Thompson Campaign Press Release - Huckabee Fact Check

McLean, VA - The Fred Thompson campaign today released the following fact check on Mike Huckabee's appearance this morning on Fox News Sunday:

MIKE HUCKABEE MISLEADS CHRIS WALLACE ABOUT HIS RECORD AS GOVERNOR THIS MORNING ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY:

Huckabee Claim: "We didn't raise [taxes] on nursing home patients. That was a quality assurance fee."

• Fact: Huckabee implemented a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients. (Associated Press, 8/13/01)

Huckabee Claim: "Here's what the Club for Growth won't tell you... They won't tell you who gave them money. They like to take money from anonymous donors, fire shots at folks without accountability."

• Fact: Huckabee created a 'charitable' organization - Action America - so he could funnel his speaking fees through the organization and avoid disclosure requirements: "In 1995, [Huckabee] avoided reporting individual sources of income by funneling money through a nonprofit corporation, Action America, that was created and managed by his campaign staff." (Commercial Appeal, 11/9/97)

Huckabee Claim: "I balanced the budget every year of my 10 years as governor... I think my record is an incredibly good one."

• Fact: Arkansas law mandates a balanced budget. Huckabee raised taxes and more than doubled state spending. (Mike Huckabee, "Cutting Taxes and Other Great Ideas for Congress from an Arkansas Governor," Heritage Lecture #645, The Heritage Foundation, 9/29/99, A rkansas Democrat-Gazette , 10/4/07)

• Fact: Immediately upon taking office in 1996, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike into law. (Stephen Moore and Dean Stansel, "A Fiscal Policy Report Card On America's Governors: 1998," Cato Institute; Joan Duffy, "Critical Ark. School Funds Amendment Goes Untouted," Commercial Appeal, 9/9/96)

Huckabee Claim: "You first deal with the spending issue which I did in my state."

• Fact: State spending more than doubled under Huckabee. "During Huckabee's 10 years as governor, state spending more than doubled, from $6.6 billion to $16.1 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006." ( Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/4/07)

Huckabee Claim : Repeatedly dodged questions about his ethical problems while Governor

• Fact: Huckabee was investigated by the ethics commission fourteen times and officially reprimanded five times. (Quin Hillyer, "A Tale Of Two Candidates," American Spectator, 10/24/07)

Huckabee Claim: "Fred's never had 100% record on right to life in his senate career. The records reflect that."

• Fact: Fred Thompson can "play up his 100% pro-life voting record and his 0% Planned Parenthood score. Sometimes it's just plain hard to argue with the numbers." (David Brody, "Fred Thompson's Pro-Life Strategy," Christian Broadcasting Network, 6/15/07)

• Fact: Wanda Franz, president of National Right to Life, said the group's endorsement is "a testament to Senator Thompson's long-standing pro-life record, his commitment to unborn children." (National Right to Life, Press Release, 11/13/07)