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Ann Marie Curling

Huckabee’s “REPUTATION FOR GRANTING CLEMENCY”

December 31st, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in Clemency, Crime, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney



From The ACT Blog

As Gov. Huckabee Granted More Clemencies, Applications Poured In
“Just as I did as Governor, I pledge as President to have a clear set of written, published guidelines setting out under what conditions pardons and commutations will be considered. Victims and their families will have an opportunity to be heard. Justice is not served when pardons and commutations are granted in an arbitrary or capricious manner.” – Gov. Mitt Romney (Gov. Mitt Romney, Statement, 12/31/07)
The More Clemencies Gov. Huckabee Granted, The More Applications Poured In:
Gov. Huckabee “Cut Prison Sentences Or Granted Pardons For More Than 1,000 Criminals.” “Nothing was more controversial about Mr. Huckabee’s governorship than his use of clemency to grant pardons and commute prison sentences. … In all, Mr. Huckabee cut prison sentences or granted pardons for more than 1,000 criminals, far more than either his immediate predecessors or governors in neighboring states. This did not happen by chance.” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)

  • “Huckabee Granted Clemency An Average Of About Once Every Four Days.” “Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations in his 10 1/2 years as governor of Arkansas. The acts of clemency benefited the stepson of a staff member, murderers who worked at the governor’s mansion, a rock star and inmates who received good words from their pastors. … During his years as governor, Huckabee granted clemency an average of about once every four days.” (Andrew DeMillo, “Huckabee Pardons Under Scrutiny,” The Associated Press, 12/10/07)

Gov. Huckabee Said That His Goal Was Not To Lock Up Criminals. Gov. Mike Huckabee: “It’s not our goal to just lock people up. … It is our goal to unlock their hearts, minds and souls so while they’re here they can learn the skills that most of us take for granted.” (Traci Shurley, “Work Starts On Site For Parole Violators,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 8/9/03)

  • “As His Reputation For Granting Clemency Spread, Applications Surged.” “But in a small though significant number of cases, he commuted prison sentences for murderers and other violent criminals over the pleas of victims’ families, prosecutors and judges. And as his reputation for granting clemency spread, applications surged.” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)
  • Clemencies Rose Because The Next Governor Might Not Be As Lenient As Gov. Huckabee. “‘We had tons of them,’ said Cory Cox, who worked for several years as Mr. Huckabee’s aide in charge of clemency matters. ‘People, they’d call and say, “Please, let the governor look at this. We don’t know who the next governor is going to be.”‘” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)

“The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Found That Nearly One In 10 Who Received Clemency From Governor Huckabee Were Later Sentenced To Prison.” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)
Gov. Huckabee Would Not Give Reasons Why He Granted Clemency:

  • Gov. Huckabee Would Not Detail Why He Granted A Clemency. “As for Mr. Huckabee’s refusal to detail his reasons for granting clemency, Mr. Cox said that was intended to prevent other petitioners from mimicking successful arguments.” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)

So, There Has Been Much Speculation On The Reasons For Clemencies:

  • “Prosecutors say Huckabee was more inclined to release or reduce the sentences of prisoners if he had direct contact with them or was lobbied by those close to him.” (Andrew DeMillo, “Huckabee Pardons Under Scrutiny,” The Associated Press, 12/10/07)
  • “‘It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, (Huckabee) seems likely to grant clemency,’ prosecutor Robert Herzfeld said in 2004 after successfully battling the then-governor over the release of a killer.” (Andrew DeMillo, “Huckabee Pardons Under Scrutiny,” The Associated Press, 12/10/07)
  • “Questions are being raised about then-Gov. Huckabee’s 2004 decision to grant clemency to a repeat Driving While Intoxicated offender in Arkansas named Eugene Fields, despite the objections of a law enforcement official at the time. Documents obtained by NBC News reveal Fields’ case was handled differently from any other DWI clemency or pardon granted by Huckabee, and some Republicans are now suggesting significant political contributions may have influenced the governor’s decision.” (Amna Nawaz, ” DWI Clemency/Donations Spur Questions,” NBC News’ First Read)
  • Elaine Colclasure, co-leader of the Central Arkansas chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, a victims’ advocacy group: “He doesn’t want anyone questioning anything he does. And when you do, he bristles. His compassion is for the murderer and any criminal who says he has found Jesus.” (Adam Nossiter and David Barstow, “Charming and Aloof, Huckabee Changed State,” The New York Times, 12/22/07)

