Duncan Hunter: A Solid Conservative

I've been pointing out Mike Huckabee's conservative shortcomings for several weeks now. I thought it was time to point out someone with a solid record of conservatism across the board: Duncan Hunter (R-CA).

Here are some excerpts from his long voting record from Project Vote Smart:

12/06/2006 Abortion Pain Bill Y
05/25/2005 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment N
10/02/2003 Prohibit Partial-Birth Abortion bill Y
10/18/2007 SCHIP Reauthorization N
06/22/2005 Flag Desecration Resolution Y
09/26/2006 Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 Y
06/04/1998 Religious Freedom Amendment bill Y
04/26/2001 Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001 Y
03/22/1996 Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 Y
09/14/2006 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Y
12/16/2005 Border Security bill Y
01/10/2007 Minimum Wage Increase N
05/23/1996 Minimum Wage Increase bill N
09/23/2004 Pledge of Allegiance Protection bill Y
10/10/2002 Use of Military Force Against Iraq Y
07/19/2006 Stem Cell Research Bill N
03/03/2003 Prohibition on Human Cloning - Passage Y
07/18/2006 Same Sex Marriage Resolution Y
07/15/1999 Religious Liberty Protection Act of 1999 Y
06/29/1999 National Day of Prayer Resolution Y
06/17/1999 Ten Commandments Amendment Y
03/05/1997 Display of the Ten Commandments Y
08/01/1996 Bill Emerson English Language Empowerment Act of 1996 Y
06/21/2000 WTO Withdrawal resolution Y
05/24/2000 U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 N
12/21/1995 Welfare Reform Bill Y

Here is how he is rated by various policy organizations:

Planned Parenthood 0%
Right to Life 100%
Animal rights 0% - 42%, with most in the 20% range
Arts/Humanities 0%-6%
Tax reform 56%-100%
Business interests 62%-100%
Separation of church/state 0%
ACLU 5%
Eagle Forum 86%
Christian Coalition 100%
Concerned Women for America 100%
National Education Association 21%
Family Research Council 100%
American Family Association 100%
Gun Owners of America 100%
National Rifle Association "A"
Immigration/Border Control 80%-100%
National Organization for Women 5%

I think these ratings speak volumes for his conservative credentials, both in the organizations that rate him highly, and those which rate him low.

Yes, Hunter is low on the ladder in the polls right now...but that can change, and YOU can change it. Giuliani has dropped recently and Huckabee has gone up recently as people became more aware of Giuliani's liberal stance in many areas. The same thing can happen with Huckabee and Hunter as people realize how liberal Huckabee is on the fiscal/immigration side.

Talk is cheap. A candidate can say anything they want on their campaign website, in an interview, or at a speech; and they hope most people won't take the time to do the research to see if their walk matches their talk.

Duncan Hunter has a proven track record of conservatism, as a fiscal conservative, a national defense conservative, and a social conservative.

If conservatives are serious about electing a conservative, I believe Duncan Hunter is the guy to get behind.

Pro-Life Leader Endorses Duncan Hunter

From LifeNews.com:

Bob Smith was a New Hampshire Republican senator who drew praise from the pro-life community for helping to lead the fight to ban partial-birth abortions. Now, the lawmaker is weighing in on the Republican presidential battle and has thrown his support to Rep. Duncan Hunter, a pro-life congressman thought to have little chance of capturing the nomination. Describing him has an “inspirational leader” and the one best qualified to carry the “Reagan Torch,” Senator Smith sent a letter to his fellow conservatives throughout New Hampshire making them aware of his support. “Congressman Duncan Hunter for 25 years has stood up for the rights of the unborn,” Smith said in the letter the Hunter campaign provided to LifeNews.com. “If you really want to see change, then I urge you to vote for him. He is what American needs now more than ever.”

Duncan Hunter with Roger Hedgecock 12-28-07

A December 28, 2007 Duncan Hunter audio interview with Roger Hedgecock.

Part 1



Part 2



Other than Alan Keyes, this is the only no-doubts-about it, across-the-board conservative in the race. Duncan Hunter is the guy America needs as president.

