Our favorite pastor turned pill pusher turned politician is having a senior moment regarding his old buddy Josh Duggar of America's finest reality show, 19 Kids and Counting. Remember when that panoply of wholesome family fun was sullied earlier this year by the revelation that a teenaged Josh molested several underage girls, including four of his sisters? Well, you might recall how you reacted to that news, but Mike Huckabee is a little fuzzy about his response. Here's his latest take, via BuzzFeed:
“I really didn’t support Josh,” Huckabee told Iowa radio host Simon Conway on Dec. 23. “I supported his parents, if you’ll go back and look at what I said. There’s no support for what he did.”
Hmm ... let's see if we can jog the memory. Where, oh where could we find a refresher?? Oh, right, the Huckster's very own Facebook page, where he wrote a virtual tome (by FB standards) on the matter just a day after the allegations first surfaced.
Janet and I want to affirm our support for the Duggar family. Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, 'inexcusable,' but that doesn’t mean 'unforgivable.' ... No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story. Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things. ... No one needs to defend Josh’s actions as a teenager, but the fact that he confessed his sins to those he harmed, sought help, and has gone forward to live a responsible and circumspect life as an adult is testament to his family’s authenticity and humility. ... It is such times as this, when real friends show up and stand up. Today, Janet and I want to show up and stand up for our friends. Let others run from them. We will run to them with our support.
Oh, Huckster—you slay me! Josh is just "good people" who was targeted by a “blood-thirsty media" that was "sensationalizing" his misdeeds even though he's now living "a responsible and circumspect life."
Next thing you know, Huckster will be claiming to be a man of god. Lol.
Here is the Huckster's full post …
Janet and I want to affirm our support for the Duggar family. Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, 'inexcusable,' but that doesn’t mean 'unforgivable.' He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and the authorities. No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story. Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things. The reason that the law protects disclosure of many actions on the part of a minor is that the society has traditionally understood something that today’s blood-thirsty media does not understand—that being a minor means that one's judgement is not mature. No one needs to defend Josh’s actions as a teenager, but the fact that he confessed his sins to those he harmed, sought help, and has gone forward to live a responsible and circumspect life as an adult is testament to his family’s authenticity and humility. Those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sins in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive bloodthirst, for there was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed—not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims. Janet and I love Jim Bob and Michelle and their entire family. They are no more perfect a family than any family, but their Christian witness is not marred in our eyes because following Christ is not a declaration of our perfection, but of HIS perfection. It is precisely because we are all sinners that we need His grace and His forgiveness. We have been blessed to receive God’s love and we would do no less than to extend our love and support for our friends. In fact, it is such times as this, when real friends show up and stand up. Today, Janet and I want to show up and stand up for our friends. Let others run from them. We will run to them with our support.