I was never much enamored in the first place with Minister Huckabee, but the former pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church of Pine Bluff, Arkansas has recently outdone himself in terms of attracting my scorn and derision.
Here. Read this. The man's own words!
QUOTING:
The nation was stunned by the senseless and savage cold-blooded murders of four young police officers in Lakewood, Wash., over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Whenever a police officer or soldier is killed, the loss is even more profound, for they are the ones who stand between our way of life and total anarchy.
Nine years ago, the name Maurice Clemmons crossed my desk. I commuted his sentence from 108 years to 47 years. I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago. I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. If I only had the same information I had then, I would make the same decision.
"IF I ONLY HAD THE SAME INFORMATION I HAD THEN, I WOULD MAKE THE SAME DECISION...?!?!
Is this guy nuts...?!?! To borrow a line from the immortal silver screen character United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant Hartman...
WHAT IS YOUR MALFUNCTION, HUCKABEE...?!?!
My God... he would have made the same decision...?!?! (Yes... I've checked... the op-ed is real - it's actually Huckabee - it's not a spoof from The Onion.)
Ever hear of Wayne DuMond? Check out the link provided.
What makes a trend? How about the fact that as governor of Arkansas, Huckabee took it upon himself to issue over 1,000 pardons and commutations - more than his three predecessors combined!
In his non-mea culpa Huckabee reiterates the same empty sentiments I heard him recite on The O'Reilly Factor the other night...
QUOTING:
I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago.
No... he doesn't! Not by a long shot! Taking responsibility would entail spending the rest of his life making concrete amends to the families of each and every one of those four police officers who career criminal Maurice Clemmons gunned down on November 29, 2009 - a day the friends, family, and colleagues of these murdered police officers will never again recall as "just another day."
You take "full responsibility" Governor Huckabee...? Tell it to the loved ones of
Allow me to ask, are the following the words of a man taking full responsibility?
...I commuted his sentence to the term of 47 years (still a long sentence in comparison to others for the type of crime he had committed), making him parole-eligible. It did not parole him, as governors do not have that power in Arkansas. He would have to separately apply for parole and meet the criteria for it.
Three months after the commutation, Clemmons met the criteria for parole and was paroled to supervision in late 2000.
...
I can't explain why he wasn't prosecuted properly for the parole violations, or why he was allowed to make bail in Washington and was not incarcerated earlier for crimes committed there. I take responsibility for my actions, but not for the actions of others...
Mike Huckabee makes me sick.
There's simply no other way to put it.
Mike Huckabee wouldn't get my handshake - let alone my vote - if Jesus Himself were to embark upon His Second Coming and announce... as an aside... His support for a Huckabee candidacy!
Certain self-described conservatives and "traditionalists" have and continue to offer Huckabee a pass on his actions. I don't. I won't.
What do you do with a problem named Huckabee? Well... if you're a Republican I'd strongly advise you to draw your own personal line in the political sand: No Huckabee! No way... no how.
9 comments:
Huck shoulda Karla Faye Tuckered the darkie bastard!
Rob. ENOUGH.
Publish your crap on your own blog. Don't pollute mine. If you don't have anything civil to post here don't post here at all.
Anyone interested in reading the ramblings of Rob Dakin, head on over to http://rrrrodak.blogspot.com/
BILL
Bill,
I think you and I are looking at this quote differently.
"If I only had the same information I had then, I would make the same decision."
I take this as him also saying, "if I knew then what I knew now, I would have made a different decision." To me, he's saying that based on the information he had at the time and not knowing what the future holds, he feels it was the right decision.
From my understanding, his decision was based on the sentence of a man who was serving over 100 years in prison for robberies and burglaries committed between the ages of 16 and 18 (no rape or murder).
Now, in hindsight it was the wrong decision. However, he's saying if a similar set of circumstances and same information came across his desk, he would make the same decision.
I don't agree with Huckabee and his commutations, but I can't see being sickened by this.
Don't worry, I'm not a supporter of Huck so I won't be voting for him anyway.
Last time I checked, Maurice Clemmons was responsible for the murders, NOT Huckabee. There are plenty of good reasons to dislike Huckabee, but this isn't one of them.
Moose offers...
"Bill, I think you and I are looking at this quote differently."
Obviously. (*SMILE*)
My take:
The fact that Huckabee feels he made the right decision indicates tells me that Huckabee is a man I wouldn't trust with the pardon power.
Heck, Moose... you seemingly AGREE with me on the merits. YOU wrote, "I don't agree with Huckabee and his commutations..."
Well...???
