Arkansas Blog

He ought to pardon every single person in there for pot and other minor drug offenses and make more room for violent criminals.

I realize that many want to maintain our top world ranking of citizens in prison, the global poster child for incarceration.

I suggest that if you want dope dealers to do life in the pen, you can pay for it yourself, in a private for-profit prison, say. I'd rather have them on the street. They don't do nearly as much harm as the House of Representatives.

Chris Morris is going to have one hell of a campaign.

I can't wait for Huckabee to become an announced candidate for the Republican nomination for the US Presidency. This ought to nail the lid on his future as a politician on the national scene once and for all.

Huckabee's pardons, though mostly ignored by Arkansas voters, are expected to turn out as political suicide nationally, and I'm not sure why he didn't realize this at the time he gave them.

I'm sure he cares now. I guess at the time it was just more of him doing as he pleased without worry of consequences from apathetic Arkansas voters who think he's just dandy.

John Brummett is on C-SPAN right now, via telephone, giving a report/opinion on the Beebe/Huckabee race.

He's not saying anything we all don't already know. The C-SPAN interviewer is interested in how Huckabee's part in the Clinton impeachment will effect his campaign.

It's gonna be like slow water torture for the Huckster. He's been the darling of the press as he flew around the country, pushing health coveniently in early primary state.

But, as he just found out - he doesn't have Sanders or the DoG's continued love fest and turn an eye mentality.

So, he just encounterd a report who isn't a lap dog, does research before she put a pen to paper and it probably took about 5 minutes to do find the Huckster - Wayne DuMond. - wahhlaaa

Maybe Mike needs to take a hard look at Dukakis's Willie Horton - analyize what that happened and times that by 1000% - because when Willie Horton sunk Dukakis - murdering sexual predators did not have such high profiles as they do now, and the sheer hatred of them - even by the TFM crowd- his base - he's toast.

Wayne DuMond is a much better commercial than Willie Horton.

This is going to bump along the backwaters of the campaign until Huckabee has a good week in Iowa, and then everyone will be SHOCKED! that he has this problem.

Huckabee brought this on himself! He thought it would be cute to pardon Keith Richards because he's a good guitar player; and he has such a blind spot on this issue that he opens up all his pardon problems for discussion.

Pardoning Keith Richards is clearly a joke and is a prime example of how seriously Huckabee takes this important executive power.

Remember the awful letter Huckabee wrote to Herzfeld saying Herzfeld's suggestion to open up the clemency process made him laugh out loud?

This is gonna be fun to watch.

I agre anon 9:49---not that Chris Morris would have a shot at the Treasurer's race anyway......but running after he's been heading up Executive CLemency for Huckabee?? LOL!

And while I know Wayne DUmond-among others-will make National attention, I do hate it for Ashley Stevens and the family of Carol Sue Shields that they will relive the thoughts of this creep that the Huckster was 'saving'

I find it interesting that the only real examples she was able to find were mostly from Herzfeld's grandstanding in the media when he needed to get exposure for his AG's race. He lost didn't he? Wayne Dumond is really not the issue the Times Claims it is. Jim Guy is the one who made it possible for his parole and Huckabee denied clemency for him. That is not at all the same as Willie Horton but keep thinking it is. To listen to you all tell it, you would think that everyone he pardoned has gone out and committed more crimes, but as we all know, that is not the case and only a very small fraction has committed another crime. I am certain that everyone who has ever pardoned anyone has that so I am not sure it is going to be the issue you would like it to be.

Not related, but Sandra Cherry who she and her husband were wonderful Arkansans and give so much to Little Rock and our state passed away this morning.

She's a formidable opponent in the courtroom.
She's a community leader who has given much time to some very good causes. She has a good marriage, and has been an involved and
hands-on mother. She is a wonderful example of a woman who has it all.

1. Huckabee has appointed a new Parole Board Commissioner...no news about that in ANY paper that I've seen. Where's the scoop?
2. The Governor of California appointed one of Huckabee's most vocal critics (Ms. Harris-Ritter) who is a native Arkansan (and running buddy of Herzfeldl's) whose family was murdered and whose murderer Huckabee and Co. worked hard to release early to the California Board of Parole. That may be the California link in this story.

" . . . and only a very small fraction has committed another crime."

Well that's good to know, James. What a comforting thought for the surviving victims of those crimes.

