On a conference call with reporters today, On a conference call with reporters today, Jonathan Stein of Mother Jones asked Mike Huckabee if he's a Christian Reconstructionist. (Christian reconstructionists believe, in a nutshell, that the Constitution should be replaced with Old Testament biblical law.) Huckabee denied that he is, adding, "I'm not really one that that's identified with a reconstructionist movement and basically believe we should spend more time simply trying to be more responsible citizens in our own right, not to rebuild a certain type of kingdom, but simply to make sure government is effective and fair and efficient for everybody." That was a pretty milquetoast answer considering the company Huckabee keeps, as even Robert Novak noted with concern , last month, Christian Reconstructionists comprise Huckabee's base. Janet Folger, the co-chair of Huckabee's faith and values coalition, is a protege of the late televangelist D. James Kennedy, who also denied being a reconstructionist but, like Huckabee, associated himself with its proponents and teachings. And Star Parker, another Huckabee backer, endorsed Christian Reconstructionist granddaddy R.J. Rushdoony in her speech at the Values Voters Summit, in which she wrapped her version of reconstructionism in an anti-tax extremist blanket: "taxes are not biblical." It's hard to deny that the politicized, conservative evangelical movement is heavily influenced by reconstructionism, even if it hasn't adopted all of its principles. And given Huckabee's friends and fundraisers, it's as disingenuous for Huckabee to say he's not influenced by reconstructionists and reconstructionism as it would have been for Bush to say he wasn't influenced by Texas oilmen. --Sarah Posner