Video: Duncan Hunter on the Issues

Various clips of Duncan Hunter discussing victory in Iraq, gun rights, border control, health care, trade with communist China, and U.S. jobs.



The quality of the video isn't that great, but the quality of Duncan Hunter's conservative positions is top notch!

Video: Duncan Hunter's Solid Conservative Record

Here's why Duncan Hunter is undeniably the best conservative candidate for President.



This is why I support Duncan Hunter for president. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. To him, "conservative" isn't a hall pass, it's a way of life.

WB: Rep. Duncan Hunter

Hunter talked about the cross at Mt Soledad near San Diego and how the ACLU has attempted to get rid of this public expression of faith, and his efforts to make it a federal memorial to protect it from those who would sanitize the public square of expressions of Christian faith.

He also spoke highly of the "arsenal of democracy" and the manufacturing capabilities of the United States--the capability that enabled the free world to win World War II. He said one reason he is running for president is the loss of our industrial base. He said it is vital to our families who need good jobs, and national defense.

Hunter said China is cheating at trade, and is using our money to build up their military that "go right at America's strength." He said he would stop this and restore the arsenal of democracy.

Hunter said "freedom hangs in the balance" in Iraq, and it is in the interest of the United States to extend freedom around the world. He praised Ronald Reagan for his leadership in the "contra wars" as we helped our South American neighbors resist communism in the 1980s.

He spoke of the progress against terrorism in Iraq and how Harry Reid doesn't want people to know about that. "We are going to leave Iraq in victory," Hunter said to a standing ovation.

He said Iran was walking down the path to nuclear technology. "Iraq has stated they are going to continue...developing nuclear capability. As president, I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear device, period."

Hunter said we will be tested by terrorists in the future with high tech methods, and preemption may be necessary. He commended Israel for their friendship with the United States and said Israel should not have to give back an inch of land (another huge standing ovation).

On our southern border, Hunter says we have a "thin green line" of border patrol agents who are protecting us. He said not only are people coming across for jobs, but our jails are full of illegal alien criminals.

Hunter promised, "As president, I will build all 850 miles of border fence in 6 months." He also said he would see that the border agents who were imprisoned for allegations of hurting a criminal illegal alien...he will see that they are released.

He said he will not appoint someone to the federal bench who does not understand that abortion ends a human life. (another standing ovation)

He said he wants school children to not only know the basics, but that when other countries were hungry, facing disaster, and under attack, Americans came to help them.

He closed with a story about the honor of taking care of friends and family. He said families lift our country up. He said he believes God still loves this nation, and believes we are still a people of faith and courage.

Video: Duncan Hunter at NRA Conference

Campaign-trail commitments prevented California Rep. Duncan Hunter from attending the event, but he told the NRA members via videotape that if they believe that keeping and bearing arms is an important part of national security, they should join him in this race for the presidency. "When you elect me, you'll have a real Hunter in the White House." Hunter reaffirmed that Second Amendment guarantees are not just for hunting, but also for self-defense and protecting our communities and country.
For full text of speech, go to http://www.nraila.org.

Replacing Weasels with Patriots

There's been talk the past few days that some of the diplomatic staff at the State Department are almost in open rebellion about being assigned to Iraq. Apparently these pansies think it's too dangerous to be posted over there (what about the troops who are not only posted there, but walk the streets and hills of Iraq?).

But Rep. Duncan Hunter has a great idea. From WorldNetDaily:

"I said, 'Let's go over to Bethesda and Walter Reed (hospitals) and as we get these new – these soldiers and Marines who are embarking on new careers," Hunter said, "let's recruit them for the State Department; and let's fire these guys that refuse to go, and we'll give the State Department careers to these military guys."

The State Department are about about the biggest bunch of pansies and anti-Americans in our government. The department was full of communists back in the days of FDR (remember the traitor Alger Hiss?) and I'm sure for a long time afterward. There's also a story of how Secretary of State George Schultz under Reagan had to explain to our foreign ambassadors that their allegiance was to the United States, not the country in which they were posted. The State Department has acted like a shadow government for decades, working to undermine any strong foreign policy that stood firm against the Soviet Union or other despots around the world.

