Huckabee: Fanning ‘May Be Very Qualified,’ But Obama ‘So Into Symbolism’

Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee stated that while Eric Fanning, President Obama’s nominee to be Army secretary “may be very qualified,” and should be nominated if he is qualified, Obama is “so into symbolism” on Monday’s “Mornings with Maria” on the Fox Business Network.

Huckabee stated, [relevant exchange begins around 1:10] “Listen, he may be very qualified for the job, and if he is, then nominate him because he’s qualified to lead the Army, not because of sexual orientation.”

When asked if there was any indication that Fanning’s nomination was due to anything other than his qualification, Huckabee answered, “Well, why are they making such a big deal and talking about it? What difference does it make? I had people who were gay who worked on my staff, who have served in my administration when I was governor. I never went around saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got some homosexuals that are working for me.’ What’s the point? If they’re qualified, hire them. But hire them on the basis of qualification. My point is, that a person’s sexual orientation is not a qualification, and I just think this president is so into symbolism, so into trying to prove to everybody that he’s this open-minded guy, maybe he’s trying to make up for the fact that until, gosh, what, just three years ago, he still took the position that many of us do, and that is that marriage, for example, is the biblical issue, and that it is between a man and a woman. He had this sudden revelation that it’s not that way anymore. And I just feel like that the president has made this such an agenda, and the agenda for the military is to focus on the best qualified people, because we’re talking about life and death issues. And if he thinks Eric Fanning is the best for the job, nominate him, but leave his sexual orientation out of it.”

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