Huckabee: Politicization of rape victims' deaths 'heartbreaking' - CNN.com

Story Highlights
Convicted rapist paroled in 1999 while Huckabee was governor of Arkansas

Convict later raped, killed a woman in Missouri after released from prison

Murdered woman's mother says she will campaign against the presidential nominee

Huckabee expressed support for parole, but denies pressuring parole board

What do you think? Did he pressure the parole board? How will this affect his Presidential Campaign?

Obviously I think it's very very sad for all the victims and their families. I can't say for sure that he pressured the parole board although some members of the board are saying he did. I think it's another situation where he would be much better off telling the truth and accepting whatever responsibility he had in the decision without making any excuses or attempting to blame anyone else. If he did that, IMO most people would accept that a mistake was made and the story would be over. Sadly, it appears he isn't willing to go that route.

If this account is accurate, it sounds like Huckabee is a liar.

Arkansas Times

I like Huck. I think things like this happen ALOT. It's unfortunate and very sad but he's certainly not the only governor who has done this and later something happens. I'm so sorry for the family.

He seems to play fast and loose with the truth just a bit too much for my taste. That in addition to his habit for wanting "gifts" and his ethics violations would make me wary of him.

Huckabee tries to gloss over Ark. record - Yahoo! News

did Huck ever admit to weight loss surgery? Or does he still contend that he lost all that weight all natural....

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Don't know about that one. I kinda feel like criticizing his weight loss as splitting hairs. As a matter of fact I think his providing an example is probably the only thing I like about the guy. There is something about Huck that reminds me of a certain "compassionate conservative" (ingemuine) though so I started researching him and reading what I can. I definitely find his interfering in the Dumond case and his ethical lapses as problematic(heck even the other GOP candidates are pointing out that Huck is a living example of the "culture of corruption" that lost them seats in 2006. I also don't think very highly of the fact that he doesn't believe in evolutionary theory. Science has already had a heck of a time under Bush(who just finally has admitted what scientists have been saying that human behavior has an impact on the environment), I'm not sure that we can withstand more time where evidence is doctored up and or ignored for a suited purpose. (Before I get flamed I'm Christian but intellectual honesty means that even if creationists have poked some holes in evolution, debunking one theory does not prove the other. Furthermore there is a reason it is called faith. Faith is believing despite a lack of evidence)

The motivation for Huckabee's action have much to do with Clinton hysteria. I have known about this story for over a year. Wayne Dumond was a serial rapist and convicted while Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. In spite of testimony such as, "Dumond had raped her while holding a butcher knife to her throat, and while her then-3-year-old daughter lay in bed next to her. Also included in the files sent to Huckabee's office was a police report in which Dumond confessed to the rape." Huckabee championed his release.

If you're wondering why, it was due to the fact that one of the victims was a distant relative of Clinton's.

My take on the weight loss--I don't care one way or the other HOW you lost the weight, but be honest about. Don't lie and say you did it all w/ diet and exercise when in fact you had (or may have had) some sort of surgical procedure or taken some sort of weight loss drug. I mean really, every one has to do what is right for them healthwise, but be honest....Don't be a hypocrit.

Huckabee made some disparaging remarks toward school nurses. Now, while those remarks may have gone unnoticed by some, they did not go unnoticed by my family--because my mom was a school nurse at time. I think the man is a liar. I think IF he were a true Christian he would not be able to lie so easily and be the way he is...

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I hadn't heard that one. What did he say about school nurses?

What I find absolutely terrifying about Huckabee, or any other candidate, is his utter lack of knowledge of current affairs. He gave a hawkish speech on Iran (they're so close to building the bomb) two full days after the NIE report had been widely discussed.

He said something along the lines that all school nurses in Arkansas were doing and all there were good for was handing out condoms....Well, let me tell you in the 15 years my mother was a school nurse she did a heck of lot more than hand out condoms! In fact, I do not think she handed out even one! Royally ticked my meek, mild and loving mother to no end! I think she'd rather cut off her arm than vote for Huck.

