This will cause more concerns over Governor Huckabee’s judgement and his unwillingness to listen to the people he hired to protect innocent lives.
“Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing of four Lakewood police officers this morning, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.
Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protestations of prosecutors.”
Why the priority was to protect an individual that sexually exploits children may become an issue in 2012.
——
Update 1: The shooter was accused of sex crimes after Governor Huckabee commuted his sentence. Although expect more information (like his psych evaluation) to be released.
Update 2: MSM reads R412′s Twitter, but does not provide a H/T
Update 3: Palin makes public statement
“While in Washington State today my heart goes out to the WA police officers gunned down so tragically&senslessly. God comfort the families.”
_____________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter/Kris_Lorelli
November 29th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
What is the basis of this post? Was Clemmons from Arkansas? This is a comment with no commentary as to the reasoning or validity. You should put the details with the statement.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
1 – click the link in the first three words.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Huck has led the PPP poll for 8 straight months. Anyone want to bet he makes it 9 in December.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Wow Kris is like a hitman going after all the threats to his beloveds.
Reeks of deperation.
Kris you can’t help Sarah just like you can’t help Crist.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Thank God this man was pardoned by Mike Huckabee. One can only hope this is enough to deep six the Huckster.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
-5
Four policemen are dead and you’re thanking God he was pardoned?
November 29th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
According to the link above, Clemmons received a 60 year sentence on charges of robbery, theft, and possession of a gun on school grounds when he was 17. Huck commuted his sentence due to Clemmons young age (so he only served 11 years).
Why the priority was to protect an individual that sexually exploits children may become an issue in 2012..
This comment seems misguided as Clemmons was not charged with exploitation when he was 17.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
This is the big story in Seattle right now. They even broke away from the football game to cover this story.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
17 isn’t a “young age.” Normal 17-year-olds know not to rob people at gunpoint. Put the animal away.
17 is young and it seems tragic. And so it is. 19 is also young. Would he have deserved clemency if he’d done it at 19?
November 29th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Wow. Not good at all for Huckabee…
November 29th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Kris,
“Why the priority was to protect an individual that sexually exploits children may become an issue in 2012.”
Do you actually read the articles you link?
I agree this could cause Huck problems. I agree that it may have been a serious error in judgement, though I’d need more details. But the charges of sexually exploiting children is why he is wanted in Washington now. They are his recent alleged crimes and are not part of his history in Arkansas. Your comment implies that Huck was releasing a convicted predator.
Anyway, what he did in Arkansas was robbery and having a handgun at school. He was 17 at the time of the crime. After 11 years, Huck commuted his sentence. He was paroled and ended up eventually violating his parole. He was sent back to prison but someone screwed up by not formally issuing an arrest warrant, so the new charges were dropped.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Jake Tapper just picked up on this “narrative” regarding Huckabee:
http://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/6189364754
November 29th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
This could be a game changer. We will have to wait and see.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Well, I wouldn’t be too quick in writing any obituaries just yet, but it does look bad. This could really hurt Huckabee. Let’s see how he plays it.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Hopefully this is the nail in the coffin for the Huckabigot. I guess he released this animal because he “found Jesus”. Make Huckabee GO AWAY!
November 29th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
MWS, you bring up some good points, but if this guy really did kill four cops, and was released by Huckabee (whatever the reasons), it’s a Willie Horton story. And we know how that one ends.
Kristofer: You’re building a reputation for being careless with facts (re child exploitation).
November 29th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
This alleged person of interest is walking the streets due to the character of America’s Law of Grace and mercy. Better to have a Man of conviction who is a cautious leader then one who throws away the key.
We live in a judicial system that is ran by politically correct feelings, that the line between circumstantial facts and direct evidence is so blurred, the Judge reads the Law to the Jurists and it seems to be like glass as the words fall to the floor, much like the truth of Jury Nullification. Did you know that a jury is over the Judge and that if they declare the defendant innocent due to overriding circumstance, no appeal can be afforded to innocence.
Jury Nullification Rights
http://hellomichigan.blogspot.com/2009/11/jury-nullification-rights.html
The number of Souls who repented and have gone on to be respectable citizens from Governor Huckabee’s pardon does not justify the loss of life from one who disrespects their Mercy. But to not have pardons for your sins, leaves your liberty in a very difficult position. The Old Testament with it’s eye for an eye had a system of redemption. Not so sure about the Islam’s Shariah Law for it to is an eye for an eye.
Don’t opportunity do this often but this circumstance demands this:
And, behold a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, what is written in the law? how readest thou? And he, answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live.–Luke x. 25-28.
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. –Matt. xxii 35-40. http://www.qhpress.org/quakerpages/qhoa/wilton.htm
November 29th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA/status/6190031234
November 29th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
16 – how so? It is in the article and I expect it to come up in 2012?
What fact do you have to support this is another ‘Willie Horton’?
November 29th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Politicians can recover from anything but you have to wonder what Huck’s evangelical supporters will think of this event. Will they take on Huck’s belief in forgiveness and redemption and side with Huck or will they receive the news with indigation and separate their personal beliefs from what the proper role of a public servant should be?
Frankly, I don’t know and I would appreciate some feedback on this.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
It’s an issue that goes to his philosophy and judgement. I don’t think he’ll be able to dodge it
very much, and the cases of Green, Dumond are much in the same vein.
Like I said before, a Republican
version of Carter
November 29th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
This could be a big deal. We will have to see what information comes out.
That said,
“Why the priority was to protect an individual that sexually exploits children may become an issue in 2012.”
–This overall issues could be an important and relevant issue although let’s be clear, this guy became a rapist AFTER his clemency.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Wow. It’s like Wayne Dumond all over again. He’s the guy the rapist that Huckabee pardoned because Dumond had “found Jesus” who went on to rape and kill another woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18NQcByIyI
November 29th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Bob,
“but if this guy really did kill four cops, and was released by Huckabee (whatever the reasons), it’s a Willie Horton story. And we know how that one ends.”
