Romney Slams Huckabee Over Clemencies
Appearing on CNNs “Larry King Live,” former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney lashed out at former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for granting clemency to Maurice Clemmons. Clemmons was found guilty of armed robbery and other violence crimes. Although prosecutors and Clemmons’ victims urged Huckabee not to pardon him, the governor did so nonetheless: a major and unforgivable mistake, because he shot and killed four police officers this last Sunday, while they were enjoying their coffee break.
Huckabee has been rightly criticized for his clemency of Clemmons (and other criminals) by many conservatives, including us at David Horowitz’s NewsRealblog. Leading Republicans stayed away from ClemencyGate, however, opting to let Huckabee commit political suicide by refusing to take responsibility for his actions and for their consequences. Until today, that is. Because today, Romney became the first politician with a shot at the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2012, to (indirectly) criticize ‘the Huckster’; who just so happened to be one of his main rivals for the party’s nomination last year. It’s a sign that favorites for 2012 believe that Huckabee can forget about challenging President Barack Obama three years from now.
When asked about Huckabee’s decision to commute Clemmons’ sentence, Romney said that he undoubtedly wouldn’t have done so, knowing then, what he knows now. As Hot Air’s AllahPundit points out, that’s as safe an answer as they come.
Read the whole thing at NewsRealblog.
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Firstly, Huck didn’t pardon Clemmons, he commuted his sentence. That’s when the sentence is taken away, but you’re still convicted of the crime. Clemmons is still a felon.
Allah later noted that Romney has a reputation for being too hard-hearted when it comes to commutations and pardons.
The thing is that I’m not sure what would be worse with Romney: That he’s a “never forgive” kind of guy, or that the guy he didn’t forgive was a veteran who was prevented from becoming a police officer because of a childhood mistake still being on his record.
OR
When being “tough on crime” and “support of the 2nd amendment” clash.
All that said, it seems that Mike Huckabee has a reputation for being too soft-hearted. Though, trying to attack him for not holding a crystal ball up when he made his decision is the wrong way to go about it. Whatever the tough on crime crowd might want to believe, I’m not sure that burglaries are inherently violent.
Romney wasn’t the first to “slam” or criticize Huckabee. It was Tim Pawlenty.
Romney did not “slam” Huckabee at all. What a misleading headline! This website has a credibility problem.
If I had to choose between a political leader who gave out too many commutations, or a leader who issued none, I’d choose the latter. It seems to me that Romney put the public safety, the decisions of the court and victim’s families ahead of all other considerations. As he said in his Larry King interview, Romney had a written set of guidelines for commutations and parole. As far as I can tell, Huckabee had NO GUIDELINES, didn’t reach out to the victim’s families and obviously did not prioritize the safety of the public.
I’m with Romney, clearly, as is everybody else I know.
The GOP is already in alinsky mode and turning on each other.
I would remind them that we still have 3 years of Obama and 2010 congressional races to take back at least enough seats in congress to prevent Reid and Pelosi from legalizing some more bizarre laws designed to turn America into Europe LITE.
or perhaps
Europe HEAVY.
Remember were Americans. We never do anything half arsed. If you can start wars. We finish em. If you can spend 1 trillion we can spend 2 trillion. If you can put a man in orbit we send em to the moon. If you can land a man on the moon we will send one to Mars.
We don’t know how to be second fiddle so that is why our flirtation with this continual and gradual slide to socialism is frightening beyond measure.
The GOP must stand strong and stand united against a common FOE….
All of you Pawlenty, Romney, Palin supporters who just assume Huckabee is gone — (and he isn’t, trust me — just watch the polls as we go along) — should know that absolutely everything your candidate is saying thus far (and at this point the only guy who has remained above board is Newt Gingrich) — we Huckabee supporters are well aware of the statements. But if you are right — or Huckabee decides not to run — do you think that we are all going to rush out to your candidate after the dreadful things that have been said. Guess again.
Dear Huckabee supporter:
Huckabee isn’t a god. He currently isn’t a pastor. He’s not above reproach. He’s not above criticism. What’s happening with Huckabee is something that did not happen during the campaign. Huckabee is FINALLY being vetted, albeit regarding only one aspect.
Romney is right, Mike Huckabee is a good man with a good heart but he is a lousy exectuive. He was too soft on crime and he tax and spent money like a democrat. He is staunch conservative on abortion and defense, but that is the extent of his conservatism.
