Hewitt: The Democrats in Congress have the majorities. They sent it forward. If that bill landed on your desk as president, would you veto it?

Huckabee: But once again, Hugh, who frames the issue wins the debate. If you’re the president of the United States, you can frame the issue, because you have the bully pulpit. The one thing, the reason Bill Clinton was so effective against a Republican Congress was because there was one of him and there was 535 members of Congress. Their message is divided, the president’s isn’t. So a president has to be able to use the power of his office and to be the Communicator in Chief, and not just the Commander in Chief. It’s one of the most important single roles that a president has. 

Hewitt: Governor, I think the audience has a right to a very clear answer on an easy question. If that SCHIP bill is on your desk, do you sign it or do you veto it?

Huckabee: Hugh, it sounds like an easy question, but I’m telling you, I wouldn’t have allowed that bill to get to my desk in that form. It needed to be vetoed financially, because it was a terrible bill from the standpoint of $35 billion dollars. Politically, it was a very unfortunate thing to have to veto, because it only makes Republicans look like they don’t care about kids. That’s the mistake. The political mistake of getting there was a disaster, and the Republicans have to accept responsibility for that. 

Hewitt: And the last question is, do you support a federal ban on smoking as has been alleged?

Huckabee: No, I don’t. I support workplace clean air. But a federal ban on smoking would mean that you couldn’t smoke in your own home. I don’t care what people do in their home. But in a workplace, in our state, we passed a law which I’m very proud of, and that said that people have a right to have clean air at the workplace.

I did not support a ban just in restaurants and bars because frankly, I think that the problem with that is that you’re punishing the customers. But what you have a right to do is to protect the workers in the same way you do from radon gas and a host of other carcinogens and toxic fumes, which is exactly what tobacco smoke is. 

Hewitt: Well, I understand that from the state side, but I’m talking about the federal lawmakers getting involved in this and imposing on states a uniform standard. Do you … just for the workplace. Do you support federal laws mandating standards for workplace non-smoke environments? 

Huckabee: I personally would on the workplace issue. If there are two or more people, and as long as anyone under the age of 21 worked in that place, there ought to be some protections for them. 

Hewitt: Thank you, Governor Mike Huckabee, always a pleasure. 

Hugh Hewitt is host of the nationally syndicated “Hugh Hewitt Show” and executive editor of Townhall.com. Listen to Hugh’s full interview with Governor Huckabee at Townhall.com. Contact Hugh at hugh@hughhewitt.com.