The upshot of all of that is that any ambitious governor should simply refuse any and all clemencies, pardons, or paroles, because they can only come back and bite them in the butt. Nobody gives them credit for giving someone a second chance who deserved it, and is now a contributing member of society. The only ones we hear about are the guys like this.
Moral to the story? Cover your ass and never consider any clemencies.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Perhaps had Huckabee not dodged serving in Vietnam, he’d have a better understanding of violence. As a goo Christian woman, I think Huckabee should kill himself, I really do.
God bless, ebbybody!
November 29th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Kristofer: If your closing comment was that it is distressing that Huckabee released somebody who later abused children, it would be a fair comment.
But you said that Huckabee viewed releasing a child molester as a priority — which clearly implies that he was in jail for that or had a history of it at the time Huckabee released him.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
huckabee has proven himself time & time again to be soft on crime. todays tragedy is the result of his liberal attitudes towards criminals.
just what about this thug make huckabees heart melt? how did he not see the stone faced, loose cannon, psychopathic criminal?
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/29/violent-felon-granted-clemency-by-huckabee-now-sought-in-lakewood-wa-police-ambush/
November 29th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Sanford – Appalachia tunnel…to Argentina
Newt – Scozzafava’ed
Cheney – Bush baggage
Mitt – Romneycare, coward
Huckster – Horton’ed out
Jeb Bush – Bush name
Petraeus – Apparently no interest
Jindal – too young, nerdy, and said he’s out
Barbour – old, white, gray-haired Southerner
Crist – oh, please
Huntsman – Obamabot
Gary Johnson – Who?
Pawlenty – He of half a testicle and moderation
Who is left?
Thune – Who? VP? maybe if he behaves
Santorum – ? Be good and you get Veep spot
Who is left?
The Commonsense Conservative who walks the talk, and is fearless.
Palin/? 2012
She’ll get 55% of the vote, pull the 2004 states of Bush and pick up Wisconsin.
The only question is her Veep. If she is smart, which I think she is, she’ll pick the Veep early and it will be someone who gel’s well with the team and possibly unites the party and gets focused on vision early and with power.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Martha meltdown in 5..4..3..2..
November 29th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Sapwolf, you forgot to mention that Palin quit her job as governor. That ought to be more disqualifying than what you wrote for at least half of the people you listed.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
DanL:
Sarah Palin left the governorship to a man Sean Parnell who has proven to be extremely popular as carrying out the Palin agenda. Do you hear complaints from the people of Alaska? I sure don’t. And he hasn’t even had one ethics violations filed against him.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Huck’s supporters never cared that he was instrumental in the release of DuMond, that he lied about it, and that he gave the victims a cold shoulder. I’ve never heard any Huck fan give a legitimate defense of 1033 pardons.
His supporters will NOT care about this, either. Whether or not it hurts Huck beyond his fans, remains to be seen.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Bob, who cares about Parnell? I’m happy for the people of Alaska. But it does not change the fact that Palin quit when the going was too rough.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
It would be nice if Fox dropped Huck like a hot potato.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Sapwolf: There are several disqualifiers anyone (even a Palin supporter) could throw in about Palin.
Romney isn’t disqualified by MassCare (though I agree it will hurt him).
Scozzafava puts Newt out? Are you kidding me?
Pawlenty comment not worth discussing.
You left out Daniels.
If this is the best the Palin supporters can do, Sarah’s in trouble.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Hey bob, I would be happy to vote for Palin if she promised to pick Pawlenty, Rudy, Romney, Daniels, or Gregg as her VP. We would be assured of a having a great president in less than two years.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
#32:
If Palin had abandoned her state and let it go the dogs the folks in the lower 48 would be all over this story.
Yes, it does matter how the Alaskan residents perceived the resignation since they are the folks most impacted by the decision. There is a major difference between removing yourself from Alinsky-type attacks from the Obama war room and replacing yourself with a competent replacement vs. abandoning your post, going over the hill, leaving your state in the lurch or retreating into a corner cowed not to engage the enemy again.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
[...] sought in the slaying of four Washington State police officers. The Seattle Times has the story. (H/T racefor2012.com): “Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing of [...]
November 29th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I live in CA and always supported Reagan from Governor to President.
The following is a record of the number of pardons previous California Governors have chosen to grant:
Governor Davis: none
Governor Wilson: 13
Governor Deukmejian: 328
Governor Brown: 403
Governor REAGAN: 575
November 29th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
With DNA ev., how can someone not pardon?
November 29th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Was Mitt also none?
November 29th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Palin won’t last a week without making a gaffe that makes Quayle look like Einstein, she has no chance
November 29th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Huck’s done, and of course Romney is dust with Romneycare. Who’s left?
Well, apparently Palin toughened the pardon processes in Alaska, so looking good at this point.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
What was Sarah’s number of pardons?
Pawlenty’s? Bush’s (each one)? Barbours? Crist’s? Sanford’s? And Jindal’s?
November 29th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Huck wasn’t going to run anyway, but it’s quite interesting to see the blue blogs reaction, apparently huck’s polls have been scaring the hell out of them.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Palin doesn’t make many gaffes at all. Romney is a walking gaffe machine, flip flopping on all and sundry.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Any of you guys read #17? No wonder they say ge tout of the water when there are sharks around. Being Governor is not a lottery nor a junk yard dog. This will be front and center on the Huckabee show. Let’s bury our dead first folks.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Romney is TOAST!
He has flip-flopped on too many issues and is NOT a conservative. He will not win the nomination. Romenycare is a mess.
He is a big-government guy. Cabinet post? Now you’re talkin.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Jeb Bush, John Thune, Tim Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels, and Rick Perry all have a better chance then Palin.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
36. Enough with the far-fetched notion that Obama’s war room did Palin in. It’s laughable.
She did herself in. She could have ignored the distractions and done her job.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Palin is a moron who doesn’t know what the bush doctrine is. she doesn’t know how to govern, she doesnt know anything about foreign policy.