As a Romney supporter, and a Mormon, I would take the opposite approach. If Mike Huckabee were the Republican presidential candidate in 2012, I would still vote for him over Obama.
Why?
Because despite Huckabee’s statements disparaging my religion, I am not voting for a Pastor in chief. I would much prefer Huckabee to Obama.
Huckabee supporters should feel the exact way about Romney, Palin, or Pawlenty.
Just my two cents…
Sorta reminds me of John Kerry’s campaign in 2004.
IM NOT BUSH.
While the sentiment is there I think it requires a bit more then just voting for one or the other. It requires a united effort against not only the democrats.
But against progressives. Liberals. The MSM. Hollywood and the other media types that would disparage and disgruntle every American into thinking the GOP hates America while reminding us of all the wonderful things the Democrats do for the poor and the working man.
Like…preserving perpetual poverty for all so that the democrats message remains relevant.
No-one really likes Romney, so he doesn’t have any shot at 2012. But he is welcome to spend all of his dirty personal money trying to win again. He did after all get a bronze metal! Huckabee pardoned a then 16 year old kid guilty of robbery. The sentence was too harsh to get 108 years. The parole board freed him and failed to enforce the convicts parole guidelines. Stop making Huckabee an escape goat for political ambitions. Huckabee would be the great president of our time and and really hope he decides to give it another run.
Van der Galien wrote a title for this piece meant to raise hackles and inflame. Fail!
Romney IN NO WAY, SHAPE, or FORM slammed Huckabee on clemencies. I watched the interview and I’ve seen it several times on CNN’s website and other locations. Romney was gracious and said Mike was a good governor and a good man. You can see for yourself.
Don’t let others shape your thinking.
Dan, I could say that no one really likes Huckabee but that would an exageration… just like your statement about Romney. You sound like a conservative. Do you believe in capitalism? If you’re not a marxist, then you’d know that Romney’s money isn’t DIRTY and that he worked very hard to achieve the American dream that we’d all like to achieve.
By the way, Romney didn’t take any pay as Governor of MA. He donated one million of his own money to help save the 2002 Winter Olympics and also donated his salary to charity. He quietly does a lot of charitable giving.
This is how America became great. People are free to chart their own course, work hard, and contribute to society. Then, having achieved success, it’s the noble person who gives back and helps others. That is Mitt Romney.
Hucabee granted clemency and pardons “Literally, every three days, for 10 years.”
He took his “I’m a Christian Pastor”, right into the Executive Office.
1200 pardons? Absolutely insane! When did he have time to Govern?
Talk about a “Messianic Complex. Narcisist to the core.
He is now reaping what he has sown. Mitt had it pegged during the campaign, Huck is a bleeding heart Liberal. And his naivete has ruined peoples lives.
What goes around comes around, Hucky. Your games have caught up with you now.
Bluto
Bluto
While Im not a Huck fan…I have a problem with your post.
1200 pardons as you say and 1 person went bad and this person WAS NOT PARDONED but rather had his sentence reduced and then went before experts to determine his fitness for parole.
There is nothing wrong with compassion and being a bleeding heart. Liberal?
Who knows but right now the GOP should remain focused on Obama and the run amuck enabler congress he has in place.
Right now those that would try to keep stirring up this type of angst over a commutation of a sentence Huckabee did years ago is either way too partisan or way to Democrat for my blood.
Right now the focus should remain on Obama and this enabler congress. Period.
The day after the 2010 elections let the name calling begin inside the GOP party.
Until then?
Seriously. The focus should remain squarely on Obama and Congress.
That will be plenty of time for the GOP to drag each other thru the mud and the muck with the gleeful help of a complicit MSM and blogsphere.
@Amy
Agreed – Romney did not slam Huckabee at all! Very misleading headline. Watch the clip of Larry King Live on youtube.
The December PPP poll had huckabee doing his best against Obama at 46/45 and beyond the margin of error ahead of Palin and Romney. His favorability ratings were esentially unchanged from November. Doesn’t appear the day in day out beatings had much effect on his popularity. Millions invite him into their homes every week. He has the highest rated weekend cable news show month after month. If he chooses to run he remains very formidable. last go around Romney spent 30 million to Huckabee’s 3 million and we saw how that worked out. This time huckabee will have considerably more funds to work with. The fair tax is sweeping the nation and a 140,000,000 voter campaign s being launched by the national organization. Huckabee was the main candidate to be forward looking and support this legislation to give the power and control back to the people not to mention putting our economy on steroids.