Huckabee's Clemency Total Reached 1,033

Mike Huckabee's "exceptional" willingness to grant clemency as governor of Arkansas is receiving more national attention.

A story today from AP via Yahoo News says Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations in his 10.5 years as governor of Arkansas. You may recall from a couple of posts I did last week from a 2004 news article that his total was 703 then--more than the six other states around Arkansas COMBINED.

The AP article cites a few more examples of criminals to whom Huckabee granted clemency:

Prosecutors say Huckabee was more inclined to release or reduce the sentences of prisoners if he had direct contact with them or was lobbied by those close to him.

Some inmates who benefited from some sort of personal connection:

_James Maxwell, who killed a pastor of the Church of God in Arkansas. Maxwell worked at the Governor's Mansion when Huckabee announced his intent to reduce his prison sentence.

_Samuel W. Taylor, convicted on a drug charge. A prosecutor said the man had told him Taylor's sister had gone to school with Huckabee. Huckabee said the sister didn't influence the decision. Taylor subsequently was arrested on another drug charge.

_Donald W. Clark, convicted of theft. Huckabee's pastor recommended leniency for Clark, whose stepmother worked on Huckabee's gubernatorial staff.

_Robert A. Arnold Jr., who was convicted of killing his father-in-law. Arnold's father, a former mayor of Hope, Huckabee's hometown, said he was a casual friend of the governor.

_A pastor who promoted Huckabee among blacks urged the governor to grant clemency to John Henry Claiborne, who was sentenced to 100 years for a 1994 armed robbery, according to a 2004 report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Huckabee made Claiborne eligible for parole after receiving a letter from the Rev. Charles Williams, who told the newspaper he had helped win "many, many" clemencies from Huckabee.

_Denver Witham, convicted of beating a man to death with a lead pipe at bar, had his sentence commuted by Huckabee. The action drew the ire of prosecutors who speculated that Huckabee's act of clemency was related to Witham, who was lead singer in a prison band, being a fellow musician.

Questions About Another Huckabee Clemency Recipient

From MSNBC, another case of clemency from Mike Huckabee that doesn't seem to pass the smell test.

This one is a little different in that this one seems to have had the full support of the parole board without apparent previous intervention by Huckabee. But other elements of the case seem disturbingly familiar.

Here's the intro:

From NBC’s Amna Nawaz, Investigative Producer
Questions are being raised about then-Gov. Huckabee's 2004 decision to grant clemency to a repeat Driving While Intoxicated offender in Arkansas named Eugene Fields, despite the objections of a law enforcement official at the time. Documents obtained by NBC News reveal Fields' case was handled differently from any other DWI clemency or pardon granted by Huckabee, and some Republicans are now suggesting significant political contributions may have influenced the governor's decision.

Apparently this guy was on his 4th DUI conviction and received a six-year sentence and a $5,000 fine.

But six weeks into serving his sentence, he appealed for clemency and the parole board stated unanimously that they supported approval of this application. Within a few months, Huckabee would grant clemency and then Fields was free to slosh his way around the streets and highways of Arkansas again.

However, the reason-boxes on the clemency forms which the governor would normally check for "excessive sentence" or "correcting an injustice" were passed by and "NA" for "not applicable" was written across the top of the form.

Some officials have stated it was highly unusual for a clemency application to be processed so quickly. And the MADD folks indicated Fields, after his 4th conviction, was definitely a repeat offender. The article notes that along with Fields' application were some tax receipts for donations to various charities. (Maybe this proved what a nice guy he was?)

Well, like a number of other criminals that Huckabee has let off easy, Fields would go on to re-offend. (Are you as surprised as I am?)

But questions about the handling of Fields' case surfaced again in 2006 when he was convicted on another DWI charge, just two years after his release from prison. According to the police report, Fields drove into oncoming traffic on an Arkansas road and into the path of a police officer's car before crossing back into the correct lane.

Once again, the public was placed in jeopardy by a governor who was soft on crime.

The article mentions another factor, in addition to his donations to charitable causes, that may be relevant to Fields' release:

According to Federal Election Commission records, a month after Fields' appeal was denied, his wife made a $5,000 donation to the State Republican Party in June of 2003. A month later, she made an additional $5,000 donation, again to the Republican Party of Arkansas. The following month, Fields reported to prison and began his clemency application process. He was a free man in less than a year.

"In the summer of 2003 there's no real political activity," said the former official. "It's always a tough time to raise money in those periods, and all of sudden $10,000 comes walking through the door when there's no campaign going on? There's no reason to give that kind of money then."

Prior to his wife's donations, Fields had made a $10,000 donation to the Republican Party of Arkansas in October of 2000 under "Fields Investment Company," the name of his business. Both Mrs. Fields' 2003 donations and Mr. Fields' 2000 donation placed them among the largest, individual donors to the Republican Party of Arkansas in those years, on par with donations from members of the Walton family, of the Wal-Mart department store chain. The only other donation made by either Fields to the State Republican Party was in the amount of $500 in August of 2004.

Hmmm. And hmmmm again. Hmmmm, indeed.

Is Mike Huckabee a Conservative?

Someone at Free Republic has posted a comprehensive list of examples of why Mike Huckabee cannot be considered a conservative, despite his pro-life stance.

Conservatism v. Huckabee

Count 1: Weakest in the Republican field on immigration

Exhibit A: Huckabee calls immigration bill "un-Christian, anti-life"

(Arkansas Senate Bill 206 would have denied state benefits to illegal aliens, required proof of citizenship to vote, and require state agencies to report illegal aliens.)

Even if benefits to people who are in the U.S illegally could be stopped, "I don't understand how a practicing Christian can turn his back on a child from this or any other state," Huckabee said.

"Something that's not worth sharing is not worth celebrating," Huckabee said. "This is the kind of country that opens its doors. This bill expresses an un-American attitude."

(Immigration bill un-Christian, anti-life, governor says, Arkansas News Bureau, 01/28/2005)
He said the bill could hurt the state's ability to recruit industries based in countries outside the U.S., such as Toyota or Nestle, a Swiss company.

"If we send a message that essentially if you don't look like us, talk like us and speak like us we don't want you, it has tremendous economic repercussions," Huckabee said.

