Mike Huckabee: GOP Should 'Congratulate' Obama, Pass His Student Loan Proposal

WASHINGTON -- On Friday morning the New York Times reported that President Barack Obama will launch an "all-out push" to persuade lawmakers to keep interest rates on federal student loans at current, low levels. The rates are set to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1. And with nearly 8 million students relying on loans each year, the financial burden would be daunting.

The politics aren't bad, either. The administration's push to pressure Congress included Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appearing at the White House daily briefing on Friday.

"The facts are very, very simple," said Duncan. "This [lowered rate] passed in 2007 with broad bipartisan support. It was signed by a Republican president. We all understand that if we want to keep jobs in this country -- we're not competing in our little districts and in our states -- we're competing against India and China and Singapore and South Korea. And if we want to keep those good jobs here, we have to have an educated workforce."

The expectation, so far, is that Republicans will balk. As Duncan spoke, Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, released a statement saying that the White House hadn't said where it would get $6 billion to keep federal interest rates at their current level.

But not everyone in the GOP tent is excited about dragging their heals. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, appearing on Fox News Friday afternoon, had this to say about the possibility the interest rate doubling on student loans:

It should not happen, because it would be the essence of a tax increase. When the economy is in the kind of shape that it is in right now and particularly when it is very difficult for a lot of people to get to college and more importantly to get a job when they get out, the worst thing you can do is to say while you are down, here is number 13 shoe, let me put in your back side. That is just not going happen.

Huckabee went on to suggest that in exchange for giving in on the loan issue, Republicans should demand that the president extend the Bush tax cuts -- a remarkably unbalanced and unlikely trade. But even then, his advice to fellow GOPers -- "Get out in front of the issue. Congratulate the president for bringing it up." -- is noteworthy. The former governor remains one of the most prominent, self-avowed compassionate conservatives in the Republican tent. And by coming out in favor of extending the interest rate cut, he sets a philosophical marker of sorts for Mitt Romney.

Comments

[illinoiswendy]

06:18 AM on 04/22/2012

We are giving FREE education to foreign students who in some cases come from unfriendly lands, but punishing our own kids with ridiculous tuition costs to pay for unqualified liberal professors who work at most 4-8 hours a week
for hundreds of thousands in salary and benefits

[quipped]

02:15 PM on 04/23/2012

that is false. Professors are not unqualified, as they have to achieve high levels of academic success to become professors. Have you ever tired applying for tenure track teaching job at a university? they are incredibly difficult to get. As someone that has both a bachelors degree and terminal masters, i can tell you that teaching, even at a assistant level, is demanding and strenuous. Universities also demand that they're faculty serve on committees and boards, often totaling their weekly load far about 8 hours a week. They often work upwards of 80. I have met few faculty members who make hundreds of thousands of dollars. University presidents often make that much, but professors? try between 40 and 100.

[illinoiswendy]

06:25 AM on 04/24/2012

WRONG WRONG WRONG .For a white person YES you are correct,but if you are BLACK your skin color gets you in everywhere WITHOUT being qualified.
This is what is wrong with the law

[WhatWhat1]

06:06 PM on 04/21/2012

In a recent interview Mitt Romney stated emphatically that he is for against this policy because he is neutral on it.

[SteveSFM]

04:51 PM on 04/21/2012

Four-year college should be available for no cost. Grad school should be available in exchange for a few years of work at a modest salary for the disadvantaged.

You wanna talk about a boon to the economy? There's one right there.

[WhatWhat1]

06:07 PM on 04/21/2012

Fanned with enthusiasm!

[illinoiswendy]

06:14 AM on 04/22/2012

Right now because of Affirmative action and preferential treatment you have thousands of blacks attending schools for FREE even though they don't qualify scholastically .
Thousands of qualified students are turned down to make room for blacks who in some cases cant even write their own name.This is one of the reasons we are so far down in achievement.In Germany it costs approximately 650 euros per semester,but you better believe you have to be qualified scholastically to attend.Our system makes no sense since we are trying to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear in letting unqualified students attend and refusing qualified ones just because race

[jgaverr]

11:46 AM on 04/22/2012

What about" legacy students" who get in to universities for FREE or half price just on the basis of being born into a certain family despite lacking scholastic standards??? Your "facts" are convieniently short sighted and assuming...

[quipped]

02:18 PM on 04/23/2012

wow. you really have no idea what you are talking about. Affirmative action does not allow underqualified candidates to be admitted before those who are more qualified based on race. Affirmative action allows a member of a minority to be accepted into an institution only when they are equally qualified with a white candidate. There are programs that accept students that may have been academically disadvantaged, but they are being admitted to enrich the value of the education for all, as a student who is exposed to many walks of life will have a better and more full filing educational experience.

[Chicagofan1]

12:03 PM on 04/21/2012

The only place I can get a good coverage of CPAC is on here.
Thank you.

[treadway123]

11:07 AM on 04/21/2012

Education is way to high in any of our colleges an universities! The students aren't paying the cost of their education alone, but the cost of them wasted money on their grand offices/foot ball teams/track an all sports offered FREE on the backs of students who don't even participate. It is the same in our State Public H.Schools.

