The King of Clemency: the Serious Consequences of Huckabee's Leniency

The King of Clemency: the Serious Consequences of Huckabee's Leniency

John Aravosis at AMERICAblog.com has the story.

He's had the story up since Wednesday. I don't know how this has not gotten out!

The author starts with this case of Eugene Fields.

EUGENE FIELDS: JAILED FOR DWI IN 2003, SENTENCE COMMUTED IN 2004, ARRESTED FOR DWI IN 2006:

Eugene Fields Sentenced to Six Years For Fourth-Offense DWI. Eugene Fields was originally sentenced in August 2001 for his fourth DWI and began serving his six year sentence in May 2003, after the state Court of Appeals upheld his conviction.

Previous convictions against Fields were in 1996, 1998 and 1999. [www.myeyewitnessnews.com, 4/13/06; Associated Press, 4/14/06, 2/25/04, 2/27/04]

This guy has a real problem! His fourth DWI! Let him sit it out for six years.

2004: Huckabee Commutes Fields' Sentence, Saying Keeping Fields in Prison "Serves No Further Purpose." Huckabee said through a spokesman, "Eugene Fields requested clemency before going to prison. He deserved to spend time in jail. He has completed an alcohol rehabilitation program and has been a model prisoner. There's a critical shortage of prison bed space. Keeping him there serves no further purpose." [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/28/04]*

So, he started serving his sentence in May of 2003. And he finished his six-year sentence in early 2004? Come on, Huck.

Huckabee Was Heavily Criticized By MADD and Families of Drunk Driving Victim For Giving Fields Clemency. In 2004, Teresa Belew, state president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, sent Huckabee a letter asking him to change his mind about giving clemency to Eugene Fields of Van Buren.

"It is important that the process begun by law enforcement officers such as those we honored today be supported," Belew wrote in to Huckabee. "As our governor, your decision at this point in the process is strategic to ensuring that the process works." She wrote that Fields was to blame for making "continued choices to drink and drive."

The guy is a dangerous and highly irresponsible.

Paul Leopoulos, whose 17-year-old daughter, Thea, was a youth activist for MADD before her death in a car crash, said he was "blown away" by the governor's intentions in the Fields case. "I'm sorry. That's saying to everybody else ... 'you can continually do it and they'll slap your hand,'" said Leopoulus. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/28/04; Associated Press, 2/27/04]*

You're right, Paul. That's all Huck--Mr. Anything But Tough on Crime--did. A little hand slap.

Huckabee's Motives Questioned by Prosecutor. Prosecutor Marc McCune questioned Huckabee's motives in the Fields case. "[Fields] has not served one-sixth of his time, and the governor is already trying to give him clemency," McCune said. "It may be because he's a wealthy businessman in Van Buren or the governor is taking a light stand on DWI's. I don't know." Fields owned a shopping center in Van Buren, Arkansas and was involved in real estate developments in Rogers and in Texas. [Associated Press, 2/25/04, 2/27/04]*

He served less than one year, and got out. Just possibly, his standing as a wealthy guy made a difference. What do you think?

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Editorial: Huckabee Sent An "Unmistakable" Message with Drunk Driving Clemency.: "Drive Drunk And He'll Commute Your Sentence."

According to an editorial in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Governor Mike Huckabee "commuted the sentence of a Van Buren man-Eugene Fields, a shopping center developer-who'd been convicted of drunk driving four times. When the Guv does something like this, his message is unmistakable: Drive drunk and he'll commute your sentence. At least if you're a shopping center developer from Van Buren. It's a message he shouldn't be sending." [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 4/17/04]

Not good, Guv Huck. Bad message to send--especially to young people.

2006: Fields Arrested Again. In April 2006, Eugene Fields pleaded guilty to driving drunk again. Barling Police Chief John Roth said Fields was arrested on a driving-while-intoxicated charge on the evening of April 4 after almost crashing head-on into police officer Kevin Dugan on Arkansas 59.

#5. What a surprise!

When Fields was arrested again in 2006, Huckabee said he was disappointed with Fields' actions. "Mr. Fields has broken all trust and deserves the full penalty the law allows," the governor said. "Not everyone does right, but when a person fails a second chance he forfeits a future one." [www.myeyewitnessnews.com, 4/13/06; Associated Press, 4/14/06, 2/25/04, 2/27/04; Arkansas Democratic-Gazette, 4/14/06]

Finally disappointed, Mike?

Fields didn't fail his 2nd chance, Huckabee. He failed his FOURTH chance. He didn't deserve that FOURTH chance.

Huck was Mr. Nice Guy, handing out clemency like it was candy. This results from bad judgment.

This demonstration of pathetic judgment transcends Wayne DuMond and Mr. Fields. Remember, Governor Huckabee released (on average) one felon every five days !

Update: I googled this Eugene Fields character and found this story at ArkansasTonight.com:

The director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving criticized Gov. Mike Huckabee after a four-time DWI offender to whom the governor granted executive clemency two years ago recently pleaded guilty to driving drunk.