The more exposure for the Huckster, the better. Not the same thing as Willie Horton? It will cook the RevBroGuv's formerly fat goose the same way Horton did Dukakis'.

Makes me think of the scene in Schindler's List where Schindler (Liam Neeson) explains the power of mercy to the sadistic concentration camp commandant (Ralph Fiennes). And of course, as with all people who behave capriciously and seek only power, the Nazi perverts the concept and ultimately fails.

I'm betting that a lot more thought went into the Gov's pardon for Keith Richards than has ever been devoted to the appeals for clemency from Death Row, or to the pleas of the victims of their crimes.

"the three-time drunk driver who served nine months of a six-year sentence, won a Huckabee commutation, then parole, and then his fourth drunken-driving conviction"

I know this man. I like this man. He cannot handle alcohol. I'll spare the blog many humorous stories about him when he was drunk. And just say he built a 1 million dollar 1 bedroom house 15 years ago when not all of us had a million.

While I was glad he didn't have to serve his entire sentence, because 1., I don't think prison is for drunks and 2., because I like this guy so much, and 3., because he's hovering around 70 now, I know he got out of his sentence because he has money out the ying-yang.

I had heard my old buddy got another DWI and sure hated to hear it. I haven't paid attention so I don't know if he's back in the big house or not. I hate to even think about it. But I do know in my heart that money got him out the last time and money or death will get him out this time.

I just have to think there is some way to punish drunk drivers without putting them in our already over-crowded prisons. Paying for 3 meals and a cot for a drunk multi-millionaire isn't my idea of smart.

Anyway, like my friend, but his pardon stunk. He made 15 or 20 million with his own hands, sentence him to work in the DFA for a year and Arkansas will have double the surplus it has now.

I absolutely agree that many of the governors pardons were necessary-- the Ledge seems every year to enhance sentences and make-up new crimes to show their constituents that they're tough on crime. It is in the best interest of the people for the gov to be the yin to their yang and I admire the balls/stupidity that it took for the Huck to do it.

However....

All but the above gov campaign/PAC staffers can agree that he over stepped his bounds on more than one occassion, most notably Dumond. He was just wrong--it shouldn't have happened. Anyone that knows about jack about that clemency knows that much.

For the Gov's part, I believe that this was a pre-emptive strike, knowing that his record would come out eventaully.

However...

I think it was a really stupid move on his part. The Gov has yet to realize that, while his laugh-a-minute rhetoric plays around here, he will be scrutinized on actual issues on the national stage.

This just goes to show you what a dumbass this guy is in the first place that he ever thought he had a chance...

Wayne Dumond is really not the issue the Times Claims it is. Jim Guy is the one who made it possible for his parole and Huckabee denied clemency for him.

The Huckster's spin machine is still churning out this pile of legalistic hair splitting B.S. It would be all so amusing, except that thanks largely to Huckabee, Dumond raped and killed a woman in MIssouri after he got out of prison.

Here's the real story, from a 10/30/02 Democrat-Gazette article:

Huckabee at various points in 1996 said he doubted DuMond ' s guilt, wanted him released from prison and intended to grant him clemency that would reduce his sentence to time served.
Tucker, Huckabee ' s predecessor, granted DuMond clemency in 1992, making him eligible for parole. Huckabee contemplated granting DuMond further clemency.
In September 1996, one month after the Post Prison Transfer Board voted to deny DuMond parole, Huckabee publicly questioned DuMond ' s guilt and said he was considering granting clemency to DuMond by commuting his sentence to time served.
On Jan. 16, 1997, the board reversed itself and voted to parole DuMond. The same day of the board vote, Huckabee wrote a letter to DuMond that began "Dear Wayne" and said: "My desire is that you be released from prison," and that Huckabee supported DuMond ' s parole but had decided against granting clemency.

Full story at:

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/9244/

That would be the sweet sound of the fat lady breaking out in song.

Huckster got Dumond freed for whatever selfish reason Huckster saw fit. The fact is Huckster overstepped his boundaries in the pressure he applied to the PPTB....and made sure the meeting was held without the scribe. Too bad--the PPTB will be truthful in their recounts of Huckster's interest in freeing this saintly criminal. It's real sad that Wayne skipped right out and over to Missouri for a short time before he acted on another wild urge. Poor Carol Sue Shields lost a fight for her life. And there is another murder nearby that has Wayne's name associated with it. The thought that Huckster could feel the need to help this Dumond criminal with such a shady past that dates back years prior to the Forrest City rape without even consulting with the victim is unthinkable. Fortunately, the nation will get to parole (release) Huckster from the presidential campaign when Wayne shows up. Maybe Huckster can have the Dumond nightmares that other families have had to suffer.