(Huckabee, callers go toe-to-toe on immigration, Arkansas News Bureau, 02/03/2005)

Exhibit B: Huckabee promotes "open door" policy at LULAC convention

LITTLE ROCK - In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.
(snip)

Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."

(snip)

The Republican governor, who many believe will run for president in 2008, also backed legislation that would have opened the door for illegal immigrants in Arkansas to receive college scholarships.

House Bill 1525 by Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, was approved by the House but eventually failed in the Senate. Huckabee reiterated Wednesday that he believes every child, regardless of their parent's immigration status, should have an opportunity to receive an education in the U.S.
"I ... believe that an education for every child is the most important single factor to give everyone to be their very best," he said.

(Huckabee promotes "open door" policy at LULAC convention, Arkansas News Bureau, 01/30/2005)

Exhibit C: Huckabee threatens to sue feds over ID rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — States are threatening to challenge in court and even disobey new orders from Congress to start issuing more uniform driver's licenses and verify the citizenship or legal status of people getting them.

(snip)

"Governors are looking at all their options. If more than half of the governors agree we're not going down without a fight on this, Congress will have to consider changing this unfunded federal mandate," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, vice chairman of the National Governors Association. A Huckabee aide said the options include court action.

(States may disobey new ID rules, fight them in court, USA Today, 05/10/2005)

Exhibit D: Immigration group: Huckabee a 'disaster'

Groups that support a crackdown on illegal aliens haven't settled on their champion in the race for the White House, but there's little doubt which Republican scares them most — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"He was an absolute disaster on immigration as governor," said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that played a major role in rallying the phone calls that helped defeat this year's Senate immigration bill. "Every time there was any enforcement in his state, he took the side of the illegal aliens."

As Mr. Huckabee rises in the polls, his opponents are beginning to take shots at him on immigration. Just as problematic for the former Arkansas governor, however, is that the independent interest groups that track the issue are also giving him the once-over, and don't like what they see.

"Huckabee is the guy who scares the heck out of me," said Peter Gadiel, president of 9-11 Families for a Secure America, a group instrumental in fighting for the REAL ID Act that sets federal standards for driver's licenses.

(Immigration group: Huckabee a 'disaster', By Stephen Dinan, Washington Post, November 30, 2007)

Exhibit E: Illegals foes reject nod to Huckabee

Minuteman co-founder James Gilchrist's endorsement of presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has spurred a backlash among illegal-immigration opponents who say the former Arkansas governor is soft on immigration enforcement.

"Mike Huckabee is pro-amnesty and favors a path to citizenship for illegal aliens currently in the U.S. that would require a lifting of current penalties," said William Gheen, whose 25,000-member Americans for Legal Immigration sent mass mailings yesterday to more than 300 pro-enforcement groups.

"Huckabee has released an immigration plan that contains the deceptive 'touch back' provision that the pushers of amnesty tried on us in Washington this year," he said. "He wants to trick the nation by having illegal aliens leave for a day to pick up new papers at an office set up across the border and then walk right back."

(snip)

Bob Wright, who heads the Patriots' Border Alliance, another Minuteman splinter group, said although Mr. Gilchrist helped move the issue of illegal entry into the U.S. "to it's rightful place on the national stage," his endorsement of Mr. Huckabee "is at best disturbing."

"While I believe it is possible for a professional politician to change his mind on a subject as he becomes more informed, I have serious doubts that is the case with Huckabee," Mr. Wright said. "His past rhetoric about the goals of Minutemen everywhere has been vicious — parroting the tired and discredited foolishness that an American citizen's desire to see the law enforced is somehow racist or xenophobic."

(snip)

(Illegals foes reject nod to Huckabee, By Jerry Seper, The Washington Times, 12-13-2007)

Exhibit F: Corsi: Huckabee's tough talk on immigration doesn't match his record/ Mexican Consular Office Affair

"Huckabee has the same problem on immigration that Mitt Romney has -- and that is Mitt Romney and Huckabee, as governors, do not have a strong secure border record. And Huckabee's record is terrible," according to Jerome Corsi, an adamant border hawk. (be sure to go to the source and read the whole article)

I would argue that while Romney's record is less than stellar, he's head and shoulders above the duplicitous Huckster (whose record on immigration is detailed on this blog, just scroll down).

While Romney tolerated sanctuary cities in his state, Huckabee encouraged them by rewarding illegal aliens with scholarships, discounted college tuition, and state benefits.

Huckabee also established a Mexican Consular office in Little Rock, which "increases the capacity of the Mexican state to bring attention, protection, and assistance to all of those living abroad, independently from their immigration status", according to Mexican ambassador Arturo Sarukhan. It also issues "matricula consular" cards, with which illegal aliens can open bank accounts and obtain other services.

In 2003, Huckabee (on a state-owned aircraft) to Mexico with Robert Trevino, who was the director of the League of United Latin American Citizens (aka LULAC) and Huckabee's "Economic Development adviser". There they met with Vincente Fox.

In 2006, Arkansas leased government office space, including furniture, to the Mexican government for $1 per year to house the Consular office until they built their own headquarters. It's unclear whether this subsidized lease was in violation of state law.

(Critics question Huckabee's role in establishing Mexican consulate in Little Rock, Legality of Huckabee's Mexican consulate deal questioned)

Exhibit G: 84 leaders of Immigration Enforcement Groups Rebuke Gilchrist's Endorsement of Huckabee

From Americans for Legal Immigration:
PLEASE POST, FORWARD, and BROADCAST!
In reaction to Jim Gilchrist's (Co-Founder of Minutemen) lone endorsement of pro-amnesty Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee:

We, the undersigned, state that our organizations stand against racism and Amnesty for illegal aliens. Instead, we stand for the enforcement of our existing immigration laws, the securing of America's borders, and attrition enforcement.

We have dedicated our efforts to fighting illegal immigration and we are compelled to warn the American public about the immigration stance and record of Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee.

We denounce Jim Gilchrist's solo endorsement of a pro-amnesty and Open Borders candidate for President. Mr. Gilchrist does NOT speak for us!

Mike Huckabee is pro-amnesty and favors a "path to citizenship" for illegal aliens currently in the US, which would require a lifting of the current penalties.

