Mary's Musings

I was not watching TV, nor did I see the ad. For most Americans, this was the first time we had heard of any controversy surrounding the record of Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. But, the real truth of the matter may never be discovered. Because everything depends on who you believe.

An obviously suffering mother who lost her daughter to the brutal crime of rape and murder told the nation that her daughter would not have died had the murderer, Wayne Dumond, not been set free from serving for a previous rape conviction. She also said that it was Governor Huckabee who we have to thank for this criminal's freedom to rape again.

Governor Huckabee denies granting the criminal's parole, or granting commutation, etc. All this is not in dispute. Several Arkansas newspapers include Gov. Huckabee's own words in which he denied Dumond's application for commutation or pardon.

Neither does anyone deny that Huckabee did not personally appoint any member of the parole board. But...

The Arkansas Times ran an article stating that several individuals, including members of the parole board and Huckabee's staff, all claim that Gov. Huckabee put pressure on the parole board to approve of Dumond's parole.

The (Arkansas) Leader also makes this claim. There would be no paper trail that verifies this if all of this was done in telephone conversations, or untaped meetings.

The Huckabee statement itself does not mention anything about pressure. He only says that he did not approve of Dumond's application for executive intervention in his case. No direct link can be made then, from Gov. Huckabee to Dumond. Yet, there are multiple individuals who insist Huckabee was influential on the parole board's consideration and decision.

We may never know the complete truth. But, this is a stain that may be too stubborn to remove. Republicans would be wise to look to someone who does not give us reason to doubt. I will even more strongly cast my support to Sen. John McCain. We would be wise not to buy a ticket on a sinking ship.

Perhaps Byron York is most eloquent on the subject. In an article that appeared in National Review Online, he gave us a glimpse into the true nature of Huckabee's role in granting parole to Dumond. Having "all" the facts helps us make informed decisions about who will lead our country for the next four years.