Huckabee: From hope to higher ground

Gov. Mike Huckabee, guest columnist

Eight years ago, a young, untested, inexperienced, and virtually unknown freshman Senator made great speeches about ‘Hope and Change.' It was just talk. Now we need a president who can actually lead and deliver the kind of change to get every Iowan - and every American - from ‘Hope to Higher Ground.'

I'm running for president because I know that there is a difference between making a speech and making government accountable to the people who pay for it.

On May 5, I announced I'm running for president in my hometown of Hope, Arkansas.

It's a long way from the little brick rent house I grew up in on Second Street in Hope to the White House. I don't come from a family dynasty, but a working family. I grew up blue collar and not blue blood. I don't speak to working Americans but for them.

I believe it's time we had a president who will fight for hardworking men and women - not Washington-Wall Street elites - so that every American can go from ‘Hope to Higher Ground.'

I reject the failed Obama-Clinton tax and spend policies that punish working families and encourage government dependency. I don't judge the success of government by how many people are on assistance, but by how many people have good jobs and don't need government assistance.

The struggle for many families isn't helped when the government fights over what the minimum wage should be. It's a race to the bottom. We will never break the cycle of poverty by pushing people to their minimum wage, but by empowering them to reach their maximum wage.

That starts by abolishing the IRS and passing the FairTax to let every American worker keep his or her full paycheck, save and invest tax-free, and bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

We can never create prosperity for working people, grow our economy out of the bottomless pit of debt, and move America back to the greatest economy on earth if we punish productivity and reward reckless irresponsibility.

We've supersized the federal bureaucracy, but we've downsized the military and left our borders open and uncontrolled. We need to address the immigration issue - not with amnesty, but starting by taking control of our own borders to end the flood of low-wage, low-skilled immigrants here illegally who undercut American workers and their livelihoods.

We don't create good jobs for Americans by entering into unbalanced trade deals with countries who cheat like China. One reason I reject ObamaTrade is because the last thing this administration fast-tracked was Obamacare and we all know how that turned out. This administration simply can't be trusted to negotiate a good deal for American workers.

Many have attacked me for it, but I unconditionally and unapologetically stand by my pledge to honor our commitments to veterans and seniors. It's not just wrong, but immoral to break the promises we've made to them.

Veterans who kept their promises to America and kept us free wait for months for our country to keep its promises to them for basic health care and assistance to cope with the scars of wars we sent them to fight. Our veterans should be getting the first fruits of our treasury, not the leftovers! My first act as president will be to end the national disgrace of failing to give proper care to our veterans who sacrificed so greatly for our country.

As president I will never rob seniors of their Social Security and Medicare. You were forced to pay for Social Security and Medicare for 50 years. Washington has done enough lying and stealing - If Congress wants to take away someone's retirement, let them end their own Congressional pensions, not your Social Security and Medicare. As president, I promise you will get what you paid for!

America faces some big challenges, but they're not insurmountable. When I was governor I fought the Clinton machine and the most Democrat legislature in America - and I won. In that adversity, I learned how to lead and I learned how to govern. I cut taxes and welfare, balanced the budget every year, and raised average family income by 50 percent.

President Barack Obama failed to lead and failed to deliver ‘Hope and Change' but I refuse to give up on this great country. As president I will lead and empower every American to go from ‘Hope to Higher ground.'

l Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is a former governor of Arkansas and a Republican candidate for president. Comments: Mikehuckabee@mikehuckabee.com