The Truth-O-Meter on Huckabee’s claims about single mothers

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a possible contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, stirred up a firestorm when he criticized movie star Natalie Portman, who is pregnant and not married.

After receiving criticism, Huckabee posted the following comment on the website of HuckPac, his political action committee.
       
“In a recent media interview about my new book, A Simple Government, I discussed the first chapter, ‘The Most Important Form of Government Is a Father, Mother, and Children,’” he wrote.  “I was asked about Oscar-winner Natalie Portman’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Natalie is an extraordinary actor, very deserving of her recent Oscar, and I am glad she will marry her baby’s father. However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not ‘slam’ or ‘attack’ Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country. My comments were about the statistical reality that most single moms are very poor, under-educated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death. That’s the story that we’re not seeing, and it’s unfortunate that society often glorifies and glamorizes the idea of having children out of wedlock.”

We thought it would be worth checking into the “statistical reality” of single mothers. We ended up rating Huckabee’s statement Barely True.