Mike Huckabee is the target of both the Left and the Right today, as news comes that nine years ago, as Arkansas Governor, he commuted the sentence of Maurice Clemmons, the man – hours ago shot dead by police – who is accused of assassinating, execution-style, four Washington State police officers Sunday as they sat drinking coffee in a local diner.
Less than three months ago, the former (and future?) Republican presidential candidate won the straw poll vote for the GOP 2012 presidential candidate at the Values Voters Summit. Had John McCain not beaten him in the April, 2008 primaries, Huckabee would have been the Republican nominee for President.
But now, his judgement is being questioned once again, and he is being “forced to defend his decision” of commuting the sentences of Clemmons and another felon. Via today’s New York Daily News:
“Conservative critics had hit Huckabee during the 2008 presidential campaign over his decision to grant an early release to another convict – Wayne DuMond, who was freed in 1999, only to be accused of raping and murdering two women within a year of his release. DuMond was later convicted of murdering one of the women and died in prison in 2005.”
and
“Erick Erickson wrote on his RedState blog. “How many Willie Hortons can one man have?”
Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and now a FOX News talk show host, as Governor signed legislation outlawing same-sex marriage. He has long been an opponent of gay marriage, gay adoption, revoking “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and revoking DOMA. He has also said he wants to “isolate” HIV/AIDS victims.
But the essence of Huckabee’s problem is simple: All his decisions are based on his interpretation of the Bible. He has, in fact said,
“I believe it’s a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards.”
He is a man who believes that, and believes in “forgiving” and setting free rapists and murderers – against the urging of those, like the D.A., involved in the process. But “God’s law,” in Huckabee’s mind, includes banning gays from marrying or adopting.
Let’s not forget that as Governor, Huckabee saw an increase in violent crime, opposed hate crimes legislation, but is proud of his death-penalty record:
“I actually carried out the death penalty 16 times more than any governor in my state’s history.”
All this, and yet four police officers are now dead, as a direct result of Huckabee’s poor and biblically-influenced decision-making.
Unswayed yet? Still think Huckabee should stay in politics, still have a voice in the national media, still be viewed as a good leader? I’ll leave you with this, from Huckabee’s book, “Character Makes a Difference,”
“Our problems do not result from economics or deficiencies in education. They result from the selfish decision to ignore God’s standards of integrity. Standards based on anything else are relative, and relative standards are meaningless. A person with a biblical world view says humans are by nature selfish. We are basically self-centered & look out for ourselves first. Only two things will change this: either our nature will be changed by a supernatural experience with God through Christ, or we will fear the consequences of not doing the right thing. Those who believe God created humans have a different worldview from those who believe humans created God. Politics are totally directed by worldview. That is why when people say, “We ought to separate politics from religion,†I say to separate the two is absolutely impossible.”
As for the murder of the four police officers, Huckabee should take full responsibility, use his vast resources to support their families, then get out of politics, and use his TV show as a pulpit for strict gun control laws, and preaching words of a loving, not gay-hating God.