Huckabee clarifies Portman criticism
(CNN) - Mike Huckabee is explaining comments he made earlier this week criticizing Oscar winner Natalie Portman for being pregnant and unmarried.
"In a recent media interview about my new book, A Simple Government, I discussed the first chapter, 'The Most Important Form of Government Is a Father, Mother, and Children,'" Huckabee said in a statement obtained by CNN. "I was asked about Oscar-winner Natalie Portman's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Natalie is an extraordinary actor, very deserving of her recent Oscar trophy and I am glad she will marry her baby's father. However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not "slam" or "attack" Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country."
The former Arkansas governor and possible Republican presidential candidate criticized the actress Monday on a conservative radio show for being pregnant and unmarried.
"One of the most troubling things is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet that boasts of, hey look, we're having children, we're not married, but we're having children and they're doing just fine," Huckabee told host Mike Medved on his radio program.
Portman, who won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for her role in "Black Swan," is engaged to choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who also worked on the film.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister who ran for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, said when wealthy actresses have children without being married, they set a bad example for the rest of America.
"There aren't really a lot of single moms out there that are making millions of dollars each year by being in a movie," Huckabee said. "I think it gives a distorted image that not everybody hires nannies and caretakers and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and would not get healthcare."
In addition to her work in films, Portman attended Harvard University and graduated with a degree in psychology.
Portman has yet to respond to Huckabee's criticism.
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You idiot huckabee. stop sticking your nose in other peoples business and lives. I didn't know that all of a sudden the republican party was officially the staunch and ethical voice of america. God forbid he wins or even gets the nomination
seems to me huckabee is digging himself a hole.
Another GOP hyprocrite. People like Huckabee can't mind their own business and would control your sex life if given the chance. This snake oil lying hyprocrite should mind his own business,no one died and made him God.
Huckabee and the rest of the bible-thumping neo-cons really need to mind their own affairs.
Mind your own Business Mikey!
Huckabee needs to back off. Why are we not creating ways so that "average joe" women understand that this is not a normalcy? Why blame the person who is pregnant versus blaming themselves at not creating programs educating the young women of america how there will be difficulty and struggles being a single parent? He should turn his rants elsewhere, not on Natalie Portman.
Mr. Huckabee are you suggesting that a single woman who finds herself pregnant resort to an alternative decision? As I would like to tell any and all politicians, stay out of everyones personal business. If you truly are a Southern Baptist Minister, Thank GOD I was not raised a Southern Baptist, you are incredibly judgemental. Maybe with your HUGE new home in Florida, you can open it up to all unwed mothers who are poor and uneducated and minister to their needs with love and encouragement. Its a very sad commentary on the United States of America when someone like you thinks they can run for president.
The more the Huck talks, the dumber he looks. The smart thing for him to do would be to stop talking, but I guess that won't happen.
Huckster, before you decide for sure you want to go down that road, you might want to Google "Quayle and Murphy Brown" and check out how well that worked out for him...
I think Huckabee is correct. However, will he be "fair and balanced" pointing out that former Speaker of the House, Gingrich is a symbol of degraded American values for having multiple affairs while married. I'll not hold my breath.
"There aren't really a lot of single moms out there that are making millions of dollars each year by being in a movie," Huckabee said. "I think it gives a distorted image that not everybody hires nannies and caretakers and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and would not get healthcare."
He makes the best case I've heard in years for continued funding for Planned Parenthood and other programs that support mothers and children. THANKS HUCK!!
My advice though, if you want anyone to take you seriously, is to find someone your own size to pick on; unborn babies and their moms don't deserve to get the "Holier-than-thou" treatment.
It cites Huckabee as a Baptist Minister==here is a guy who never learned the 9th commandment, or maybe they didn't teach it in his divinity school–in case he reads this== Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, or to make it simple for a simpleton ==You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Where is his views on the Newt being married three times, or the queer senator who was groping men in the bathroom? Hippocracy in the repuglican party knows no bounds.
This guy is the political answer to charlie sheen, the second dumb thing he has said this week. Can't believe someone like him could possibly make a good president.
Oh no – not pregnant and unmarried. Natalie should go talk to Newt as fast as she can for spiritual guidance. Now there is a Republican who can lead poor little Natalie to the light.
Huckabee – you are all over the place throwing out statements and waiting to see which ones will stick – Natalie is a sinner, Obama is anti American and God only knows what else – are there any adult Republicans in the party anymore or just mud throwers, liars and the misinformed
Hukabee strikes again with a ridiculous comment. Purposely saying ridiculous and irrelevant things to stir up the Christian Conservative base is out of touch with what American's really want to hear about- jobs and the economy. I'm not sure how Natalie Portman's pregnancy has anything to do with either of those. And no, most single moms can't afford the luxuries that Hollywood can (and I would argue members of Congress), yet the Repubican Party seems hell bent on cutting services to the people that need them most, while making single moms, and middle to lower class women seem like third-class citizens. That is VERY Christian of you. Good job living the double standard.
Ms. Portman need not respond to anyone regarding her personal life. She is not running for political office, nor has she held herself up as some sort of role model for American women. She is an extremely smart, well educated, hard working, tax paying citizen of this country. She won't be seeking government assistance to raise her child. Huckebee should be praising her for not aborting her child (or he should just mind hid own dang business!!). But the Huckster is following old man McCain's ill fated path to losing the presidency: rile up your base with divisive issues, lie about your opponents, and don't come up with any real solutions.
Well that's odd! When Jaime Lynn Spears was 16, unwed, and pregnant, he held her up as a paragon of virtue for keeping her baby! The hypocrisy of these right-wing religious nut cases never ceases to astound me.
Mike needs to keep his nose out of everybody else's business. She's engaged to the father of the baby and it's her private life to live – not his. I used to like Huckabee in some ways but lately he seems to have to voice his far religious right views on anything and anyone which he must be doing to 'thrill' his base – however small that is.
fatty is attacking someone for being pregnant and unmarried? look in the mirror huckabee and open up your bible to the sin of gluttony. before you judge others clean up your own house first since its obvious you're too busy judging to tend to your own sins.
I see an image of Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown.
So many things come to mind...I think I'll just call Huckabee an idiot.
Is throwing out carefully-crafted lies about the President a good, Christian way to behave Mike? Do you need the right-wing wacko vote so badly you're willing to compromise those same religious values you expect of your flock? You've lost the one virtue many of us felt made you different from the other GOP collection of nut-cases. Stop lying Mike.
And people say liberals try to run people's lives for them!
As a Baptist minister...Mr. Huckerbee..."Those without sin cast the first stone"...you sir are need to practice what you preach...
Huck, are you can enough to criticize Newt for his unfaithfulness and divorces as being against republican family values too?