Hunter's idea is great! It would not only fill any voids in the diplomatic corps, it would allow former military members--who are otherwise plenty able to function--to continue service to their country, and it would also help clean out a bunch of the weasels in the State Dept and replace them with patriotic Americans.

In the radio interview today, Beck responded enthusiastically to Hunter's idea.

"That is fantastic," Beck said. " … These guys are some of the most remarkable humans I have ever met and none of them, as you know, none of them want to leave service."

Hunter replied, "Exactly. And this would be great service for them. In Baghdad, in the State Department, the embassy, they know the lay of the land. They know the people, and they are professionals, and they are patriotic."

Hunter said Bush indicated he might be open to the idea.

Duncan Hunter Throws in the Towel

It's official: Duncan Hunter has ended his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination.

How sad that while the true liberals of the Democrat Party get plenty of press, the true conservatives of the Republican Party (the few that there are) get ignored. And even sadder that so many people are willing to quietly accept the pablum they're fed.

Hopefully Hunter will be back in future elections. He has one of the most solid records of patriotic conservatism in congress. He has a lot to offer this country, and I'm sure he'll continue to do so whether it's from congress or the White House.

So at this point I shift my support to the candidacy of Fred Thompson. He's the next most conservative of the bunch. His record is still pretty reliably conservative, and he's getting more of that "fire in the belly" that's been lacking.

Huckabee Pushing for Brokered Convention

From WOAI Radio comes an article claiming Mike Huckabee is placing his hopes on forcing a brokered convention by winning in Texas and Ohio, thus denying John McCain a walk-way victory for the primary.

Huckabee says with an upset win in Texas, and a win in the Ohio Republican primary the same day, Huckabee could deny front runner John McCain the nomination in the primaries.

“If we win Texas, I think it changes the dynamics of this race. It could well go all the way to the convention. If the convention delegates pick the president, chances are they would pick the most conservative. I would be the one they would end up picking, if that’s the criteria.”

Such a scenario would be better than we have now, as Huckabee would definitely be more conservative than McCain.

What I wonder is whether some of the candidates who have already pulled out of the race could throw their hats back in the ring. After all, even though Huckabee is better than McCain, he's far from a conservative.

It would be good to have some real conservative choices back in the game, like Tom Tancredo or even Duncan Hunter. Hunter has an unassailably conservative record across the board. He hasn't waffled on immigration, defense, marriage, pro-life issues, religious rights, crime, the war on terrorism, or anything.

Duncan Hunter is the man who should have been the GOP nominee. But in a choice of McCain or Huckabee, I'll take Huckabee.

Rush Limbaugh: Huckabee is Not a Conservative

Well, the modern measuring-stick of conservatism has spoken. Rush Limbaugh stated today on his show that Huckabee is not a conservative.

From The Politico:

"Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man and is a great Christian, is not a conservative, he’s just not," Limbaugh said. "If you look at his record as governor, he’s got some conservative tendencies on things but he’s certainly not the most conservative of the candidates running on the Republican side."

What have I been saying for months?

I overheard bits and pieces of Rush's show today. I remember one caller, about 5 minutes before the show was over, who was a Huckabee supporter. The caller insisted Huckabee was conservative on all issues. Rush did a fair job of pointing out that Huckabee isn't, but could have done better.

Here's what I wish Rush had asked the caller:

Did Huckabee condemn legislation to deny driver's licenses to illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee support legislation to provide in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee call efforts to deny such benefits "racist" and "bigoted?

Did Huckabee condemn immigration raids to identify and deport illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee engineer a sweetheart deal to bring a Mexican consulate to Little Rock--the same kind of consulate that issues "matricula consular" ID cards to illegal aliens in the U.S. which gives them the appearance of having entered the U.S. legally?

Did Huckabee say illegal immigration was not really a problem?

Did Huckabee beg the Arkansas legislature to raise taxes on anything?

Does Huckabee want to close Club Gitmo?

Does Huckabee want to make nice with countries that have stabbed us in the back?