Palin can’t even get through the hour on meet the press much less an entire campaign. she is a grade A idiot.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Some very weird remarks here. Jeb Bush? And Huck didn’t scare anyone except Palin supporters maybe.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
As I said in the previous thread, this is a potential pr nightmare for the Governor. He will have to answer questions about this and it will let people call his judgement into question. Not to mention the T.V. ads. It would be Willie Horton all over again.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Looks like Palin is the front runner now by all the gnashing going on. I feel sorry for Huck, but he would not have been elected even if he won the primary.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Jeb Bush, 65% approval rating in Florida (swing state), hugely popular with hispanics (highest ever for GOP in Florida), huge fundraising and organizing potential, and actually knows what the Bush Doctrine is.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Palin toughened (made more difficult)the executive clemency process in Alaska:
http://pardon.power.com/2008/08/alaska-palin-and-power.html
November 29th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
palin??? palin in GOP primary debates? what a massacre!!!
November 29th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Tim,
Read her book. It is a good read. No, she is not William F. Buckley, but she lives what she believes, and what she lives is what the country needs to stop the beast of a growing federal government.
She is the only conservative of stature out there outside of DeMint. She may not run, but right now, she’s the strongest horse in the race and she is getting stronger.
Heck, she is even only 3 points behind O-man on Rasmussen and she isn’t even running yet.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Sapwolf, you are right. Anybody that thinks Romney could win the nomination needs to do Politics 101. No base, no game.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
This will knock Huckabee out of the picture. Ironically, I think it hurts Mitt Romney’s chances.
Mitt pardoned the big 0 number in 4 years.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
anyone want to bet if palin knows what sarbanes-oxley is? what happens when a reporter asks her to explain it during the presidential election? i’ll tell you what happens, obama wins 49 states.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Bush is Bush is bush. Think 20%. And that is with republicans!!
November 29th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
All very nice and totally irrelevant, because his name is Bush.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Sap, she didn’t even write it…she doesn’t even claim she did!!!
November 29th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
59. Mitt couldn’t find even one. Was he even looking?
Reagan pardoned 575 while Governor.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
william f. buckley? she’s not even george w. bush. she is dumb, but whats worse is that she is spiteful and prideful and won’t surround herself with the kind of people reagan did to make up for his lack of knowledge.
but my god she would be by far the least intelligent person ever nominated by a major party. im sorry but the president needs to be smart, its a hard job and it needs a smart person and she is not smart at all in any way.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Suspect was a parole:
Statement Regarding Washington State Slayings
by Huck Pac Press Team
The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and in Washington State. The murder of any individual is a profound tragedy, but the murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within.
Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, making him parole eligible and was paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him. It appears that he has continued to have a string of criminal and psychotic behavior but was not kept incarcerated by either state. This is a horrible and tragic event and if found and convicted the offender should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers.
Permalink: http://www.huckpac.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=2907
November 29th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I Like Mike,
I hope someone can supply that information. I’m interested in seeing Palin and Romney’s number of pardons too.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
We normally have some pretty intelligent commenters on here. But, when they start coming in from other sites, they seem to bring their stupidity with them.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
66. My deep sympathies to the families.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Lots of people here just making things up about Palin. Like the last thread Alex wrote.
Same people. They seem worried. Tough luck guys.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Obama’s numbers are actually almost even to where Dubya’s numbers are at this point.
jeb can win the mccain states, plus florida. and if he can win a swing state like florida, why not ohio? why not virginia? he is the most popular republican among hispanics, why not win in colorado or nevada? don’t think the bush machine could make up obama’s 1% wins in indiana and north carolina? the bush machine is the best fundraising gop machine in history, sounds perfect to put up against obama’s machine. 6 national elections with a bush on the ballot, they’ve won 5 times, with the one loss coming with a 3rd party candidate that took 19% and the winner only got 43%.
palin’s already lost a national election, and has far worse numbers then any bush.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
66 – What a feeble attempt at damage control. WOW
November 29th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
#68 that is because you guys just were stroking yourselves, oblivious to what is really happening. Seems like your idyllic little dreaming got a rude awakening, and you guys fell out of the wrong side of the bed, hence the nastiness.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
# 71. Hi Jeb!
November 29th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
obama has already beaten palin once, no need to watch the train wreck again.
besides, jeb can actually win and sound smart doing it. plus a bush win would hurt the left as much as palin, maybe even more.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
72. Con.Man, please let them bury the dead police officers. Not everything is politics.
Try to act like you have some intelligence.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
My oh my. One likely to drop out, and everyone starts pushing their own candidates. It’s still 2 years to the primaries! LOL.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Jeb Bush – widely popular 2 term governor of one of our nation’s largest and most important swing states
Sarah Palin – the quitter, half-term governor of one of our nation’s lowest population states
Bush would out-organize, out-fundraise, and out-debate Palin with ease. Jeb is fluent in spanish, i’m not sure Palin can even spell spanish.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
71 – Bush poll numbers were high post 9/11, now below 50%
November 29th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
tim is a bad troll, as for Jeb, well he’s a massive improvement over our current governor, there
is no end of dissapointment on that score. But he was taken down
in ’94, by the same tactics they
used against Romney up north. I think by 2012, a real outsider will
be the only real solution.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Not to rehash 08′, but this guys pardon was mentioned in one of Romney’s political ads in Iowa… Huckabee cried foul and accused Romney of mud slinging and negative campaigning.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
dubya’s numbers today, not in 2001. dubya’s numbers today and obama’s are getting close together.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:01 am
#66:
That won’t be enough to satisfy practically anyone. It doesn’t even mention the pardon. He will need to explain why he gave this s.o.b. a pardon in the first place.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Is Chaffertz running against Bennett?
Jason Chaffetz: Bring home Afghan troops
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29962.html
November 30th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Tim,
The POTUS needs to be a leader. THAT is the minimum requirement.
Mitt is STAFF, and Palin is LINE.
