Posted on 12/01/2009 10:49:21 AM PST by Mount Athos
Under fire for commuting the sentence of suspected cop-killer Maurice Clemmons, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday called some of the criticisms disgusting and suggested they were attempts to score political points.
It really does show how sick our society has become that people are more concerned about a campaign three years from now than those grieving families in Washington, Huckabee said during an interview on Joe Scarboroughs radio show. It is disgusting, but people use anything as a political weapon.
Huckabee granted Clemmons, a suspect in the killings of four police officers in Washington state over the weekend, clemency in 2001. He had served 11 years in prison after being sentenced at the age of 18 to 60 years in prison for burglary and theft and was set to serve the 60 years, in addition to the 48 years he was already serving on five felony counts.
After his sentence was commuted, Clemmons was paroled by an Arkansas board and moved to Washington in 2004, where he was charged with eight felonies prior to gunning down the police officers in a coffee shop.
Clemmons was shot and killed Tuesday morning by an officer investigating a stolen car.
Huckabee has been thrashed in the right-wing blogosphere by leading online conservative voices who have criticized his commutation of Clemmons sentence.
In addition, Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty one of Huckabees potential challengers for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 said Tuesday that he would not have granted Clemmons clemency if he had been in Huckabees position.
I don't think I've ever voted for clemency, Pawlenty told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. Weve given out pardons for things after everybody has served out their term, but again, usually for more minor offenses. But clemency? Certainly not. Commutation of sentence? Certainly not.
Huckabee defended his choice to grant the Arkansas felon clemency by insisting that Clemmons original sentence went too far.
If he were a white kid from an upper middle class family he would have gotten a lawyer and some counseling, Huckabee said. But because he was a young black kid he got 108 years.
Huckabee said the sentence was far disproportionate from any other punishment in Arkansas at the time for a similar crime.
Its a lot easier to be a pundit or a commentator or a blogger than to govern the state and have to make tough decisions, he said. People are talking about this from a political standpoint, but what they need to be asking is how did the system break down?
What absolute pap. Pure, unadulterated BS.
Facts are facts. Wake up. While you claim we are “wrongly trashing” a huge link in the chain of reasons these four officers are now dead.....it is actually YOU who are “wrongly trashing” those of us who have viewed the FACTS and aren’t sitting around sticking up for our “choice” of presidential candidates as you are.
He belongs in a pulpit, not in a seat of power that puts law enforcement and the public in danger.
Huckabee released more than 700 criminals in the same time span Texas released 98.
I have also read that he basically appointed all the members of the parole board.
From what I've read from some Arkansas posters, his activity in releasing criminals from their lawful sentences went beyond what is normal, indicating some ulterior motive other than the safety of the public at large.
What the truth is, I don't know. The guy always struck me as a phony, and if he were the "better" choice in any election, I'd stay home.
Nobody questions putting blame on the shooter - we all agree to the point that there’s no point in talking about it further. He did it, he got his reward, case closed.
The judges who let him out time and again? We don’t know who they are, and have no influence over them.
The hype over Huckabee stems from his desire to be our leader - OUR leader. Of all the people sharing any responsibility in this incident, he’s the only one who can affect most of us now. Ergo the hysteria: “THIS guy let THAT guy out? and THIS guy wants to lead US? Uh ... NO.”
I get confused is the GOP on the left or the right?
A person needs to do what they know is right, even if there is a price to pay immediately. This would never been a problem for Huck if he would have applied reason to his decision. Huck wants to be liked by all, as a result, he will never be liked by all. Only difference there would have been 5 less innocent dead folks.
For Huck, the gamble was a mistake. His chickens are home to roost.
“Shame on you for not believing that your fellow FReepers might have genuine reasons for not trusting Huckabee.”
You just admitted, to your credit, that you are Jewish. That clearly speaks to me why you don’t like Huckabee. However, he is probably the most Pro-Israel candidate in years.
My world is not going to come crashing because Mike Huckabee is being wrongly trashed, or if this causes him to be put out of contention. I’ve been on this forum many years, and I have seen the extremist views taken by many here.
I have absolutely no doubt that there are many here that inwardly are rejoicing that those officers died so Huckabee could be tarred. No doubt in my mind at all.
The real “Hucksters” out their are the great many (not all) that are jumping on Mike with feigned indignation because they hope to see their candidate advance. I been here too long and read to many posts.
Sadly, it is the Palin cultists that are worse about this. This is a major concern because they are hurting her not helping.
“Facts are facts. Wake up.”
