Huckabee: Ag policies should benefit every day Americans
Mike Huckabee wove his brand of folksy charm throughout his time at the Iowa Agriculture Summit Saturday, stressing the country's ag policies must shift to focus less on other nations and big business and more on lifting every day Americans.
The former Arkansas governor and winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses broke down Americans into three groups. There are globalists who don't care if America leads the world and corporatists who care only for their business' profits. And then there are nationalists, like himself, Huckabee said, who want policies focused solely on what's best for American families.
MORE: Full Ag Summit Coverage | Coverage by candidate
"I don't care if it helps the Chinese. I don't really care if it makes the European Union stronger," the Republican said. "I care if it makes America stronger as a nation and American families able to reach the next rung in the economic ladder. And a lot of our decisions today that we're making are not doing that."
The crowd erupted in applause.
OTHER ISSUES: Huckabee suggested lawmakers incorporate "weighted food stamps," which would incentivize healthy eating by stretching further when spent on healthy foods. He ripped Cuba and China, saying the U.S. shouldn't trade with the former and should rethink its trades with the latter. "We need to start making it so that Americans can prosper, and not just so that the Chinese can buy Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags," Huckabee said.
QUOTE: "I think if we could ever harness the wind that comes out of Congress, we could supply the energy needs of the world."
BEST MOMENT: Huckabee prompted big applause for saying illegal immigrants should have no place in agricultural labor. "If you're coming because there's free food, free driver's license, you might even get to vote, and we'll also give you a free education and free healthcare, then I think we need to go and say: 'You know what? It may not be a good fit.' "
AUDIENCE: Huckabee found laughter and polite applause from the crowd.
