Haunting Huckabee

Earlier this year, Huckabee said, “Nobody's going to find some YouTube moments of me saying something radically different than what I'm saying today.” Maybe there are no YouTube videos, but the answers Huckabee provided in responding to an Associated Press questionnaire during his first run for political office in 1992 are coming back to haunt him.

During his unsuccessful race against Sen. Dale Bumpers, Huckabee didn't only reject the idea gays in the military, he added:

I believe to try to legitimize that which is inherently illegitimate would be a disgraceful act of government. I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk.

Over the weekend, on "FOX News Sunday," Huckabee refused to recant or retract the statement:

Huckabee's questionnaire responses show a harder-edge than Huckabee wants to present today as he tries not to “scare the living daylights” out of moderates and independents.

On other subjects in the questionnaire, Huckabee:

# Called for the elimination of political action committees and campaign contributions from lobbyists. He also said candidates should not be allowed to receive contributions until one year before an election and said there should be limits on the amount of out-of-state money they could accept.

# Rejected the idea of women in combat “because of my strong traditional view that women should be treated with respect and dignity and not subject to the kinds of abuses that could occur in combat.”

# Said living together out of wedlock “is demeaning to the highest expression of human love and commitment. I reject it as an alternate lifestyle, because it robs people of the highest possible relationship one can experience: marriage.”

Like I said a year ago, Huckabee will scare the living daylights out of a lot of moderates of both parties. That perception may help explain why Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Huckabee.