Did Huckabee oppose vouchers?

How many conservatives does the NEA endorse, as they have endorsed Huckabee?

Did Huckabee work to release a convicted rapist who then raped and murdered at least one other woman?

Did Huckabee free another rapist and murderer who kidnaped a woman from an Air Force Base, raped, beat and ran over her?

Did Huckabee free a man who murdered a preacher?

Did Huckabee free a 4-time drunk driver?

Did Huckabee grant clemency to more convicted criminals than 5 other neighboring states COMBINED?

Does Huckabee buy into the man-made global warming fantasy?

Does Huckabee support socialized medicine and programs like SCHIP?

Does Huckabee slam business like a Democrat?

Can any of these positions be defined as "conservative?"

The answer to every one of these questions--except the last--is YES. These are NOT the positions of a conservative.

Huckabee has been called a "pro-life, pro-gun liberal" by some. I'm afraid that's about what he is.

As Judge John Jay said, Christians should prefer Christians when it comes time to vote. But implicit in that statement is that the professing Christian candidate should have a worldview consistent with the Bible, not feel-good liberal dogma.

I'm not stupid enough to support a candidate just because he says he's a Christian (Jimmy Carter made the same claim, and look what a disaster that was).

Especially when there is another Christian candidate who is conservative across the board: Duncan Hunter. Hunter isn't as up-front about his Christianity as Huckabee, but I have heard his Christian testimony and he consistently votes in favor of religious rights issues in Congress.

Why support a pro-life, pro-gun liberal when you could support a consistent conservative like Duncan Hunter?

Duncan Hunter on the War on Terrorism

Duncan Hunter speaks at the VFW Forum in Houston TX on Aug 28.

Letter to the Editor Makes Important Point

I happened upon a "Letter to the Editor" by David Lyon (Jan. 4, 2008) in the Courant.com regarding Duncan Hunter and wanted to share an important point made...

"In our republic, the role of the media is to provide information to the citizens, so they can select their leaders and help to decide the direction of our country. The media should not be choosing our leaders for us. The voters should be informed about all the candidates; then they can decide who will win. If The Courant can provide information about low-polling Democratic candidates (such as Joseph Biden, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich), then it can do so for Duncan Hunter. His website is http://www.gohunter08.com/."

(Entire Letter)

Liberal and Conservative Scores of the Presidential Candidates

I knew Obama was liberal, but I don't think I would have believed it until I'd seen it with my own eyes.

National Journal says Barak Obama was the #1 most liberal senator in 2007, while Hillary Clinton came in at a modest 16th. Hillary did improve her liberal score from 2006-2007, coming down from 32nd to 16th. I wonder if Obama will dig Hillary about her low score at the Democratic debate tonight?

The article didn't seem to have a link to the actual 2007 ranking itself, but there was a link to report through 2007.

For 2006, of the congressmen running on the GOP side, it lists Duncan Hunter as most conservative (why wasn't the GOP supporting a real conservative?) at a rating of 84.0, followed by Tom Tancredo at 73.3, then Sam Brownback at 70.3, John McCain lagging far behind at 56.7, and Ron Paul taking up the rear at 39.0.

It was his libertarian views that brought Paul down so low. I appreciate Ron Paul's respect for the Constitution, but libertarianism doesn't equal conservatism, especially with his dangerous position on Iraq and the war on terrorism.

If you look at the lifetime conservative rankings up to 2006, current front runner McCain improves to 71.8, but still considerably below the 82.5 lifetime conservative rating of Duncan Hunter.

McCain's conservative score is interesting to watch. It drops from the 80s in the 1980s to dip a little in most of the 90s, but then around 1998-1999-2000 (when he became a media darling), he dips down into the 60s and 50s and keeps dropping.

McCain's a conservative, huh? Go pull my other leg, now.

Technorati tags: liberal, conservative, election, McCain, Clinton, Obama, Ron Paul

How Did McCain Become the GOP Nominee?

Adam Graham's column at Renew America has some useful advice for conservatives (for the future) that might help us prevent another liberal nominee like John McCain.

