Haley Barbour's Political Beliefs

The current governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour has worked in politics for almost his adult life, taking a semester off from college to work for Richard Nixon's 1968 election campaign. A past chairman of the Republican National Committee and the founder of the BGR Group, a powerful Washington lobbying firm (named the most powerful in the country in 2001 by Fortune magazine), Barbour is thought by many political experts to be a potential candidate for the Republican Presidential Nomination in 2012. But what are Governor Barbour political beliefs? This hub will attempt to provide an unbiased look at the Governor's beliefs on the most important political issues that will shape the 2012 presidential campaigns.

1. Health Care: Governor Barbour is an opponent of the Health Care Reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in 2009 because he believes it "will burden small business with expensive mandates." He has criticized the bill for going "too far, too fast, too soon," and has expressed his belief that any health care reform bill should include tort reform to limit the number of medical malpractice cases (a cause Barbour himself has championed as governor of Mississippi).

2. Economic Growth/Taxes: In 2009, Barbour refused some of the stimulus money designated for unemployment benefits that was given to Mississippi by the federal government. He generally has opposed all tax increases as Governor of Mississippi, including opposing an increase in the cigarette tax while running for his first term for governor in 2003. during his 2007 re-election campaign, Barbour signed a pledge sponsored by the conservative group "Americans for Tax Reform" promising to not raise any taxes. Barbour has consistently expressed opposition for raising any taxes, preferring to close budget deficits through spending cuts.

3. Energy Policy: Barbour is strongly opposed to any restrictions on offshore oil drilling, a stance which he affirmed in the wake of the BP oil spill disaster in the summer of 2010. In June 2010, Barbour told reporters "the biggest impact for us has been the news coverage" when asked about the spill's impact on Mississippi's gulf coast. Barbour generally believes in increased domestic production of oil in order to promote energy security.

4. Foreign Policy/War on Terrorism: While he has not made many specific statements on this topic, Barbour generally has supported the conduct of the war on terrorism by both Presidents Bush and Obama.

5. Social Issues: Governor Barbour is social conservative. He has specifically banned any health care plans that cover abortions from participating in insurance exchanges run in Mississippi as part of the Health Care Reform Bill. Barbour also signed a bill in 2007 that will criminalize abortion in Mississippi should Roe vs. Wade be overturned by the Supreme Court. Barbour is also an opponent of gay marriage and civil unions.

6. Gun Control: Governor Barbour is a strong supporter the right to bear arms. During his last campaign for governor in 2007, Barbour stated, "I will not support any proposal that infringes on the rights of law-abiding gun owners."