Huckabee released a rapist who later raped and murdered, out of animus toward Clinton

[cali]

<snip>
And then there's the story of Wayne DuMond.

In 1985, DuMond was convicted of the rape of a 17-year-old girl with a connection to then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton: She was the governor's distant cousin and the daughter of a major campaign contributor.

As Clinton rose to national prominence, the case came to the attention of his critics. Journalists and talk show hosts questioned the victim's story and suggested that DuMond had been railroaded by the former governor. Steve Dunleavy, a New York Post columnist, took up the case as a cause, calling DuMond’s conviction "a travesty of justice."

The story also came with a tabloid-ready twist: DuMond said that while awaiting trial, masked men broke into his house and castrated him. Though there were doubts about the story, it engendered sympathy for DuMond among Clinton foes.

DuMond's sentence had been set at life in prison, plus 20 years. In 1992, Clinton's successor in the Arkansas governor's mansion, Jim Guy Tucker, reduced that sentence to 39 years, making DuMond eligible for parole.

When Huckabee became governor in 1996, he expressed doubts about DuMond's guilt and said he was considering commuting his sentence to time served. After the victim and her supporters protested, Huckabee decided against commutation. But in 1997, according to the Kansas City Star, Huckabee wrote a letter to DuMond saying "my desire is that you be released from prison." Less than a year later, DuMond was granted parole.


<snip>

This story couldn't be more disgusting. Read the whole thing here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/03/politics/main3569614.shtml

[patrice]

1. Oh yeah, that's our fault too.

I wonder what Max Brantley knows about that story about Huckabee moving an execution date up for a Buddhist convert who was influencing others on death row.

[yellowcanine]

2. Yep, if the Huckster wins Iowa we will be hearing a lot more about this one.

Willy Horton redux. Except that Dukakis did not actually have any individual involvement in that case.

[TwilightGardener]

8. I doubt Dukakis wrote Horton a "Dear Willie" letter the way Huckabee

did for Dumond--Huck seemed to think this guy was some sort of a martyr, because of the Clinton connection and the fact that Dumond claimed to be reformed and born-again.

[yellowcanine]

12. Correct. Dukakis did not even know Willie Horton. Horton was released as part

of a standard furlough program, not because of any special effort by Dukakis.
Can't say that for Huckabee and Dumond.

[NewJeffCT]

14. Will any Democrat run a "Wayne Dumond" ad, though?

I don't think it would happen.

[Sean Stuart]

27. I agree, they would not. But Giuliani sure as hell would.

[KamaAina]

44. Not even one named Clinton?

Remember, they tried to ruin her with Whitewater just as much as they did Bill. They did end up costing her her job at the Rose Law Firm.

[AX10]

3. Are we ready for the Huckabee candidacy?

We need to hang this around his neck. This is absolutely disgusting!

[cali]

5. this and other things will kill Huckabee's candidacy

It's not even in the same ballpark as Willie Horton. It is absolutely disgusting.

[AX10]

9. What other things do you have on him?

[cali]

11. mostly greed related

he used campaign and other funds for personal use and tried to claim gifts to the governor's mansion as personal gifts. He also destroyed computer hard drives as he was leaving office. There's more, but i don't remember it all.

<snip>

"He let wealthy benefactors buy him furniture and clothing, as well as unreported gifts that led to multiple admonishments from the state Ethics Commission. Upon leaving office, he used the Governor's Emergency Fund to pay for destroying the hard drives of his staff's computers, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Then, when a reporter caught wind of the scandal, Huckabee compared him to Janet Cooke and Jayson Blair, two of journalism's most famous fabricators. "He tends to be about two quarts high on hyperbole," observed two Democrat-Gazette editorial page editors in a recent essay."

<snip>

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/05/huckabee/index1.html

[NewJeffCT]

15. let wealthy benefactors buy things for him?

Our governor in Connecticut went to jail for that...

[patrice]

10. He made a fool out of himself on the WWJD YouTube question.

People can respect their differences with those who step to bat on something like that.