I differ with Graham in some areas, primarily in his assessment of criticism against Mike Huckabee. Graham appears to have a soft spot for the pro-life liberal, believing some of the criticism of Huckabee was too harsh, but I maintain Huckabee deserved to be nailed to the wall for his soft-on-crime, soft-on-border-control and soft-on-terrorism comments and record--especially when far better candidates were still in the game.

But Graham makes some good points.

One is that many conservatives came out against certain candidates, but never indicated who they were for.

Another area cited by Graham goes along with that, in that too many conservatives were not engaged early in doing their research, finding the right candidate and getting behind them (I'm guilty of that to some extent--wish I'd realized what a solidly conservative candidate Duncan Hunter was much earlier). Candidates who don't have media and establishment backing need ground-up buzz to get their campaigns going; they can't do that if the base is sitting on its hands, or trying to figure out not who's the best candidate but who's "electable."

One of the most important facts Graham points out is that when you're dealing with an establishment candidate, you can never turn your back on them and assume they're done until their campaign is gone, gone, gone. That's another mistake I made. I assumed early on that McCain wouldn't get anywhere (and at first, he wasn't), that too many people saw through him and were tired of him.

But when we conservatives as a collective group wrote off the good candidates like Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo and Sam Brownback as "unelectable," then succeeded in pointing out the liberal records of rising contenders like Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney, that left McCain as pretty much the last man standing.

I hope we do better next time, because, barring a miracle, for November 2008 it looks like our choices are going to be bad and worse.

Why Chuck Yeager supports Duncan Hunter

Why Chuck Yeager supports Duncan Hunter

WorldNetDaily Exclusive Commentary
Posted: January 3, 2008

1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Christopher G. Adamo

The unfolding 2008 presidential campaigns have brought some unusual names to the forefront of American politicking. Among them, Oprah Winfrey, that citadel of expertise on domestic and foreign affairs, gives her flamboyant support to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., while the intellectually vacant social activist vote of Barbara Streisand goes to Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

In contrast, consider the preference expressed by retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager. A true American superhero of unrivaled pedigree, Yeager was the first human being ever to fly "faster than a speeding bullet," as he successfully broke the sound barrier six decades ago in the Bell X-1. He went on to reach numerous other aviation milestones as a test pilot, eventually achieving the rank of brigadier general in the United States Air Force.

(Complete Article)

Excellent commentary! Exceedingly interesting and informative!

How Do You Compromise Your Core Beliefs?

Dan Gilgoff has a piece in the LA Times today which examines the subjects of Mike Huckabee and political compromise.

To many conservatives -- and even to some liberals and neutral observers -- the Robertson endorsement vindicated Huckabee's complaint that Christian right leaders "are more intoxicated with power than principle."

I'd have to concur with Huckabee in this assessment. However, I also have to wonder if that analysis isn't true of some Huckabee supporters also. The "mainstream" media isn't making it easy to find out, but Huckabee has a lot of negative baggage that should disappoint conservative Christians. I have to wonder: if these conservative supporters of Huckabee have done their homework, why are they still supporting him? Could it be that they are backing Huckabee over a consistent pro-life conservative like Duncan Hunter because of "power over principle?"

Gilgoff's editorial, while insightful, is not friendly toward conservative Christian values, however. It speaks well of the religion of compromise.

One of the most troubling tendencies of the Christian right has been its habit of translating the black-and-white literalism of its theology to the political realm. Under this model, Democrats and moderate Republicans are God's sworn enemies and must be opposed at every turn. Rather than compromise, the Christian right has attempted to stage a conservative Republican "takeover" of Washington, with considerable electoral success during the Bush years but with poisonous consequences for politics and policy.

Isn't it funny how you always hear that conservative efforts to advance their agenda are bad for America, but you never hear it said that liberal efforts to ramrod their agenda--even at the cost of ignoring the Constitution--are never labeled as bad? And have you ever noticed how it's always conservatives who are called to worship at the altar of "compromise," never liberals or "moderates?" If I didn't know better, I'd find that curious indeed.