Mike Huckabee is against ICE raids and decried them in his home state, when illegal aliens were arrested at companies that financially support his campaigns.

Mike Huckabee supports benefits for illegal aliens such as taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition.
Governor Huckabee also favors a "touchback" provision, which we feel is a trick to confuse voters. He would have illegal aliens leave for a day, pick up new papers, and then reenter the US LEGALLY, which is not the back of the immigration line! He has stated that illegal aliens could leave and "You do have a pathway to get back here legally that would take days, maybe weeks, not years."

Mike Huckabee supported Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty that failed in the US Senate and was rejected by a large majority of Americans. He stated that those who opposed the legislation are "driven by racism or nativism."

Mike Huckabee has distorted the goals of "attrition enforcement" and the positions of Mark Krikorian by adding visa expansions, expedited visas, and "touchback", which would counteract enforcement measures.

In truth, Mike Huckabee's stances on the illegal immigration issue are out of line with the vast majority of Americans.

Go to the source to see the impressive list of signatories, as it's too long to post here.

Exhibit H: WaPo Fact Checker: Three Pinocchios for Huckabee on Illegal Immigration
WaPo is link only.

Exhibit I: Huckabee: I can’t compromise on scholarships for illegals because “my soul will not let me” (video)

Count 2: Liberal on Taxes and Spending

Exhibit A: Huckabee's tax hikes and tax "cuts"

Hikes:
-Signed a sales tax hike in 1996 (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98)
-Supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Reuters, 02/23/04)
-Publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/11/02)
-Signed a gas tax in 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 06/29/99)
-Signed cigarette tax hike in 2003 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07)
-Signed a bed tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Associated Press 06/29/01)
-Proposed a sales take hike in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02)
-Opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03)
-Allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law in 2004 (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04)
"cuts":
When questioned on the taxes hikes he was responsible for during his tenure as governor (a whopping inflation-adjusted sum of $505 million, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette), his response is usually that he cut taxes 90 times.
The only real cut he made was $90.6 million in 1997. The rest of his "cuts" were minor adjustments and exemptions. Here are some examples:
1997
-Authorized tax-exempt bonds for fire-ant abatement (-$100,000)
-Exempted residential lawn care from the sales tax (-$210,000)
-Exempted Heifer International from the sales tax (-$60,000)
-Exempted some county fairs from the special-events sales tax (-$15,000)
1999
-Exempted equipment used to produce sod, grass and nursery products from the sales tax (-$200,000)
-Repealed the 20 percent tax on bingo admissions and cards (-$200,000)
2001
-Reduced taxes on bets made on horse races at Oaklawn Park (-$1,700, 000)
-Reduced taxes on bets made at Southland Greyhound Park (-$600,000)
2003
-Exempted some health-club services from the sales tax (-$160,000)
-Gave income-tax credits to biodiesel wholesalers (-$200,000)
2005
-Granted an income-tax deduction for organ donation (-$76,000)
-Exempted Arkansas Symphony Orchestra purchases from the sales tax (-$20,530)
Net difference:
These 90 cuts amount to a total of $378 million. On the other side of the ledger, Huckabee's 21 tax hikes amount to a total of $883 million, a net difference of $505 million. The average taxpayer's annual tax burden grew from $1,969 in 1997 to $2,902 in 2005.
(source: Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

Exhibit B: Spending under Huckabee

http://www.arkansas.gov/dfa/accounting/documents/2006_arkansas_cafr-web_version.pdf
According to this doc, under Huckabee’s tenure as gov, spending on Health and Human Services (aka welfare) in Arkansas went from $2.44 billion in 1997 to $4.65 billion in 2006, a 92% increase. (see pages 130-131 of the .pdf file). He claims most of the increases were for roads and education. Education increased from $1.81 billion in 1997 to 3.04 billion in 2006 (a 68% increase, 24% less than the HHS increase), but transportation spending actually decreased from $677 million in 1997 to $320 million in 2006, a 53% decrease.
Overall spending increased at three times the rate of inflation. (source)

Exhibit C: Huckabee refuses to endorse President Bush's veto of SCHIP, aka HillaryCare Lite (source)

Exhibit D: Huckabee earns a D on fiscal policy from the Cato Institute

Exhibit E: Huckabee on Global Warming: Huckabee supports cap-in-trade system (source)

Count 3: Soft on Crime

Exhibit A: Huckabee granted more clemencies than all neighboring states combined

If you're wondering how Gov. Huckabee's hundreds of clemencies compare with neighboring states, get ready for a shocker.

Huckabee leads the pack.

He has issued more commutations and pardons than all of the six neighboring states combined.
Governors seldom reduce sentences in other states – and almost never for murderers serving life without parole or for rapists or for habitual drunk drivers, while in Arkansas it's a regular habit with Huckabee.

Other governors use their clemency power only rarely, while Huckabee has made it routine. As we've told you before, he has issued more than 700 pardons and commutations during his eight years in office – more than 137 this year alone – and more than his three predecessors combined.

Here are the figures for neighboring states since 1996, when Huckabee took office (and keep in mind the population of these states is nearly 20 times ours):

-Louisiana

– 213-Mississippi

– 24-Missouri

– 79.-Oklahoma

– 178.-Tennessee

– 32.-Texas

– 98 (includes 36 inmates released because they were convicted on drug charges with planted evidence).

Total: 624 vs. Huckabee's 703.

Governors in neighboring states almost never grant killers clemency, while Huckabee has commuted the sentences of a dozen murderers.

(snip)

Governors in the states we studied grant clemencies only on special occasions, such as when they leave office. Last January, after Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, lost his re-election bid, he issued 16 clemencies, and there was a huge outcry. That's how many Huckabee averages per month.

By contrast, Haley Barbour, Mississippi's new Republican governor, has issued no clemencies all year, nor has Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Louisiana's new governor, a Democrat.
In Tennessee, Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, has issued no clemencies since he took office in January 2003.

(snip)

(Arkansas clemencies outpace other states, Garrick Feldman, The Arkansas Leader 08-11-04)

Exhibit B: Wayne DuMond

Mom: 'Carol Sue Would Be Alive Today' If Not for Huckabee

A Missouri mother says she will do "whatever it takes" to stop former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee from becoming president, because he freed the man who went on to rape and murder her daughter, Carol Sue Shields.