We currently have a president that looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul and that he was basically a good man. We can't pass that golden information on to those he has had killed but there was some response to Putin's comment that Russia didn't need a democracy like Iraq.

We don't need another psycho-babbling Christian politian who has the ability to look into someone's soul. That is a job for professionals and neither Bush or Huckabee have those skills

If Huckabee wants to go into soul-looking, find a church, not a government.

I'm not sure Huck is as faux a Christian as Bush.

I think he really helped Dumond because he genuinely believed in his innocense. That doesn't prove he's a political opportunist, but it does prove he's a total fucking moron.

Doesn't matter either way. Huck's not even qualified for the office he has much less a national one...

Believe someone is innocent without looking at his past track record or consulting with one of his living victims?? Just taking a criminal's word for it?? What criminal wouldn't say they were innocent if they thought they had someone in front of them that grant them freedom??

Huckster was trying to make a point. Show power. Please some people. Stroke Huckster's ego. I wonder if it was all worth it??

The PPTB let Dumond out of prison, the PPTB appointed by the same governor who made his parole possible, Jim Guy Tucker. There is no eveidence that says Huckabee twisted the arms of the PPTB except two of the five people who were not reappointed by him. It is funny that they didn't remember him saying release Dumond until he didn't reappoint them. It is not like they were his buddies before, so their loyalty wasn't to him. True Huckabee thought that Dumond didn't get a fair shake, but he didn't release him from prison. I think that the others on the PPTB have said Huckabee didn't pressure them to parole Dumond. But I guess those two said what you wanted to hear that is better than the others.

MOre than two said they were pressured. Just wait. You will hear from all of them.

Garrick Feldman publisher of The Leader in Jacksonville recently penned a column on Huckabee's pardons and muscianship.
Excerpts include:

... he offended not only his conservative base (whats left of it), but all lovers of good music when he announced he would pardon the aging rocker Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who was busted in Fordyce more than 30 years ago for driving under the influence.
But dont expect a pardon for Joe Six Pack, who didnt know when to say when.

Huckabee is easily star-struck, but Richards, who recently fell out of a coconut tree while on vacation, is a well-known substance abuser and habitual drunk. He's a mediocre guitar player with that average white band, the Rolling Stones, whose leader, one Mick Jagger, stole every lisp, every movement from Don Covay and a bunch of other superior soul-blues singers who died penniless while the Stones still make millions at every concert.

Sure, Huckabee has a weakness for pardoning drivers under the influence, but if hes looking to pardon others whove had one too many, I could give the names of about 20 people whod love to get out of jail early and have their records expunged, but theyre not rich or famous or have friends in high places, so they wouldnt qualify for the Hucksters mercy.

Huckabee probably thinks hes as good a guitar player as Keith Richards, and he might be right. If you listen to the Huckster and Rich-ards play, you might not be able to tell the two apart.
Thats how mediocre they are.

No offense, but when you can hear B.B. King and Hubert Sumlin play down here, why accept imitators?
Every musician in the world recognizes his talent, Huckabee's spokesperson quoted his boss as saying, presumably referring to Richards, not the Huckster.

If he's so eager to pardon Richards, the Huckster should at least make him play down in Cummins Prison for the inmates.

Its not my idea of a good time, but the prisoners might appreciate it as a brief diversion. Richards will at least have a captive audience, which is every performers dream.

Maybe the great Calvin Leavy, whos doing a long stretch there for drug dealing, might join Richard and the governor onstage.

...Is the governor hoping for free concert tickets the next time the Rolling Stones play in Arkansas on their 70th birthday tour?...

It was two of them, they were appointed by Tucker and didn't think they were pressured until they didn't get reappointed. Then their memory came back to them, and only those two got it back and they say oh yeah he did pressure us. I don't buy it. I am not saying that he didn't support their decision but to say he let Dumond out is a lie. Tucker commuted the sentence, I don't see the backlash for him. But Huckabee the Republican sure gets it. I am not sure I understand how you don't see the hypicritcal stance here.