Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mike Huckabee: Political attacks 'disgusting'
politico ^ | 12/1/09 | ANDY BARR

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 Scarborough’s 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 Huckabee’s potential challengers for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012– said Tuesday that he would not have granted Clemmons clemency if he had been in Huckabee’s position.

“I don't think I've ever voted for clemency,” Pawlenty told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. “We’ve 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.”

“It’s 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?”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: clemmons; copkiller; huckabee; huckster; mauriceclemmons; mikehuckabee; mittwhit; mittwhits; mittwit; rino; rinos; rinos4huckabee
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-153 next last
To: Mount Athos

RINO Huck, his chickens are coming home to roost. Too bad , not.

Sad for the families in WA.


21 posted on 12/01/2009 10:59:42 AM PST by stockpirate (if the American people decide it's time for a revolution, we'll fight with you. Rhodes Oathkprs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

huckaphoney bump


22 posted on 12/01/2009 10:59:49 AM PST by WOBBLY BOB (ACORN:American Corruption for Obama Right Now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
A leader takes responsibility for things that go wrong on his watch, even if others had some culpability as well, even if he was acting on the advice of others, even if he could not have possibly foreseen the consequences of his decision when it was made.

A leader is accountable, and sometimes that accountability even exists when it wasn't completely his fault, even if there were mitigating circumstances. It sucks sometimes, but that's why real leaders aren't a dime a dozen.

A leader does NOT shift blame, make excuses, cover his own butt, and then whine when he has to take some heat.

Huckabee is no leader.

23 posted on 12/01/2009 11:01:01 AM PST by Trailerpark Badass (Happiness is a choice!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging”
24 posted on 12/01/2009 11:01:20 AM PST by McGruff (We're Going Rogue Baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RonDog
4 Officers Shot Dead by Huckabee ,

film at 11

25 posted on 12/01/2009 11:01:36 AM PST by KTM rider ( ..........tell me this really isn't happening ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Pessimist
“..but people use anything as a political weapon.”

...others use pardons and clemency to recruit voters...

26 posted on 12/01/2009 11:01:36 AM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

He knows it’s over.


27 posted on 12/01/2009 11:01:43 AM PST by FTJM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

Bye Huck. Once again you got it wrong—YOU are disgusting.

I hope Fox gives you the boot and please spare us from the radio stations who carry your phoney folksy broadcasts. You are no Paul Harvey. They should have Mark Levin do those spots.

Go away please.


28 posted on 12/01/2009 11:02:13 AM PST by lone star annie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

Stick a fork in him. He’s done.


29 posted on 12/01/2009 11:02:43 AM PST by Jim Robinson (Join the TEA Party Rebellion!! God save this great Republic!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
Huckabee said the sentence was “far disproportionate from any other punishment in Arkansas at the time for a similar crime.”

Huckabee's ego on display.

This predator-child committed theft and had five (5) felony convictions, but somehow, Huckabee thought 11 years in prison was enough.

WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF SOFT JUSTICE!!!!!!

30 posted on 12/01/2009 11:03:54 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
“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.”

Did Huck really say this, or did this quote come from Jesse or Al?

That was a really disgusting thing to say.

31 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:00 AM PST by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday called some of the criticisms “disgusting” and suggested they were attempts to score political points.

No, you lost points, you soft-on-crime, faux-conservative.

32 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:02 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
"Huckabee defended his choice to grant the Arkansas felon clemency by insisting that Clemmons original sentence went too far.

This "Arkansas Felon" killed 4 Police Officers and its the Huckabee critics that are disgusting?

How twisted.

33 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:25 AM PST by GregoTX (When people find they can vote themselves money it will herald the end of the republic. Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KTM rider

Like I said in another post, Huckabee is a link in a long chain of events.

He also just happens to be the biggest fish in the barrel.


34 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:30 AM PST by RangerM (A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel - Robert Frost.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: UCFRoadWarrior
Huckabee is melting down faster that I thought he would....He is a liberal Criminal Rights advocate

His perverted sense of compassion on your dime.

35 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:30 AM PST by org.whodat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

So I guess four dead cops is all politics. Murders, rapes are all politics.

Okay Huck, I know there are others out there that have been over lenient, but that does not give you a pass for poor decisions.


36 posted on 12/01/2009 11:05:32 AM PST by dforest (Who is the real Jim Thompson? I am.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

He gave out a record number of pardons and commutations, and I don’t think this was the only case where it went bad.

Then he tries to blame it on the parole board, the prosecutor, the judge, anyone but himself.

And now he tries to blame it on us.

News for you, Huck. You weren’t elected Liberal Tent Preacher of Arkansas. You were elected Governor of Arkansas. And that involves certain responsibilities, including protection of the citizens who made the mistake of electing you. (Not that the other guy wasn’t even worse.)


37 posted on 12/01/2009 11:06:02 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

I think he is still a good person, who has a lot of good ideas and character. I learn to like him more from his show.
I think his show has educated many about conservativism in the best way.

He made some terrible mistakes with Clemency, but that isn’t everything about him.
He’s done politically, but I still think he can do a lot of good for educating people about conservativism with his good show.


38 posted on 12/01/2009 11:06:04 AM PST by Mount Athos (A Giant luxury mega-mansion for Gore, a Government Green EcoShack made of poo for you)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

Because he was a ‘young black’, you let him out. Now four cops are dead. And those grieving families you’re so concerned for wouldn’t be grieving if you’d done the right thing.

His reasoning is disgusting.


39 posted on 12/01/2009 11:06:23 AM PST by ReneeLynn (Socialism is SO yesterday. Fascism, it*s the new black. Mmm Mmm Mmm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FTJM
He knows it’s over.

The Huckster is focused on keeping his gig over at Fox. He's all about promoting himself for the big bucks.

sw

40 posted on 12/01/2009 11:06:45 AM PST by spectre (Spectre's wife)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-153 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson