As you've likely heard, Mike Huckabee influenced the parole board to release Wayne Dumond, a convicted rapist. Dumond was sentenced to life plus 20 for the rape of Ashley Stevens, a 17 year old high school cheerleader.Many reporters wrote that the sentence was too harsh for a single rape. DuMond received extra sympathy when he became a born-again Christian in prison.
When Huckabee took office as governor he announced his intention to commute DuMond's sentence. This was met by significant public outcry. However, when DuMond went up for parole and the parole board decided not to let him free, Huckabee met with the board privately (reported to be illegal by sources I'll list below).
Following this meeting, the board reversed its decision from 4-1 against release to 4-1 in favor of release. DuMond was then set free. Huckabee claims he never said the parole board should set Dumond free. Four of the five board members claim Huckabee was very clear and convincing about the fact that they should set Dumond free.
A short while later, DuMond raped and murdered at least two girls in Missouri. One murder put him back in prison for life. DuMond died in prison just before the second case went to court.
When asked about DuMond on Sunday, Huckabee said, "There's nothing any of us could ever do... None of us could've predicted what [DuMond] could've done when he got out." But the truth is, Huckabee could have done a lot and he should have known what DuMond was likely to do for at least two reasons.
(1) Huckabee received numerous letters from women who claimed DuMond raped them, but that DuMond had never been convicted for those crimes. According to police, DuMond verbally admitted to these additional rapes when they questioned him.
When Huckabee's campaign was asked about these letters, Alice Steward, Huckabee's campaign spokesperson stated: "There were no letters sent to the governor's office from any rape victims." Shortly thereafter Huckabee's campaign admitted that at least one staff member remembered receiving one letter from a rape victim.
Today the Huffington Post has received at least three copied letters from rape victims that Huckabee previously received (see letter links below). One goes into detail of how DuMond raped her holding a butcher knife to her throat while her three-year-old daughter slept in the same bed next to them.
If Huckabee can't remember receiving that letter he's unfit for any position of significant responsibility. If he can remember receiving the letter, he's a liar and is unfit to be President.
(2) DuMond had a significant criminal history before he was ever put in prison for rape. In 1972 DuMond and two of his associates used a claw hammer to beat a man to death in a public park. They were getting revenge because the man was dating the ex-wife of one of DuMond's friends. Dumond received immunity for testifying against his two friends. Both of his friends
claimed Dumond inflicted the killing blow. DuMond claimed one of them had, but admitted to repeatedly hitting the man over the head with the claw hammer.DuMond was arrested one year later for an assault on an underage girl in Washington. He doesn't show up officially again until 1985 when he was convicted of raping Ashley Stevens.
Sources:
Full Story
ABC Report
Letters Huckabee received from rape victims: 1, 2, 3
Unlike stories about Huckabee's record on immigration, taxes, etc., this story questions a bigger issue: Huckabee's judgment.
Against all logic, all history and multiple pleas from the rapist's victims, Huckabee caused the release of a man that went on to rape and murder at least two women. And if that were not enough, he hid the evidence of his actions and had his campaign lie about it for political gain.
5 comments:
Add to this Huckabees moralistic decision making revealed by his foreign policy positions (not Moral, but moralistic). Based on the last deabet in Florida he believes that the USA should remain in Iraq because we broke it, not because he wants to defeat radical jihadsts and terrorists. He also takes the position that we should close Gitmo and that interrogation techniques like waterboarding should be abandoned because those encarcerated at Gitmo and terrorists who potentially have valuable intel should be forgiven and released instead of interrogated and punished. The good thing about Huckabee is that his Christian Leadership tendencies has made him a moral man. The scary thing about Huckabee is that his Christianity has blurred the line between recognizing the difference between forgiveness and repentance. Huckabee sees war, terrorism, and prison terms like liberals--all men should be forgiven. But conservatives like the former president Reagan understood our enemies and that we should defeat them, not rehabilitate them.
Slick Willy,
What's your problem? Calling me a coward for deleting your posts? GET A LIFE! If you want to know the REAL truth, I did delete a bunch of posts without even taking the time to read what each one was again, because I was sick and tired of Romney supporters using me as a vehicle to promote their own cause. If you read the purpose of my blog you will see that it is "a gathering place for Huckabee supporters to unite in a grass roots effort." No where does it say post your opposing opinions, name calling, and blog promotions here! I notice your blog says, and I quote, "This feature is not to be used for advertising or excessive self-promotion." Exactly. Thats all I was asking, I am not obligated to read your posts, Im not obligated to be fair, and Im not obligated to you. Quit your whining, you sound like a liberal. Good luck with your ant-huckabee website. And by the way, dont call me a coward, then tell me "God Bless." Nice how you spew crap and blessings from the same mouth. Dont bother stopping by my blog again, nothing but your apology will be posted.
