Mike Huckabee Defends Michelle Obama Against Sarah Palin (AUDIO)

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee took a moment on Tuesday to counter Sarah Palin's recent claim that Michelle Obama is out to rob children and parents of their rights to eat dessert.

"With all due respect to my colleague and friend Sarah Palin, I think she's misunderstood what Michelle Obama is trying to do," Huckabee said Tuesday during a radio appearance the "Curtis Sliwa Show."

On Sunday's episode of "Sarah Palin's Alaska," the state's former governor quipped on a camping trip that she planned to make her family s'mores "in honor of Michelle Obama, who said the other day we should not have dessert," an apparent jab at the first lady's anti-obesity campaign, which does include, among other things, an encouragement that American families attempt to find dessert replacements.

Huckabee, who has struggled with weight issues himself and had taken up marathon running and managed to lose significant weight through exercise (another staple of Michelle Obama's initiative), wanted to make clear that the program is not, as Palin has claimed, simply a move to try to get big government on "our back."

"Michelle Obama's not trying to tell people what to eat or not trying to force the government's desires on people," Huckabee said. "She's stating the obvious, that we do have an obesity problem in this country."

According to an analysis from the CDC:

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.

Huckabee then expressed some worry that America's armed forces would be seriously crippled by the ongoing issue of obesity, and explained that the problem started with a system of incentives in which children received sugary foods for good behavior and were punished with vegetables.

LISTEN:

Comments

[DianeBkht]

01:22 AM on 12/29/2010

I have to admit I am getting really sick of hearing time after time on how Sarah Palin MISUNDERSTOOD what someone was trying to say! How many times does it take for this woman to constantly make mistakes? We should all look to Alaska when it comes to Sarah Palin! Her popularity stinks there! Sarah Palin for some reason wants to pick a fight with Michele Obama and I pray Mrs. Obama keeps ignoring her uneducated comments! We the public have wittnessed Sarah Palin goof up many times, and somehow the nutty side of America continue to hold her up and $upport her craziness. While 1/2 Gov. of Alaska, Sarah Palin signed bills she had no idea as to what they were...and when told, she rolls with the MISUNDERSTANDING of it all. This woman is not Presidential Material and is too busy trying to climb the ladder of wealth. I am sure when someone tells her how much money President Obama brings home, she will jump ship! Hopefully she will then concentrate on how to be a Mother who cares and feed her children more healthier foods due to the youngest needing a healthy diet.

[Cherie Lyon]

04:53 PM on 12/28/2010

I like Mike. Maybe not for prez, but as usual his diplomacy is showing.

[macohmz]

12:35 AM on 12/27/2010

She talks of war as a political strategy without regard for what war does to the body and soul. You'd think she would understand differently with a son in the military.

[UhGuessWhat]

07:42 PM on 12/26/2010

Palin's hostile and impulsive statements against Michelle's commitment to preventive medicine-health practice-health behaviors is alarming. It's not new that Palin has shown her lack of intelligence and inferior reasoning ability as she has put them on the table for the past 2 years for all of us to see. Her statement abut Michelle's commitment to educate and help nation's parents and teachers, and children to be aware of the ever increasing and dangerous childhood obesity borders intellectual retardation. How pathetic could a woman be?

[ArbitorA]

03:01 AM on 12/26/2010

If the First Lady walked on water, Sarah Palin would complain that Michelle did not know how to swim.

[littlebrowngirl]

10:45 PM on 12/25/2010

We already know that palin supports adult stupidity.

[Bigleague]

02:55 PM on 12/25/2010

I really want to go on television and say nasty things about Sarah Palin.
Of course the things I would say would be true. Unlike anything Sarah Palin says.
She is so obnoxious it's actually painful.
I am so beyond sick of her. She truly has no value whatsoever.

[Longtimeliberal]

01:05 PM on 12/25/2010

Maybe the unwarranted attacks will stop? One can hope.

[onecrazyprogressive]

09:55 AM on 12/25/2010

Anybody else notice the removal of "Comments in Moderation"? Why'd they get rid of that? Too many people complaining? I know I've complained about the Mod's holding so many back. Now we don't SEE how many are held back.
What is the reason for that H P? I'd really like to know...but won't hold my breath waiting for an answer. I'd end up D E A D from lack of Oxygen....

[onecrazyprogressive]

08:33 AM on 12/25/2010

Sarah Palin Unfazed by Childhood Obesity. Writer and editor Andrea Higbie once warned that the country would have to get over its addiction to Sarah Palin. She put it this way:

"As with any other addiction, people who need their daily Palin fix should expect to experience withdrawal pains from the daily headlines, the talk-show hilarity and all the communal fun they’ve come to count on to feed their daily habit.

http://tinyurl.com/28ml55o

[mateoconifer]

08:27 AM on 12/25/2010

Obesity and all that comes with it is probably the single most important issue for our youth. Palin clearly doesn't care about children of others because she is willing to use their health for her own ill gotten gain. The single most important thing we can do to curb obesity in this country is to do away with the hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to the sugar industry. Jeb Bush has a big hand in the obesity of our nation with his deals with big sugar too. Eminent domain would be the best way to take back the land that sugar uses in florida rather than give them hundreds of millions of dollars for it.

[P Markham72]

08:04 AM on 12/25/2010

Michelle Obama could say the grass is green and Palin would make every effort to say she is wrong. Give up the grudge, I have so much less respect for her, not that there was a whole lot to begin with but....

[Keith Moslak]

07:48 AM on 12/25/2010

Sarah's word salads seem to help her keep slim and trim.

[Gigi Jacobs]

07:14 AM on 12/25/2010

I'm sure I'll be yelled at for this one. But I find it refreshing when a republican explains that the propaganda about the first lady and other dems are not necessarily true. I am not speaking of Huckabee in full context for I'm not familiar with the man. I just know that moments of honesty are nice when someone either gets it wrong......or is just out to be a bit of a smart mouth. It's these kinds of misconceptions that had Palin documented all over talking about Obama death panels, when the only politician to practice death panel so far is the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer. How funny that the death panel was on the other foot. Jan I hope you enjoy your job. It's only putting people to their death. Maybe a bit more refreshing news from Huckabee will save the day on that one too. Either way, honesty it was by Huckabee. I think that's all we dems are asking for. Thank you!

[miesque]

06:29 AM on 12/25/2010

Huckabee just about summed up everything Sarah Palin ever says in two words ". . . she misunderstood." Ya think?