Huck also had a gentleman on his staff by the last name of Gallagher who was accused of some misuse of funds when he was mayor of DeQueen, AR. Dig deep w/ Huckabee ya'll--you'll find lots of skeletons in his closet.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

That remark about school nurses was just plain rude. Most of school workers are grossly underpaid and overworked. Furthermore, it would be interesting to hear Mr. Huckabee's take on the new numbers that show that teen pregnancies have increased(just like the people who have criticized abstinence only have said they would).

As a Democrat, I see Huckabee as a little slice of heaven. He is seriously so bad of a candidate. I'll give you that he is charming, but so, so superficial and really out of touch. The NIE report? Didn't know about. In all the papers, the president gave a press conference on it, the Democrats were climbing all over it.

Huckabee? Didn't know about it almost two full days later. He was too busy, ya know, with the Iowa caucuses and all that.

Added to that, many main-line conservative blogs, like Powerline.com, can't stand him. Powerline says that comparing him to Jimmy Carter does Jimmy Carter a disservice.

Since Powerline hates Jimmy Carter, this really is the ultimate insult.

I sincerely hope he is the Republican's candidate. Or that Guiliani "The Swag Man" is.

Careful what you wish for, the last charming, superficial, out of touch republican who ran for President won.

Huckabee is the only Christian running so he is the only one we can vote for. He will take this nation back for Christ.

ahhhh...I see that politics bring everyone out of the wood work. If I thought you were wanting to be a legitimate member of this community instead of stirring up trouble, I would engage in a civil discourse with you. But, alas, I remember all your other attempts to stir the pot. So, you have a happy, healthy and gloriously Merry Christmas....under your bridge.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

From the interviews I've seen with Huckabee, he seems to handle himself pretty well on this issue. I don't find it a shock that somebody from the parole board would run for cover behind an excuse about being "pressured." Who knows... I'm not a fan of huck, although the chuck norris ad was amusing.

Unfortunately there is nobody in this race from either party that have a shot at winning(so paul is ruled out even if he has rapid supporters that skew any online polls to the contrary) that believe in smaller government and more freedom. While that is to be expected with modern democrats, the republicans, including huck just don't get it either. There is some hope that thompson get's it but the race seems to be coming down to Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney.

The club for growth says about huck:

“Huckabee is proud of his tax hikes, his spending increases, and his regulatory expansions as governor, and he has not indicated that he would govern any differently as president. Nominating Mike Huckabee for president or vice-president would constitute an abject rejection of the free-market, limited-government, economic conservatism that has been the unifying theme of the Republican Party for decades.”

Add that to the potential ethical lapses and you get somebody, regardless of religion, doesn't fit the mold of a great president. He may charm his way to the nomination, I may be stuck voting for him because I don't have any other choice, but I'm not going to like doing it.

In fact when it comes right down to the basics, there really isn't much difference at the core between the republicans and the democrats that are currently running for the presidency. Sure there is plenty of rhetoric but they all seem to be for more and not less government (again with a few exceptions that are trailing in the polls today) which leads to less freedom and to lower economic growth etc etc.

All in all, a very depressing race.

More than anything else I care about expanding freedom and reducing the government's impact upon our freedom to live how we choose to live. Nobody but Ron Paul and to a lesser extent Fred Thompson gets it but there is little hope they can win.

Oh and our current president, doesn't get it either. Sure he may have cut taxes but he sure did nothing to reduce the size of government and of government spending, in fact he expanded it greatly.

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After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.

Mark Twain

There are huge differences between the Deocratic candidates and the Republican candidates.

You cling to the trickle down theory like it was holy. It does not work. Maybe you believe, like Ayn Rand, it's okay to be selfish. I don't.

There are people who think like this. Huckabee has said that women should submit graciously to their husband's rule among many other little gems.

Huckabee has said that he thought he would be the least scary Republican candidate to the Democrats. Mitt Romney doesn't scare me. Huck doesn't strike me as very smart and certainly not well informed.

This isn't a job for the average joe. I think our current POTUS demonstrates that very well.