He made a joke of it and the audience laughed and clapped. It was one of the MOST disgusting things I've ever seen. If this man is their candidate, I WILL fight him tooth-and-nail.

[NashVegas]

13. You Bet Your Ass I Am!

The idea is to run against someone we'll beat, you know?

[PVnRT]

4. Wouldn't it be, uh, obvious if he had been castrated?

Still, it would be fun to see the Willie Horton Republicans try and defend this.

[Shallah Kali]

19. the question wasn't whether it happened but did he do it to himself

according to what i have read. one article said that some sex offenders will self-mutilate like this.

[AlCzervik]

6. Was huckabee's non belief of the perps guilt based on the fact that the victim was

distantly related to Clinton, my money says yes that was a contributing factor, the Arkansas project never ends.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Not only did he do this, but he has never accepted responsibility for it--

he's tried to blame everybody from Tucker to Clinton to the parole board, but he's never owned up to his role in this fiasco--which was MAJOR. He met with the parole board in a closed executive meeting with no recorded minutes--against Arkansas law and highly inappropriate for a parole board meeting--so that his pressure on the parole board would never be on the record. Also, Dumond was paroled 4 days before the deadline by which Huckabee would have had to follow through with his stated intention to commute Dumond's sentence--thereby avoiding the political fallout of commuting the sentence (very unpopular with Arkansans) and being able to deny that he was responsible. So, not only is he a weak-minded fool with extremely bad judgment, but he's a snakey, manipulative liar too.

[Shallah Kali]

16. dumond had a nasty record apparently evading convention because victims feared testifying

http://www.leadercall.com/opinion/local_story_127100022.html?keyword=secondarystory

Second, DuMond’s victim, who’d recognized her attacker on the street weeks after the crime, was a distant cousin of Bill Clinton. That excited the kinds of conspiracy nuts that circulated “Clinton death lists.” They portrayed poor DuMond as a victim of the Clinton machine’s satanic wrath. His innocence became an article of faith on the fruitcake right.

Huckabee came into office talking about pardoning DuMond, citing “serious questions as to the legitmacy of his guilt” to reporters. He did that without consulting the prosecutor, who described the case as one of the strongest he’d ever tried. If nothing else, what were the odds that the victim would have identified, purely by chance, a perp with an extensive rap sheet?

DuMond’s criminal history included arrests for murder and assault as well as multiple rape charges. He’d beaten the murder rap by testifying against two accomplices he’d helped beat a soldier to death with a claw hammer. The rape cases never came to trial because the victims were too scared to testify. Young Ashley Stevens’ courageous eyewitness testimony, however, sent him to the penitentiary.

After Stevens went public in 1997, Huckabee relented somewhat. Instead of pardoning DuMond, he held an improper closed-door meeting with the parole board, which subsequently reversed itself, paroling DuMond to Missouri. Huckabee claimed the board brought up DuMond; board members insisted he did. Huckabee wrote a “Dear Wayne” letter stating: “My desire is that you be released from prison. I feel that parole is the best way for your reintroduction into society to take place.”

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=154e1aad-fd18-4efd-8d80-b5dab8559419

After Huckabee told the board, in executive session, that he believed Dumond got a “raw deal,” according to a board member who was there, and supported his release, board chairman Leroy Brownlee personally paved the way for Dumond’s release, according to board records and former members. During that time — from December 1996 to January 1997 — Brownlee regularly consulted with Butch Reeves, the governor’s prison liaison, on the status of his efforts, two state officials have told the Times.

snip

In 1972, Dumond was arrested in the beating death of a man in Oklahoma. Dumond was not charged in that case after agreeing to testify for the prosecution against two others. But he admitted on the witness stand that he was among those who struck the murder victim with a claw hammer.

In 1973, Dumond was arrested and placed on probation for five years for admitting in Oregon to molesting a teen-age girl in the parking lot of a shopping center.

