Huckabee Fights Against Parole Case Claims

GOP Hopeful, Former Ark. Gov. Points Figure At Predecessors Bill Clinton, Jim Guy Tucker For Rapist's Release

(CBS)  Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who in the past few weeks has gone from long shot to leading some polls in Iowa, today fought back against charges he acted improperly in the case of Wayne DuMond, a convicted rapist who was paroled during Huckabee's time as governor of Arkansas.

In an interview today on CBS News' The Early Show, Huckabee denied wrongdoing and deflected blame for the case to his predecessors Jim Guy Tucker and Bill Clinton.

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond's sentence, making him parole eligible. What I actually did was I denied his second commutation request, denied three others. He was released because he was parole eligible. And in Arkansas law, governors can neither initiate parole, nor can they stop a parole," Huckabee told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

The mother of a woman murdered by DuMond after he was paroled spoke out against the former governor on Wednesday's Early Show.

Lois Davidson, whose daughter Carol Sue Shields was murdered said that Huckabee's involvement in the case suggests poor judgment.

"I don't think he did enough background research on Wayne DuMond's life," she said. "And if he didn't do that kind of research, I don't think he's gonna be good for the country."

Huckabee responded to the mother on Thursday.

"This is one of those tragic cases that, as you look back, your heart is broken, especially for these families. And I don't blame that mother for being angry, and don't even blame her for being angry at me because I'm the only face of this she knows," he said.

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Read More About The Case

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Clinton's successor, Tucker, reduced DuMond's sentence to to 39 years, making him eligible for parole. When Huckabee became governor in 1996, he said he was considering commuting DuMond's sentence to time served. After the victim and her supporters protested, Huckabee did not do so, but he reportedly wrote a letter to DuMond saying "my desire is that you be released from prison."

Soon after, Huckabee met with the parole board, which had the power to free DuMond. After the meeting, many board members reversed their votes from the previous year, and DuMond was paroled. After he was released, DuMond moved to Missouri, where he sexually assaulted and murdered Shields. He was the leading suspect in another rape and murder when he died in prison in 2005.

Smith asked Huckabee if he thought DuMond could have been innocent of the first crime and whether he should have been paroled.

"It wasn't so much as innocence, but it was the sentence and the fact that while he was awaiting trial someone broke into his home, they hog-tied him, they castrated him, they left him for dead," Huckabee said. "His two young sons came home from school, found him in a pool of blood. His testicles were placed on a jar on the sheriff's desk in the Ford City, Ark., sheriff's department. It was a horrible case from start to finish for everybody, for the victims, for him. He received a very harsh sentence, harsh enough that my predecessor, Jim Guy Tucker, in concert with Bill Clinton, who was actually governor at the time, reduced his sentence. That's what made him parole eligible."

"I considered, because it was on my desk when I became governor, a further commutation, but ended up deciding against it. So, I denied it," Huckabee added. "But it happened, his parole, while I was governor, even though by law governors can't parole anybody."

Huckabee also talked about the letter he wrote.

"The letter said that 'I support your release from prison.' That's the part that gets quoted. The part that doesn't get quoted is, 'but I deny your commutation request.' It was a letter of denial of his commutation," he said. "Even after that, when he was parole eligible, it was years later when the parole board finally decided to do it. And that parole board that originally asked me to meet with them was a parole board made up entirely of people appointed by Bill Clinton or Jim Guy Tucker."

Huckabee firmly denied putting pressure on the parole board, despite the claims of some.

"They did say that… six years after this meeting that they requested. And that was three of the seven members who is said it, all of whom I did not reappoint to their $75,000 a year jobs. Interesting that it took them six years to come forth and say it after they lost their jobs and during the middle of an election year in which my opponent in that election made clemencies the primary focus of her campaign," he said.

"It's a horrible story. You know, the real tragedy… the real tragedy is there are some families hurting and grieving, and some now are wanting to exploit them for political purposes," Huckabee added. "For American politics to be reduced to the exploitations of crime victims and to reach into their grief and try to make them the centerpiece, it's really the worst politics of all."