Truly comical. You said you deleted (and would not post certain comments) from Romney supporters for two reasons: (1) blog promotion (2) name calling. I never did any of those things. I did accuse you of being afraid of Huckabee's record. You responded with several ad hominem/red herring attacks in your next post and accused me of being unwilling to talk policy. I then put together a policy post that convincingly demonstrated a few of Huck's weaknesses (with no blog promotion/name calling) and you decided not to post it. It's your blog and you make the rules--I just expect you to let people post according to the rules you explicitly give them. When you couldn't live by your own rules it was pretty clear that you fear Huck's record. Not following your own rules (or adding the criteria that you won't post anything unless it's in favor of Huckabee) certainly shows cowardice and perhaps a lack of character. I'm not claiming a right to post on your blog--I have no such right. I'm merely pointing out that telling me I can and then changing the rules when I obliterate your argument under your own rules is weak form.
So, assuming you wouldn't post it anyway, I sent you a personal message: your decision was cowardly. On the other hand, I genuinely hope all goes well in your life and I likely won't be back to post. I've little hope that you'll be swayed to Mitt's corner. But I believe this election is very important and that the issues should be discussed heavily. It saddens me to know you're unwilling to allow honest discourse on your blog, but that's your decision to make.
I encourage you to post here. Tell us why Romney is wrong and why Huckabee's right. We desire discussion. It's nice to have a different point of view now and again. If you have anything enlightening or insightful, all the better. And I promise, as long as you keep the language clean and avoid open bigotry, your posts won't be deleted.
Huckabee does not believe Club Gitmo should be closed. He is on record as stating it's better to be safe than sorry and that we should leave Gitmo open. For just one of a billion articles about this, see:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,280457,00.html
Huckabee is as concerned about radical Islam as much as anyone. Unlike most of the Dems, he realizes that its not OUR fault that so many Muslims hate us (oh, and I forgot Ron Paul, he thinks its our fault to). :)
Midwest-
Positionally, Huck is outstanding on radical Islam. My only concern w/him on that issue has to do w/his foreign policy experience/ideas/emphasis. But I like most of what he has to say in that regard.
I know Huck used to be for keeping Gitmo open, but I'm almost positive he said he changed his mind on Gitmo and wanted to close it after talking to some generals. I thought he mentioned this during the last debate while arguing against water boarding. I went to Huck's website and he says nothing about it either way. However, if you google the question, it says he is against Gitmo in all recent articles. If you can clarify this question it would be helpful.
My biggest problems with Huck are (1) Judgment--I think he makes bad off-the-cuff decisions and is easily swayed by opinions of those he respects. Ex: He pardoned (clemency) around 700 people in 10 years as governor, several times because the pardon was recommended by some religious leader. Many of those pardons were serial violent offenders and some were rapists and/or murderers. That's far more pardons than any two states during the same period. (2) Immigration--the positions he talks about on his site are dramatically different than the actions he's taken and/or the positions he's favored in the past. That said, even his current views are insufficient and seem naive. (3) Taxes/Spending/Economy--compared to Democrat governors, he wasn't terrible. Compared to other options (Mitt/Rudy) he's a disaster. I'd rather have a no exec. experience guy like McCain or Fred running the economy than a guy proven to be bad.(4) Foreign Policy--he doesn't seem to have an opinion beyond what he's been advised. He doesn't seem to know what's going on and joking about it doesn't help. (5) Fair tax--it's gets the uninformed voter excited about less taxes/no IRS (which will be replaced by the Federal Taxing Commission I believe--surprisingly, they never mention the new entity they'll create). Dig deeper and you find it's a comically flawed plan. I've studied taxes from the accounting side and the law side. "Fair Tax" is the most foolish tax plan I've seen in years--worse than even Dole's unrealistic flat tax. But yes, the uneducated found that argument compelling too.
What I love about Mike (1) life, (2) families, (3) prayerful, (4) eloquence/charm, (5) defining marriage, don't make up for what I don't like. That said, I'd rather have Mike than any of the leading Dems.
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