Anybody remember the Willie Horton brewhaha? Differences are Huckabee seems to have lied about his involvement in this case and this isn’t about race. Ah, Presidential campaigns. The professional tag team wrestling death match of politics is getting interesting as the combatants start slinging mud containing rocks. Two men enter, one man leaves.
Former Aide Contradicts Huckabee Defense Of Rapist’s Release
Directly contradicting Mike Huckabee’s claims, his former senior aide tells the Huffington Post that, as governor of Arkansas, Huckabee indeed told the state’s parole board that he supported the release of a convicted rapist.The senior aide, Olan W. “Butch” Reeves, personally attended a controversial parole board meeting with Huckabee in Oct. 1996.
“The clear impression that I came away with from the meeting was that he favored Dumond’s release,” Reeves said, referring to convicted rapist Wayne Dumond. “And I can understand why board members would believe that to be the case.”
This stands in stark contrast to Huckabee’s assertion, repeated at a press conference today that he “did not ask [the board] to do anything.” When asked directly about trying to influence the board, Huckabee responded: “No. I did not. Let me categorically say that I did not.”
One of the more vicious examples of American partisan politics in action – the Dumond case was an issue for right-wing nutballs who saw his release as a “victory” over Bill Clinton.
Clinton wanted him kept in jail. So, naturally, reactionary politics required his release.
Ah Republicans eating their own. Hand me the popcorn.
Gov. Huckabee has come from way behind (thanks in no small part to the viral Chuck Norris ad)to now be a serious threat in Iowa, and is taking the Christian Conservative vote away from the frontrunners. So of course the other candidates must go negative on him.
This is news? A politician lying?
Right, left or middle of the road it sure is fun to watch.
As the Clinton’s use to say “This is old news”. In the future I hope you are as fast posting positive news stories about Republican front runners as you are slanderous ones. But then I expect you will keep digging in the manure pile looking for a few more half truth bits to print.
#4: There are positive ones?
Positive? Sure.
Georgie W. is positive his lies will guarantee him a seat on the Petroleum Club’s presidium for the rest of his life.
Nope… Horton is black. Dumond is white. Big difference in America.
NO – Worse than Horton. Horton was released under a general program that applied to a lot of people. Dukakis had never even heard the guy’s name until the ad came out.
Huckabee not only knew Dumond’s name, but actively pushed and advocated for Dumond’s release, even after receiving letters directly from Drumond’s victims.
Another difference of course, is the race issue Mister Justin has already pointed out.
Big difference, did Dumond do anything after being released? Willie Horton came up because he committed crimes during Dukakis’ weekend furlough.
Another difference is that Dukakis didn’t ask for his guy to be released, he just had a general program that alowed criminals to go home on weekends.
I don’t see how this affects or should affect his presidency. Did I miss something? Did he get paid off? What was his motivation, if any? Bleeding heart?
Not that there aren’t plenty of good reasons to want his campaign nuked. He’s a religious nut-job of the highest order, and an good old-fashioned huckster and con-man to boot.
Read the article about him in Rolling Stone a month or so ago.
#10 – Not that there aren’t plenty of good reasons to want his campaign nuked. He’s a religious nut-job of the highest order, and an good old-fashioned huckster and con-man to boot.
Well, he did lose a lot of weight, and he’s kept it off. I hear Jered Fogel will be his running mate. I just might vote him.
Big difference, did Dumond do anything after being released?
Yeah, he kept pretty busy, killing and raping.
#1 — that’s exactly how I heard the back story on this.
This is an indictment of RIGHT WING NUT JOBS and Huckabee’s eagerness to cave into them.
While I don’t expect candidates to be held accountable for every criminal in their state, this specific case is political at it’s core. And it’s an ugly indictment of the conservative extremists and politicians like Huckabee who suck up to them.
BTW, this is not the first time conservatives have supported criminals because they hated Clinton so much. Who can forget how many conservatives supported Al Qaeda’s claim that Clinton bombed an “aspirin factor”? Without any research, whatsoever, the conservatives parroted the Al Qaeda’s claims in a cynical attempt to score a few cheap political points.
Story doesn’t matter: Huckabee’s recent surge has more to do with the lack of a clear frontrunner, so the lazy don’t know who to vote for.
It’s the same reason Richardson is getting points on the left these days.
Hey, at least they’re not voting for Ron Paul.
#14 – Wow James… Thoughtful commentary. I like the new you.
I’m all for anything that sinks this religious cretin’s chances.
Being a conservative can be trying for one’s soul when you have to deal with people like Huckleberry who claim to represent you.
Someone needs to check the water in Hope, Ak…..the last politician to make it big from there had problems with the truth as well.
I know it’s a lost cause(but several polls are looking good), but I could deal with John McCain, or Janet Napliatano of Arizona, or Gov. Casey of Pa.. A good conservative or moderate/conservative is hard to find that dosen’t have the taint of religion or liberalism attached to them.
Several people have this story right. The big difference between this and Horton is that Huckleberry actually went before the board and said it was ok to release this guy. Make’s it hard to use **plausable deniabilty**, the politicians friend.
Why does the devil always have such a nice smile? This clown believes in the 6000 y/o world nonsense, totally anti-choice, and claims gay marriage will end the world….and these are all things he’s said SINCE moving up in the polls…..nothing old news about them. He has no problem raising taxes or spending like a Democrat. But, that shouldn’t hurt him, after all, Guiliani is the front runner and he believes in choice, gay right’s and tight fiscal policy’s….world is upside down.
>> James Hill said, Story doesn’t matter: Huckabee’s recent surge has more to do with the lack of a clear frontrunner, so the lazy don’t know who to vote for.
I sense that the Christian right aren’t following their leaders lock-and-step like they used to. They can’t accept the hypocrisy of Pat Robertson endorsing Giuliani considering that his personal morality is several notches below Bill Clinton who Robertson and other excoriated for years.
So, their grass roots support of Huckabee has taken a little longer to coalesce.
But, as a Democrat, I know well that the grass root’s favorite (Kucinich, now; Dean in ’04.) never prevails over the mainstream party candidate with all the money and organization.
Depending on who you’re talking about, Gov Casey either is dead or never won the governor’s race primary.
#19…MikeN…I’m talking about Senator Casey….not his father. I got carried away by sneezing and typed in Gov. instead of Senator.
#16, Joshua,
A good conservative or moderate/conservative is hard to find
I wonder why that is ??? The water? The religion? The colleagues? The selfishness? The political platforms? The hurt people left in the dust behind them? The tendency to accept money and gifts like any two bit whore without qualms?
This story is far less interesting than some of the other skeletons in Huckabee’s closet. As a Baptist Minister before he became a politician, he was used to accepting “love offerings” from members of his congregation, which is a common practice to augment the meager salary small churches pay their pastors.
When he became governor of Arkansas, he then didn’t see any problem or conflict of interest when a multitude of lobbyists and other sycophants showered him with gifts (such as furniture, free meals, tickets to sporting events, etc.) in exchange for his support on specific legislation, or appointments to state boards. It might have not even been noticed until a journalist found out he took all the “free” furniture with him (at least $70,000 worth) when he moved out of the Governor’s mansion. By state law, the furniture in the governor’s mansion belongs to the taxpayers, regardless of where it came from.
Full story at http://tinyurl.com/yo7wky
This guy makes Giuliani’s ethical lapses seem insignificant and makes Ron Paul look even better.