Huckabee: Social Conservative with Nuance

Mike Huckabee has two things going for him as a candidate. His religion, and his social conservatism.

Oops.

Mike Huckabee last year accepted $52,000 in speaking fees from a bio-tech giant that wants to research human embryonic stem cells, a non-profit working to expand access to the morning after pill and a group pushing to study whether tightening gun control laws will reduce violence.

Huckabee opposes embryonic stem cell research, emergency contraception and stricter gun laws — all of which rank high on the list of deal-breakers for many of the religious conservatives whose support he’s ridden to the top of the Republican presidential field.

The payments — from drug-maker Novo Nordisk, which engages in stem cell research, the Public Health Institute, which works to expand access to “morning after” contraception and Grant Makers in Health, which is seeking to steer funding to studies of gun violence — highlight the delicate line Huckabee has walked on the profitable speaking circuit.

This, from the guy who makes such a big deal out of being the only true social conservative in the race.

I guess sometimes mammon wins out, though, huh?

posted by Slublog at 06:49 PM

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