In that interview with him Salon ran recently, he used some tortured logic explaining why he couldn't support even domestic partnership for gays and lesbians. It lead to the ruinous road to "gay" marriage, he reasoned. He just seems like another garden variety bigot to me. All of his "sides" are dark as far as I'm concerned.

"... a guy with a thin skin, a nasty vindictive streak, and a long history of imbroglios about questionable ethics."

This is Dubya at the core. How is it guys like this are the darlings of the so-called Christian conservatives? Don't they know whited sepulchers when they see them?

Clearly not. And what is it with David Brooks's man-crush? A little charm'll do it. Huckabee doesn't even have to buy him dinner.

Excellent article, Mr. Brantley! I've got to add my story of the greedy and insensitive preacher-man we here in Arkansas have all come to know:

In 1998, Governor Huckabee did something very selfish and not very Christian-like after the school shooting at Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, Arkansas where four little girls and a teacher were killed by two young gunmen. Nine other students and a second teacher were also injured.

Two weeks after the shooting, Huckabee signed a contract to publish Kids Who Kill, Confronting Our Culture of Violence. He received a $25,000 advance, plus royalties. Huckabee claimed the book was conceived before the shooting, but the book’s opening lines refer to the shooting and the promotional material claimed that the tragedy inspired Huckabee’s writing.

Did the Governor donate any of the profits to the families of those five who were killed or the nine middle school students and teacher who were injured? No, according to statements made by Mike Huckabee at the time. Huckabee said he planned to use the money to pay for his own children’s college expenses, according to articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Dallas Morning News, and the New York Times. He balked at suggestions that he donate any of the profits to the victims.

By publishing and promoting this book and keeping all of the profits, he put his own financial interests ahead of his grieving constituents. He went on talk show after talk show and spoke about the shooting in order to sell more books. Mike Huckabee should not have profited off the murders of children and their teacher while he was an elected official.

I almost forgot to add: He was also too busy vacationing in the Bahamas to come back for the memorial service.