Who Is He?:
Mike Huckabee was born August 24, 1955, in Hope, Arkansas (the hometown of former President Bill Clinton). He graduated from Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as a Southern Baptist pastor and president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. After losing a U.S. Senate election he served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.
International Experience:
Huckabee's international experience is decidedly thin. He visited a handful of countries on Arkansas trade missions. In early 2006, Huckabee and three other governors toured the Middle East, including Iraq, on a Pentagon-organized tour.
Foreign Policy Positions:
- The Club for Growth is critical of Huckabee's "protectionist rhetoric" and "tax hikes."
- Reuters compares and contrasts Huckabee's foreign policy positions with Barack Obama's.
- On The Issues catalogs Huckabee's opposition to the Law of the Sea Treaty and support for Israel.
Mike Huckabee's Foreign Policy Statements:
His campaign Web site includes statements on border security, immigration, Iraq, the War on Terror, Israel, and Cuba.
In September of 2007, Huckabee delivered a foreign policy speech to the Center For Strategic And International Studies. And his essay on foreign policy appeared in the January/February 2008 edition of Foreign Affairs. In the essay, Huckabee said, "The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad.