The Judge Speaks - Paul Pressler on Mike Huckabee

Check out John Fund's op-ed over at The Wall Street Journal.

A few snippets follow:

Mr. Huckabee attributes his support to the fact he is a "hardworking, consistent conservative with some authenticity about those convictions." He is certainly qualified for national office, having served nearly 11 years as a chief executive. I have known and liked him for years; on the stump he often tells the story of how we first met outside his boarded-up office in the state Capitol, which had been sealed by Arkansas Democrats who refused to accept he had won an upset election for lieutenant governor in 1993. But I also know he is not the "consistent conservative" he now claims to be.

Nor am I alone. Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once "his No. 1 fan." She was bitterly disappointed with his record. "He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal," she says. "Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don't be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office."

Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. "He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles," she says. "Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a 'compassionate conservative' are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee."

And The Architect of the Fundamentalist Takeover of the SBC, Judge Paul Pressler Speaks:

Rick Scarborough, a pastor who heads Vision America, attended seminary with Mr. Huckabee and is a strong backer. But, he acknowledges, "Mike has always sought the validation of elites." When conservatives took over the Southern Baptist Convention after a bitter fight in the 1980s, Mr. Huckabee sided with the ruling moderates. Paul Pressler, a former Texas judge who led the conservative Southern Baptist revolt, told me, "I know of no conservative he appointed while he headed the Arkansas Baptist Convention."

I just can't picture Mike Huckabee as a moderate or someone who would sympathize with the "ruling moderates." Anyone have any additional details?

On another unrelated note:

Last Friday, I was maliciously maligned in the blogosphere by a Baptist minister who apparently has nothing better to do than spread lies about a fellow Christian less than half his age. The post was promptly removed, its record kept, and I've been instructed not to discuss the details. For those who caught a glimpse of the hate speech spewed my way, please consider the source. Thanks.