Huckabee as Governor

Governor goes own way on pardons

___Prosecutors across Arkansas have had their differences with Gov. Huckabee's

generous pardons policy, but what bothers them the most is Huckabee's superior

attitude when they dare to object.

___ The governor often doesn't even alert prosecutors when he commutes the sentences

of killers serving life sentences without parole, but when prosecutors contact him,

he's contemptuous of these professionals who know a lot more about criminals than

Huckabee thinks he knows.

___ Prosecutors from both political parties find his clemencies and his patronizing

comments equally appalling.

___ In his letters to prosecutors, he sounds irritated, as if he were above

criticism, which he probably thinks he is.

___ The governor would prefer the public didn't know how many pardons he has issued

since he took office in 1996.

___ Huckabee told us last month that he issues clemencies and commutations in only

about 10 percent of the cases that come before him.

___ But Huckabee's office would not give us the exact number.

___ His spokesman said the governor's office does not keep a record of the pardons,

which is unbelievable. You'd think something that important would at least be stored

in someone's computer there.

___ We checked with the secretary of state's office, the official keeper of such

records. Huckabee has granted more than 700 pardons and clemencies since he took

office, which is a lot more than most people might have guessed.

___ You can see why prosecutors are unhappy with him, and since Huckabee is a lame

duck, they predict a steep rise in the number of clemencies before he leaves office.

___ Huckabee almost never gives a reason for his clemencies, although he'll offer a

hint now and then that the criminals have been rehabilitated, or he'll even suggest

they're innocent and should go free, as he did in the case of convicted rapist Wayne

DuMond, who then murdered a couple of Missouri women after his release.

___ He had considered offering DuMond clemency, but the public uproar and, yes,

pressure from the local prosecutor resulted in Huckabee instead arranging a pardon

for DuMond with the state Post Prison Transfer Board.

___ Huckabee thinks he is better informed than the prosecutors, and, what's more, he

shows a complete lack of empathy for the victims and their families.

___ Instead, he'll let a foolish young man named Cory Cox, his deputy legal counsel

and adviser on criminal justice, write an obnoxious letter like this one to Saline

County Prosecutor Robert Herzfeld, who objected to one of Huckabee's pardons:

___ "The governor read you (sic) letter and laughed out loud," Cox wrote about a

life-and-death situation that somehow amused Huckabee

"AnAmericanCitizen" <NoAmnesty@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:vrqhl3tpuq5pacq8okavliaf59qtq22bmk@4ax.com...

> Governor goes own way on pardons

> ___Prosecutors across Arkansas have had their differences with Gov.

> Huckabee's

> generous pardons policy, but what bothers them the most is Huckabee's

> superior

> attitude when they dare to object.

> ___ The governor often doesn't even alert prosecutors when he commutes the

> sentences

> of killers serving life sentences without parole, but when prosecutors

> contact him,

> he's contemptuous of these professionals who know a lot more about

> criminals than

> Huckabee thinks he knows.

> ___ Prosecutors from both political parties find his clemencies and his

> patronizing

> comments equally appalling.

> ___ In his letters to prosecutors, he sounds irritated, as if he were

> above

> criticism, which he probably thinks he is.

> ___ The governor would prefer the public didn't know how many pardons he

> has issued

> since he took office in 1996.

> ___ Huckabee told us last month that he issues clemencies and commutations

> in only

> about 10 percent of the cases that come before him.

> ___ But Huckabee's office would not give us the exact number.

> ___ His spokesman said the governor's office does not keep a record of the

> pardons,

> which is unbelievable. You'd think something that important would at least

> be stored

> in someone's computer there.

> ___ We checked with the secretary of state's office, the official keeper

> of such

> records. Huckabee has granted more than 700 pardons and clemencies since

> he took

> office, which is a lot more than most people might have guessed.

> ___ You can see why prosecutors are unhappy with him, and since Huckabee

> is a lame

> duck, they predict a steep rise in the number of clemencies before he

> leaves office.

> ___ Huckabee almost never gives a reason for his clemencies, although

> he'll offer a

> hint now and then that the criminals have been rehabilitated, or he'll

> even suggest

> they're innocent and should go free, as he did in the case of convicted

> rapist Wayne

> DuMond, who then murdered a couple of Missouri women after his release.

> ___ He had considered offering DuMond clemency, but the public uproar and,

> yes,

> pressure from the local prosecutor resulted in Huckabee instead arranging

> a pardon

> for DuMond with the state Post Prison Transfer Board.

> ___ Huckabee thinks he is better informed than the prosecutors, and,

> what's more, he

> shows a complete lack of empathy for the victims and their families.

> ___ Instead, he'll let a foolish young man named Cory Cox, his deputy

> legal counsel

> and adviser on criminal justice, write an obnoxious letter like this one

> to Saline

> County Prosecutor Robert Herzfeld, who objected to one of Huckabee's

> pardons:

> ___ "The governor read you (sic) letter and laughed out loud," Cox wrote

> about a

> life-and-death situation that somehow amused Huckabee - or maybe he didn't

> really

> laugh out loud and Cox was just making it up, trying to sound clever.

> ___ Cox should have been fired in any case, either for disclosing the

> governor's

> morbid sense of humor or simply lying about it.

> ___ "He wanted me to respond to you," Cox continued, ending with this

> zinger: "I wish

> you success as you cut down on your caffeine consumption."

> ___ Why is young Corey Cox still on the state payroll?

> ___ And we wonder why state government is dysfunctional.

>

Not good, not good at all.

Add to that his weak-kneed approach to criminal beanerrs.

Not good at all.