By the way, I like Jeb, but his last name unfortunately disqualifies him. It just does and we have to move on.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:02 am
HuckPac:
They then list several such failures. One such failure is omitted, however. Can anyone guess which was omitted?
November 30th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Sap,
Palin’s numbers are worse then the Bushes
70% feel she is unqualified
November 30th, 2009 at 12:07 am
“Mitt is STAFF, and Palin is LINE.”
Sapwolf, perhaps you’re just having a bad day, but you are making a total ass of yourself on your first day here.
I’m not noted as a Romney promoter, but even I would rank that among the dumbest remarks ever made here.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:07 am
tim, the Bush political brand is the most poisonous in America today. Jeb coulda been a player ‘cept for that, but that is the way the cookies crumble.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:07 am
do you people really think 2 years as governor of a state like alaska makes one capable of being the commander in chief? she struggled answering child-like questions to katie couric, you think she can negotiate with putin?
putin would eat palin for breakfast. my god guys, i think palin was attacked wrongly by the press, i think her kids were treated horribly, but that doesnt mean she is qualified.
just because the right people on the left hate her doesnt make her able to handle the job of president.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:08 am
who could beat the bush machine in a GOP primary? i think the palin and cheney names have far higher negatives in every poll.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Jeb/Jindal would give us a far better chance then anything Palin could do.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Bill,
By 2012 that # is down, and people will not put Obama in for another term if he is still as clueless and leftist and defeatist as he is now.
He could improve if he changes his ways, but I don’t see that happening. Bill Clinton came back to the middle and had the luxury of a Gingrich House to keep him in line.
I think Obama is lost and he has so few people in his administration that understand business and the private sector that I don’t see the unemployment picture improving and it could structural in nature without any tax relief and less regulations.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:09 am
I know this will make a lot of ppl upset, but it is a 90+% chance that either Palin or Romney will be the nominee.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:10 am
“who could beat the bush machine in a GOP primary?”
Anybody not named Bush.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Bob Hovic: I don’t konw about that. Read some of the comments here, and Sap’s are not just insightful, but very fair and moderate.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:12 am
i think kris is way off, Romney and Palin have the biggest question marks of any also-rans in gop history. quayle never came back to get the nomination, and quayle is way smarter then Palin.
2012 has more of an opening for a new face to emerge then any field in modern history.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:12 am
As of now, you are looking at a Palin/Romney ticket. Palin will win, but if nothing else changes, she could pick Mitt for veep to bring in the moderates, country-clubbers and GOP establishment blue-bloods. I actually think that ticket is strong because it could be one of those ‘unite the party’ moves like Reagan picking Bush 41.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:13 am
#94:
With this info tonight this is the first time I will go on record and agree with you. It is now down to the Big Two with a slight chance of a dark horse now breaking through.
But that dark horse will have to start organizing quickly.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:14 am
That may be a little off Kris, but not that far, now that Huckabee is out of it.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:14 am
#94:
They have the best chance, but it isn’t practically inevitable that someone like Pawlenty or Daniels could burst out of the pack and take the nomination. A good number of people within the party have reservations about both of them. There is a decent sized “anybody but” vote that could coalesce around one candidate.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:15 am
tim – yes, we have heard that every 4 years since 1988.
Do you realize how much it will cost in 2011-2012 to run a primary campaign? A candidate will need to raise $100 to win if it goes past super-Tuesday.
Only two ppl can get their hands on that amount of $.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:15 am
McQueen: By comparison are you saying? Perhaps — but did you note that he said that Mitt Romney is a “staffer”? Give me a break — that’s the comment of a total dolt.
Again, I’m not a Mitt booster, but the guy has a great executive resume and clearly has leadership skills.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:17 am
I think it is 90% chnace of being between 3 candidates: Romney, Pawlenty, Palin. Pawlenty wouldn’t normally have a chance, but if Palin does not run, he has a chance because mitt will have significant problems with the base.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Hmmm, maybe I’ll run Kris…I think I could come up with $100.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Bob: Yes, relatively. There have been some amazing comments, especially from Jeb Bush supporters.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Bob at post 99 is probably correct.
As of now, assuming the bad news about the killer in WA being commuted, and Huckabee dropping out, it is only 2 heavies in the race. But this early there is PLENTY of time for another to make their move down the road. I personally believe that Palin wins because Romney is not liked by the conservatives, but as a moderate with some money party big-wigs he can provide something to the VP spot.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:20 am
#102:
McCain had very little money for practically his entire campaign. Momentum helps bring in money, and if one of the “anybody but” candidates gets momentum, they could financially compete with Romney and Palin.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:21 am
wrong kris
Jeb Bush can out raise them, he can win fiscal cons, social cons, and the establishment.
you see it’s not the base that decides the nominee, its the establishment. the base hated mccain, hw bush, dole, ford, but they always win. reagan is the only exception, but it took him 30 years of hard work in the movement, 2 terms leading the nation’s largest state and 4 attempts to finally get the nod. palin is no reagan, and romney has too bid a problem with evangelicals. jeb could easily take them both down.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Updated 2012 Projections
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Fle9tRO6DCk/SxNWLZB-EGI/AAAAAAAAALQ/ZvEMPjOF1xw/s1600/State+of+the+Race.png
November 30th, 2009 at 12:23 am
the establishment is strongest in the biggest states, states that palin just happens to be especially weak in, california, massachusetts, ny, nj, michigan, florida. jeb and mitt will fight it out for the establishment, the winner takes the big delegate states and the nomination.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:23 am
tim – he’s friggin broke, he’s not running for POTUS in 2012.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:23 am
#94: Could be — clearly they will be the front-runners if this causes Huckabee the damage it appears it might right now.
But 90% is high. Still time for Pawlenty or Daniels or perhaps someone else to move up to the first tier.
If you believe it (90&+), you could make some money — Palin and Romney combined would only cost you about 40-45 at Intrade.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:24 am
New Projections
Palin Gains Iowa,Georgia,South Carolina, and Kentucky.
