Ark. Gov. Huckabee Welcomes Hispanics

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Dec06/ ... cs,00.html

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

By ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday the nation is being given a chance to make up for past racism by the way it handles the influx of Hispanics.

Huckabee, a Republican who is considering a run for president in 2008, said Arkansas has made progress on racial justice and has a fresh opportunity to do the right thing in the way it welcomes the growing Hispanic population.

"One of the great challenges facing us is that we do not commit the same mistakes with our growing Hispanic population that we did with African Americans 150 years ago and beyond. We're still paying the price for the pathetic manner in which this country handled that," Huckabee said at a meeting of the Political Animals Club in Little Rock. The club meets monthly to hear from political figures and experts.

"I think, frankly, the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before," Huckabee said.

Huckabee said he will announce after he leaves office Jan. 9 whether he will run for president. He said he is not posturing for the vice presidential nomination.

"If I make a decision at all, it won't be to run for the second position on the ticket. I've never seen a football team run out on the field and say we're Number Two," Huckabee said.

Later, on his monthly radio call-in show, Huckabee said he wants to make sure he would have financial and organizational support in places like Iowa and New Hampshire before announcing any bid.

"I want to make sure there would be strong support, not just financial, but also volunteer support around the country, particularly in the early primary states," Huckabee said. "If you can get through those early states, then frankly you're in the game and if you can't you're not."

Huckabee said a book he's written that will be released in January will also help him determine whether there's any support for his potential candidacy.