Gov. Romney Issued Detailed Clemency Guidelines, Declaring It Should Be Exercised Only Rarely:
Gov. Romney Declared That Clemency Should Only Be Granted “Under The Most Rare And Extraordinary Circumstances.” “The Governor views the granting of executive clemency as an act of grace and not merely a remedy, which should be only awarded under the most rare and extraordinary circumstances. Because a grant of executive clemency has the effect of eradicating a lawfully obtained Massachusetts conviction or reducing a properly imposed sentence, the granting of executive clemency should not be viewed as a routine post-conviction remedy.” (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, “Executive Clemency Guidelines,” 4/22/03)

“In Granting Executive Clemency, The Governor Neither Questions The Propriety Of A Court Proceeding Or Disposition, Nor Does He Substitute His Judgment For That Of The Courts.” (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, “Executive Clemency Guidelines,” 4/22/03)

In His Four Years As Governor, Romney Denied All Requests For Pardon And Commutation. “During the four years Romney was in office, 100 requests for commutations and 172 requests for pardons were filed in the state. All were denied. ‘Governor Romney’s view is that it would take a compelling set of circumstances to set aside the punishment and guilt resulting from a criminal trial,’ said Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom… ‘The power to pardon should only be used in extraordinary circumstances.’” (“Romney Touts Record Of Never Granting Pardons,” The Associated Press, 6/12/07)

As President, Gov. Romney Would Also Lay Out Clear Guidelines On Clemencies. GOV. MITT ROMNEY: “One of the awesome powers granted by the Constitution to the executive is the power to pardon. I believe the power to pardon should be used in only the most narrow of circumstances, when the facts of a particular case are so compelling that the punishment and guilt should be set aside. In the recent past, pardon power has been used much more broadly. Bill Clinton abused this power to forgive criminal offenses that in my view were not deserving of clemency. Just as I did as Governor, I pledge as President to have a clear set of written, published guidelines setting out under what conditions pardons and commutations will be considered. Victims and their families will have an opportunity to be heard. Justice is not served when pardons and commutations are granted in an arbitrary or capricious manner.” (Gov. Mitt Romney, Statement, 12/31/07,/b>)

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David Kim

Huckabee and Rudy made the Top 10…

December 28th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in 2007, 2008, Arkansas, Bernard Kerik, Character, Corruption, Crime, Ethics, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, New York, Rudy Giuliani

…most wanted corrupt politicians.

Here’s what they say:

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY): Giuliani came under fire in late 2007 after it was discovered the former New York mayor’s office “billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons…” ABC News also reported that Giuliani provided Nathan with a police vehicle and a city driver at taxpayer expense. All of this news came on the heels of the federal indictment on corruption charges of Giuliani’s former Police Chief and business partner Bernard Kerik, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to accepting a $165,000 bribe in the form of renovations to his Bronx apartment from a construction company attempting to land city contracts.

Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): Governor Huckabee enjoyed a meteoric rise in the polls in December 2007, which prompted a more thorough review of his ethics record. According to The Associated Press: “[Huckabee’s] career has also been colored by 14 ethics complaints and a volley of questions about his integrity, ranging from his management of campaign cash to his use of a nonprofit organization to subsidize his income to his destruction of state computer files on his way out of the governor’s office.” And what was Governor Huckabee’s response to these ethics allegations? Rather than cooperating with investigators, Huckabee sued the state ethics commission twice and attempted to shut the ethics process down.

I don’t know this group, but you can’t argue with what they’ve outlined above.

