go to the Thurgood Marshall theater -- packed theater. And see the screening it will be I promise one of the most riveting hours that you'll spend -- C pac. Let me also encourage you to read a book by Andy Andrews this call how -- -- killed eleven million people. It's a wonderful tiny little book takes fifteen minutes to read. I wish I'd written it I really do. And he's gonna sell oddities. But he should. It is a powerful story. As simple how he killed eleven million people. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- You -- to them. I hope you'll understand that the reason that so many things happen in this country that we stand back and we say how could this be. If we are willing to believe lies that are told to us. By people who want to be our leaders. And it's not hard to ultimately come to the place where people will march to their own destruction. Let us not be an American people who marched to the destruction. Of our own freedoms and liberties. Because we believe the lies. That we are told. And instead we -- -- the truth. We discover the truth. And we absolutely demand the truth from those who want to service. Is heavily life is an important part of the economy since 1973. We have seen be. Termination of some fifteen million fellow Americans. Who never saw. Their first light of day never took their first for a fifty million. That we now. What hire people talk about we have to import labor into our into our country because we don't have the labor force necessary I'm thinking wait a minute. You know we had fifty million people who would have been a part of our labor force. That we terminated that we killed. What happened to them who would they had been. What would they have done. When we need value. A life that is on board. We ultimately will devalue. A life that is born. And let me explain how that happens and economically. One of the reasons that we see such anger and hostility in the American people is because many workers in their workplaces are treated as expendable its. Disposable. It used to be you go to work for a company there was a sense that if you were loyal to the company the company would be loyal to you. If you had a pension it would be protected. If you had to -- plan it would be protected. Sure there were it's -- -- where companies could not continue and they went out of business even through the best efforts to keep them alive. But generally speaking Americans could go to work in their twenties for a company and retire from that company and their sixties. And it it would be a loyal partnership between the workers. And the company. That was good for the development and the building up the middle class of America. Why do you think we have come to the place. Where even though some people are challenge because they're not loyal enough to their company what happened to the idea that their companies would be loyal to them as well. What happened to the idea that in this country that there would be a sense of partnership in the workplace. Not an attitude that every worker is expendable and disposable. Why did that happen. If we believe that life is expendable -- disposable when it's not born. Why would we doubt that eventually we would come to the place to believe that American lives are expendable after they are born. Folks the economy of this country. Is tied in many ways to the psyche a belief. That people as individuals. Do not matter. They matter only as a Max. I believe every individual has equality. No government cannot protect and -- and promised a job are a paycheck -- tension that is not the government's job. I don't want the government ever passing a law telling a company what it ought to do what it has to do. But I want companies to. Act with a sense of responsibility. And morality to do what they ought to do because it's good business and -- good decent human behavior. That's not a government's job -- the moral responsibility. Of those who run the businesses. And what's really tragic. Is -- we've created deciding where we value some more than we value the others and we make government the referee other. We've allowed government to decide which businesses will live and which will fail. Government steps and decides big banks and big insurance companies and big brokerage houses will live because we will bail out. There recklessly wrong irresponsibly managed since a business. But those small businesses on main street. And the homeowners. Are left to simply fail and fall. Because they are not considered equal. When you have the mindset from the government that someone is too big to fail you have also the same mind -- that others are too small to matter. What happened to the idea that all of us are created equal big and small black and white. Rich and -- strong and weak the essence of America. Is that we do not have a government. That -- side too strong and who's we who lives and who dies we have in America it's simply refereed the game to give us the opportunity to play it with fairness. And with the guys in the striped jerseys began to put on a -- shirt and decide who's going to end up winning the game. Government has usurped its responsible authority and duty and it's become something dark constitutional founders never intended hard to do. I was one. I was one of the few people for years ago. That decried the idea that we were going to bail out companies through -- I understand that we were told with hand wringing by Republicans. If we didn't do that the economy. Would really really get in trouble. So we did it and the economy got really really in trouble anyway. And then we sat up and teed up the ball for Obama the Democrats -- now create a bailout mindset and mentality. And we can blame the Democrats but the Republicans were the ones who first put that -- and. Play and we ought to apologize to America forever having created the idea that that is a government responsibility to bail out. Big companies who want managed well. I said then. I'm gonna say now it never was appropriately named -- -- it should have been named the congressional. Released. Access program I'll let you figure it out from there because that's what it was. And last week when the president in a state of the union suggested that we need is something really really significant like the Hoover Dam. I jumped up from my chair I wanted to scream at the television hoping that he could hear me is clearly as he heard Joseph Wilson a year ago. I wanted to hear me when I said. Mr. President how would we ever build -- Hoover Dam and the environment in which your EPA would be more concerned about protecting a -- That a human life. Please help me understand that. And then. And then last week. At the national prayer breakfast the president stood. And gave that country a homily. I was amazed. I did not realize that we elected -- theologians. To be commander in chief. He actually believes. And said. That Jesus would want us to pay higher tax rates. Look unlike the president I actually do have a degree in religion. And I don't recall ever having read in the new testament that Jesus was that specific about tax policy he did say this if you owe taxes paid them. -- Timothy Geithner did you get that part of the new testament. In fact Jesus. Jesus so believe that we were supposed to pay the taxes that we actually wrote that in order to pay his taxes he took a point from the mouth of the fish to pay his taxes. If Obama has his way we all gonna have to do a lot of fishing and we better hope those fisheries and a bunch of points because it's gonna take up wants government to take care the -- But here's my point to the president. All respect -- He reported giving 1% of his income away in charity. And he wants to lecture me. About being responsible as a -- of my resources. Mr. President. Last time I checked the bare minimum for a believer. Is a dime out of a dollar that is supposed to go to take care of the widows the poor the orphans. It is the job not -- the government not a Christian believers. To stand up and reach out to the people who are in need. We will never do that on a penny out of a dollar and when we give. That sparingly. It will necessitate the government government giving more glowingly. I'd rather give that money out of my own pocket -- have anyone in congress region in my pocket and take four more from me than even god is asking. That is absurd. And let me say this. In the old testament the Bible says Holliman rob god. If he does not pay his ties. May I suggest. I don't care whether it's a Democrat or Republican you look at their contribution record. Look at how they personally believe that they have responsibility to their fellow man. If they're giving is his core are worse -- the president's then here's what you better realized. If a person will rob god that person will steal you blind don't you ever organic. Let me just conclude by saying that. There's a lot of talk about which of the Republican candidates are the real conservatives. I understand all -- talk but quite frankly. One of the reasons I'm not endorsing anyone of the primary. Is because all of them. Are more conservative. Than the opponent that they will have -- November and personally. I'm not self interest in hearing mirror mirror on the wall tell me who's the most conservative of them all because compared to the current occupant of the White House. Any of them are going to be so much more conservative. And I think we need to unite together not so much for party. But for principal and for liberty and finally let me just remind you this. Out there in this country there are some people who are really hurting. They need a voice they need a champion. They may think they have -- in the White House but his policies have cost them to the point where when you squeeze the handle on the gas pump. I saw -- lady do that put five dollars in the tank. She came and before I could even really realize what she was doing she started and stopped and driven off and I looked and saw she'd only put five dollars -- there are. Two little kids in the back the -- occurred to me. She didn't put five dollars and -- tank because that's all she needed. She put five dollars in her -- -- -- she had. And folks on Italian the person who wins the election is the person. Who can look at that lady at the gas pump -- five dollars in the tank. And can tell her -- the economic policies. Of limited government and lower taxes. Will help her fill her tank -- better. And the idea of a big government. It won't let us have a Keystone Pipeline. And won't let Israel and won't let us get our own resources and hold us hostage. To some Middle East tyrant. This is a great country for God's sake let's keep it that way thank you very much an -- to do it here today thank --


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