When challenged, Huckabee also said he was aware of other victims of DuMond who contacted his office and pleaded not to release him from prison.

"There weren't a lot of letters. There was one visit from the victim in Ford City. There was another letter from a lady in Arkansas, and that was one of the reasons that I didn't end up commuting that sentence… It was the influence of the fact that there was just doubts about him getting out without supervision. I just didn't feel comfortable with that," he said.

Huckabee concluded the interview by saying that he could not have stopped the parole.

"Legally, I could not stop his parole. Governors can't do that. They can't start it. They can't stop it," Huckabee said. "And if one understands the basic essence -- for a governor to add to a person's sentence would be double jeopardy. Separation of powers makes it so that once the case has been adjudicated, a governor can reduce a sentence, but a governor cannot add to it, and stopping a parole would be adding to a sentence."

[terrapin78]

IMO, this show Huckabee is not different than any other Repug. Always blame someone else, namely Bill Clinton. If it wasn''t so sad I''d be laughing!

[watcher269-2009]

Who Cares - the real story in this country is below - WOW - Dana Perino is HOT - I bet Billy Boy wishes she was an intern - I know I do!

President Bush was told in August that Iran%u2019s nuclear weapons program %u201Cmay be suspended,%u201D the White House said Wednesday, which seemingly contradicts the account of the meeting given by Bush Tuesday.

Adm. Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, told Bush the new information might cause intelligence officials to change their assessment of the Iranian program, but said analysts needed to review the new data before making a final judgment, White House press secretary Dana Perino said late Wednesday.

%u201CDirector McConnell said that the new information might cause the intelligence community to change its assessment of Iran%u2019s covert nuclear program, but the intelligence community was not prepared to draw any conclusions at that point in time, and it wouldn%u2019t be right to speculate until they had time to examine and analyze the new data,%u201D Perino said in a statement issued by the White House.

The new account from Perino seems to contradict the president%u2019s version of his August conversation with McConnell and raised new questions about why Bush continued to warn the American public about a threat from Iran two months after being told a new assessment was in the works.

[jersupporter]

Part of being a leader is accepting responsibility when something in your control goes wrong. Again this Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has deflected blame for the case to his predecessors Jim Guy Tucker and Bill Clinton. Character, character, character. You make the call?

[rosesnpearls]

Elementary reading skills - the article says that Tucker commuted the sentence PRIOR to Huckabee being governor and that the resulting reduced sentence made him eligible for parole. The letter was a denial of further commutation which would have shortened the sentence more. Some people are so blinded by their political affiliation or hatred for the other party that they are unable to read and look for facts - blinded by hatred. Not all democrats nor all republicans the same. Each one is a person with different decisions, beliefs, personalities, mistakes, victories, etc. Take off the blinders, do a little research (besides what media feeds tells you to think), decide waht is important to you and choose your candidate based on knowledge, not what ''party'' you''ve always ''thought'' you were.

[missyx21]

Well, I guess we know what he would do as President. BLAME EVERYONE BEFORE HIM. We should all know by now that, that''s the only thing republicans know how to do. Blame the person before them.

[kissamaarse]

Isn''t if odd how Republicans never take responsibility for their actions? Blame it on Clinton? This sinks Huckabee''s ship, even with the support of evangelicals and fundamentalists. A not so good one-term governor cannot have his hand in releasing a rapist and then that rapist, Dumond, goes out and rapes and kills at least one more woman.

[missyx21]

Isn''''t if odd how Republicans never take responsibility for their actions?

***************
No, it''s not odd at all. It''s the republican way. (^_^)

[cowboymh]

Thank you early show for helping Mike Huckabee gain further favorability to perspective voters!

Harry Smith''s "witch hunt" blew up in his face as Mike Huckabee did not shy away from the controversy, appeared on CBS (Communist Broadcasting Network),told his side of the story and clearly shot down CBS''s attempts to dishonor him and looked impressive doing so.

