Mike Huckabee and Smoking

Ann Coulter, being the raving lunatic that she is, recently attacked Gov. Huckabee for supporting a smoking ban. For this, she called him a Democrat and equated him with Mike Gravel.

Somehow, she’s trying to make the case that Gov. Huckabee isn’t more conservative than Rudy Giuliani. Of course … I understand. Being anti-smoking is almost as bad as being pro-choice, pro-gun control, and for gay marriage, right? It’s so clear now.

Seriously …

First of all, let me discuss my bias. I lost a grandfather to smoking. I don’t use the kind of language that I would have to use to describe my feelings for the tobacco industry. I have neither forgotten nor forgiven the messages, right up through the early 90’s, questioning the science that says smoking is dangerous. How many times did those executives appear, claiming that no credible studies indicated health risks from smoking and/or second hand smoke?

Some argue that this kind of policy is “nanny-state” thinking and isn’t conservative.

Let’s be honest about it. Let’s deal with the … pardon the expression … elephant in the room.

Smoking kills people. Lots of people.

Numbers vary, but the fact is that smoking kills about 1,000 Americans each day. That’s more than al-Qaeda could hope to kill, for the record. Second-hand smoke causes all kinds of problems, and smoking by pregnant women causes more problems. Remember those unborn babies that we want to protect from aborticians? We should probably protect them from smokers, too, don’t you think?

Of course, there is all of that money to be had from political contributions …

(From the Center for Responsive Politics)

Make no mistake. I’m all in favor of companies spend their money on contributions. But let’s at least be honest about it. The GOP is getting a lot of money to support the tobacco industry.

Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t some kind of conservative principle that is keeping discussion of tobacco off the table. Maybe it’s those millions of dollars.

After all, we as conservatives do believe that we have the authority to regulate certain behavior. Drugs, prostitution, etc. are not things that most of us are inclined toward legalizing.

In this case, he’s talking about banning smoking in workplaces. Something that clearly affects other people.

There’s nothing unconservative about this kind of thing, and certainly nothing wrong with it. Ann Coulter and other anti-anti-smoking zealots have lost sight of the libertarian side of their argument and are simply ranting irrationally — or, in some cases, to protect the money.