(snip)

Wayne Dumond was initially sentenced to life plus 25 years for raping a 17-year-old Arkansas high school cheerleader. In 1999, a parole board voted to free Dumond, after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his desire to see him released.

A former parole board member tells ABC News that Huckabee exerted strong pressure on the board to release Dumond.

(Mom: 'Carol Sue Would Be Alive Today' If Not for Huckabee, Brian Ross and Anna Schecter, The Blotter at ABC News, 12-04-2007)

Exhibit C: Glen Green

Why parole a monster like Green

(snip)

Green, a 22-year-old sergeant, kidnapped Helen Lynette Spencer on Little Rock Air Force Base, where he beat and kicked her as he tried to rape her in a secluded area. She broke loose and ran toward the barracks' parking lot, where he caught up with her and beat her with a pair of nunchucks.

He then stuffed her into the trunk of his car and left her there while he cleaned up. Several hours later, he drove down Graham Road, past Loop Road and stopped near a bridge in Lonoke County. Green told investigators he put her body in the front seat and raped her because her body was still warm.

He dragged Spencer out of his vehicle and put her in front of the car and ran over her several times, going back and forth. He then collected himself long enough to dump her body in Twin Prairie Bayou.

This is what the Rev. Johnny Jackson, interim pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Jacksonville, calls an accident, and apparently Huckabee believes him.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he could kill again," warns Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley.

The crime started out in his jurisdiction and ended in Lonoke County, where Prosecutor Lona McCastlain has also spoken out against the clemency.

"Life means life," she said, referring to Green's sentence after he plead guilty to Spencer's kidnapping, rape and murder.

(snip)

(Why parole a monster like Green, Garrick Feldman, The Arkansas Leader, 07-21-04)

Count 4: Naive, Liberal, and Wrong on Foreign Policy

Exhibit A: Called our foreign policy an "arrogant bunker mentality", blames terrorism on economic conditions, thinks diplomacy and foreign aid will solve every problem

Huckabee's 'Clueless' Foreign Policy

(snip)

More than anything, Huckabee's essay is startling in its incoherence, and it has something within it to scare off any faction of the conservative movement. To those who remain supportive of President Bush and believe he has helped keep us safe since Sept. 11, Huckabee writes that "the Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad." He goes on to echo liberal talking points in criticizing Bush for his handling of Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and Al Qaeda. For those conservatives who believe that Iran does not deserve to be awarded with diplomatic ties to the U.S. given its "a world without America" and "wipe Israel off the map" rhetoric—not to mention funding of terrorist activities directed at Americans in Iraq—Huckabee thinks we should talk with the Islamist government, because "When one stops talking to a parent or a friend, differences cannot be resolved and relationships cannot move forward. The same is true for countries." I'm sure there are some non-interventionist conservatives who may agree with Huckabee's criticisms of the Bush administration for being overly macho, and needlessly confrontational with Iran. Yet what they have to look forward to in a Huckabee administration would be continued U.S. presence in Iraq, possible air strikes on Pakistan, a larger military, and a foreign aid program that would make Lyndon Johnson's Great Society look like a trivial domestic initiative. "We must first destroy existing terrorist groups and then attack the underlying conditions that breed them: the lack of basic sanitation, health care, education, jobs, a free press, fair courts -- which all translates into a lack of opportunity and hope," Huckabee writes. "The United States' strategic interests as the world's most powerful country coincide with its moral obligations as the richest."

(snip)

(Huckabee's 'Clueless' Foreign Policy, Philip Klein, The American Spectator, 12-15-2007)

Exhibit B: Just like Barack Obama, Huckabee Wants to negotiate with Iran and invade Pakistan
Tin Mike

(snip)

Just as Huckabee has cited executions in Arkansas as evidence that he was not as soft on criminals as the rest of his record strongly suggests, his defenders have pointed to examples of tough foreign policy statements he has made to argue that he is not as weak-kneed on national security as he seems. "I would prefer to skip the next attack [on the United States] and the exasperated fury it will rightly generate and cut to the chase by going after Al Qaeda's safe haven in Pakistan," Huckabee said at a September speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But vacillating from one extreme to the other is not an example of intelligent foreign policy -- it's indicative of inexperience. Wasn't it just a few months ago that conservatives were slamming Barack Obama for wanting to negotiate with Iran and invade Pakistan?

(snip)

(Tin Mike, Philip Klein, The American Spectator, 12/12/2007)

Count 5: Ethical Lapses

Exhibit A: Fiscal malfeasance

-Used campaign funds to pay himself $14,000 for being his own media consultant.

-Used campaign funds to pay himself $43,000 for use of his private plane while attempting to hide what the payment was actually in return for.

-Used an account set up to cover operational costs of the governor's mansion to pay such obviously personal expenses as fast-food and dry-cleaning bills.

-Set up a nonprofit organization that paid him $23,500 without disclosing the source of the money.

-Attempted to take $70,000 of furniture with him when moving out of the governor's mansion.

-Took more than 130 gifts worth more than $300,000 – while suing to overturn a law that made him disclose the gifts.

(source: Meet the Huckster, San-Diego Union-Tribune Editorial, December 3, 2007)

Exhibit B: Cover-up of son's criminal depravity

This is in regards to Huckabee's son torturing and killing a dog, and Huckabee's subsequent cover-up.

News-Weak is link-only.

Count 6: Flip-Flopping on Abortion as a State vs. Federal issue

(snip)

Huckabee said it was preposterous to say that such a deep moral issue should be left up to the states. If abortion is immoral in one state it is immoral in all of them, he said. He was “shocked” at Thompson’s stance. He claimed that he had always believed in a federal ban on abortions.
But a short time earlier Huckabee had sat down with the conservative essayist John Hawkins for a long conversation about the issues. He was asked about abortion. Huckabee said the legality of abortion should not be settled at the national level but should be left up to the states. This is the direct quote from the transcript, which until recently you could access on the Huckabee presidential campaign website:

“I’ve never felt that it was a legitimate manner in which to address this and, first of all, it should be left to the states, the 10th Amendment. . .” The 10th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution is the states-rights doctrine.