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David Kim

Why I am supporting Mitt Romney for President

December 26th, 2007 | 9 Comments | Posted in 2007, 2008, ABC News, Abortion, Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Ann Romney, Ask Mitt Anything, Bain Capital, Biographies, Business Acumen, Business and Economic Expansion, CNBC, Campaign Ads, Campaign Appearances, Campaign Trail, Change Agent, Character, Children, Club for Growth, College Station, Commutations, Competitors, Crime, Culture, Debates, Early Primary States, Economic Growth, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Endorsements, Evangelicals, Evangelicals for Mitt, Faith, Faith in America, Family, Family Values, Fiscal Discipline, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Fun, Fundraising, Governor, Health Care, Illegal Immigration, International Relations, Interviews, Iowa, Jim Cramer, John McCain, MSNBC, Mad Money, Marriage, Marriage Amendment, Media, Media Appearances, Meet The Press, Mike Huckabee, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Multimedia, NBC, NY Times, National Review, National Review Online, National Security, New Hampshire, New To Romney, News Articles, Olympics, Op/Ed, Pardons & Commutations, Patriotism, Peggy Noonan, Pornography, Primaries & Caucuses, Primaries and Caucuses, Primary, Pro-life, Radical Islam, Religion, Republican Nomination, Republicans, Request for Help, Romney Record, Rudolph Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Speeches, Spending, Straw Poll, THE ONE, Taxes, Terrorism, The "JFK" Style Speech, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Tim Russert, Values, Veterans, Vetoes, Video, Videos

As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.

In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.

For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:

• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)

• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)

• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)

The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.

Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!

Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!

• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running

• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff

• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way

• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic

Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.

This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.

If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.

If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!

If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!

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David Kim

What do you call it when you fire someone for not doing you a favor?

December 18th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in 2008, Aberrant, Arkansas, Crime, Ethics, Mike Huckabee, Videos

How about when you fire the Director of State Police for not “helping” with the cover up of a grotesque act by your son?

What do you call that? (”Corrupt” comes to mind as an appropriate description)

Some people feel that this story is about David Huckabee’s freakish behavior. One can argue the extent to which that is relevant here (I personally would prefer not to have this kind of drama around the White House or representing the Republican Party).

What hopefully is clear, however, is that the real story is the cover up and firing of a senior law enforcement official for playing ball. Can you imagine what Huck might do if he gets a hold of the Justice Department?

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David Kim

Huckabee’s clemencies confuse the true meaning of forgiveness

December 18th, 2007 | 2 Comments | Posted in 2008, Arkansas, Clemency, Commutations, Crime, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Pardons & Commutations

I left the words below as a comment back on 12/9 in response to this post over at Iowans for Romney. I’ve reprinted below as I think it highlights the serious judgement issues I see in Huckabee.

What many well-intentioned Christians don’t realize is that ultimately forgiveness is between God and the transgressor and what’s at stake is eternity.

To let a murderer/rapist go free in the name of Christ under the principle of “forgiveness” is a travesty. The Governor does not have the right to “forgive” a violent felon and whether they spend their life behind bars or in the outside world is frankly irrelevant to the question of salvation.

I am very fearful of a man who gets these sorts of concepts confused. Huckabee’s judgement is completely suspect.

Romney rejected all requests for clemency while governor (over 100 of them). That is the right approach unless there is proof positive evidence of wrongful conviction (i.e. the guy didn’t do it). For jailhouse conversions and being “born again” we should rejoice for the man’s soul and he should be thankful that he can serve out the rest of his term at peace with himself. Keeping him in prison won’t keep him out of heaven.

Please help put Mitt over the top!

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Ann Marie Curling

My Dad’s take on this NBC News Report with Lisa Myers

December 17th, 2007 | 5 Comments | Posted in Character, Commutations, Crime, Discrimination, Ethics, Honesty, Integrity, Lisa Myers, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, NBC, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Video

I was watching this report with my father tonight while I sat there and visited him with my daughter, and it literally made my Dad walk away and he threw his hand down at the TV. It disgusted him that much. Prior to my involvement with the Romney campaign (i.e. this blog, and various trips) he would have been solidly in McCain’s camp, but my Dad knows Romney’s character. He’s read what he wrote in my book, the various letters and post cards, and the way he’s treated me at meetings with him. Not to mention the fact that he cares about my kids so much. To people like my Dad those are signs of true character. Sure, he has his disagreements with him, but my Dad sees Romney as “the real deal”.

It’s truly sickening that Huck chose to commute these people’s sentences for religious reasons. Reeks of out and out discrimination, I guess he’d never commute a jew, they aren’t going to have that “coming to Jesus” moment.



Commutations Score:
Romney - 0
Huckabee - 1023

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Vic Lundquist

All the Ways Mike Huckabee is SOFT on Crime ————- Huckabee is as SOFT as a Liberal

December 17th, 2007 | 6 Comments | Posted in Crime, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Pardons & Commutations

flag waving

Check out the latest TV ad by Governor Romney. I have to tell you I love these contrast ads. They perfectly align the issues by candidate. They are concise and right to the point. Does anybody have any doubt that Governor Romney knows what he is doing as a strategist? The two biggest issues to voters in Iowa are 1) illegal aliens flowing in to America, and 2) crime.