[WhatWhat1]

06:09 PM on 04/21/2012

Sports participation adds considerably to the university experience, so I believe the expense is usually justified. Also, many football programs are a net positive (financially) for their universities.
Are there problems? No doubt.

[treadway123]

12:25 AM on 04/22/2012

If u can't keep the cost of the Education down than the sports need to be cut out. Our Dang school is footing the Bill for a Brand new Foot ball Bus(all fancy too), an we are losing $89,000. of Fed money next yr an were a SMALL school.

[Consumer99]

10:21 AM on 04/21/2012

Government, at least the republican government no longer cares about keeping jobs here, in America. All the big business companies supporting republicans know there is more money to be made over seas, outsourcing, and a potential consumer billions times larger then America. Got it.
It's all over. Trickle down goes to china, India and 3rd world countries where labor is $1.20 an hour.

[xcitemint]

12:02 PM on 04/21/2012

The sad part of this saga is that while you are touching on the problem you are tagging one party when in fact it is both parties. Bill Clinton signed the trade agreements that started moving the factories offshore which in turn took the jobs with them. Both parties have successfully divided the people - while we argue amongst ourselves the politicians and the banks loot the system. If you really believe the Democrats are looking out for us tell me why it is that nothing has been done to the criminals on Wall Street. One thousand investigators were assigned to investigate the S&L scandal in the 80's, many including executives were charged and convicted. This crisis had 55 investigators assigned with 0 charged and 0 convicted!! The S&L crisis was $150 Billion and the latest crisis is in the Trillions. Are you going to tell me that the Democrats are looking out for us?

[bellmiad179]

04:05 PM on 04/21/2012

"...why it is that nothing has been done to the criminals on W/S"
I'll just offer this, if it will phase your way of thinking; the recent 26Billions extracted from the top banks who were responsible for the 2008 near-crash of the economy was a start from this administration. These monies have been put to use toward helping some of the victims to these gougers; one of my peers has benefited from these funds dispersed toward saving mortgages from foreclosures.
Why do you think the republicans are working so hard to gain the W/H? They DON"T want regulation coming down on these big banks. If they have their way, they want to go back to cheating and stealing from the Amreican middle-class in order to keep hoarding profits and giving themselves the huge bonuses they were accustomed to getting during the Bush perks era.
Those offshore agreements you credit Clinton wtih signing; there's a difference between foreign trade where we definitely benefit from, and the other form of totally sending ALL jobs/plants/businesses to foreign countries in order to avoid paying shipping fees; American taxes and wages - this verring off of this policy was definitely promoted by the greedy extreme rightwing. Are you really not aware, or are you "spinning" the facts?

[Lahonda]

10:12 AM on 04/21/2012

We'll give you 6 Billion if you give us a hundred Billion? Only in Arkansas does that make sense. Pass this measure because it helps students who vote.

[lizmckenzie55]

11:41 AM on 04/21/2012

"Pass this measure because it helps students who vote."

That's the problem for the GOP ... students tend to vote Democrat. All of the Voter ID Laws make it hardest for students, the poor, and seniors (who are often also the poor) to vote.

[Mike Rock]

09:53 AM on 04/21/2012

All student loan debt could be forgiven if we had a wealth cap of $100 million. All health care and education could be free. Our infrastructure could be modernized. We could get off fossil fuels. We could retrain all the workers in the parasite industries of finance to work in productive, useful sectors such as transportation, energy, education, and health care, and we could dismantle the cancerous financial industry that feeds off of us without producing anything of use ...

IMAGINE.

[xcitemint]

10:29 AM on 04/21/2012

You really are not thinking clearly - I will stop working and live off of freebies before I have a bunch of parasites attach themselves to me and suck out all of "freebies" you are dreaming of. After the money is gone and I don't get any more freebies I might go back to work.

[bellmiad179]

04:15 PM on 04/21/2012

Something tells me you may be one of those bigger parasites. The real parasites are the wealthiest top few who have been benefiting from income growth through out this whole recession while the middle-class is disappearing and the poor gets poorer.
Those are your real parasites. Refusing to contribute their fair share of revenue toward our country, so the less fortunate bare the brunt of hits. Don't even go there with the word "freebies"; no less fortunate is getting freebies, they paid and earned only to have it taken away to give to the richest; look at Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago; Ohio; there are plenty of visual aids for your convenience as evidence of what these RW apostles across the nation are doing. Job Killing policies caused by draconian budget cuts only to turn around and reward the wealthy "donors" if you will, with larger tax cuts - as if they needed them! Open your eyes.

[Mike Rock]

09:56 AM on 04/22/2012

Bellmiad is exactly right in responding to your kneejerk reaction. And they're not "freebies>" ALL of the productive industries that could be funded if we de-fund the parasite industries of finance, insurance, etc., would PUT PEOPLE TO WORK. We have millions of "jobs" available because we have trillions and trillions of dollars' worth of work to do fixing the mess than untrammeled, unregulated, environmentally disastrous capitalism has created!

