Gov. Draws Ire For Concentration Camp Joke

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Quips He Lost 100 Pounds After Staying 'At A Concentration Camp'

(AP)  Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee drew criticism from a Jewish Democratic group Friday for jokingly crediting his 100-pound weight loss to a stay in a concentration camp.

Huckabee, who is considering a run for president in 2008, made the comment Wednesday on Don Imus' radio show after the host told him he looked “emaciated.”

“I have just come out of six weeks at a concentration camp held by the Democrat Party of Arkansas in an undisclosed location, making a hostage tape,” Huckabee said. “That's why I look that way.”

A spokesman for the National Jewish Democratic Council said Huckabee should apologize.

“It's insensitive, and we think making light of the Holocaust isn't something any elected official should be doing,” said David Goldenberg, deputy executive director of the Washington-based group.

Huckabee denied the comment was a reference to the Holocaust or a slight against Jews.

In a statement issued through his spokesman, he said he has visited Israel nine times and taken groups to Israel's Holocaust memorial, and “I have a great deal of respect for the Jewish people.”

“I never identified a particular kind of camp, and to make such a far-reaching statement is laughable and is the type of allegation that makes people cynical,” he added.

Huckabee, who now weighs around 185 pounds, has written a book about his weight loss and has emphasized health, diet and exercise as governor.

Callers to Imus' radio show, also telecast on MSNBC, were challenged to guess Huckabee's heaviest weight (290 pounds). The winner won $1,000.

Huckabee, who is prevented by term limits from running again and leaves office in January, has been visiting early presidential battleground states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

[bwright923]

plowhandle,
you can see a list of internment and concentration camps here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_concentration_and_internment_camps

and before you wikipedia bash you can look each of these up at other sourses.

[plowhandle]

OTHER concentration camps ?? Pray tell - where and what were they ? This Republiscum liar can't even own up to words that came out of his crooked lips.
I sincerely hope this cross-eyed cracker runs for President...his co-horts, the "Christian" fundamentalist whack jobs that seem to proliferate South of the Mason-Dixon Line, wouldn't even be able to vote HIS stupid ticket into power.

[pfoster4]

I think the comment was funny and would not apologize. It sounds as though he was just making a fun joke across party lines. A good laugh among all the complaining is refreshing.

[drgoodwin12]

Janem4 here are some of the idiotic posts
If anybody is calling for the destruction of ISRAEL,we being American should support that because it's in our interest.United States could have so many friends in that part of the world which is full of OIL if ISRAEL would not be existed on the world map,and our 3000 people would not have been killed on 9/11.Destruction of ISRAEL will solve all the problems of us Americans.But enemies of USA who don't care bout USA because of being an UNHOLY LAND don't care about USA and her interest,they care about HOLY LAND ISRAEL.They don't care about GOD-NELGECTED AMERICANS becoming victims of TERRORIST ATTACKS,but care about the GOD-CHOSEN NON AMERICAN EUROPEAN INVADERS IN PALESTINE to be protected.They don't care about our constitution which separates CHURCH from STATE but care about bible which asks GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICANS to be slaves of GOD CHOSEN NON AMERICANS and sacrifice their money and lives for their protection. Posted by patriotic9 at 07:43 AM : Oct 21, 2006

[bwright923]

i am a democrat, but come on people you don't have to asume everything is anti-semitic. There were concentration camps at many different times in history. Northerners could take offence because of civil war concentration camps of the south. I would put their condition up next to any in terms of their harshness. just google it. It was a JOKE! Had Dane Cook said the same thing, people would have laughed and went on.

[drgoodwin12]

Janem4 glad you are here please go to this story http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/20/world/main2110011.shtml
I am certain you and virtually everyone who has posted here regardless of political affilation will disagree the idiots that are agreeing with Irans leader.

[drgoodwin12]

Hey janem4 you are needed on another page where The idiot who is president of Iran is calling for the destruction of Israel.There are alot of anti jewish sentiment on that post that actually agrees with the idiot from Iran.I am being sincere.Some sound logic needs to be inserted there and you have at times displayed it.So forget the politics and go after these idiots.

[themartyred]

janem4 - what a SURPRISE - you don't have a comment about yet ANOTHER Republican saying a totally insensitive comment! First you say nothing about the illegal mailing to Latin voters in California by Republican Tan Nguyen, got sully about the reports of child molester Foley, and now you ignore the Concentration Camp humor of Gov. Huckabee! You are the one who must be very sad, because your party is so corrupt (there's not enough space to lists their offenses www.armchairsubversive.com ) I can't list all their ills!

[djconklin]

time2toss: "There's no taking this out of context. It's a complete statement, encapsulated."

Just because it is a self-contained statement that does not mean that it was not ripped from its context.

[flolake]

I watched Imus' show the morning in question and was listening to Huckabee & Imus go back & forth about Huckabee's weight loss. I am one Jew that was not offended by many comments made by both.
One should watch the Imus Show to know that Iman doesn't indulge in making light of the Holocaust.

I suppose one could read anything into anything to grab a headline or sympathy...

[newsjeff-2009]

I have a Christmas wish. I would like to see all politicans who are hot-headed,verbal cussing,or cursing,homosexual and abortion bashing attitude politicans get the boot in November. People like Trent Lott(R-sen.)of Mississipi,Conrad Burns(R-sen.)of Montana,who spoke with foul language to hard-working firefighters,The GOP congressional canidate of Calif. who sent threatening letters to immigrants in Calif.,Senator Allen of Virgina, come to my mind immediately. I may be a democrat, but I definately won't be voting for any democrat either, that has to resort to using foul language or racial words directed at people to impress voters.

[bluestardad]

Remember there is a special gift for those of you who vote Republican, Mr. Foley%u2019s Special %u201CPage Probe Soap on a Rope%u201D guaranteed to help you achieve Mission Accomplished, especially made for those of you who are having trouble Staying the Course.

Special Note: This product will be discretely delivered in plain brown paper wrapping complete with plausible deniability and I do not recall disclaimer instructions. If you act right now you will get a free meeting with that Chief of Chicken Hawks, Pontiff of Pork, that great Salivating Swine, Rush Linbaugh.

[time2toss]

%u201CI have just come out of six weeks at a concentration camp held by the Democrat Party of Arkansas in an undisclosed location, making a hostage tape,%u201D Huckabee said. %u201CThat's why I look that way.%u201D

This is ignorant. There's no taking this out of context. It's a complete statement, encapsulated.

In the commercial sector, talk like this would be of very poor taste, and could be cause for a lawsuit if the statement were made in the presence of certain people.

The United States has had enough of a president who talks and then, perhaps, thinks of what he said. Let's do the world a favor and not repeat that mistake in 2008.

[drgoodwin12]

I do not know which is more offensive the govenors remarks or Agnim post.Both are in poor taste.This buffoon wants to run for president.How many more idiots can we afford to elect?

[agnim]

Maybe the complainers were thinking of the camps that the Israelis are now holding the Palestinians and Lebanese people that they are constantly kidnapping?