Now, let’s watch Mike Huckabee do the Michael Jackson moon walk on this one. I can’t wait to see Huckabee again transform into Duckabee as he evades questions on this one.

Keep it up Governor Romney! Keep hitting him hard. I don’t want to win by a margin of 5 or 10 or even 15 in Iowa. I want to bury the Duck! Click here:

Romney For President Launches New Television Ad, “Choice: Judgment”

Click here to watch the new ad:

THE REALLY COOL AD

~ Vic

Help Governor Romney get his message out — PLEASE CONTRIBUTE HERE, NOW

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Jeff Fuller

HuClemency Theocraticus: The Definition of a New Political Species (Huckabee Granted Clemency to Brutual Murderer Glen Green on Word of His Minister)

December 10th, 2007 | 10 Comments | Posted in Crime, Evangelicals, Faith, Mike Huckabee, Religion, Violence

Since I do hold a Zoology degree I’ll make sure the name of this new political species is in the conventional format:

Huclemency theocraticus: A rapidly developing and evolving species that grants criminals clemency though a process of religious nepotism, justifies his candidacy by religious affiliation and thinks that America needs to be “taken back for Christ.”

Everyone who reads this blog probably knows about Wayne Dumond already. My revisiting/rehasing of the recent revisiting of the story emphasizes how much Huckabee’s belief that Dumond had been “Born Again” played into that decision.

Well that’s not an isolated incident and in my more recent post it looks like he granted clemency for a brutal murderer named Glen Green based on the word of Green’s minister (and against the recommendation of the state parole board and victim’s family’s wishes).

The whole “Theocraticus” portion is about Huckabee’s claim (while an elected governor) to “take the nation back for Christ” (as delivered at a speech he gave in Salt Lake City at the Southern Baptist Convention’s meeting in 1998):

“I didn’t get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn’t have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives.”

. . .

The nation has descended gradually into crisis, Huckabee said, and repairing the damage needs to be gradual, too. He said the solution is simple: faith in Christ.

. . .

“I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”

Before Huckabee spoke, more than 350 copies of his new book, Kids Who Kill: Confronting our Culture of Violence, had been placed in reporters’ press boxes in the convention center press room.

. . .

Other books given to reporters at the convention Sunday included a how-to boycott book aimed at the Walt Disney Co. by Richard D. Land titled Sending a Message to Mickey: The ABC’s of Making Your Voice Heard at Disney. The back cover features an outline of the famous mouse’s round ears and the words: “He who has ears, let him hear.”

The other book was Mormonism Unmasked by R. Philip Roberts, who examines the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I found that last book given to reporters quite interesting, don’t you?

Jeff Fuller

MAJOR UPDATE:

Current Drudge Report Headline (12/10/07 CST 9:09):

Huckabee 1998: I hope we answer the alarm clock and…


‘TAKE THIS NATION BACK FOR CHRIST’

Our own David Kim saw that the “take this nation back for Christ” comment had real headliner potential and alerted Drudge to it (though I’ll take credit for finding the 1998 article through a Google search after I was a version of that comment in a recent Newsweek article).

Major Kudos David for seeing the potential of this!

Jeff

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Neal Jones

Huckabee’s Very, Very Poor Judgment: Released One Felon Every Five Days

December 7th, 2007 | 3 Comments | Posted in Child Predators, Crime, Mike Huckabee

Slick Willy penned a gem over at NY for Mitt. I’ll include a few paragraphs below, but go here for the entire story.

Earlier this week I posted a story about Gov. Huckabee’s influencing the parole board to release convicted rapist, Wayne DuMond, from prison and DuMond’s subsequent two rapes/murders. In addition to making me sad, the story convinced me that Huckabee’s judgment is a big problem.

These numbers are staggering. To put them into context, on average, Huckabee was prematurely releasing 70 felons a year. Or, one felon every five days.

Do you really believe he knew their cases and history as well as the jury that put them behind bars? Do you really believe he studied the data well enough to truly be informed about each of these decisions? Impossible. Where was his respect for the legal/criminal process the founders created?

Wayne DuMond (serial rapist)

But then again, how could he be expected to do all that homework? Between fighting for the rights of illegal aliens, raising the taxes and out-spending the liberals where would he find time to read tedious pleas from victims of the felons he was forgiving?