Eugene Fields, 67, of Fort Smith was arrested April 4 (2006) in Barling and charged with DWI and refusing to take a blood alcohol breath test. He pleaded guilty Friday to DWI in Barling District Court.

According to Rebecca Walsh…

… Anyone who says that they believe in Jesus, and doesn't mention atheist along as one of the 3 best parts of America's "faith tradition" is "propping up bigots"…

I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, but that is exactly what Ms (assumption) Walsh says. She uses these two facts 1. Romney mentioned that he believed in Jesus Christ, 2. Romney did not mention atheist in his speech about RELIGION, and so he is "propping up bigots"…

Listen to the hatred directed at Romney for these two unforgivable sins:

1. Romney, "reduced to a faith litmus test"
2. Said; "God bless America" at the end of his speech (which of course Bill Clinton also said at the end of his speeches)
3. Presented an "arbitrary world-religions spectrum" (is their a non arbitrary world-religion spectrum)
4. "dispatched American nonbelievers with a sentence"

Lets think about this logic for a second, because it is the same logic everyone on hot air is using… Romney never said anything bad about atheist… that's the problem, according to Rebecca and Michele Malkin and Rebecca… Romney is "propping up bigots" because he didn't mention atheist in his list of 3 specific religions that he mentioned as examples of contributing to America's "faith tradition".

Lets continue the list of Romney's unforgivable sins…

5.   "made himself a supplicant to Jesus Christ" (they have been asking what Romney believes for 16 months and now that he says he believes in Jesus he has "made himself a supplicant to Jesus Christ)

 

6.   "pandering to the Moral Majority by infusing government with Judeo-Christian values and practices". So this would be bad? Why would this be bad? She does not like "Judeo-Christian values"? The only practices Romney advocated was that we allow god to stay on our currency, and allow Hanukkah and Christmas stuff. See that is the thing. These people are totally distorting what Romney said. No worse than distorting, they are totally lying about what he said.

 

7.   "According to the Romney-Bush version of this country's past and present, the president is "Believer in Chief." Is that what Romney said? Of course Ms. Walsh is going to give you a link to the speech, so you can decide for yourself right? Right? Nope.

 

8.   Made, "no more private prayer in American politics." Have you ever seen Romney pray in private? Is she saying that she is un-aware that the supreme court, and congress have always had "public prayer". See this is how stupid this stuff gets.

 

9. "  Romney seemed to miss the part where he was a victim in all this. He rightly confronted persistent, virulent bigotry against Mormons. At the same time, he propped up the very bigots who forced his speech in the first place." How does Romney prop "up the very bigots who forced his speech in the first place." America can keep "in god we trust" on our money and still elect those who are from religions minorities. Ms. Walsh believes that America must become totally secular in order for religious minorities to have rights. She believes this as a matter of faith. This is her religion, because she never gives any reasons to agree with her, trying to use logical arguments, she just states her conclusion, as if she just came with tablets from the mount. If she actually tried to use logical arguments, instead of stating a list of conclusions, she would eventually bump into the fact that France is a much more secular society, and a much worse place for religious minorities.

Excerpts from "An Open Letter to Iowa Voters"

Excerpts from An Open Letter to Iowa Voters by Matt A.

“There are many issues to be considered in this election, and for many voters, including myself, social issues, including abortion and gay marriage, are high on that priority list. Because of this, many voters in your state have recently turned to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as their favorite candidate, believing that his strong Christian background and Socially Conservative positions would help to make him a capable, strong, and trustworthy leader on these and other important issues. I believe that these voters are making a very serious mistake, and that the results for both the nation and the party could be extremely severe.”

“I don’t dispute Gov. Huckabee’s record or opinions on Social Issues, and, if they were the only issues at state in this election, I can say that he would probably be my first choice as well. However, the reality is that there are other issues that must be considered, issues that are no less important, and, in some cases, far more pressing. And it is on these issues where I find Huckabee to be a poor choice for the Republican Nomination.”

“…in choosing Mike Huckabee as our next President, they would risk returning illegal-friendly policies to the White House with a new mandate. During his term in office, Mike Huckabee supported tuition breaks and scholarships for illegal aliens, and, in a speech to the Arkansas legislature, he called on America to “open our doors and our opportunities” to illegals. What is more, he attacked opponents of Amnesty during a Republican debate, calling them “racist” and “mean-spirited”.”

“Another issue where Conservatives must be wary of Gov. Huckabee is taxes. During his administration, the Governor raised taxes several times, with actual amounts far exceeding other tax cuts during his term.”

“Mike Huckabee has many other dark spots on his record, including reversals on important terror-fighting policies, the pardoning of convicted criminals - who would return to their murderous ways, and ethics problems, and Mike Huckabee is much less Conservative than he appears to be at first glance.”

“As a fellow Conservative who wants what is best for America, I have only one request for those who read this letter: Step back for a moment, avoid getting caught in a snowball that may only lead to disappointment, and, before you vote for Mike Huckabee - or any other candidate - make sure you know their positions.”