So... from what I gather your main "disagreement" with me is on whether one should be sickened by Huckabee's pardon PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS OP-ED AND OTHER PUBLIC STATEMENTS concerning the pardon.
Moose. As always, you're free to disagree with me. I regret that you do, but I'll live. (*SMILE*)
I believe I made QUITE clear - point by point - exactly "what" about Huckabee's actions sickened me and "why."
(*SHRUG*)
BTW... GREAT to "see" ya here, buddy! Thanks for the feedback.
BILL
As to you, Ed...
(*GRIN*)
I didn't say Huckabee "was responsible" for the murders.
You need to pay attention, son.
(*SMILE*) (*FRIENDLY GUY-TO-GUY ELBOW IN THE RIBS*)
While Huckabee's clemency towards Maurice Clemmons was certainly a major link in the chain of events that ALLOWED the murders of Sgt. Renninger and officers Owens, Richards, and Griswold to take place, clearly Clemmons is the piece of human garbage "responsible" for the murders in a legal sense.
Both you and Moose might wanna take another go at reading my thread post - slowly... allowing for full comprehension.
(*CHUCKLE*) (*WINK*)
On a serious note, Ed, for you to write that this isn't reason to dislike Huckabee is... umm... out of character to say the least.
So... let me get this straight... Ed McGonigal has no problem with the fact that during his stint as governor Huckabee issued over 1,000 pardons and commutations - more than his three predecessors (including Bill Clinton) combined...???
Hmm... ok... if that's how you feel so be it, but certainly you can see how others familiar with your posts, views, and ideology would be surprised to find you so in favor of... er... "mercy" to convicted criminals.
Oh, well... ya learn something new every day!
(*GRIN*)
BILL
Ed McGonigal has no problem with the fact that during his stint as governor Huckabee issued over 1,000 pardons and commutations - more than his three predecessors (including Bill Clinton) combined...???
Perhaps Clinton had an overly aggressive state AG (hello, Janet Reno and Ruby Ridge...), and Huckabee was trying to correct a lot of mistakes?
How many of those 1000 pardons and commutations have turned around and killed people? Frankly, if Clemmons was the only one, I'd call Huckabee's record outstanding on that point (although I'll concede there are probably others).
Regardless, I have bigger fish to fry with Huckabee than this one. If this was his only mistake ever, I'd overlook it.
Consider: 4 people died from Huckabee's mistake. By comparison, how many Americans will die from Obama's mistakes in Afghanistan?
Ed replies...
"Perhaps Clinton had an overly aggressive state AG (hello, Janet Reno and Ruby Ridge...), and Huckabee was trying to correct a lot of mistakes?"
Cute. Maybe... but in any case you're not answering the question of whether just the facts alone as outlined sound fine and dandy to you.
(*SHRUG*)
Ed continues...
"How many of those 1000 pardons and commutations have turned around and killed people?"
Why don't you look into it yourself, Ed? Certainly I provided enough links to start you on your research. (You're welcome!) But if your only concern is "murder" and not other crimes - say rape, robbery, child sexual abuse, drug production and sales, etc. - then by God I surely have misjudged you all these years.
(*SHRUG*)
More from Ed...
"Frankly, if Clemmons was the only one, I'd call Huckabee's record outstanding on that point..."
And you have every right to your opinion. Such an opinion makes me think less of you, since you're basically excusing the murder of four police officers by a career criminal Huckabee had a part on setting loose upon society, but such is life.
Perhaps if ever - GOD FORBID - your wife or one or more of your children is victimized by someone a politician granted clemency to you'll change your tune. That's what it takes to get some people's attention. You know what they say, Ed, "A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged."
(*SMILE*)
Ed continues...
"Regardless, I have bigger fish to fry with Huckabee than this one. If this was his only mistake ever, I'd overlook it. Consider: 4 people died from Huckabee's mistake. By comparison, how many Americans will die from Obama's mistakes in Afghanistan?"
Many... but besides one having nothing to do with the other (plus, one doesn't defend bad behavior by pointing to worse behavior), do you doubt that a President Huckabee would have also ordered a surge - no doubt sooner, no doubt larger?
(*SHRUG*)
Just something to think about my friend.
BILL
Bottom line, boys... none of us views Huckabee as "our" guy who we'd like to see run for and win the GOP nomination in '12 (or ever).
(Well... perhaps Rob under the logic of believing - and believing correctly IMHO - that a Huckabee candidacy would be a losing candidacy.)
Also, Moose and I both like good beer and Ed likes... er... beer.
(Rob? Pot... pills... psychedelics... what's your pleasure?)
(Hey... it would be rude to leave Rob out!)
(*WINK*)
BILL
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