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Ann Marie Curling

Rudy and Corruption

November 27th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in Campaign Finance, Corruption, Crime, Ethics, Fundraising, Pennsylvania, Rudy Giuliani

Check out this blog post at —–> ABC News’ The Blotter titled Out of Spotlight, Giuliani Embraces Convicted Moneyman…

Background:

A Pennsylvania man convicted in a notorious corruption case played host to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a fundraiser last night, despite the Giuliani campaign’s public efforts to distance itself from the man.

Bob Asher, a major Pennsylvania Republican player as a national party committeeman, was one of four hosts for the $2,300-a-person event. Asher was convicted in 1986 on charges stemming from a bribery scheme intended to win a $300,000 state government contract. The case gained national attention when his co-defendant in the case, Pennsylvania state treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, committed suicide at a televised news conference. Asher was sentenced to serve one year in prison.

At that time, Giuliani was a federal prosecutor in New York, building a reputation by locking up criminals for similar corruption-related misdeeds.

Emphasis Above Added

This part is particularly telling:

Giuliani came and went from last night’s fundraiser without comment, ducking down in his car as ABC News cameras attempted to photograph him arriving.

Mr. Giuliani, why are you so afraid of appearing with one of your top fundraisers?

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A Giuliani administration is likely to be rife with cronyism and criminality

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Nathan W

Gov. Romney: First the bad news…

November 26th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in 2008, Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Crime, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani

When the average Joe does a Google search, Massachusetts’s crime statistics are not your strong suit. Be careful how to draw attention to flawed data from your critics. What’s the good news? Responsible action as governor actually point to your critic’s flaw.

On Monday, Rudy Giuliani openly changed from his Big States strategy to competing in the smaller first states. From this Washington Post article, while in New Hampshire Giuliani states:

It is not inconceivable that you could, if you won Florida [after losing in the early states], turn the whole thing around,” Giuliani said. “I’d rather not do it that way. That would create ulcers for my entire staff and for me. . . . We want to win as many of the early ones as possible. That’s why we’re here and not in Florida right now.”

It appears like the ulcers are already happening with the Giuliani staff as this is definitely a change in strategy. Rudy then talked up his effectiveness over Romney, “He wasn’t particularly good at reducing crime. I was the most effective in the country at reducing crime. Murder went up when he was governor. Robbery went up. Violent crimes went up.” The back and forth ensued:

Romney accused Giuliani of mangling his facts. “He’s got a real problem checking facts,” Romney said during a Sunday afternoon interview, arguing that violent crime in Massachusetts declined 7 percent while he was governor. Giuliani aides immediately challenged that assertion.

I even read somewhere that when Giuliani heard of Romney’s response, he pulled out a sheet a paper in a huff claiming that he was right. That was the invitation to me to start Googling to see who was right. I went to the online Disaster Center which posts the statistics for Massachusetts and New York City. I did some quick compiling of the data and ran percentage formulas on the differences between years between the real number of crimes and the normalized crime per 100,000 inhabitants. Although New York City had better trends during 2003 – 2005 than Massachusetts, Giuliani was wrong. Either his aides can’t do spreadsheets or they lied about Romney’s record.
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David Kim

Giuliani plays fast and loose with the facts in attacking Romney on crime

November 26th, 2007 | No Comments | Posted in 2008, Crime, Mitt Romney, My Man Mitt, Rudy Giuliani

I won’t steal his thunder, but suffice it to say that MyClob has a devastating response to Giuliani’s claims that Romney is soft on crime over at MyManMitt.

Clearly, Mitt has a very good record on reducing crime in Massachussetts.

That aside, here’s the exit question. Since when is crime a state issue anyway? Last I checked the primary front in the battle against crime is at the local level. Sure, we have state police (or Highway Patrol in CA) for those places in between cities and counties, but policing is a quintessential local responsibility. Am I missing something?

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David Kim

A Giuliani administration is likely to be rife with cronyism and criminality

November 24th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in 2008, ABC News, Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Bernard Kerik, Corruption, Crime, Guns, Mitt Romney, National Review, New York, Rudolph Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Second Amendment, Taxes, The Washington Post, Video, Videos

Remembering that a vote for Mike, Fred, John, or Rudy…is a vote for Rudy, here is a glimpse of what we are setting ourselves up for with a Rudy candidacy (and ultimately Presidency).

