Huckabee Was Correct and America Needs Such Principled Leadership

American Daily Review ^ | 12/06/2009 | Yomin Postelnik

[Yomin Postelnik]

There is currently a move underway to discredit Mike Huckabee over the rightful pardoning of a then 16 year old who had been sentenced to 108 years on robbery charges. I make this statement as someone who fully supports the death penalty for murderers and for child rapists, but also as someone who recognizes that getting tough on crime means fostering sensible rehabilitation, not turning first time offenders into violent career criminals.

Yes, Governor Huckabee pardoned more people than most governors do. That’s because Gov. Huckabee isn’t thoughtless, callous or cruel and recognizes that public service actually entails service to the public. Sentencing a 16 year old to months of hard labor generally serves as the greatest deterrent (except in cases of murder and the like). By contrast, sentencing a teen to years in prison has almost inevitably bred nothing more than a violent menaces to society.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Good timing, Phil ;-)

[Rappini]

Huck is finished for any run at 2012, I can see the DNC ad now.

[rrrod]

lol

[Tribune7]

I agree with you. A teenager should not get a life sentence for crimes that do not ordinarily call for it.

[exnavy]

Chuckle-BEE is toast. As it should be.

[Tribune7]

He got the 108 year sentence because he was convicted of eight separate felonies--including breaking into a state trooper's home

Well, that explains the sentence. Huck was right on this one.

[Earthdweller]

I like Huckabee and I’ll say it again, I would love to listen to him as a minster. Great sense of humor but nope...governing is not the way to go. Too light on the bad guys. Turning the other cheek like a robot combined with a hefty dose of PC too often gets people killed.

[rintense]

Principled leadership. From a man who’s record shows he’s softer on crime than a Mass. liberal. Shut up and go away, Huck.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Riigghhhtttt........

He bankrupted the state of Arkansas when he was Governor, raised taxes, covered up some shady dealings, pardoned over 700 criminals, many of who have repeated similar crimes or much mush worse, like this case.

Huckabee was not even a good pastor, but he blows smoke and rhetoric that only naive little old ladies, or moronic moderates would believe. Which one of these are you?

[sitetest]

Part of the problem is that a sentence of 108 years wasn't really a sentence of 108 years. From what I've read, without the commutation to 47+ years, the murderer Clemmons would have been eligible for parole around 2015 after having served around 26 years of his sentence.

With the commutation of his sentence, he was eligible immmediately, having served around 11+ years.

Thus, in Arkansas, it appears that one must only serve around 25% of one's sentence to be eligible for parole, and to actually sentence someone to a moderately long sentence - like 25 years - a judge must give an ostensible sentence of four times that - in this example, 100 years.

And then folks say stupid things like, “It's so terrible that one would sentence a 16 year old to 100 years in prison,” when really, the net effect was to sentence the perp to 25 years in prison.

This person Clemmons, as a young man, brutally beat several people, including an old lady that he was robbing, stole large amounts of valuables and weapons, and even in custody, attempted violent crimes against prison personnel, court personnel, and credibly threatened a sitting judge.

Twenty-six years in prison doesn't seem an overly harsh sentence for someone like this at all. And it seems that a formal sentence of 108 years yielded just that - about 26 years in prison.

Gov. Huckabee’s commutation reduce his formal sentence to 47+ years, but his actual sentence to about 11 years. And that was far too short a sentence for such a violent offender.

To say otherwise is disingenuous, bordering on lying.

[houeto]

Outstanding post.

[mkjessup]

Since you ask - I would blame the long, boring prison sentences surrounded by hardened criminals and seek to replace that with short intense labor sentences so that it didn’t happen to others. That’s what I’d do.

GREAT news Yomin!

I am certain that with your mindset, there is a high level position in the 0bama Federal Bureau of Prisons waiting for you! Ask about posting OU812, "Prison Czar in Charge of Early Release".

Don't forget to hand out those 'Rat voter registration forms as the inmates leave the prison gates, LOL

[mkjessup]

Is this the transcript of the eulogy for the murdered police officers?
"Gov. Huckabee isn’t thoughtless, callous or cruel", but he's alive, which is in rather stark contrast to everyone associated with the criminal he pardoned.

***BUMP***

THAT is a bullseye FRiend, well said!

Enjoy your week ahead!

MKJ

[mkjessup]

Huckabee is, and always has been, a con man. Today, he is just a POS.

John McCain's long lost brother, lost at birth perhaps? ;)

Hope all is good with you FRiend! :)

[votemout]

The damage is done and he’s toast. Find another candidate to back.

[SMM48]

The Huckster was unelectable before this situation and even more so now.

Don't even think about it, Huck!

[mkjessup]

..."a sentence of 108 years wasn't really a sentence of 108 years. From what I've read, without the commutation to 47+ years, the murderer Clemmons would have been eligible for parole around 2015 after having served around 26 years of his sentence.

With the commutation of his sentence, he was eligible immmediately, having served around 11+ years.

Thus, in Arkansas, it appears that one must only serve around 25% of one's sentence to be eligible for parole, and to actually sentence someone to a moderately long sentence - like 25 years - a judge must give an ostensible sentence of four times that - in this example, 100 years.

And then folks say stupid things like, “It's so terrible that one would sentence a 16 year old to 100 years in prison,” when really, the net effect was to sentence the perp to 25 years in prison.

This person Clemmons, as a young man, brutally beat several people, including an old lady that he was robbing, stole large amounts of valuables and weapons, and even in custody, attempted violent crimes against prison personnel, court personnel, and credibly threatened a sitting judge.

Twenty-six years in prison doesn't seem an overly harsh sentence for someone like this at all. And it seems that a formal sentence of 108 years yielded just that - about 26 years in prison.

Gov. Huckabee’s commutation reduced his formal sentence to 47+ years, but his actual sentence to about 11 years. And that was far too short a sentence for such a violent offender.

To say otherwise is disingenuous, bordering on lying.

*** OUTSTANDING!!! ***

I am posting this to "all" because EVERYONE in this thread needs to read your post #110 and understand that the so-called '108 year sentence' was not at all excessive. Had the Huckster NOT reduced Clemmon's sentence, he would be getting out of the Arkansas Department of Corrections six years from now, and that would mean that four police officers would be alive and well and their families NOT mourning them this Christmas season.

Thank you Sitetest for the most important post in this thread.

[Eroteme]

[I]t is a false dichotomy to blame criminal behavior on “the system.” The reason people end up in jail is as a consequence of their actions. It is bassackwards to then use those consequences as a reason to excuse even more deviant behavior.

Very well-said. Speaking of "systems", I lay the widespread inability to recognize such flaws in logic and reasoning at the feet of our schools and our media. Logic has been replaced by feelings, opinions, and impressions. It's a serious problem, and a good portion of the reason why it's increasingly difficult to counduct civil discourse and honest debate in this country.

[Eroteme]

Thanks, houeto. I think the OP is sincere in intent, just blinded by devotion. We all have a tendency to flail and grasp at straws when faced with a terminal diagnosis of a loved one.

[Yomin Postelnik]

Parole isn’t automatic and would need to be earned. In any case, a 26 year sentence handed down to a teen robber is extremely severe, prevents rehabilitation and breeds career criminals.