Three years later, according to Arkansas State Police records, Dumond admitted to raping an Arkansas woman. (Dumond later repudiated the confession, saying he was coerced by police.) Dumond was never formally charged in that case; the woman, saying she feared for her life, did not press charges. (See sidebar.)

[Mike03]

17. Willie Horton, Volume II

If it worked for Lee Atwater, it should work for our nominee.

But it doesn't seem to work that way. Guilliana, if he were a Democrate, would have been crucified and dropped out long ago, if he would even have bothered to run at all.

[HughMoran]

20. ...my initial thought too

I wonder what it takes to damage a Republican's reputation these days?

Do they have to actually eat the baby they just killed?

[Sean Stuart]

31. This is very very different than Willie Horton

I thought that at first also, but Horton was released early from a general policy change affecting all convicts in the state. Dukakis never knew of Horton nor lobbied for his release. This is a case where against all logic and evidence Huckabee actively pushed for Dumond's release specifically. But his motive remains unclear to me. Was he genuinely convinced by the frothing Clinton-haters that Dumond was a victim of Bill, and somehow failed to see or understand the spectacular evidence against him? Or was this pure political calculation, rape victims be damned? Either scenario would kill Huckabee's career.

[HughMoran]

33. Good point,

Nothing should be compared to the slanderous attacks generated by Republicans - many of their effective attacks were based on lies (Swift boat) or things (like Willie Horton) that were completely out of the control of the candidate (unlike having illegal immigrants working at your home.) The thing is, Republicans seem to be able to get away with a lot more lying before they have to throw in the towel - at least it seems that way to me.

[Sean Stuart]

36. I think you're right

The Republicans expend a tremendous amount of energy hammering on the media for "bias" (read: unfavorable coverage). This has worked for them beautifully in discouraging the media from reporting critically on Republicans. It's how Gore was excoriated by the media repeatedly for things he never said, helping to cast him as a compulsive liar, and how the ENTIRE MSM ignored the Downing Street Memo for weeks.

Of course, media consolidation under Republican-minded CEOs also furthers it along.

[northzax]

34. and, of course you are forgetting how this is really different from Willie Horton

Wayne Dumond


Willie Horton

notice any differences?

[Sean Stuart]

35. Hell yea. You're right.

Atwater at his best. He would express regret on his death bed, but good ol' Lee Atwater is certainly one of the ideological fathers of people like Karl Rove and others in the Republican hit machine.

[northzax]

37. sad as it is to say

a grainy picture of a scary looking black man is a much more effective image than that guy who looks kinda like an eccentric college professor.

[Mike03]

18. Kick and Rec

You Dem strategists take note.

Remember what they did to Dukakis?

Ram Huckabee up the ass.

[girl gone mad]

21. Those knuckle-dragging lunatics..

were dumb enough to write a book about their poor protagonist victim/martyr Wayne DuMond and his horrible suffering at the hands of the Clinton Cabal: http://www.amazon.com/Unequal-Justice-Clinton-Politics-Arkansas/dp/0879758414

I just love to see the VRWC get bit in the ass by their own stupidity time and time again.

[B Calm]

22. DuMond after being released moved to Missouri where he molested

and killed one woman and was suspected of doing the same to another, but died in prison before he could be charged in the second case.

And then there's also the retarded Fort Smith teenager, raped by her stepfather, who sought Medicaid funding for an abortion as federal law required. Huckabee stood in the hospital door, at least figuratively, to prevent state funding. Man this guy is a nutcase!

Here's the link you have to read: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/11/13/huckabe ... /

[girl gone mad]

23. Someone should save this gem..

of a thread from FR: http://tinyurl.com/3crftv

And some of these old ones before they disappear for good: http://tinyurl.com/2tu92d

Was Huckabee just another dumb as a bag of doorknobs Freeper who bought into all the anti-Clinton nonsense or was he trying to make inroads with the big money men pulling the strings? Judging by some of his answers in the debates, I want to say it's the former.