You wake up that you are spining what you call “facts” in a distorted reality. Is Huckabee one of the persons that has a share of cupability in this....of course. He he the main player...not at all. It has been almost 10 years since he shortened this Now killer’s sentence enough so that a parole board could consider him. The parole board did, and granted parole.......Aw heck, you can read as well as I can. Unfortunately, your brain gets in the way of what your eyes read. FACE IT, you NEVER liked Huckabee, and you perversely are enjoying that police have died so he can now be trashed and possibly removed from the political process.
You don’t really care about those police, you care about your political views. You are just as bad as a liberal democrat.
You might be quite a prejudiced sort. Your saying that you “understand” why I dislike Huckabee, not by the honest reasons I gave you, but because I am Jewish, speaks for itself.
And again I defend my fellow FReepers from your disgusting comment that MANY of them are REJOICING that the officers died. That is a horrible, sick thing to say. People may be happy Huckabee’s out of the race, but they are NOT happy these murders occurred.
“And again I defend my fellow FReepers from your disgusting comment that MANY of them are REJOICING that the officers died. That is a horrible, sick thing to say. People may be happy Huckabees out of the race, but they are NOT happy these murders occurred.”
You are foolish in the extreme. Yes they are glad this happened. And the majority really don’t care about the lives lost. Harsh words, but the truth often hurts.
Your broadbrush insult of assigning impure motives to the “majority” of Freepers for criticizing Huckabee is as ignorant, arrogant and condescending as Jimmy Carter saying the “majority” of Obama’s critics are racists.
If you have any integrity, you will either apologize or be ashamed of yourself.
Levin reported that the prosecutor vehemently protested commuting the sentence, but huckabee ignored him.
Then the prosecutor said that his worst nightmares were realized with the multiple slayings.
Then huckaphoney plays the race card.
If we are supposed to have sympathy for this guy, I don’t. Too many dead people and their families at the front of that line.
Are you kidding???
With a broad brush, you blame FReepers’ opposition to Huckabee’s terrible record on some sort of anti-Baptist bigotry??
That’s identical to what Romney followers do (”Mormon hater!”) and to what Obama followers do (”Racist!”)
That’s some fine company you’re in. /s
“and you perversely are enjoying that police have died...”
How DARE you. GTH.
“I have absolutely no doubt that there are many here that inwardly are rejoicing that those officers died so Huckabee could be tarred. No doubt in my mind at all.”
really? Then I’m sure you will name names.
You have made a complete idiot of yourself.
And the comment you made that you knew what the person was thinking because they’re Jewish.
Why don’t you get lost, idiot? You are lowering the intelligence level of this forum you so despise.
Huckabee, if you're out there, bring your fat ass to Washington state and see if your whining plays here, you piece of crap. One of the people upset about your comments is the police spokesman from Lakewood who I saw on TV criticizing your initial statement for pointing the finger at Washington state instead of your fat self. Is that police officer sick like you said in your statement above? Is that police officer being political? Is that police officer disgusting? We rolled out the red carpet for Sarah Palin when she signed books out here over the Thanksgiving holiday. Huckabee, how 'bout coming out here for your own book-signing and see what kind of welcome you get. You and Bill Clinton are two peas in a pod. You may not get punished in your lifetime, but you'll both eventually rot in hell, where there are NO PARDONS and where there is NO CLEMENCY!
I don't understand why anyone from WA would be more concerned with an old commutation than they are with the recent leniency from our own judges. WA is in the midst of restorative justice makeover. Gregoire is closing jails and ordering early release of prisoners to halfway houses, scattered around the state. This was only first of many potential bad results of WA move toward restorative justice.
I’m very much opposed to Gregoire, too, but Huckabee is the one who let the maniac out of prison early in the first place after he had been sentenced to a virtual life behind bars. If Huckabee keeps the guy behind bars, none of this happens, including the child rape and other crimes that were committed between the clemency and the 4 killings.
Huckabee’s clemency record is shocking. He already had to deal with the case from Missouri where one of his released inmates raped and murdered a woman. Now this. And there are hundreds more out there who could pop up on the cable news channels anytime now.
The only good thing out of this is that Huckabee’s presidential prospects are gone. He’s toast. Now I just hope Fox News Channel finally wakes up and hands him a pink slip, so we don’t have to look at his pathetic face anymore, which reminds us of all the harmful things he’s done to society. He may have just been governor of a small state, but his damaging impact is being felt many, many miles away.
“How DARE you. GTH.”
Why would I want to go to a place you are on a path to????
“You have made a complete idiot of yourself.”
If speaking truth is to be an “idiot.” Well....I guess I’m an idiot.
It angered many on this forum that Huckabee did so well in values polls, etc. They were out of touch with on the street moral conservatives. I know how the human mind works. To see their enemy fall, most to all will inwardly be glad about a tradigy that hurts the reputation of an enemy. It is a very rare individual that will recognize that innate depravity in themselves.
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