Political names and party affiliation do not determine whether one is "God's sworn enemy." The things we advocate and excuse, regardless of whether we have a D or R after our name, do determine whether we are operating in harmony with what God has said is right or wrong. If the political group I'm in reaches the point where it begins to embrace most things that God says are wrong, then I probably need to look at moving OUT of that political group. That's why many people who have been Republicans for decades are considering supporting a third-party candidate if the Republican Party embraces a pro-abortion pro-homosexual candidate as its nominee.

Conservative Christians may find themselves in a position where they have to compromise, and perhaps settle for a Huckabee or Thompson over a Clinton or Obama. But in the primary state, now is not the time for choosing the lesser of two evils. Now is the time to fight for the best candidate. And none can hold a candle to Duncan Hunter when it comes to a consistent pro-life conservative record across the board.

HT to RedState.

Duncan Hunter Iowa GOP Debate 12-12-07

Duncan Hunter in Republican presidential debate in Iowa

Open Letter to Tom Tancredo Supporters

SK Johnson from The Duncan Hunter Grass-Revolt blog has printed an open letter to supporters of Tom Tancredo. Here is an excerpt:

Today is a sad day for conservatism. Another candidate has dropped out of the GOP race, one of the few candidates that can actually be considered conservative. Right now, the media is shoving several moderate candidates down our throats, and forcing the actually conservative candidates to the bottom of the race. Tom Tancredo was one such candidate.

Not only was Tom Tancredo one of the few conservatives in the race, he was one of the few that could be trusted when it comes to the issue of border security; and he is an expert on it too. Now that he has left the race, where are those of us to turn that support actually securing our borders?

Except for Ron Paul (whose record on immigration isn't 100%, and whose Iraq policy ideas are downright scary), there is no presidential candidate with a solid record on immigration and border control. Fred Thompson's is fair, and better than most, but can't touch Duncan Hunter's consistent record.

National security, American jobs and the rule of law are all too important to entrust to pretenders or those who don't really take this issue seriously.

Gilchrist Explains Huckabee Endorsement

At Land of the Free, Jim Gilchrist tells why he endorsed Mike Huckabee for president, and why he did so when there are other canidates with far more solid records on immigration and border control:

There have been very few voices in Washington DC who have echoed our call to secure the borders and enforce our immigration laws. One of those lone voices, and a great leader for America as well, is Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo. Congressman Tancredo is a personal hero of mine who gave me the inspiration to create the Minuteman Project over three years ago.

And Duncan Hunter, Congressman from California, actually wrote the bill to get the fence built on the border between the San Diego, California and Mexico.

Both of these men have been more instrumental in moving the debate of border security and illegal immigration to where it is today than any one else. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are the quintessential political pioneers in the quest to maintain a respectable and responsible immigration system.

But as we go forward in our movement with a national stage to implement a new policy with new leaders, we have to recognize that the American people have decided there are only three viable candidates for a Republican Party presidential nominee: former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

I understand Gilchrist's point, but I have to disagree with him technically and in essence on one important point: with not a single vote cast yet, the American people have NOT "decided there are only three viable candidate."

At this point, the media and party elites have told us who they consider viable candidates. They have done so with their coverage and lack thereof. They have done so with their endorsements and big contributions. And as the general public is wont to do, the people have dutifully followed with little question.

One of the sad realities of our political process, and our society in general, is that most voters stay asleep until right before the primary election, and many still do not wake up then, taking note of the political landscape about 6 weeks before the general election in November. By this time, the choice has already been narrowed for them by the media and other elites, and by those few who woke up enough to take a cursory glance at the field of choices available during the primary election.

I won't have the media and party elites dictate to me who is a viable candidate and who is not. I'm just silly like that. But apparently Gilchrist and many other Americans are willing to follow their dictates like sheep and go along with whatever they're told.

Meanwhile, our choices come down to a bunch of outright socialists in the Democrat Party, and those that dabble with it in the Republican Party.

Some disagree with the sentiment, "We get the government we deserve." Me? I think if we stay asleep during the opportunity to support and select a good candidate, then we deserve the lousy choice we get in the general election, and have no justification to bellyache that "they're all the same."