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Maurice Clemmons is a person of interest in the Washington shootings. AP Photo
Bill O' Reilly was given the first interview of Mike Huckabee last night following the story of Maurice Clemmons. Clemmons is the "person of interest" in the execution-style killings of four Lakewood police officers in the State of Washington. Huckabee has been connected with Clemmons because the then-Governor Hucakbee gave Clemmons a commuted sentence nine years ago in Arkansas.
At the time of the commutation Clemmons had been sentenced to over one-hundred years in jail. In addition Clemmons had tried to assualt two different guards while being detained before his sentence was commuted by Huckabee.
In the interview below rather than asking Huckabee about these facts O' Reilly essentially allows Huckabee to once more pass the blame to the parole board for recommending clemency. O' Reilly hints that there is no possible way Huckabee could have checked the 1,200 cases of clemency which he granted while Governor while neglecting to mention the fact that Huckabee chose to grant clemency in all those cases. If Huckabee chose to consider zero cases he would be within his discretion under the law. Despite saying he "studied" the case of Clemmons before granting clemency O' Reilly never asked the Governor if he knew of the attempted assualts on his guards, the other charges pending against Clemmons at the time, if Huckabee knew he freed more prisoners than six neighboring states combined, or if Huckabee based his decision on Clemmons religion in anyway.
Instead O' Reilly and Huckabee spent most of the interview condemning Washingon judges who allowed Clemmons to go free after Huckabee's clemency. The two call the judges actions inexcusable after the two had quickly found excuses for Huckabee. In addition while pointing out the horrific nature of Clemmons crimes in Washington the two failed to point out that the crimes Clemmons committed in Arkansas also involved violence and guns.
Critics of Huckabee have pointed out that he was ultimately in control of the whether clemency was granted whether the parole board approved or not. In addition the parole board is appointed by the Governor in Arkansas so Huckabee essentially controlled both parts of the approval process for Clemmons' clemency. Finally some have also questioned the number of commuted sentences Huckabee handed out as well as his motivation for such clemency. It has been alleged that Huckabee showed more executive forgiveness for those that "found Jesus" while serving their time. If Huckabee did not have an adequate amount of time to check the 1,200 cases of clemency that he granted the argument is that he simply should not have granted any commuted sentences in those cases.
Comments
Bill O'Reilly is a Huckabee apologist.
I don't care for Huckabee, and in hind sight he should not have allowed him clemency. His reasons seem sound though, He was advised by the judge in the case and by parole board and had compassion for him because of his young age of 16 at the time of his crimes.
His clemency made him 'eligible for parole' which he latter 'earned'. He violated his parole and has never been treated reasonably by the criminal justice center since.
It is reasonable to hold the judges who let him off on $15,000.00 bond for the rape of a 12 year old!!!
I don't want Huckabee to run for president, but this is such a phoney political load of crap!
Gigi is a Huckabee apologist.
Michelle Malkin Imposter:
You are an imposter and an Obama apologist. But really, what other kind could there be?
Michelle Malkin is an imposter apologist.
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