First, here is a sobering story of Giuliani’s history of cronyism, elevating corrupt and incompetent loyalists to positions of power over his time as NYC mayor.

Second, here is an eye opening account of how Giuliani exploited the court system and activist judges to attack the 2nd amendment, defend sanctuary cities, keep taxes in place, and fight the line item veto.

Finally, here is the link to a couple videos which detail the sordid story of Alan Placa. Alan is a former priest and known child molester who also happens to be one of Giuliani’s best friends. Giuliani has protected Alan along the way and has even employed him at his firm Giuliani Partners.

If you are a Romney supporter, now is the time to act! there are only about two weeks before the first absentee ballots are potentially cast in New Hampshire, and the Iowa Caucuses will be upon us in less than six weeks! Donate, volunteer, talk with your family, friends, and co-workers. If we all get involved and work toward Mitt’s election it will definitely happen! (If you would like to help out but don’t know how to get involved, leave a comment and we’ll try to point you in the right direction).

If you are supporting anyone beside Romney, recognize that is de-facto support for Rudy. This primary is going to be won by either Rudy or Romney. If you have problems with Rudy’s liberal views on abortion, marriage, immigration, 2nd amendment, and taxation, please take another look at Mitt Romney and consider giving him your support. Any questions? Leave a comment and we’ll do our best to address it!

Articles and videos after the jump.

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Ann Marie Curling

Rudy: Kerik Was A Good Commish, Whatever His “Problems”

October 14th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Bernard Kerik, Character, Crime, New York, Rudy Giuliani, Talking Points Memo

From Talking Points Memo:

Rudy:
“The reality is, if we take a look at Bernard Kerik’s service as police commissioner, he was an excellent police commissioner. Crime went down unexpectedly under Bernard Kerik.

“Then on the other side of it, there were these problems. I take the responsibility. We should have known about them. We should have dealt with them. We didn’t. It was my mistake. I made it. I am sorry for it. I’ve learned from it. But in the balance of things, you take a look at the success that I had, it must be that I am generally picking the right people. Because I am sure not doing this by myself.”

TPM Commentary:
Just to point this out one more time, Rudy also personally recommended to George Bush that he appoint Kerik as chief of the Department of Homeland Security. That’s kind of a key appointment for a President. So this seems like a worthwhile fact to keep in mind about Rudy the Presidential candidate, particularly since he’s telling us that he’s the guy best equipped to handle what he calls the Terrorists’ War Against Us.

I don’t know why on earth Rudy would even say such a thing. Or is his just that arrogant of a person to think that people are just going to look the other way…You’d think he’d want this to GO AWAY, and by commenting like this he’s just guaranteed that it’s not going to.

Few comments from the piece:

Anonymous wrote on October 12, 2007 4:51 PM:
Neither Rudy nor Kerik had anything to do with crime coming down in NYC unless similar excellence should be credited to virtually every mayor and police chief in every big city in the US. Crime fell dramatically everywhere during the whole decade.

Dr. Cheese in WI wrote on October 12, 2007 5:14 PM:
Guiliani is demonstrating the exact same “loyalty” attribute that has been so troubling with President Bush. If he takes this same attitude into the White House, it seems likely we will have more “heck of a job, Brownie” moments. This attribute (a seeminly blind, mindless loyalty to one’s friends/appointments) should also be seen as a disqualifying attribute for a president.

David Scher wrote on October 12, 2007 9:03 PM:
I am a New Yorker who lived through the Giuliani years and I can report that I and several of my friends who wanted to report crimes; a mugging, a car theft, an assault and a child being beaten were told that the police could do nothing unless we had eyewitnesses, names and addresses etc. of the perpetrators. This was the policy of the dept. to keep the stats down. A detective in our precinct told me as much.

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Mike Laub

Details: Crime in New York

October 12th, 2007 | No Comments | Posted in Crime, Mitt Romney

Smart people like Michael Medved keep saying they support Rudy because he “stopped crime in New York”. We need to investigate all claims, if we don’t want to have buyer’s remorse in 2008. We need to find the truth, because if we go into 2008, thinking New York City crime is going to be the issue that is going to let Rudy spank Hillary, we are going to be disappointed. Hillary is going to have about a 100 million dollars, and the truth about the republicans will get out in 2008, if we don’t get it out now.

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