[SteveSFM]

04:49 PM on 04/21/2012

I like your thinking. F/F

[bellmiad179]

10:34 PM on 04/21/2012

Right back atcha, Steve; like your thoughts - well constructed.

[Mike Rock]

09:51 AM on 04/21/2012

Here's the truth: The Plutocrats don't want an educated America. They can hire engineers from India more cheaply. Furthermore, if Americans were more educated, they'd NEVER vote for the Republican or Tea Party side: The working Americans who do vote for them are, let's face it, unable to calculate the difference between 1% and 99% ...

[roads]

10:05 AM on 04/21/2012

Spot on.......

[bellmiad179]

04:19 PM on 04/21/2012

So true; and the republicans count on their ignorance. Look how Romney tried to retract the fact that HE ELICITED Ted Nugent's endorsement; inspite of the fact he probably wouldn't want to be seen standing next to him. BUT.... he wants their votes; this mentally challenged few nut-bags who don't have the confidence to exist without packing at least four or five guns on their person. He's literally scouring the bottom of the barrel, so to speak for supporters.

[ethicsbob88]

09:41 AM on 04/21/2012

Why does it cost $6 billion to have the interest rate at 6.8 percent when the Fed hands out money to the banks at 0.5 percent?

[Sundiszno]

09:31 AM on 04/21/2012

3.4% reduction on student loans in exchange for 4.6% reduction on the highest income margin rate. Compassionate conservative -- for the rich.

[Erin Totosz]

09:26 AM on 04/21/2012

This is a PERFECT example of the right screwing the working class so they can hold on to their precious tax cuts. I am a student with one of these loans right now - also working full time and supporting a family. How can the republicans, in good conscience, use people like me to lower the deficit, while continuing to let their rich constituents swim in piles of money like Scrooge McDuck? Oh, I just answered my own question - THEY DON'T HAVE A CONSCIENCE!!!

[Chicagofan1]

12:05 PM on 04/21/2012

You went to the wrong school.

[ruthtruth]

09:21 AM on 04/21/2012

IMO the TP/GOP would rather slit their own throats then congratulate the President or support this. If they get the boot in November just think of all the good things that Congress could do with Obama at the helm. By the way Huck, weren't you lying about the President a while back?

[exhale09]

09:05 AM on 04/21/2012

When GW Bush took office after 8 years of Clinton's leadership, Conservatives sold their tax cuts for the rich plan, passing $2+ TRILLION $ tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

1. George Bush said (I remember it well) Because the Government now had a "surplus" THAT meant the Government had been taking too much of the people's tax $, and REPUBLICANS wanted to return the money to the tax payers.

Think on THAT for awhile.

2. Republicans said the tax CUTS for rich people, were TEMPORARY and would end in TEN years.

3. and the tax cuts were a JOB CREATION INCENTIVE to the wealthy JOB CREATORS.

We had just come out of 8 years of the Clinton Administration who had achieved 23,000,000 jobs created, AND a projected surplus, WITHOUT cutting taxes for the rich.

4. Just before the end of Clinton's Presidency, Republicans passed a Bill REPEALING Glass-Steagal (regulations on Lending institutions keeping them relatively HONEST for decades.(Clinton stupidly signed this Bill)

So Bush began HIS leadership, without REGULATIONS in place, and cutting 2+ trillion $ in taxes on the rich, thus eliminating the SURPLUS (which Clinton said would be used to help shore up our Social Security Program for the future)

8 years of Bush/Republican ideas and leadership...

No surplus.
Social Security in future trouble.
ONLY 3 million jobs created in 8 years by the tax cut beneficiaries.
Economic Collapse by Sept 2008 due to UNETHICAL "unregulated" Lending Institutions.
MILLIONS of Jobs lost.

[Midnight Cry]

09:09 AM on 04/21/2012

Remember 9/11, and Nancy Pelosi?

[MadJeffersonian]

09:48 AM on 04/21/2012

Yeah. We remember 9/11 happening on Bush's watch after the administration ignored the bin Laden memo. Richard Clarke, part of the administration and ridiculed within it, is still the only person that ever apologized for not doing enough.

[WhatWhat1]

06:50 PM on 04/21/2012

Everybody here knows that you can't dispute one single word that exhale just posted. Instead you had to go Republican on us and try to shift the blame to ANYONE but the culprit.
I'd say nice try, but it was pretty weak.

[gochenaur8]

09:38 AM on 04/21/2012

A very well written comment and truthful.

[mamala4]

08:57 AM on 04/21/2012

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, released a statement saying that the White House hadn't said where it would get $6 billion to keep federal interest rates at their current level.
HOW ABOUT CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES? HOW ABOUT CUTTING THE SUBSIDIES TO THE OIL COMPANIES? HOW ABOUT LETTING THE BUSH TAX CUTS EXPIRE? HOW ABOUT CUTTING YOUR SALARIES?