Any undecided who watched the interview was probably very impressed with Huckabee.

[missyx21]

At least now we all know he doesn''t have any BALLS. Not even man enough to own up. But what can we expect from a republican.

[cowboymh]

Missy, get your facts straight! The CLINTONS invented "not taking responsibility for ones actions"

Remember (I DID NOT HAVE *** WITH THAT WOMEN)
Liberals have such short memory!

[missyx21]

All I remember is LARRY. TAP tap. At least clinton was getting it from a girl. UNLIKE THE GAY republicans in office.

[missyx21]

lol, at gay republicans, that''s all they can bring up. CLINTON? wow, that''s so old, you have to go all the way back there. SUCK on a (oc(k like the rest of your party in office

[missyx21]

The party of (ock Suckers in Denial. Wow, that''s what you''re standing up for. Great. No wonder America''s turning into ***.

[rorosmom7]

I think we all know what will happen if Huckabee becomes President. Murderers and rapist will roam free. And what about on the hard drives his administration destroyed in January before he left office? Government owned hard drives at that. What do you think he was trying to hide?

[antoniof123]

I just don''t get it Bill Clinton is one of the most popular Presidents in American history and these morons just keep trying to blame him.

They must be nuts to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result.

Hey nut cases you slandered that man for 6 years issued so much nonsense that it doesn''t matter what you say he is a great President and your isn''t.

[nolalou]

rosesnpearls, I''ll tell you was ''blinded by political affiliation'', those in Arkansas who rushed to the defense of a convicted rapist, because of their hatred of Bill Clinton! The 17 year old girl who was raped was a distant cousin of Bill Clinton, and her parents were big contributors to Clinton''s campaign for governor! So of course the neo-cons in Arkansas decided the rapist was innocent! They did everything they could to free him! Huckabee convinced the parole board to let him go! Sure, he didn''t commute the sentence to cover his own butt, but in the same letter he said it was "my desire is that you be released from prison."! The parole board had denied his application before, but changed their vote after meeting with governor Huckabee! Now, Huckabee wants to say he had nothing to do with it!

[gangesdak]

This is what ordained ministers do; blame others sso their own institution (church) thrive. I think the fundamentalist Christians got their man- another lie-land-Bush.

[smiley676]

YUP nothing sticks to Clinton. He''s teflon.

[smiley676]

missyX21 do you have a problem with homosexuals?

[missyx21]

Nope on those republicans who preach family value, spread hate and than are really gay.

[missyx21]

missyX21 do you have a problem with homosexuals?
*************************************

There are *** and than there are gay republicans having gay *** in bathrooms while still voting so that *** can''t get married.

I don''t care if you''re gay, but when you''re gay and willing to spread hate and not allow others to get married. Those are the *** I hate.

[missyx21]

missyX21 do you have a problem with homosexuals?
**********************
There are g@ys and than there are gay republicans having gay $8x in bathrooms while still voting so that g@ys can''t get married.

I don''t care if you''re gay, but when you''re gay and willing to spread hate and not allow others to get married. Those are the g@ys I hate.

[missyx21]

Republican''s 08 Slogan:

DENIAL

[thgdriver]

Huckabee is finished, passing the buck is the last thing we need a president to do and it looks like he would do just that because he is doing it now. You all know how I feel about slick Willie Clinton and the Demonrats but fair is fair. He persuaded that parole board and thats that. Good by Huckabee, Driver does not support anyone soft on criminals, Repub. or Demon.

When it came out how soft Mike Dukakis was on crime it was a nail of maney in his coffin.

[missyx21]

republicans 08 slogan:

We blame Clinton.

[sbb2211]

missyX21

"republicans 08 slogan:

We blame Clinton."

