By being the staunchest GOP opponent of abortion….an issue which many that call themselves “Conservatives” have been happy to trade for their almighty free market riches, never mind the 45 MILLION slaughtered babies since Roe v Wade.

45 MILLION….That is the equivalent of a 9/11 attack every single day, for forty-one years.

45 MILLION….A number almost 8 times the number murdered at WWII concentration camps.

But I guess abortion is a “secondary issue”…huh?

Mike made a judgement in this clemency he will regret for the rest of his life, and no one outside the families and co-workers of these police officers feel worse about it than he does.

Mike Huckabee has sufficiently accepted responsibility for his part in this tragedy. And yes, it has cost him any chance at the White House.

But the stoning needs to stop.

When all of a sudden did 47 years become a short period of time anyway? Parole is what it is…accept it…Huckabee doesn’t assume responsibility for this clown for the rest of his life. What if he had become a productive member of society and cured cancer? Would you guys write an article about that? Doubtful…Terrible tragity, more than one mistake made, namely giving this guy parole…try not to hang the most biggest voice in the process, he isn’t required to bear the brunt of the screw up on his own.

I’m just not seeing it, exactly as I do not see John McCain as a conservative.

Commuting Mr. Clemmons’ sentence was a mistake. Having worked in law enforcement and the criminal justice system for 22 years, it is difficult for me to believe that Mr. Huckabee did not have any documented objections to reducing Mr. Clemons’ sentence in hand from either law enforcement or from the prosecutor of record. I’m very skeptical.

Clemmons was a high profile convict, even as a juvenile. He did not receive a slap on his hand for his crimes – he got 108 years. That fact is most noteworthy and unusual. In Colorado, unless a juvenile is tried and convicted as an adult, the max one can receive is two years in the juvenile offender prison system.

I think there’s some more objective investigation to be done as to how these releases from custody were accomplished, both in Washington and in Arkansas.

I think that commutations/clemencies granted to folks who’ve committed violent crimes is always a bad idea…. for a 60 year-old or a 16 year-old. Forgiveness for sin and error is a Christian virtue, but forgiveness does not erase the crime nor the need for punishment. This reminds me of an interview David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer, did with Focus on the Family a few years ago. Berkowitz converted to Christianity in prison. He and I agree that he may find God’s forgiveness, but Berkowitz insists that his sentence should not be changed because of his Conversion. He’s willing to accept his deserved punishment. Huckabee may’ve fallen into the forgiveness=lenience trap.

While I don’t think Huckabee should be drummed out of the Party or his head should be delivered on a stick, I do think his failed judgment (in the Clemmons case, the Dumond case, et al) indicates he’s not good Presidential material.

You’re missing my point. No – I am certainly not saying that Republicans/conservatives should accept corruption or illegal/seriously unethical behavior. Huckabee’s actions in this case are neither. While I understand quite well that you and many other conservatives dislike Huckabee for various reasons, many of them quite valid, it is unacceptable to tar and feather him for this incident, where by all indications he did what a prudent, rational person would have done, given the circumstances. Please re-read his explanation, and then tell me where he is lying, and on what basis you make this conclusion. I’m all for picking the appropriate candidate for public office, but from where I sit, many conservatives are taking the attitude that the end (knocking Huckabee off the playing field) justifies the means. That’s a tactic of the Left that we rightly revile. True conservatism demands that one evaluate the facts in a rational manner.

When Republican state senators in Arkansas proposed legislation modeled after Arizona’s Proposition 200 [to require proof of citizenship for voting and public benefits], “Huckabee described it as ‘inflammatory … race-baiting … demagoguery.’ He said the bill, which seeks to forbid public assistance and voting rights to illegal immigrants, ‘inflames those who are racist and bigots and makes them think there’s a real problem. But there’s not.’” (Governor says anti-illegals measure could scare off companies like Toyota,” Associated Press, 2/3/05)

Hard to feel sorry for a guy who basically calls his opponents on immigration, who just happen to be most of his would-be constituents, Nazis. Such a creature doesn’t have a right to demand fairness. He hasn’t been loyal to the nation, or the conservative movement since beyond a shadow of a doubt mass immigration will kill both, why should anyone be loyal to him?

More Huckabee quotes on immigration:

“One of the great challenges facing us is that we do not commit the same mistakes with our growing Hispanic population that we did with African Americans 150 years ago and beyond. We’re still paying the price for the pathetic manner in which This country handled that.”

““For decades, we treated our state’s African-American population poorly. The Hispanic influx gives us a second chance to prove what kind of people we really are.”

“I think frankly the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before.”

““Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority,” Huckabee said jokingly as the[Hispanic] crowd roared in laughter.

What makes this relevant to this discussion is that it points out the truth that Hackabee has internalized the hatreds of political correctness, he’s wracked with white guilt (combined with a type of effeminate Christianity), he’s another Jack Kemp. It would be interesting to know the racial breakdown vs. the breakdown of Arkansas crime by race in Huckabee’s pardons. I’ll bet it shows the same sort of muddled, weepy, political correctness as his views on immigration.

While there are plenty of legitimate reasons to oppose Huckabee becoming the Republican nominee in 2012, this incident simply isn’t one of them. That’s the point of my post. I have my own issues with Huckabee, not least of which is his lack of strong conservative credentials on several issues. Nevertheless, that does not justify conservatives acting like a lynch mob and using any excuse they can find to destroy Huckabee’s credibility. The very essence of the conservatism I support demands that one evaluate FACTS calmly and rationally before making a judgement. On this particular issue that is not being done by the likes of Malkin and her cohorts. Huckabee has repeatedly made what I consider to be a reasoned and rational defense of his action regarding Clemmons. Many on our side don’t care and refuse to hear it. Their unfortunate attitude seems to be: “Well, I don’t like him anyway, so screw him.” That’s not acceptable in my book. Conservatives ought to be above this sort of feeding frenzy, but the fact that this sort of thing continues to occur demonstrates that some of us have a ways to go along the road to intellectual honesty and maturity.