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Huckabee wanted to quarantine people living with HIV and AIDS

Jill

In case you needed another reason to hate him:

Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could “pose a dangerous public health risk.”

As a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in 1992, Huckabee answered 229 questions submitted to him by The Associated Press. Besides a quarantine, Huckabee suggested that Hollywood celebrities fund AIDS research from their own pockets, rather than federal health agencies.

“If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague,” Huckabee wrote.

“It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents.”
…
Also in the wide-ranging AP questionnaire in 1992, Huckabee said, “I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk.”

Actually, I think it’s become astoundingly clear that conservative Republicans pose a far greater threat to public health than homosexuality does.

Thanks to Luther for the link (even if you did make me go through Drudge to get it).

19 thoughts on Huckabee wanted to quarantine people living with HIV and AIDS

  3. Members of Free Republic are pointing out how stupid Huckabee’s quarantine idea is.

    It should be very concerning to any Republican that Huck proposes government action without bothering to understand the issue.

    Most people don’t show symptoms for 9-10 years after infection. Back then, once you developed symptoms, you had very little time left to live.

    Best case scenario, a quarantine does nothing (the public health damage would already be done by the time you knew a person was infected). The more likely scenario is that HIV transmission would skyrocket. With a quarantine in place, nobody in their mind would get tested for HIV.

    This was all known back in 1992. Big Government Mike, though, couldn’t be bothered with doing any research before proposing more government.

    Even the Freepers are dissing the Huckster on this. Wow.

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  7. Ok so let’s take a running tally on this dude. He wants to quarantine those with AIDS, he thinks gay marriage will literally destroy civilization, but he likes to free rapists from jail and ignore letters from the rapist’s victims that he raped at knifepoint warning that next time this rapist would murder (which he did.) Can we quarantine this jerk and crazies like him? That would be great. Let them start their own “civilization” of hatred.

  8. Marissa: “civilization” is a drastic overstatement. As far as I can tell from Huckabee’s comments on science, he’s intent on driving us straight back into the Dark Ages.

  10. His comments on AIDS are just the beginning–someone should more widely publicize his ‘thoughts’ on evolution and science.

    What scares me about Huckabee is how many otherwise reasonable and intelligent folks I know who are disenchanted with the other Republican candidates and think he’s a good choice. They only know about his social/economic programs, not his scarily troglodytic views on, well….everything.

    It’s a pity because if he wasn’t such a nut, he’d be the only Republican candidate I could sorta kinda see myself voting for.

  11. It’s a pity because if he wasn’t such a nut, he’d be the only Republican candidate I could sorta kinda see myself voting for.

    Like I said in another thread, he’s the worst of both worlds, but he’ll never get the nomination. And even if he somehow managed to, he’d get absolutely destroyed by any candidate your side nominates, with the possible exception of Dennis Kucinich.

  12. Morningstar: Whatthe? Do fundies ever actually read the Bible? I’m a second generation unbeliever and even I know the “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” line, a clear argument against the death penalty.

  13. I don’t know, Henry. I agree that Huck would get killed in a general election, but I wouldn’t underestimate him in the primaries. He’s down when it comes to money, but is doing pretty well otherwise, especially considering that he doesn’t have the funding of the other candidates.

  14. Armadillo,

    You assume most people would find those views scary and troglodytic. IME, 4 out 5 people will back him up. But then, I live in Arkansas, right next door to Mississippi.

    I see him getting the nomination because Guiliani is too ethnic and Romney = polygamous cultist in the minds of ordinary Americans.

  15. I’m pretty sure that even if, God forbid, he manages to win Iowa, he won’t even make top four in New Hampshire or South Carolina.

    Basically, evangelicals have a serious bug up their ass about Giuliani, threatening to stay home or vote third party because he’s seen as very liberal (which they won’t, it’s a bluff and they know it, especially if ya’ll nominate Hillary). This Huckabee thing is just a temper tantrum from the god-bothering wing of the party, and there’s a lot of them in Iowa. Not to mention, big government nannyism isn’t exactly a deal-breaker there, considering all the welfare they get in the form of farm subsidies.

    But srsly, fuck Iowa.

  16. I just came from the huge Ron Paul party last night, and I honestly think he can win SC.

    Huckabee is a tool. What is amazing is although RP has more money and bigger numbers, the press keeps concentrating on him as the great fundie hope. Will the dogs eat the dog food?

  17. Sorry, last statement unclear. EXHAUSTED! Blame it on being in retail at Christmastime, she babbled insanely…

    Huckabee is a tool. What is amazing is although RP has more money and bigger numbers, the press keeps concentrating on him as the great fundie hope. Will the dogs eat the dog food?

    I meant, if it wasn’t clear, the press concentrates on HUCKABEE. They ignore RP completely. It’s really a glaring omission.

    They keep talking “electability” but I think Huckabee is too offbeat and weird to have “electability”, so what are they talking about?

  18. The more I learn about Huckabee, the more he scares me.

    “We didn’t know as much back then.” We’ve known you couldn’t get HIV from casual contact since the 1980s, Mikey. What, didn’t you see The Ryan White Story?

  19. I agree that Huck would get killed in a general election, but I wouldn’t underestimate him in the primaries.

    Huckabee is a social conserative and anti-big bussiness populist. The Huckster supports a cap on CEO saleries. Which I see more as a shareholder problem than government. His platform could be appeal to moderates.

    Giuliani is crazy. Romney flip flops. McCain’s chance was 2000. Ron Paul doesn’t have a chance and Thompson’s campaign is a mess. Huckabee comes off as likable and can get social conservatives to rally behind him. He could do better than expected in debates against Hillary. Obama and Edwards have enough charms and orator skills to offset Huckabee.

    Short answer: Huckabee could be the crossover candidate Republicans are looking for. He could give Hillary problems.

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