Huckabee pitches FairTax as key to stronger ag, manufacturing economy

VAN HORNE — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is sticking with the themes that helped propel him to an Iowa caucus victory in 2008.

On the campaign trail Monday in Eastern Iowa, Huckabee championed his FairTax — essentially a national sales tax that would replace the income tax. And like he did eight years ago when he won more votes in the GOP caucuses than any previous winner, he is making a full 99-county tour of the state, discussing issues with crowds large and small.

He visited the Veterans Home in Marshalltown, toured the Restonic Mattress factory in Toledo and spoke at an Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition house party in Swisher. In between, he sat down with about 10 people at the Van Horne Community Center to talk about the necessity for America to be able to feed, fuel and arm itself.

Americans take cheap food for granted and don't appreciate the importance of a strong agricultural economy, Huckabee said.

'If we start importing our food, we are exporting our freedom,' he said. 'Whoever feeds us owns us. It's that simple.'

Being able to produce the energy needed is critical, too, Huckabee said in calling for the development of all forms of energy including coal, gas, wind, solar, nuclear and renewable biofuels.

America ought to be the No. 1 exporter of energy because 'if we're exporting energy, we're not importing the slavery to ourselves by being owned by some other country,' Huckabee said.

'Why should we ever let the Saudis get rich making money off us?' he asked. 'I'd like to see millions of American jobs … to see the prosperity for America's people.'

It's in the United States' national security interests to be an energy exporter, he added, because 'if we supply energy markets, Russia, the Iranians, the Saudis won't be. They won't have the money they right now have in order to build the weapons of aggression … to finance terrorism.'

The manufacturing sector needs to be rebuilt not only because jobs are needed, he said, but to maintain the capacity to arm the military.

'If someone else is supplying bullets, bombs, tanks, planes, trains, trucks and ammunition, then whoever is supplying that owns us,' Huckabee said. 'So I don't think we should let anyone out-manufacture us.'

That can be achieved if his plan for the FairTax is implemented, he said, explaining that it would put manufacturers, like Restonic, a more level playing field with overseas competition

He said 22 percent of the cost of a Restonic mattress is taxes that aren't levied on imported mattresses.

Other candidates will 'twist the screwdriver, tap the hammer' to make changes to the tax code, but Huckabee wants to scrap it and the IRS by levying taxes only at the point of purchase.

Huckabee has made that pitch in 94 counties and plans to get to 99 after New Year's Day because he believes the key to caucus success 'is to do what we've been doing — going to every county in the state.'