Democrat''s daily mantra:

1. Blame all of our failures on President Bush.
2. Blame our failure to keep our promises that gave us control of Congress on President Bush.
3. Blame President Bush for anything, whether he was responsible or not.
4. Make up stuff and blame it on President Bush.
5. Keep repeating steps 1 thru 4 and eventually the stupid voters of Ameerica will fall for it.

[missyx21]

What can we do when our president is idiot.

[missyx21]

Bush is the president if you''ve mistaken. And since he doesn''t have any balls either, I''m guessing we''ll be blaming Clinton until Bush chokes on another Pretzel(hopefully this time it''ll it). No matter what, Americans can''t do anything with this president in office.

He''s suppose to be a "LEADER" and yet he can''t even lead. (Only into war) I''m amazed there are still people who are willing to stand up for this president.

Choke on Pretzel Bush.

[rosevk]

all of this tragedy because of politics, Huckabee should have taken this opportunity to stand out from the rest, admitted ''it''(not taking full blame on himself) was a horrible mistake to allow this man to be paroled, extended his sincerest condolences to the families and continued on as a man of honor, not lower himself to the level of the typical politician who blames the ''other'' party for the crime and corruption in this country.

[marcodele]

Maybe Huckabee the "Christian Leader" should just pray for forgiveness.

[terryeo1]

Huckebee is good stuff. When newscasters begin to sniff at your backtrail, muckrake and then present partial quotes as if they contained the whole story, well, you know you are successful. Ding dong news does it with any success, in an attempt to make small of something good.

[smiley676]

Maybe Huckabee the "Christian Leader" should just pray for forgiveness.


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Posted by marcodele

Why? He didn''t do anything wrong. You all look for people to blame your problems on. Blame your problems on yourselves.

[antoniof123]

YUP nothing sticks to Clinton. He''''s teflon.

Posted by smiley676 at 11:48 AM : Dec 06, 2007

We the American voters allowed the Republican controlled congress to spend millions upon millions of tax dollars on a witch hunt against Bill Clinton. The reason nothing sticks to Bill Clinton is because the Republican congress had nothing on him except for what was it again nothing that you needed to stick your nose into.

Now neocons repeat this over and over again. Bill Clinton popularity is one of the highest in American history and there is nothing I can do about it nothing. In fact the more I try the more people seen to like him. Maybe it is because he was a great President and we put an idiot in office.

Remember Bill Clinton was elected twice by the majority of voters not appointed by the Supreme Court.

[p-syrus]

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond''s sentence, making him parole eligible."
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How does a republican "take responsibility"?

BLAME CLINTON!

The statement as made is a bald LIE. All sources agree that Tucker was responsible for initially commuting Dumond''s sentence. Bill Clinton had nothing to do with the commutation.

And the FACT remains that HUCKABEE argued FOR the parole board to RELEASE him.

But if somehow he can "JUST BLAME BILL" then maybe it will all GO AWAY.

Republicans: No Responsibility, No Accountability, All Rhetoric, All of the Time.

Rape is ''ok'' with Huckabee

[pepperp1]

There is something fundamentally wrong, destructive for our communities, with these many so called Christian Right Leaders in public government offices. Their avocation, their very acts of righteous disregard for social rules, the norms in governance ethics academics law courts and science, their indifference to the rights of others the rule of law and their constant supplanting of these rules when they can with their own minority transient extreme belief system is a fatal and misguided danger a direct threat to our society and our safety.

Two excellent examples on display, these women raped and one raped and killed because the Governor CHOOSE to supplant the criminal punishment meted out by the court with his groups extreme ideological view of what that punishment should be%u2026

And the sick young 19 year old man who by the activism of this very same values political sect facilitated this mans access to an Assault weapon allowing him to slaughter, gun down, 8 in cold blood, because they CHOOSE not to arm themselves while shopping for Christmas and their cold dead hands remained empty.


The electorate is not asleep at the wheel this time but actively engaged and an anti social religious like Huckabee will not be elected.

[marcodele]

How Every Neocon Avoids Thinking Logically:

"It is Clinton''s fault"

[pepperp1]

Maybe Huckabee the "Christian Leader" should just pray for forgiveness.