(snip)

(Huck flip flops, Editorial, The Arkansas Leader, November 28, 2007)

Count 7: Damage to the Republican Party and Conservative Movement

(snip)

Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once "his No. 1 fan." She was bitterly disappointed with his record. "He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal," she says. "Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don't be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office."

Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. "He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles," she says. "Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a 'compassionate conservative' are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee."

(snip)

(Another Man From Hope: Who is Mike Huckabee?, OpinionJournal.com, 10-26-07)

Count 8: Endorsed by the NEA

Huckabee is endorsed by the National Education Association. What else needs to be said?

HT to the Arkansas Journal.

Rush Limbaugh: Huckabee is Not a Conservative

Well, the modern measuring-stick of conservatism has spoken. Rush Limbaugh stated today on his show that Huckabee is not a conservative.

From The Politico:

"Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man and is a great Christian, is not a conservative, he’s just not," Limbaugh said. "If you look at his record as governor, he’s got some conservative tendencies on things but he’s certainly not the most conservative of the candidates running on the Republican side."

What have I been saying for months?

I overheard bits and pieces of Rush's show today. I remember one caller, about 5 minutes before the show was over, who was a Huckabee supporter. The caller insisted Huckabee was conservative on all issues. Rush did a fair job of pointing out that Huckabee isn't, but could have done better.

Here's what I wish Rush had asked the caller:

Did Huckabee condemn legislation to deny driver's licenses to illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee support legislation to provide in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee call efforts to deny such benefits "racist" and "bigoted?

Did Huckabee condemn immigration raids to identify and deport illegal aliens?

Did Huckabee engineer a sweetheart deal to bring a Mexican consulate to Little Rock--the same kind of consulate that issues "matricula consular" ID cards to illegal aliens in the U.S. which gives them the appearance of having entered the U.S. legally?

Did Huckabee say illegal immigration was not really a problem?

Did Huckabee beg the Arkansas legislature to raise taxes on anything?

Does Huckabee want to close Club Gitmo?

Does Huckabee want to make nice with countries that have stabbed us in the back?

Did Huckabee oppose vouchers?

How many conservatives does the NEA endorse, as they have endorsed Huckabee?

Did Huckabee work to release a convicted rapist who then raped and murdered at least one other woman?

Did Huckabee free another rapist and murderer who kidnaped a woman from an Air Force Base, raped, beat and ran over her?

Did Huckabee free a man who murdered a preacher?

Did Huckabee free a 4-time drunk driver?

Did Huckabee grant clemency to more convicted criminals than 5 other neighboring states COMBINED?

Does Huckabee buy into the man-made global warming fantasy?

Does Huckabee support socialized medicine and programs like SCHIP?

Does Huckabee slam business like a Democrat?

Can any of these positions be defined as "conservative?"

The answer to every one of these questions--except the last--is YES. These are NOT the positions of a conservative.

Huckabee has been called a "pro-life, pro-gun liberal" by some. I'm afraid that's about what he is.

As Judge John Jay said, Christians should prefer Christians when it comes time to vote. But implicit in that statement is that the professing Christian candidate should have a worldview consistent with the Bible, not feel-good liberal dogma.

I'm not stupid enough to support a candidate just because he says he's a Christian (Jimmy Carter made the same claim, and look what a disaster that was).

Especially when there is another Christian candidate who is conservative across the board: Duncan Hunter. Hunter isn't as up-front about his Christianity as Huckabee, but I have heard his Christian testimony and he consistently votes in favor of religious rights issues in Congress.

Why support a pro-life, pro-gun liberal when you could support a consistent conservative like Duncan Hunter?

Huckabee Granted More Pardons Than Six Neighboring States...Combined

These are strange days, indeed, in which we live. I've considered myself a Republican since before I could vote, going back to Ronald Reagan's first term in office.

Of late, however, I find myself repeatedly speaking critically of Republican governors (I did last winter, when Governor Rounds came out with his Leftist-Lite budget agenda of pre-K, HPV, and such...and now with another former governor), and of a Baptist preacher. Hm. Anyway, let's press on.

Thanks to Free Republic, I came across this today.

From the Arkansas Leader in 2004:

Other governors use their clemency power only rarely, while Huckabee has made it routine. As we've told you before, he has issued more than 700 pardons and commutations during his eight years in office – more than 137 this year alone – and more than his three predecessors combined.

Here are the figures for neighboring states since 1996, when Huckabee took office (and keep in mind the population of these states is nearly 20 times ours):

>> Louisiana – 213.

>> Mississippi – 24.

>> Missouri – 79.

>> Oklahoma – 178.

>> Tennessee – 32.

>> Texas – 98 (includes 36 inmates released because they were convicted on drug charges with planted evidence).

Total: 624 vs. Huckabee's 703.

Governors in neighboring states almost never grant killers clemency, while Huckabee has commuted the sentences of a dozen murderers.

"That is extremely rare here," said one corrections official in a neighboring state.

Huckabee even granted more than Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas, and Clinton is definitely no stranger to letting criminals off easy (remember Pardon-gate?).

What do other Arkansas public officials think of this?

Is it any wonder that Arkansas prosecutors from both parties are upset with Huckabee, a Republican?

Saline County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Herzfeld, a long-time critic of Huckabee's clemencies and a Democrat, said, "These facts demonstrate that our governor has an extremely skewed approach to granting executive clemency. He seems to believe that granting clemency to murderers, rapists, drunk drivers and other convicted criminals is a part of the everyday affairs of the governor's office rather than something that he should approach cautiously and selectively. Executive clemency should be rare, and there should be very specific reasons."

Jegley and Herzfeld agree that clemencies are not always wrong, but granting them without restraint makes a mockery of the jury system and invites cynicism.

You kinda expect this sort of behavior from bleeding-heart liberals who always side with criminals, but it's disgusting from a Republican.

When considering this, also consider the Wayne Dumond incident, his weak stand in the War on Terrorism, the wishy-washy answer he gave on civil unions, can't say "no" to illegal aliens, can't say no to tax hikes to support more government spending, can't say no to global warming disciples, can't say no to those who want more socialized medicine...