Governor Mitt Romney On World AIDS Day

Saturday, Dec 01, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Romney Press Shop (85) 288-6390

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on World AIDS Day:

"On World AIDS Day, we are reminded of the importance of America's commitment to fighting one of mankind's most deadly infectious diseases. Around the world, over 33 million people are living with HIV/ AIDS. In 2007 alone, 2.5 million people became infected with HIV and another 2.1 million died from AIDS. To strengthen our fight against HIV/ AIDS and bring hope to those afflicted with this disease, we need strong executive leadership that can build on President Bush's groundbreaking efforts.

"As President, I will mobilize our civilian instruments of power to address HIV/AIDS , poverty and other challenges across Africa by empowering a single U.S. official with the responsibility and authority to lead all of America's civilian efforts in the region. I will fundamentally transform our international aid efforts so that more of our assistance goes to those suffering rather than bureaucracy. Today, only one-third of all foreign aid gets to the people it was intended to help. That must change.

"As devastating as HIV/AIDS has been around the world, we must not forget that over a million Americans are living with the disease here at home. We should do all we can to ensure that America continues to lead the world in cutting-edge research and development into new medicines. I believe in supporting policies that foster innovation and get every American access to affordable, quality health insurance. I also believe that government should work in partnership with our nation's pharmaceutical researchers and manufacturers to advance the HIV/ AIDS research agenda and move us toward a cure."

More Romney and AIDS

July 23, 2003

ROMNEY CELEBRATES NEW CHAPTER IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Signs legislation that provides flexibility in meeting housing goals

Governor Mitt Romney today celebrated the signing of a new law that will allow MassHousing to continue to make loans to finance affordable housing in the Commonwealth.

Within weeks, the quasi-public agency was poised to come up against its legal debt cap for rental housing, which would have prevented it from making any new loans for mixed-income rental housing developments.

"This new law will allow MassHousing to finance mixed-income homes without interruption," said Romney. "We must work harder, and be smarter, to increase the state's housing supply and have it affordable to those across a broad range of incomes."

While MassHousing had additional lending capacity to make loans to first-time home buyers, the measure signed by Romney allows MassHousing to combine two separate debt limits for rental housing and home ownership into one. No new funds are being made available. Rather, the action allows MassHousing to make better use of its existing resources.

Romney signed the bill at the Providence House in Brighton, which will become a 102-unit assisted living complex for the elderly. Adjacent to the Providence House will be the rehabilitated Seton Manor, an existing 20-unit building that houses people with HIV/AIDS.

Romney and AIDS

A GENERATION'S LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

Today's challenges are daunting. They include the conflict in Iraq, the resurgence of the Taliban, and global terrorist networks made even more menacing by the threat of nuclear proliferation. While Iran's leaders relentlessly pursue nuclear weapons capabilities and spout genocidal threats against Israel, the world largely stands silent, unable to agree on effective sanctions even as each day the danger grows. Genocide ravages Darfur even as the world stands frozen. In Latin America, leaders such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez seek to reverse the spread of freedom and return to failed authoritarian policies. AIDS and potential new pandemics threaten us in an interconnected world. The economic rise of China and other countries across Asia poses a different type of challenge. It is easy to understand why Americans -- and many others around the world -- feel so much unease and uncertainty. Yet although we face fundamentally different issues today, the United States has a history of rising to meet even greater challenges. Indeed, we need not look to ancient history, but only to the courage and determination of our parents and grandparents to see a stark contrast with the confusion and infighting of Washington today. Just over 60 years ago, we were in the midst of a global war that would take the lives of tens of millions. The outcome was far from certain. General Dwight Eisenhower drafted a short note before the D-day landings at Normandy accepting full responsibility "in case of failure."

The invasion did not fail. Yet no sooner had we defeated fascism than we were engaged in a 50-year struggle with communism. Those whom the journalist Tom Brokaw memorialized as "the greatest generation" made the tough choices that allowed us to prevail in these struggles. And it was not just our Washington leaders who were decisive. In the 1940s, Americans rationed and saved, and mothers and daughters enlisted to work in factories. Together with the GIs who returned home, they built this country's prosperity and fueled a sense of optimism. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, America pursued learning and innovation to lead the world in space, technology, and productivity -- outcompeting the Soviets and driving them to an economic bankruptcy that matched their moral bankruptcy.

In the aftermath of World War II and with the coming of the Cold War, members of "the greatest generation" united America and the free world around shared values and actions that changed history. They unified U.S. military and security efforts, creating the Department of Defense and the National Security Council. They rethought U.S. approaches to the world, building the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Peace Corps. They forged alliances, such as NATO, that magnified the power of freedom and created a world trading system that helped launch the greatest expansion of economic and political freedom and development in history. Our times call for equally bold leadership and for a renewed sense of service and shared sacrifice among Americans and our allies around the world.

Romney and AIDS

"In this era of fiscal belt-tightening, we need to ensure that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation on public health issues - from AIDS prevention to bioterrorism preparedness ."

• Governor Mitt Romney, 01-16-2003 Press Release

"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.... It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents."

• Governor Mike Huckabee, 1992 Questionnaire for The Associated Press