In the link below you can read a good overview about the goings on and the themes put out for public consumption by two candidates operating as anti-Cruz hit men. We are not aware that Huckabee or Santorum have ever been singled out by Cruz at any time for such aggressive criticism.
In Iowa, Whispers of an Anti-Cruz (and Pro-Rubio) Alliance
It is our belief that the Cruz record and his platform can stand up to objective scrutiny by social conservatives, including as compared to the record and platform of the detractors identified here. We will highlight in coming days and weeks some of the other riffs against Cruz, who we support for the Republican nomination.
Santorum and Huckabee and their brand of social conservatism
The most recent desperate attacks on Cruz from Mike Huckabee and the vociferous Rick Santorum are aimed at undermining Cruz’s support from social conservatives, a category of support that Huckabee and Santorum have depended on and now compete for to fuel their campaigns. Much “so-con” support has been lining up behind Cruz, appropriately so, but Huckabee and Santorum don’t like it. So they distort remarks Cruz has made with reference to a question about what his top three priorities would be as president, to being soft on social issues.
They do not say what their top three priorities would be and how that provides them a course to the presidency while solving problems originating with the judiciary, the need for federal limitations, not to mention crucial economic and national defense policies. If there are to be generalizations the top priority should be limiting the federal government to constitutional parameters for the long-term.
Santorum, who I caucused for here in Iowa in 2012 (based on a decision matrix pertinent at the time as the best alternative to Romney) voiced support for the October budget deal ¹ “because it increased defense spending.” By implication he would have supported the omnibus bill. How socially conservative is that – fund Obama’s immigration programs, fund Planned Parenthood, fund his trade policies, his Iran policy, etc.? Santorum supported Arlen Specter – how social conservative supporting, Constitution validating is that? Santorum was rolled by the establishment. Cruz voted against the omnibus deal and its anti-social conservative agenda and has a record of challenging the establishment.
Santorum thinks the filibuster must be maintained (in fact he is a prick about it) ¹ which under a Mitch McConnell will only serve to protect Obama’s anti-social-conservative legacy as no one is anticipating an increase in Senate Republican fortunes of six added seats in 2016 (more if you discount the likes of Susan Collins, etc.). Democrats in majority disregard rules so it is no comfort to Republicans in the minority.
Huckabee has a record² of supporting a “path to citizenship” and legal status for illegal immigrants after an earned amnesty of some sort and he opposed a constitutional amendment to repeal birthright citizenship. The social issue implications of voting rights for illegal immigrants in terms of their voting practices, big government support and dependency are huge and not comforting. The abortion rate ³ of non-citizen immigrants is as high as that of citizens and the supposedly socially conservative recent citizen Hispanic population have an abortion rate much higher than non-Hispanic whites. How effectual are Huckabee’s social issue views if they are undermined by his invitations to those who will predominantly vote for Democrats?
More could be said about the positions and effectiveness of Huckabee and Santorum and other of Cruz’s critics, and we will. But for now let us put it simply — in spite of their accusations and protestations against Cruz, Santorum and Huckabee are more inconsistent in their approach to conservatism in general.
Making use of pertinent links and our own analysis, periodically we will answer the complaints against Cruz as best we can and why he is the comparatively superior candidate at this stage of the primary race.
¹ responses to this writer at campaign appearance Nov.2, 2015
² Via Wikipedia as it reliably chronicles various positions held by Huckabee with the accurate links provided
³ Via National Review, The Corner, Mark Krilorian article, The Myth of the Socially Conservative Immigrant