Romney Gains Florida.
Huck loses Iowa,FL,SC,Kentucky.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:24 am
# 108 I doubt it. Obama will have even a far bigger war chest than last time. And a bigger ground operation. Kristofer Lorelli is right I think in that only Romney or Palin could possibly raise anything that would be reasonably competitive. Even so, they will need to start that build up very shortly (meeting big donors, email lists, technology etc).
November 30th, 2009 at 12:25 am
#109:
Tim, I may be a minority on this site but I do believe Jeb could take a run at it, but if he does I predict he will take more votes from Romney than Palin.
Either way I see the primaries as Palin vs. ? in the end.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Let’s at least conclude that if Obama is this week in two years, there will be several other GOP players throwing there hat in the ring along with Sarah and Mitt. They may have to drop out early due to money but there will be some good competition.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:26 am
kris – there is as much of a chance that jeb runs as palin. the only difference is that jeb still has a top political team and palin has a book in which she burns every bridge with any staffer from here to the moon.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Sapwolf:
Geez, what is your obsession with Romney? He is not Palin’s problem….Some of you Palin supporters are delusional, take her down from the pedestal you’ve all put her on and and come back to earth.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Huckabee can not be nominated now. Conservatives will not put up with this and they were his supporters. One more of Palin’s rivals in the Republican Party has just hit the dust, but he and his close people don’t know it yet. Palin is starting to look like a shoe in for nomination.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
This all seems a bit premature. The article (and other articles about the same subject) indicate that Mr. Clemmons is wanted for questioning, not that he is the primary suspect.
How ’bout we wait until the police sort this thing out until pronouncing anyone political aspirations “dead?”
November 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
#115:
True, Obama will have the advantage of being the incumbent President and having the entire Democratic Party at his disposal. But, if things are going poorly, then people won’t want to give money to Obama. In many ways, Obama’s campaign in 2008 was something of a fluke, a one-time thing. Lots of his people wanted to either toss out Bush or elect a black man President (or both). That’s done. There won’t be as much motivation for them to keep him in office as there was to get him in office.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:30 am
The blood of four police officers are on your hands Huckabee!!!!!!
That scumbag should have still been serving the 95 year sentence that you commuted!!!!!
November 30th, 2009 at 12:30 am
#118:
Now Tim, the first lesson you learn when competing is to respect your opponent.
I respect Jeb. If Palin is his main opposition, I don’t think he will take her lightly. The sitting governor of Alaska Frank Murkowski in the GOP primaries and a former governor Tony Knowles in the general election in 2006 made that mistake and they paid the ultimate price for their misjudgment.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:30 am
bob -
well you have to break down the the states and the delegates. palin has proven to run a poor ship and has a lousy team around her, they can barely get her booked for appearances, organizing caucuses is something establishment pros can do in their sleep. Mitt or Jeb will feast on the caucuses and the big states, leaving Palin trying to rally a grassroots effort. Ron Paul had strong grassroots, and he never came close. no establishment backing means no organizing, no bundlers, no big money donors. Palin in the end will be a louder howard dean, with the same result.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am
bob –
yea the bush machine won’t take her lightly, they will just humiliate her 50 times worse then katie couric ever could and leave her on the side of the road on the their way to BUSH 3
November 30th, 2009 at 12:33 am
now jeb is going to take the first big 2012 step by endorsing rubio over crist. and unlike palin and hoffman, jeb’s choice will win.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Huckabee’s pardons were mighty hard to defend in the first place, in my opinion. He wore them like a badge of honor, which sickened me then. If it does turn out that his meddling with the justice system was responsible in part for this tragedy, he’d better brace himself for a very rough ride on these blog sites. To me, if he was really so unhappy with the way the system worked, he should have championed reform, not mis-micro-managed hundreds of results. Terrible day. Terrible.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Well I think last year, proved the utter banruptcy of the Campaign Finance regime, it’s dubious that the major financial industry
players will pony up as much for Obama the next time around.
In Russia, they already tagged her
as the Huntress, or the patronymic
Ahhanitsa, energy, defense,
economic development are her strong suits. They as well as the Chinese understand that costly
boondoggles like cap n trade, solve
no problem. Sadly Georgia will probably be in the czar in all but crown’s orbit, as it was in 1799 and 1921.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Fred Thompson said it best in the summer; there are upwards of 300-500 political consultants wiling and able to fly up to Wasilla at a moment’s notice once Sarah Palin calls.
Be like the rest and underestimate Palin. I’m not saying she will necessarily get the 2012 GOP nomination but she will be formidable. She already has over 1m members on her Facebook and millions of fans all over the country who will vote for her after reading Going Rogue. I would say that’s not a bad place to start a campaigning from.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Somehow I’m thinkin’ Huckabee will come out of this just fine….He will distance himself from this guy so well that someone else will be blamed.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Bob Hovic, you’re right the 90% is too high, but I think intrade.com is probably a little low right now….see what it shows in a few days.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:38 am
#130:
I reiterate what I said the other day. When she went to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Palin got a huge crowd. Almost everyone interviewed said they liked her and had great respect for her. However, these same people said that they didn’t want her to run for President. They think she is just not ready to be President. People can like her and like her ideas, but that doesn’t mean they want her as the Leader of the Free World.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:39 am
121: Good Point. It could turn out Huckabee had nothing to do with this killing. It is still contingent.
Tim, you are way off on Pluto. Palin without Huckabee in the midst, will roll over Iowa like the Steelers over the Lions. Your comments are betraying a lack of focusing on what is going on out there.