The evidence that Huckabee lacks the moral fortitude to make tough decisions and be firm where it is called for is getting pretty enormous.

I'm sorry folks. Huckabee may be pro-life, but other than that and some relatively firm support of traditional marriage, he pretty much fits the description of that beast of the field known as the RINO.

Mike Huckabee Lacks Understanding of the Nature of Evil

Well, it's been at least a few days since I posted anything negative about Mike Huckabee, so I suppose it's time to stoke the fires again.

The Washington Times has a piece today on the chaos Huckabee left in the Republican Party in Arkansas. More specifically, it examines how he was at odds with his party on so many key items.

If you've researched much about Huckabee at all, you may know that, outside of being pro-life and pro-marriage, his record is predominately a liberal record.

Oh, I know he's talking a good game now. He makes himself sound a lot like Reagan-reborn most of the time. But how much weight should the talk of a politician on the campaign trail carry when his record says something different--a lot different.

Consider this excerpt from the Times piece:

Almost immediately after taking office from Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, a Democrat who resigned after federal fraud and corruption convictions, Mr. Huckabee campaigned for his first tax increase — one-eighth cent on the sales tax to dedicate to conservation projects. He followed up with both budget cuts and increases, but the net effect was nearly $500 million in new taxes and an accompanying rise in spending.

What followed were clashes over the growth of government and, as the issue heated up nationally, over immigration policy. Republicans and conservative Democrats wanted a crackdown on illegal aliens, but Mr. Huckabee resisted.

The war of words was just as harsh. In 1998, when he faced a primary challenger who said Mr. Huckabee lacked certain conservative principles, the governor replied that his opponents weren't really Republicans, but rather libertarians or independents.

By the end of his tenure, Mr. Huckabee was calling his Republican opponents the "Shi'ites" and they called him a "Christian socialist."

When Republicans are this divided, you know there's something severely lacking in the conservative credentials of one party or the other. And I think Huckabee's record indicates the problem lies with his credentials.

I think "Christian socialist" is a pretty good description; almost as good as "pro-life liberal," as some have called Huckabee.

I don't doubt Huckabee's faith in Christ, but I do believe he fundamentally misunderstands some things about Christian doctrine that leads him to fall woefully short of a Christian worldview.

For one thing, he seems imminently predisposed to use the power of government (and the taxpayers money) to further what he sees as good things: public education, the arts, the humanities, and so on.

As for public education, that institution is so woefully inept and inefficient at this point that it is highly irresponsible, both from a practical and fiscal standpoint, to throw any more money at it without a solid plan for some fundamental changes in it.

And the arts and humanities are great things. But money for them should come from private sources, not from the taxpayers. Especially when they involve things like a crucifix in a jar of urine, or a painting of the Virgin Mary made out of elephant dung.

Huckabee is also dangerously naive when it comes to dealing with foreign nations that are hostile to us. He has been critical of President Bush's steadfast determination in fighting the war on terrorism. He also wants to close the terrorist prison camp at Club Gitmo because, oh my, some countries don't like it.

In fact, I believe Huckabee is fundamentally naive about the nature of evil altogether, as evidenced by his pathetic record on clemency as governor of Arkansas.

During his tenure as governor, he issued more clemency than the six surrounding states--COMBINED! You may have heard about Wayne Dumond, the convicted rapist Huckabee worked to free (who then went on to rape and kill two women), but you may not have heard about some of the other heinous criminals he let go--many of whom went on to pursue their criminal careers after Huckabee let them out of prison early.

He's also weak on immigration and border control (despite his recent tough-talk). He opposed efforts to deny drivers licenses to illegal aliens, and called such efforts "racist" and "bigoted." He opposed immigration raids to round up illegal aliens, and wanted to provide scholarships and in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens. He's even said illegal immigration isn't really a problem.

If you're seriously considering supporting Huckabee, you should examine this long and thorough examination of whether Huckabee is actually a conservative, as compiled by someone at Free Republic.

All these things add up to a conclusion that Mike Huckabee does not understand the deceptive and aggressive nature of evil. He also does not understand that it must not be tolerated or coddled, and be dealt with firmly. He does not understand that the state has a God-instituted duty to protect its citizens from evildoers within and outside the country. And he does not understand that the rule of law must be upheld, and when it isn't, it breeds lawlessness and contempt for morality.

As a fellow Christian, I'd like to support Mike Huckabee. After all, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Jay said, "It is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

However, I believe that implicit in Jay's statement was that such Christian candidates have a solidly Christian worldview.

Mike Huckabee does not.

More of Huckabee's Reckless Clemency Record

Once again the Arkansas Journal has cast the light of public attention on Mike Huckabee's record of being soft on lawbreakers.

In this past week, the story of Huckabee's advocacy of the release of Wayne Dumond, the convicted rapist who raped and murdered at least one woman after we was let out of prison, has gained national attention. Of course Huckabee has been minimizing his role in Dumond's release, despite the testimony of at least one parole board member who said he asked the board to release Dumond, believing Dumond was innocent. Huckabee had long advocated Dumond's release before actually meeting with the board.

The LA Times has a piece today with more background on the Dumond case. It mentions the three parole board members who have already come out saying Huckabee pressured the board to let Dumond go. This piece also mentions a pastor friend of Huckabee's, Jay Cole:

Cole, the minister who befriended DuMond, said: "The governor felt compassion for Wayne. He was sorry for him. So, I asked the governor to help. I asked him if anything could be done. And Mike had a lot of people on his neck trying to get him to get Wayne released."

Did "Mike" feel sorry for and feel compassion for Dumond's victim?

One consideration mentioned for Huckabee's willingness to reduce Dumond's sentence was that Dumond supposedly became a born again Christian while in prison:

"I became his spiritual director," Cole said. "He was a nice fella, and it was hard to believe he could have done what he was accused of doing. And Wayne claimed to be saved. So, we'd sit and talk and pray for two hours, and other times he'd call me on the phone a lot. Collect. He was just wanting to know if I'd made any headway finding people who could help his situation."

