You read that headline right. Mike Huckabee does have points worthy of praise. One of them is his compassion toward immigrants. Here, he tells an interviewer he opposes a revision of the 14th Amendment to remove birthright citizenship. And he continues to defend his position as governor to provide college help to Arkansas high school graduates and state residents.
On birthright citizenship:
“You do not punish a child for something the parent did,” he told host Tom Ashbrook. “…I’d rather have that kid a neurosurgeon than a tomato picker.”
On his work as governor:
When a kid comes to his country, and he’s four years old and he had no choice in it — his parents came illegally. He still, because he is in this state, it’s the state’s responsibility — in fact, it is the state’s legal mandate — to make sure that child is in school. So let’s say that kid goes to school. That kid is in our school from kindergarten through the 12th grade. He graduates as valedictorian because he’s a smart kid and he works his rear end off and he becomes the valedictorian of the school. The question is: Is he better off going to college and becoming a neurosurgeon or a banker or whatever he might become, and becoming a taxpayer, and in the process having to apply for and achieve citizenship, or should we make him pick tomatoes? I think it’s better if he goes to college and becomes a citizen. So, I did support a bill in my state, and I would support it today. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve backed away from it — that you do not punish a child for something the parent did. And if in fact the provision in the law says that in order to obtain the scholarship, you have to be in the process of applying for citizenship and becoming legal, then I’d rather have that kid a neurosurgeon than a tomato picker. I’d rather him be a taxpayer than a tax taker. And for that I offer no apology
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Applause.