Also, Palin doesn’t have a campaign team yet. Her team is growing gradually. She’s on a book tour. And, the only bridges she really burned were with Steve Schmidt, which nobody can blame her for that after the poor campaign he ran, including giving up after Sept. 16th.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:40 am
john and kate plus 8 have a big online following too, doesn’t mean anyone would vote for them.
with live in the fabloid culture, and palin is clearly the paris hilton of politics. and people tune in for sure, but they won’t vote that way, just not gonna happen.
if palin wants to impress me, get off facebook and get on meet the press for the full hour with no questions in advance. does any palin supporter think she could do that without coming off as a total fool? i know mitt and jeb could handle it with ease, but if palin could get through it without her nose bleeding i would be stunned.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:42 am
She is actually several dollars lower on intrade than she was a week ago. I don’t think people reading the book is helping her much.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:43 am
tim – candidates need millions of $ of personal wealth to run for the GOP nomination.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Iowa did so much for Huck didn’t it Sap?
the caucuses that will hurt Palin are the one’s the media ignores, like Nevada, Wyoming, Maine, etc. Mitt and or Jeb will demolish Palin in New Hampshire, Mitt especially, as well as dominate the little known caucuses. She’ll do great in Iowa, just like Huck, and Buchanan, and Bauer, and Robertson. But in NY, California, Florida, Michigan, PA, NJ, and Mass she will get slaughtered.
W did pretty well in Iowa, imagine what Jeb with a Huck endorsement could do. If she keeps skipping CPAC and Values Voters summits, then even Iowa may prove too tough.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:45 am
And yet they thought Huckabee was ready to be President. He’s kind of the jovial Carson character now that Jay has kind of flamed out. Remember the media was out promoting Sanford what five months
ago, and luck what a bad call that is. And no way anybody associated
with Jeb would be as dim as Tim
November 30th, 2009 at 12:48 am
#135:
You must have missed Palin’s interviews with Barbara Walters and Bill O’Reilly last week.
David Gregory is a lightweight compared to both of them.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:48 am
kris – palin doesn’t have personal wealth, and the bush family can always produce the big $$$. almost every top strategist, fundraiser, organizer, or bundler in the party has worked for a bush, there are a lot more chits in jeb’s court then in palin’s.
btw, who is the top all-time gop fundraiser – George W. Bush. I think if they liked W they will love Jeb.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:48 am
tim, Jeb is a young man. He should wait till he is an old man, then use his fanmily connnections for all their worth and grovel.
He may then end up as someones VP.
Don’t get me wrong. GWB was a fine president in many ways, and Jeb had a bright future, and I like him personally. But it is over. I don’t know why you bother.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Intrade is meaningless — I brought it up only to jokingly suggest that Kris could make some money that way.
I think it’s time to turn in. Any thread where Jeb Bush is discussed is too weird for me.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Tim,
Yes, she’ll be on a Sunday news show. It’s gonna happen, and she’ll do fine. You need to do more research. And it doesn’t help us out if Mitt or Jeb become POTUS and we are left with Dem-Lite all over again growing government still. Discussing Jeb is ridiculous since his last name will be a tremendous fishing weight around his neck.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:49 am
#141;
So can Mitt. What if Mitt and Jeb take each other out and Palin comes up the middle.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:52 am
possum, the bush name is no more damaged then the palin name, and i dont see any polls that say 70% feel jeb is unqualified to be president. i see stories talking up CHENEY in 2012. please, jeb would have a better shot then most.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:54 am
history repeats itself. this is a country that voted out a george bush only to elect a george bush a few years later. at least jeb only brings half of the namesake, plus his latino wife and latino children, which cant hurt.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Bob Hovic, I’m not claiming it is a good predictor this far out. However, I have watched it closely, and it does give a good indication as to whether or not a particular event helps or hurts a candidate. In this case, if Sarh had risen by 5 in the last week, it would probably be a good indication that the book is helping….by falling, probably an indicator that it’s not going to be much of a factor, and possibly more of a problem for her than a help.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:55 am
bob -
mitt and jeb would both have establishment support, and one would be gone by super tuesday endorsing the other, leaving no where for palin except the same space occupied by huck/paul/robertson/bauer crowd.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:56 am
tim, the Bush brand is the most damaged in the US. The Palin brand is second only to Obama. The second helps a bit, doesn’t guarantee anything. The first first is career ending. The only person Jeb could beat in an election would be John Edwards. Even then ….
November 30th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Tim,
You are the only Jeb fan here that is fired up about Jeb. But there are so many more Palin fans out there.
With his name, there is NO WAY Jeb can be POTUS in 2012.
And, if you think he can, you are not in touch with the average GOP voter, let alone the indies and dems who couldn’t stand Bush 43.
Goodnight Race42012.
(and Tim on Jeb: fogetaboutit)
November 30th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Jeb is superior to Palin in every way as a candidate, leader, governor, that a discussion is not really necessary. So is Mitt, so are a number of candidates like Daniels, Jindal, or Thune.
The Palin fans who knock the Bush ‘brand’ fail to see that the Palin ‘brand’ is a joke. she is hated by indies, and it took less then 2 months for that to happen. it took the dems years to finally bring W’s numbers down, and Obama is proving to be a far worse president. Jeb’s got the $$$, the establishment, and most importantly an inroad with hispanics that Palin will never have.
Jeb would crush her. The question only is, will he give it a shot?
November 30th, 2009 at 1:05 am
it’s not about being fired up for jeb vs fired up for moron…i mean palin. it’s about beating obama. palin can’t beat obama. ever. at anything. obama could clone hitler and make him his running mate and palin would still lose 40 states.
Jeb’s got Florida, he’s got hispanics, and has the money/organization to take the swing states back. the bush machine has a proven win percentage, while palin couldn’t hold virginia and north carolina. stick with jeb, and the bush machine will once again deliver the white house, or roll on to george mcgovern land with palin.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:07 am
#152:
Fox News poll of Palin’s indies:
F/UF: 49/38
Rasmussen:
F/UF: 55/43
ABC/Wash Post:
F/UF: 45/47
(all polls conducted within the last 2 weeks)
November 30th, 2009 at 1:10 am
[...] said on another thread that I wanted to see how Mike Huckabee played this tragedy. He had just made his first move. Here is his statement in its entirety: The senseless and savage [...]