Edited to shorten links.

[Enrique]

24. there's something special about Clinton hatred

there's nothing like it.

[killbotfactory]

25. I hope this idiot wins the GOP nomination

they deserve it.

jesus christ...

[Enrique]

26. here's one of the columns arguing for DuMond's release

I wonder what Dunleavy said when DuMond struck again? I wonder if he feels any responsibility?

http://users.aol.com/patriot888/dumond.txt

A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE

(HOW GOV. CLINTON DENIED AN INNOCENT MAN HIS FREEDOM)

New York Post
by Steve Dunleavy

The bombshell Whitewater convictions that my be President Clinton's
darkest hour gave a middle-aged Arkansas housewife her brightest moment.

"Now that the Clinton people are going to jail, maybe my husband will
finally go free," Mary Lou Dumond told me in Little Rock.

Her husband, Wayne Dumond, 49, has just spent his 11th year in an
Arkansas jail.

Many say that Dumond is the victim of one of the most bone-crunching and
infuriating examples of Clinton-clan justice the country has ever seen.

And now, because Clinton's alleged bagman, Gov. Jimmy Guy Tucker, is
going to jail, Dumond is set to see freedom.

"The new governor, Mike Huckabee, has assured me Wayne will be a free
man," Mrs. Dumond said Thursday.

"He is not one of the Clinton crowd. He is a very fair man. He has
always been disturbed about the way the Clinton people never wanted my
husband free," she added.

And there was a very good reason for the Clinton people not wanting her
husband to go free.

(...)

[Sean Stuart]

29. Great find. Hatred is a blinder indeed. Holy crap.

This is devastating. Giuliani damaged with this Sex on the City scandal, and this with Huckabee. Who's moving in to take their poll support? Anyone guess?

[Sean Stuart]

28. Huckabee did not release Dumond

I know this is a detail, but it's important. Huckabee made noise about pardoning the man after which he took some heat and never did. The critical aspect of the story is the parole board members' claims that Huckabee pressured them to release Dumond. Huckabee said all four of these people are liars (unlikely of course). But Huckabee never released Dumond.

[cali]

30. There's considerable evidence

that he was instrumental in getting Dumond released. I don't see that parsing that it was the parole board, makes any difference. It's not really an important detail.

[Sean Stuart]

32. It's important to be correct on these details. Otherwise all over right-wing radio ...

you'll hear "Liberals are claiming Huckabee released Dumond! They're liars! It never happened!"

And yes, I care what is said on right-wing radio. I think it's important to make their job of manufacturing public opinion as difficult as possible.

[B Calm]

38. What about the retarded Fort Smith teenager, raped by her stepfather,

who sought Medicaid funding for an abortion as federal law required. Huckabee stood in the hospital door, at least figuratively, to prevent state funding. Man this guy is a nutcase!

Here's the link you have to read: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/11/13/huckabe ... /

[B Calm]

39. CBS evening news just reported that Huckabee pressured for Dumond to be released.

They even had interviews of people involved!

[Disturbed]

40. The Hukster denies it all & says everybody is lying about him.

Hmmmm... Does this sound familiar?

Just when he was gaining ground this come out. Politics is a dirty war.

[B Calm]

41. Of course he denies it, he's a damn republican... and Sen Craig is not gay!

[Initech]

42. Boy, politics really makes for strange bedfellows doesn't it?

Funny that Clinton detractors sided with, um, a KNOWN SERIAL RAPIST AND MURDERER!!!! Fucking morons!!!!! :argh:

[KamaAina]

43. So now we know how Huckabee has managed to rocket to national prominence so suddenly

he clearly has ties to Mellon Scaife et al. from the Arkansas Project days. Also bear in mind that, were it not for the Clinton-haters trying to ruin the Clintons with Whitewater, Huckabee would still be an obscure Southern lieutenant governor, if that: it was only because Jim Guy Tucker got caught up in the Whitewater web that Huckabee was governor in the first place. He owes them big time. :scared: