Report: Despite Warnings, Huckabee Pushed For Early Release Of Convicted Rapist
The Huffington Post has just gotten a blockbuster scoop: It reports that as governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee pushed for the early release of a convicted rapist, despite the fact that he was repeatedly warned by numerous victims of the rapist that he would likely strike again. The new revelations directly contradict Huckabee's public version of events.
The new revelations could put the brakes on what has been a startlingly swift rise in the polls for Huckabee. Multiple surveys show him ahead of Mitt Romney in Iowa, and one poll puts him in second place among Republicans nationwide.
In the 1990's, Huckabee had helped to advocate for the parole of Wayne Dumond, who had become the cause célèbre of Arkansas conservatives arguing that he was railroaded by Bill Clinton — one of Dumond's victims was a distant Clinton relative.
Huckabee's campaign denied to the HuffPo that he had ever received any correspondence from Dumond's victims, and the candidate himself played innocent over the weekend, claiming that the results of Dumond's release were unforeseeable. "There's nothing any of us could ever do," Huckabee told CNN on Sunday. "None of us could've predicted what [Dumond] could've done when he got out."
In fact, Huckabee had received multiple letters from past victims. "I feel that if he is released it is only a matter of time before he commits another crime and fear that he will not leave a witness to testify against him the next time," one of Dumond's victims wrote Huckabee. Her prediction turned out to be absolutely correct. A year after Dumond's release, he killed two women in Missouri.
Comments (12)
Daniel wrote on December 5, 2007 12:25 PM:It's going to take A LOT to get Huckabee down at this point because his momentum is truly incredible. He now has taken the lead for the first time in a national primary poll!
NCSteve wrote on December 5, 2007 12:31 PM:If the MSM will actually pick this up, he's dead. Given their speedy and stellar coverage Rudy's deficiencies as a politician and a human being, I'm not optimistic. But if they do, he's dead. The only question then will be whether there will be any effect on Hillary due to the Clinton angle and whether that will be positive ("poor persecuted Clintons") or negative ("Jesus, I do not want eight more years of this.").
Great work by Huffpo, btw. I really don't think a rival campaign was driving this one (for a change).
rssrai wrote on December 5, 2007 1:06 PM:I doubt if this will make a difference. This has been out there for a long time. This is old news.
Bill wrote on December 5, 2007 2:03 PM:When are you liberal blog types ever going to understand that we conservatives believe in jesus and our lord god.
Huckabee is a true beleiver and you can
not just smear him. He is a man of god and that will see him through to be the leader of our great nation and it's time all you "just talk" liberals got use to it.
You all are so unpatiotic.
Bill,
That's the worst imitation of a fundamentalist I've seen in a long time. Don't you have anything better to do?
beowulf wrote on December 5, 2007 2:37 PM:Yeah the disguise would been a little better if he'd bothered capitalizing Jesus and God.
Beyond that, wasn't Dumond's release due to new DNA evidence? If a man is cleared by DNA, I don't think we're all so cynical to think he should be kept in prison because we all know ex-cons can't be trusted.
beowulf wrote on December 5, 2007 2:41 PM:Wow, great piece over at Huffington. OK OK, I retract my previous sentment, in this case, I would let the innocent guy stay in prison. Dumond was bad news.
vdomeras wrote on December 5, 2007 3:44 PM:It seems to me that I read all that stuff weeks ago. I thought that it was on TPM. I was thinking about it today while reading comments re Kristols piece about how Huckabee has a shot. People were saying what a nice guy Huck is and smart and honest.
Could the reprise of this "scoop" be a reaction to Huckabee's "winning November," and maybe winning December?
chelser wrote on December 5, 2007 4:03 PM:Please note: TO BILL THE CONSERVATIVE:
first of all we believe in God and Jesus.
Now for my response. This is old news. Just like your report on the Obama smear email...
Let's find something new to write about..
Anonymous wrote on December 5, 2007 4:12 PM:Why is CNN burying this below the fold?
CalD wrote on December 5, 2007 8:47 PM:Shades of Willie Horton! Now if only someone like Rudy Giuliani had someone like Roger Ailes on speed dial...
NCBlueneck wrote on January 10, 2008 4:56 PM:Walker, Texas Ranger said he was innocent.
