In the past few months, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour — a potential Republican presidential candidate — praised the notorious pro-segregationist Citizen Councils that operated in his youth and refused to denounce efforts in his state to create a license plate honoring Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest. But according to former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), who may also be posturing for a presidential run, Barbour’s record on race issues is “impeccable.”
On a conference call today with reporters about his new book, “A Simple Government,” Huckabee defended Barbour and even went so far as to describe him as the smartest political mind in America today. “I’m not going to criticize Haley,” he said, calling Barbour a friend.
“I would never be critical of Haley and would not second guess his experiences,” he said.
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