I know for a fact that people genuinely get saved while in prison. However, even a genuine conversion should not, and I believe in actuality does not, negate their debt to society for their crimes. And cases like Dumond's, where he went on to rape and murder one and possibly two women after his release demonstrate a practical reason for not commuting the sentence of a born-again prisoner. (Sadly, Christians can be some of the most gullible people on the planet, completely ignoring Jesus' admonition to be "as shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves.")

A 2004 report on Huckabee's incredible record of pardons and commutations also came to light this past week. Did you know that Governor Huckabee granted more pardons and commutations than six other neighboring states...combined (their 624 to his 703)? Even more than "pardongate" Bill Clinton when Clinton was governor of Arkansas.

The Arkansas Journal has highlighted one of those criminals Huckabee thought should be freed (he later changed his mind, after being subjected to repeated protests from victim's relatives, local newspapers and prosecutors): Glen Green.

Here's what the Arkansas Leader printed in 2004 regarding why Green was in prison:

Green, a 22-year-old sergeant, kidnapped Helen Lynette Spencer on Little Rock Air Force Base, where he beat and kicked her as he tried to rape her in a secluded area. She broke loose and ran toward the barracks' parking lot, where he caught up with her and beat her with a pair of nunchucks.

He then stuffed her into the trunk of his car and left her there while he cleaned up. Several hours later, he drove down Graham Road, past Loop Road and stopped near a bridge in Lonoke County. Green told investigators he put her body in the front seat and raped her because her body was still warm.

He dragged Spencer out of his vehicle and put her in front of the car and ran over her several times, going back and forth. He then collected himself long enough to dump her body in Twin Prairie Bayou.

Green was serving a life sentence with no parole for this brutal crime.

According to the article, Green said it was an "accident," and apparently Rev. Johnny Jackson, interim pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Jacksonville, also spoke up for Green...so it seems this must have been good enough for Huckabee...until he was deluged with protests from people who knew better.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he could kill again," warns Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley.

A different article from the Arkansas Leader provides more details from Don Egelhoff, the lead investigator in the case:

"He can be a Christian and God can forgive him and take him to heaven," said Egelhoff, but while on earth, he needs to finish out his sentence.

"Society doesn't have to give up the right to punish him for what he did."

Egelhoff said if Green has new evidence that his confession was coerced, as he claims, he should have a new trial, not a get-out-of-jail-free card.

"We didn't need a confession," Egelhoff says. "We had enough physical evidence and eye witnesses to convict him in a court."

"He had a vintage Thunderbird," he said. "We found hair and blood in the trunk of the car, under the undercarriage of his car. She was still alive when she was run over based on autopsy findings, he said.

She may not have known she was pregnant.

"When I talked with him, he had no remorse. He said he was glad he'd been caught, it had been bothering him."

After Green kicked her off the bridge, he told Egelhoff, he howled at the moon.

Another of the Arkansas Leader's articles tells of another criminal Huckabee apparently considered worthy of clemency:

Huckabee also likes Denver Witham, a fellow musician who plays in the Cummins Prison band and is serving life without parole.

Witham, who was also granted clemency last week, beat his victim with a lead pipe during a robbery in a Saline County cemetery.

Yet another Arkansas Leader article tells of more dirtbags unleashed on society, quoting Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley:

Jegley cites numerous examples of Huckabee's freeing felons who go on committing more crimes and wind up back in prison.

Maurice Clemmons received a 35-year sentence in the early 1990s for armed robbery and theft. His sentence was commuted in May 2000, and he was let out three months later.

The following March, Clemmons committed two armed robberies and other crimes and was sentenced to 10 years. You'd think they'd keep him locked up after that, but no: He was paroled last March and is now wanted for aggravated robbery.

One can hope Huckabee has since wised-up, as he has revised his message on civil unions and done a 180 on illegal aliens.

Unfortunately for the victims of these animals released upon society by Huckabee's "compassion," even if he has come around, it's too late for them.

Dems See Huckabee as 'The Glass Jaw'

Hmmm. Reverse psychology or leaked strategy? You be the judge.

The Drudge Report has released an exclusive this morning that Democrats are holding their fire in the hopes that Mike Huckabee will get the Republican nomination...and then they'll break his "glass jaw."

Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, insiders reveal.

The Democratic National Committee has told staffers to hold all fire, until he secures the party's nomination.

The directive has come down from the highest levels within the party, according to a top source.

Within the DNC, Huckabee is known as the "glass jaw -- and they're just waiting to break it."

The piece points out that the last DNC press release which was critical of Huckabee was on March 2.

Insiders say Dems are calling Huckabee a Republican "McGovern," meaning he's an easy kill. They cite Huckabee's pitiful record of granting clemency in Arkansas and his support of quarantining AIDS patients back in the early 1990s.

I'd have to agree with this assessment. Once large numbers of Republicans find out Huckabee's position on many of the issues (or rather, what his record is, since he's in the process of "redefining" his stated positions on some things), he'll have a hard time getting the support of his base.

Huckabee appears genuinely pro-life and pro-marriage. But beyond that, he has a dreadful record of being soft on crime, soft on illegal immigration, soft on terrorism, fond of big government, fond of taxes, and friendly toward global warming initiatives.

Like Giuliani, but for different reasons, Huckabee is NOT the flagship of Republican values.

And whether this is a "reverse psychology" ploy from the DNC or not, it's plausible because Huckabee's "Willie Horton" clemency proclivity leaves him vulnerable not just with Republicans, but with all but but the most dedicated pro-criminal electorate.

Huckabee Foreign Policy: Smile at Terrorists?

From Breitbart.com, Mike Huckabee has joined Democrats and gone on the attack against President Bush.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Mike Huckabee, who has joked about his lack of foreign policy experience, is criticizing the Bush administration's efforts, denouncing a go-it-alone "arrogant bunker mentality" and questioning decisions on Iraq.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor now running for the Republican presidential nomination, lays out a policy plan that is long on optimism but short on details in the January-February issue of the journal Foreign Affairs, which is published by the Council on Foreign Relations. A copy of his article was released Friday.

"American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out," Huckabee said. "The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States' main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists."

