Huckabee’s Link to Shooting Suspect Could Be Political Setback

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/pl_bloomberg/auevlr0vmzi



Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The political future of former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee could be damaged by his role in commuting the sentence of the gunman suspected of killing four police officers in Washington state.

Huckabee, as governor of Arkansas in 2000, commuted a 95- year prison sentence for Maurice Clemmons. Huckabee cited Clemmons’ youth - he was 17 when he was convicted in 1989 of aggravated robbery - in commuting the sentence, the Associated Press reported. Clemmons was then paroled.

“If you pardon someone and they do something, it’s bad news,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist. “It can come back to haunt you.”

Huckabee, in a statement on his Web site, said that if Clemmons is found to be responsible for the shooting, “it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system.â€

Huckabee, who lost the Republican presidential nomination last year to John McCain, was criticized during the campaign for the number of clemencies granted to prisoners while he was governor.

According to an AP analysis at the time, Huckabee granted 1,033 clemencies during 10 years in office, more than double the number granted by three governors during the previous 17 years.

During the presidential campaign, Huckabee denied pressuring a state parole board to release a convicted rapist who later raped again and committed murder.

“For people to now politicize these deaths and to try to make a political case out of it, rather than to simply understand that a system failed and that we ought to extend our grief and heartfelt sorrow to these families, I just regret that politics is reduced to that,â€

Huckabee, who is now host of a talk show on the Fox News channel, said in a television interview Sunday that he is “less likely” to run for president in 2012 because he enjoys his current job.

“The reason I wouldn’t is because this Fox gig I’ve got right now, Chris, is really, really wonderful,” Huckabee told host Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”


The Republican Party and FOX News?
What strange bed fellows.

I figured the liberals would like Huckabee for commuting a criminals sentence, particularly a 17 year old.

FOX News gave him a job!

I guess because he is Republican.
We know how FOX News favors the Republicans.

Somebody has to because the rest of the media doesn't!

LMAO
No one is as biased as FOX News.
Robert Murdoch has a history of it. In Australia he has been sued and fined for anti-trust violations.

He only became a US citizen because a Non-American can not own a major News Station.

bored's comments just shows what's wrong with america. All you righties seem to do is say Liberals do this , liberals do that. These so called "liberals" don't all think the same, act the same, nor agree with the same policies, however it seems Right wing Conservatives are all geared to think the same way and when someone doesn't you ostracize them.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it I promise, I have 100% contempt for the left. When it comes to the right I just don't like em! But my statement is true, real liberals do all think the same just as real conservatives all think the same. If you call yourself a liberal or conservative and have a differing view than the two parties then you are not a true lefty or righty.

This is probably the worse thing that could have happen to Mr huckabee public relations wise.I thought it was the wrong decision as this man really didn't serve any hard time for his crimes.I am not a legal expert or do I know anything about the Justice department but it seems like these younger offenders are given many second chances with out jail time nearly always by a judge or someone else.Although I though his decision was wrong I am sure he has heard hundreds if not thousands of cases and probably made the right decisions.Although Huckabees decision could have prevented this murder so could many of the other judges who let him free including the judge who let him out on bail just 7 days after a child rape charge.His family members also heard him bragging about how he was going to kill a bunch of cops and how they could see it on TV.

States need to bring back the 3 felony strikes law where you serve 20 years in prison.Crime took a nose dive during that period.

I am kinda sickened by the article posted as op.

There is an implication that fox is unbalanced in its reporting by an article that IMPLIES fault based on an unfact.

“If you pardon someone and they do something, it’s bad news,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist. “It can come back to haunt you.”

Mr. Huckabee did NOT pardon this man. He commuted a sentence of 108 years to a sentence of 46... The man was then paroled by a parol board of 5 people. (This is why I don't trust journalists... spin is allways present).

Further it states
"Huckabee, who lost the Republican presidential nomination last year to John McCain, was criticized during the campaign for the number of clemencies granted to prisoners while he was governor.

According to an AP analysis at the time, Huckabee granted 1,033 clemencies during 10 years in office, more than double the number granted by three governors during the previous 17 years."

Implying that he did wrong. Lets put some perspective on it.

He received 1200 requests a year for pardons and such... times 10 years that would be... (i'm sure you can add)... a LOT more than the 1,033 he granted.

If he even saved ONE single innocent person I applaud him.

Oh come on. Do you really think the ( to coin a phrase from Limbaugh, which I don't do very often but in this case it's fitting )Drive By Media are actually gonna allow Americans to pay attention to something like THAT??

Regardless of how many he DIDN'T pardon or commute, the only one that is going to count is this particular one that he DID.

This is the second one he commuted who once again made headlines.
The other one was a rapist.

How many does it take before it matters?

I reckon it matters in a different way to a person that he did pardon or commute that was innocent.

1033 or some such and yep we concentrate on the bad apple and forget the good that he might have done.

... and of course it is not PC to mention the idiots that had him before their bench and LET him walk (or did I miss something... That would be mr. Huckabees fault then?)

The real government of USA is the Mainstream Media. It will make you or brake you. As long as people only parotting what has been chewed and spat out by the Media instead of freely and independently think for themselves, the division between people vs. people will grow and ultimately will cause the collapse. It will be just "States Of America" but in no way it's "United" anymore.

I don't like Huckabee at all. Never have.

But in his defense, just as innocent people DO end up in jail serving for crimes not committed, hopefully not killed, there will always be a chance that in granting clemency, a slick, very bad criminal will slip through.

Humans are just not infallible.

The rapist's parole has been directly related to close door meetings between Huckabee and the Parole board.
Huckabee, against State law, dismissed the clerk who would have normally taken notes.
The Parole board completely reversed direction on their votes.
Going from 4-1 against to 5-0 for. Consequently be reappointed to more terms.

The guy recently, the Seattle Cop killer, had his sentence commuted by Huckabee. Making him eligible for parole the very same day.
The Parole board voted 5-0 for release.

Both were required to immediately leave Arkansas.
Both had previously been marked as a continue danger. Likely to commit serious crimes again in the future.

I am sure if you were on the haj you wouldn't be talking about how great liberal americans are. Slightly hypocritical I'd think.