Seldom have we seen a politician who so relished and justified the grisly business of state killing. Mike Huckabee actually brags about his willingness to kill. And justifies it by talking about Jesus.
This from the reactionary conservative Washington Times:
Mike Huckabee has started to cite the 16 executions he oversaw as Arkansas governor in his presidential campaign, pointing to them as a type of experience no other candidate in the Republican race can claim.
It’s a grisly claim to make, but Huckabee is trying to counter Mitt Romney’s attacks that he is soft on crime.
“The 16 people I carried out execution on in Arkansas would hardly say I’m soft on crime,” Huckabee told supporters while campaigning in Indianola, Iowa, over the weekend.
Last week he made a similar statement to voters in Pella, telling them, “Ask the 16 people on which I carried out executions.”
The implication is this: Huckabee is tough and will kill. Romney is weak. He has not killed as governor.
If this were isolated tough talk it would be disgraceful enough. But, in fact, it’s part of Huckabee’s long willingness to act as executioner.
More across the jump.
In the Youtube debate Huckabee continued the theme and provided some biblical “justification” for it. This from ThinkProgress:
At Wednesday’s CNN/YouTube debate, a questioner asked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee “what would Jesus do” on the death penalty. He replied:
You know, one of the toughest challenges that I ever faced as a governor was carrying out the death penalty. I did it more than any other governor ever had to do it in my state. As I look on this stage, I’m pretty sure that I’m the only person on this stage that’s ever had to actually do it. […]
Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office, Anderson. That’s what Jesus would do.
So Huckabee dodged the question. But as Think Progress reported:
[I]n 1997, Huckabee claimed that Jesus would have agreed with him on supporting the death penalty. Shortly before a triple execution in Arkansas in Jan. 1997, a caller called into Huckabee’s show on Arkansas Educational Television Network and asked how he squared his Christian teachings with his support for the death penalty. As the Arkansas Times reported on Jan. 22, 1997:
“Interestingly enough,” Huckabee allowed, “if there was ever an occasion for someone to have argued against the death penalty, I think Jesus could have done so on the cross and said, ‘This is an unjust punishment and I deserve clemency’.”
Jesus, though, did not ask for clemency. Therefore, according to Huckabee’s logic, Jesus must have been in favor of capital punishment.
You didn’t misread that. It said, “on the eve of triple execution in Arkansas”. This is “logic” to Huckabee. And it supports barbarism. But again, this is not just isolated talk from a politician trying to impress a rabid, knuckle dragging, fundamentalist base.
Which brings us to Frankie Jusan Parker. Frankie Parker was convicted of a brutal 1984 murder of his in laws. After about 5 years in prison Parker found buddhism, and the New York Times described his sincerity. This was not a typical “jailhouse conversion.” Other inmates referred to him as “SiFu”, teacher. No one seems to have disputed the change in him.
Parker was scheduled for execution May 29, 1996, but was granted a stay until July 11, 1996, by the governor at that time, Governor Tucker. On June 17,1996, Governor Tucker announced that the execution date was set for September 17, 1996. Governor Tucker stepped down from his office in July of that year. At that point, the primary hope and efforts for a commutation to life in prison without parole for Parker were placed in the heart of the new Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister.
In a remarkable display of what can only be considered contempt for life, Huckabee chose to move the execution date forward by 6 weeks to August 8, 1996, thereby depriving Parker of 6 additional weeks of life. Why did he do this? According to my friend, Ven. Kobutsu Malone Osho, the zen priest who came forward and was Parker’s spiritual adviser, Huckabee’s representative said, “We could see no reason for the victim’s family to wait any longer.” In other words, Huckabee couldn’t wait to get his hands bloody.
Is Huckabee pro life? Sure, as long as you’re not yet born. If you’re convicted, he’s ready to strap you to the gurney and kill you.
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Huck is really scary. The more I research him, the more scared I get. And who in the world are these people who are voting for him? That’s way scarier.
it was really bizarre. It was like a slice of Americana from the movies, the ones about huckster cracker barrel politicians. Chuck Norris standing behind him was a nice touch! I think who votes for him are the Evangelicals of the worst order. They showed up in large % for Huck. (what a name) The ones who want to bring on the Rapture and kill kill kill the Muslims and sinners. He is scary to watch My hairs were on end.
This selection by the Iowa caucus is what astounded me.
I don’t think Iowa is truly representative and let’s hope to hell it’s not.
You would think by now that anyone that even reeked of an “evangelical” premise for office most people would be horried with. It shows people STILL don’t get it!!!!
Huckster is very much a believer in forgiveness, no matter how horrible the offense. Of the 1000 people he pardoned, commuted sentences, or forced the parole board to release (Wayne DuMond), the majority were rapists and murderers. One, Glenn Martin Green, had raped and murdered a pregnant 19-year-old, killing her unborn child as well. So the Huckster has plenty of compassion to go around, even for murderers of unborn children. Of course that is if, and only if, they are “converted” in prison and profess HIS religion. Parker’s problem was converting to the wrong religion (which Huckster doesn’t consider an actual religion at all). If he had said he was a Baptist, he’d be free today, regardless of how genuine his “conversion experience.” After all, DuMond’s conversion didn’t prevent him from raping and killing his next two victims after his release.
from God. He said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
But, you know, whatever.
On a radio show once, I heard the following justification for execution. If Jesus had wanted to rescue the two thieves on either side of him, he could have, but he didn’t, and that shows he believed in capital punishment.
You really have to hand it to these people. Jesus, I assume, could have ended all disease, but he didn’t. Therefore Jesus favors disease. This is fun.