In one specific criticism, Huckabee said Bush did not send enough troops to invade Iraq. And he accused the president of marginalizing Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, who said at the outset of the war that it might take several hundred thousand U.S. troops to control Iraq after the invasion. "I would have met with Shinseki privately and carefully weighed his advice," Huckabee said.

As for the "bunker mentality," Huckabee would do well to recall that President Bush came to Washington (perhaps naively and "optimistically") wanting to set a "new tone." He made gracious overtures to the Democrats, even inviting Ted Kennedy to the White House for movies and popcorn. What did he get for his trouble? A drawer full of knives in his back from the Democrats. Having a "bunker mentality" when many of the people around you are out to spill your blood is downright necessary and kinda smart.

I would contend that optimism is the very reason why Bush didn't send more forces to occupy Iraq (we had plenty to invade, too few to control the country). I believe President Bush had too much optimism that the world would united behind the right thing, that they would send additional troops to help, that they wouldn't undermine our efforts to stabilize the country by continual bellyaching and backbiting, that other countries would stand with us to stop foreign terrorists from coming into Iraq as they have from Iran and other places. Bush did not pit the United States against the world; several countries in the world chose to align themselves with Saddam Hussein and with terrorist elements.

But no, Bush expected too much of nations that put their financial interests (Germany, France, Russia, to name a few) ahead of what's right. He expected too much of other Middle Eastern countries that could have benefited from a stable Iraq in the region, but instead couldn't bring themselves to work with an American infidel.

And he was probably too optimistic that certain elements in Iraq would do as most civilized nations do when they're clearly beat: deal with it and move on to rebuild the country. Bush probably expected these certain elements to put the good of their fellow Iraqi countrymen ahead of their thirst for blood.

And Bush was too optimistic about Democrats in our own country. I believe he expected them to do what Americans of all parties used to do in wartime: put aside partisan bickering and pull together for the national cause. He expected them to get behind the troops and present a united, resolved front to international terrorists and other opposition. Bush probably expected all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, to come together and demonstrate to the terrorists that we were not going to allow them to win, instead of constantly giving them hope and encouragement.

So in getting back to Huckabee, since he is far more naive than Bush ever was in recognizing and dealing firmly with evil, I would have to say that the "optimism" that Huckabee might bring to international affairs would be a considerable liability.

When you underestimate evil, people get hurt. When you underestimate evil as a leader in the international community, lots of people get hurt.

Mike Huckabee has already demonstrated, with his overly-optimistic (dare I say cavalier) attitude about evil as governor of Arkansas, with his free-wheeling approach to clemency for dangerous criminals, that he doesn't understand the true nature of evil. His optimism and underestimation of evil cost one or possibly two women in Missouri their lives when he stumped for the release of Wayne Dumond.

In fact, I'm afraid Huckabee's "optimism" could be disastrous on a scale that would make Jimmy Carter's naivete pale in comparison. I remember those years; we don't ever want to go through that again. And incredibly, the world is more dangerous now than it was then.

Informed, intelligent optimism is a good thing. Reckless, blind optimism is dangerous and deadly.

Extensive Interview with Huckabee on Education

CNS News has a lengthy and informative interview with Mike Huckabee about education.

Since Huckabee has been endorsed by both the National Education Association (NEA) and many homeschoolers (two groups that are normally like oil and water), exactly where Huckabee comes down on education is particularly interesting.

In the interview, Huckabee gives an answer about the constitutionality of the federal Department of Education that I find a little inconsistent. He at first says "I don't think there is really a federal role or responsibility, constitutionally, in education. I think education is a local function. It should be a state function." But then says that getting rid of the department is "virtually impossible" so we should give it a role consistent with the Constitution.

There is a constitutional role for defense, relations with other nation states, treasury, interstate commerce, etc., so it's easy to justify those departments. However, there is none for education beyond the generic statement in the preamble to "promote the general welfare," which the Founders made clear was to have a very limited application by Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution, the 10th Amendment, and further explained in Federalist #45. In addition, here are a couple of quotes from the Founders on the "general welfare" clause:

Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated. - Thomas Jefferson

With respect to the two words 'general welfare,' I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators. – James Madison

So if one is truly serious about respecting the Constitution, they would work to make our government look as much like the constitutional outline as possible.

The interview also covers Huckabee's opposition to vouchers, which he seems to say was based more on opposition from Christian schools than his own personal opposition. I do know that some Christian educators don't like the idea of vouchers, since they're afraid of strings that might someday come with them (while I say that if they start putting strings on them, you could always stop taking the vouchers then). However, since Huckabee has tried to cover his tracks on so many things already (such as immigration, his liberal clemency record, etc), I don't know if I believe him on this. I'd need to look more closely at what he's actually said about vouchers in the past, and I don't have that information readily at hand right now.

The interview covers a number of other educational areas of concern to Christians, so I'd recommend reading the whole thing.

Another Huckabee Skeleton Out of the Closet

The Arkansas Journal is reporting on another of Mike Huckabee's irresponsible exercises of clemency as governor of Arkansas:

In 1994 John Henry Claiborne, a man already convicted of 6 prior felonies, kicked in the back door of the home of Homer and Vivian Allbritton and held them at gunpoint with a stolen shotgun while he robbed them. Claiborne took all the valuables he could carry from the Allbrittons' house, including Mrs. Allbritton's wedding ring that he stripped from her finger as she lay on the ground. Claiborne then stole the Allbrittons' car and drove away. He was soon arrested, put on trial, and sentenced to 375 years behind bars. Three years after Mike Huckabee commuted Claiborne's sentence, he is once again the target of prosecutors for his alleged felonies.

Claiborne remained in prison until 2004, when then-Governor Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence to "time served" and released him, over the objections of law enforcement, jurors in Claiborne's case, and the Allbritton family.

The release says Claiborne was again arrested in the fall of 2007 on drug dealing charges.

What does it take to get a dangerous criminal locked away from society, these days???

And how does a Baptist preacher justify such reckless disregard for justice, public safety and respect for the law???

Clemency Came Suddenly With Mike Huckabee

Remember the Beatles' tune "Suddenly?" Here's a new "hit."



Want to know more about Mike Huckabee's pathetic record on clemency as governor of Arkansas? Read here, and especially here, and don't miss this or this.

HT to the Arkansas Journal.