Re: Huck AIDS Statement   [Jonathan Adler]

The Huckabee statement Byron posts below is exceedingly disingenuous.  By 1992 it was well understood that AIDS could not be transmitted by casual contact.  Citing concerns about breast milk or exposure from health care workers in a medical context are not particularly relevant.

 Yes I'm a Thomspon supporter, but I would think Huck's comments were indefensible no matter who I supported.

The former Arkansas governor is on Fox with Chris Wallace tomorrow, who will almost certainly open the interview on this subject --unless there is even worse stuff in the still incompletely disclosed AP questionnaire from 1992.  (Memo to Joe Carter: Does it make sense to get every question and answer from '92 out now, rather than letting it drip out day after day.)

I think it is hard to imagine Huckabee carrying this baggage through New Hampshire or Michigan, and certainly not through a general election.  Huck supporters have to come up with a plausible argument that Americans of all political views would forgive quarantine advocacy.  Quarantines are radical deprivations of liberty, a tool of last resort in a free society.  I don't recall a single high profile political figure or leader in business or faith ever arguing for such a thing.  The rehabilitation of Huckabee after this would require, at a minimum, the demonstration that he was not alone in advocating such a radical policy relatively recently.

Rudy is on Meet The Press tomorrow.  I can't imagine Tim Russert not asking him about Huckabee's '92 statement either.  Interesting day ahead in Campaign 2008.