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Posted by marcodele

Why? He didn''''t do anything wrong. You all look for people to blame your problems on. Blame your problems on yourselves.


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Posted by smiley676 at 01:47 PM : Dec 06, 2007


You are wrong if not for his actions this women would not have been killed by DuMond''s.

[antoniof123]

Here is another neocon trying to blame Clinton. Yes, I think America will really vote for him. I mean Bill Clinton''s popularity is in the 60 percent approval.

Yea Mike that should help you a lot.

LMAO to hard to say what I really would love to say.

[extremophil]

You''re going down, Huckhead!

[canyoutellme-2009]

Uh, can someone explain this one to me??

"The letter said that ''I support your release from prison.'' That''s the part that gets quoted. The part that doesn''t get quoted is, ''but I deny your commutation request.'' It was a letter of denial of his commutation," he said.

So,he said he is OK with him being released from prison, but doesn''t approve of the commutation request. I''m sorry, but even a 2nd grade kid can read that as "I''m ok with you being released from prison"... GET THAT? HE WAS OK WITH HIM BEING OUT OF PRISON...

[excoachken]

Sometimes a political favor can come back to bite you in the A___, err, buttocks Reverend Huckster.

[tylenol6]

Just heard Huckabee paroled 700 people in total. YIKES!!!!!!! GOOD GOING LOSER. Looks like another creep
of a politician bites the dust. NEXT.....People will be
calling him the "parole preacher."

[tylenol6]

Just heard Huckabee paroled 700 people in total. YIKES!!!!!!! GOOD GOING LOSER. Looks like another creep
of a politician bites the dust. NEXT.....People will be
calling him the "parole preacher."

[usgeneral-2009]

.
Huckabee has NEVER found an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT or any other criminal that he won''t pardon. Who in their right mind could support this clown?

.

[sweetness230]

There are 5 people in our office here in Little Rock. We are are diverse and individual small group, but we fully respect our differences and embrace the individuality of each of us.

There is not one single soul in this office that has not said they could vote for Hucklehead for the position of dogcatcher. ''Nuff said.

[sweetness230]

Somehow my post got distorted. Let me try again. There is not one single one of us in our office who has said they could in good conscience vote for Hucklehead for the position of dogcatcher.

[pepperp1]

There is something fundamentally wrong, destructive for our communities, with these so called Christian Right Leaders like Huckabee in public government office. Their avocation, their very acts of righteous disregard for social rules, the norms in governance ethics academics law courts and science, their indifference to the rights of others the rule of law and their constant supplanting of these rules when they can with their own minority transient extreme belief system is a fatal and misguided danger a direct threat to our society and our safety.

Two excellent examples on display, these women raped and killed needlessly because the Governor CHOOSE to supplant the criminal punishment meted out by the court with his groups extreme ideological view of what that punishment should be%u2026

And the sick young 19 year old man who by the activism of this very same values political sect facilitated this mans access to an Assault weapon allowing him to slaughter, gun down, 8 in cold blood, because they CHOOSE not to arm themselves while shopping for Christmas and their cold dead hands remained empty.


The electorate is not asleep at the wheel this time but actively engaged and a Evangelical extremist who imposes his ideological belief system in place of our We the People system of justice, like Huckabee did, will never be elected, that experiment is over.

[blancadebree]

Maybe Mike should have used his direct line to God and asked the Almighty before letting a rapist go to murder someone. If Commander Guy can get messages from Jesus on foreign policy, surely a Baptist minister should be able to do the same.

http://blancadebree.blogspot.com

[mcvet]

Oh just what we need. ANOTHER Blame and Excuse Southern Nazi!! ROFLMAO He''s just another Bush... can''t accept responsibility for anything! Just how stupid do you have to be to buy the garbage that it was the fault of Bill Clinton... I guess this guy is a graduate of the Senator Wide Stance School of Toe Tappers!! Sieg Heil and Amen