November 30th, 2009 at 1:11 am
bob, tim is a lost cause. He hates Palin so much he’ll probably vote Obama
. Next best thing to voting Jeb Bush I guess, given his chances are about the same as John Edwards, or worse.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:12 am
we’ll see another bush as president before palin ever gets close. 20 primary debates, if she makes it through one it would be a miracle.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:12 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_113009.html?hpid=topnewsNo
16. (ASKED OF LEANED REPUBLICANS) If the 2012 Republican presidential primary or caucus in your state were being held today, for whom would you vote?
Sarah Palin 17
Mike Huckabee 10
Mitt Romney 9
John McCain 7
Newt Gingrich 2
Bobby Jindal 1
Ron Paul 1
Rudy Giuliani 1
Tim Pawlenty 1
November 30th, 2009 at 1:12 am
new ABC poll has palin leading in 2012 race
Sarah Palin 17
Mike Huckabee 10
Mitt Romney 9
John McCain 7
Newt Gingrich 2
Bobby Jindal 1
Ron Paul 1
Rudy Giuliani 1
Tim Pawlenty 1
November 30th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Tommy you beat me to it >.<
November 30th, 2009 at 1:16 am
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-19/bush-cheney-2012/?cid=tag:all1
palin couldnt hold indiana, north carolina, and virginia against obama, while jeb would win florida going away.
palin backed out of interviews with spanish language tv because she is clueless on their issues. jeb speaks fluent spanish, has a spanish wife and spanish kids, not to mention won more hispanic votes then any republican in florida history.
jeb has proven he can win indies, hispanics, swing states. palin has proven she cant answer 3rd grade questions like what newspaper do you read. she can wink and ‘you betcha’ her way through 20 debates and a 2 year long campaign. she has 0 chance.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:17 am
polls 3 years out has rudy giuliani the next president of the united states. how’d that go?
November 30th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Actually, tim, the polls showed Hillary the next President, with Giuliani being her GOP opponent.
We must be accurate.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:20 am
the bushes have 5 national election wins under their belt, and 4 governorships in 2 of our largest states to boot. palin has a half term governorship that overwhelmed her so much she had to quit.
if jeb gets in, i won’t bet against the bush machine, not for all the ‘you betchas’ and ‘also’s in the world.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Good news gang. Obama’s re-elect number in this poll is 24%.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:23 am
Tommy, you forgot to include jeb was an * (to small to count) in that poll. Thought we should just let tim know, given he likes quoting the Daily Beast. Maybe I wasn’t far off the mark about quoting Obama. Only a Dem could want Jeb as the rep nominee.
Good result for Palin. Looks like she is now surging ahead.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:24 am
3163 tim has everything incorrect. He has been consistent.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Hard to understand why ABC would poll John McCain. Since he quit on the last race, you’d think people would understand he won’t want to run again.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:36 am
sorry mcqueen jeb hasn’t been trotting around the country on his ‘you betcha wink wink’ book tour.
but you know what mcqueen, 70% never told a pollster that they thought jeb was unqualified to be president, that would be half-term sarah.
the people don’t know jeb yet, he registers more undecideds then the mitts/hucks of the world. but they know palin, they know she is dumber then dirt, they know she is a quitter, and they know they would never trust her with the nuclear codes. sure, to sell tabloids her and her teen sex soap opera are great, but to lead our armed forces, she’s got no shot.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:43 am
The bush family singlehandedly destroyed the republican brand so please don’t bring up any bushes around here.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:46 am
bob -
jeb bush had nothing to do with it. should we judge palin based on bristol? or todd? or should each get judged on their own merit.
every complaint you come up with involves dubya, you’ve got nothing on jeb. jeb > palin
November 30th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Jeb Bush like his brother is a rino and we don’t need anymore of his kind in the white house. Associating any kind of Bush with the future of the republican party is pure poison for the GOP.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:50 am
Oh come on guys. 17? Really? Palin is at 17? She’s a household name – more than any of the rest – and that’s it. If that’s “leading” it’s only in the narrowest sense of the word.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:56 am
83 percent DON’T WANT Palin. And she’s more well known. And her face is all over the TV with this book tour.
Hardly encouraging for Team P.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Adam,
Dude, do you expect her to be at 40-50%? She was no less well-known than either Rudy or McCain were in 2005-2007 and she seems to be holding the same lead according to this poll that either McCain or Rudy were holding over other opponents in 2005-2007.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:13 am
R u serious TB.
Fuzzy maths is back – Rudy and McCain were BOTH at about 25-30 this time 4 years ago*.
*ít’s actually not hard to check your facts.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:01 am
In 2012, it’s still going to be – “the economy, stupid”. This economy will be so far gone after 3 more years of Obamanomics – we are going to need a financial wizard to turn it around. No other candidate – democrat or republican – comes close to competing with Mitt Romney for credibility and competence on the issue of the economy.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:08 am
“I know this will make a lot of ppl upset, but it is a 90+% chance that either Palin or Romney will be the nominee.” Haha, I am only half upset. So who will be the nominee?
November 30th, 2009 at 7:31 am
#178:
A dark horse is possible as it is 2+ years out to the Iowa caucuses. The folks here are not stupid. But look at the AFC standings today. The division leaders are the Patriots, Bengals, Colts, and Chargers with the Broncos and several others at 5-6 looking at the playoffs as wild cards. The first 4 are Palin and Romney at this point and the Broncos and several others are dark horses. In football wild cards ocassionally do prevail and make it to the SB and politics is no different-it can happen but the odds on it actually happening are not the best.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Tommy Boy,
Rudy habitually polled in the high 20′s and 30′s – even higher in a few polls – when he was clearly the Republicans’ first choice. There is no excuse for Palin, who has sucked all of the air out of the room and dominates media coverage, to be at 17 percent unless a very large bloc of the GOP has strong reservations about her ability to be president.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:05 am
110
As an Okie, I feel that Huckabee would beat Palin here. She definitely wouldn’t break 50% with Huck in the race.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:22 am
THE POLL IS OF REPUBLICANS AND REPUBLICAN-LEANING INDEPENDENTS.
Tommy Boy — “Obama’s re-elect is at 24!” — that’s awful news!
November 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
“83 percent DON’T WANT Palin.”
Geez, Adam, that’s really weak. It hardly follows that anybody who did not specify Palin as their first choice is ipso facto opposed to her. If we follow that logic then 90% are opposed to Huckabee, 91% opposed to Romney, etc. And we might as well give up now, since Obama will win in a walk.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
#182: Nope, that’s his re-elect number among all adults.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
BTW, Kris, do you have a link to where the “MSM reads R412’s Twitter, but does not provide a H/T”?
November 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
So it looks like Huckabee commutes the sentence and allows for parole. He get’s paroled, but is arrested again. At that point, IMO, Huckabee’s responsibility is (to a great deal, but not completely) over. Once he was arrested again, his previous sentence is irrelevant. Prosecutors should have put him back in prison for life for parole violation… the fact that they didn’t leaves much of the responsibility on their door step.
I’ll give a hypothetical example: If Criminal X commits a crime, Governor B lets him out. After a while, Criminal X commits another crime and goes back to jail. In 10 years, Criminal X is paroled, and commits another crime. Is Governor B still responsible? Perhaps he’s responsible for the crime Criminal X committed that put him back into jail, but not the subsequent crime… the timeline of responsibility doesn’t fit.
Now, I know this will upset folks like Keith Olbermann and those on the left who like to blame any and everything on the right… and I know there are a lot of folks on the right who don’t like Huckabee and will try to blame him for this as well… but I’m not sure you can really pin this on his actions. He shouldn’t have allowed the parole board to hear this guys case, for sure… but this crime was not a direct result of him getting paroled. It was the result of later crimes, and their failure to be punished appropriately.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faKzzgXVAv8&feature=player_embedded
November 30th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
“Obama’s re-elect is at 24!” — that’s AWSOME news!
November 30th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2009/11/30/2010388798.pdf
December 1st, 2009 at 3:13 am
[...] Republican chatroom featured a comment that [...]
December 1st, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Mike Huckabee: I Take Full Responsibility
December 1st, 2009
From Mike Huckabee:
Mike Huckabee: I Take Full Responsibility
The nation was stunned by the senseless and savage cold-blooded murders of 4 young police officers in Lakewood, Washington. Whenever a police officer or soldier is killed, I feel the loss is even more profound for they are the ones who stand between our freedom and anarchy.
At the time I write these words, police are still searching for Maurice Clemmons who is believed to be the one committing these unspeakable acts. Nine years ago, that name crossed my desk. I commuted his sentence from 108 years to 47 years. Many news reports, talk show hosts, and bloggers have erroneously said that he was granted a “pardon.” Others speak of me “setting him free.” As one who now hosts a talk show and who does daily radio commentaries, I can attest to how easy commentary is compared to actually governing. I am not seeking to justify or defend my actions of nine years ago, but it’s important that I answer for my actions and give some explanation as to how and why his sentence was commuted.
I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago. I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. But if the same file was presented to me today, I would have likely made the same decision.
Each state is different, but in Arkansas, a governor doesn’t initiate a parole—the Post Prison Transfer Board does after it conducts a thorough review of an inmate’s file and request. The board then makes a recommendation to the governor, who decides to grant or deny.
If the decision is made to grant any form of clemency (the broad term for a commutation or a full pardon), the governor gives notice of intent and the file is sent to the prosecutor, judge, law enforcement officials, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State as well as to the news media. A period of 30 days is then started for there to be public input as well as response from the above named officials. At the end of the public response period, the final decision is rendered.
Between 1,000 and 1,200 requests for some form of clemency came to my desk each and every one of the 10 ½ years I was governor. Ninety-two percent of the time, I denied the requests. When I did grant them, it was usually based on the recommendation of at least five of the members of the PPTB, with consideration given to the input from public officials.
Maurice Clemmons was 16 years old when he was charged with burglary and robbery. He was sentenced to a total of 108 years based on the way in which the sentences were stacked. For the crimes he committed and the age at which he committed the crimes, it was dramatically outside the norm for sentencing. The PPTB recommended in 2000 by a 5-0 vote for his sentence to be commuted.
He had served 11 years of his sentence. A pardon would have set him free and cleared his record. A commutation to “time served” would have set him free and released him from any parole reporting. As per the recommendation, I commuted his sentence to the term of 47 years, still a long sentence for the type of crime he had committed, but it would make him parole eligible. It would not parole him, as governors do not have that power in Arkansas. He would have to separately apply for parole and meet the criteria for that.
Despite news reports to the contrary, the only record of public response to the notice to commute was from the trial judge, who recommended the commendation in concert with the board. There were letters of support, but no record of letters of opposition.
Following the commutation, he met the criteria for parole and was paroled to supervision in late 2000. When he violated terms of his parole by participating in additional crimes, he was returned to prison and should have stayed there. For reasons only the prosecutor can explain, charges were not brought forth in a timely way and the prosecutor ended up dropping the charges, allowing him to leave prison and return to supervised parole.
He moved to Washington state and had intermittent criminal activity that increased in violence and frequency. He was allowed to post bail in Washington state and while on bail from there committed the unspeakable acts of murdering four valiant police officers. I can’t explain why he wasn’t prosecuted properly for the parole violations or why he was allowed to make bail in Washington state and not incarcerated earlier for crimes committed there.
I wish his file had never crossed my desk, but it did. The decision I made is one that I now wish were different, but I could only look backwards at his case, not forward. None of this is of any comfort to the families of these police officers nor should it be. Their loss is senseless. No words or deeds by anyone will bring them back to their loved ones. Our system is not perfect and neither are those responsible for administering it.
The system and those of us who are supposed to make sure it works sometimes fail. In this case, we clearly did.
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
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