Huckabee spells out his views in book
Posted on Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Gov. Mike Huckabee's new book, From Hope to Higher Ground, gives his thoughts on national politics, legislative and political conflicts during
1 his 10 / 2 years as governor, and how Americans can stop being "selfish citizens."Some familiar issues arise in the book, including his advocacy of the release of convicted rapist Wayne DuMond. He accuses critics of distorting his involvement in DuMond's release. Another is the failure of a bill he proposed to make illegal aliens eligible for in-state tuition and state-funded college scholarships. Huckabee's book blames his opponents for spreading "misinformation and fear"about it.
"Tragically, some opponents of the bill claimed it would guarantee free college for illegal immigrants and take scholarships away from deserving Arkansas citizens,"Huckabee wrote. "While this was clearly an absolute lie, some opponents did not let the truth get in the way of the opportunity to stir the passions of those already seeking something to be angry about."
The attorney general also had written a formal opinion saying that the bill might have violated federal law, something not mentioned in the book.
Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, a vocal opponent of the bill, said Monday he doesn't recall critics saying it would have "guaranteed"illegal aliens "free college."He said opponents knew that the illegal aliens would have to meet academic qualifications for the scholarships. Opponents at the time said they feared that if there were revenue shortfalls, the presence of illegal alien applicants could leave some citizen applicants without the scholarship money.
In the book's final chapter about how to "stop being a selfish citizen,"Huckabee says," As I have often said to my own staff, 'We lead by loving not by shoving. '"
Huckabee also laments a "growing desire not merely to win a political race or legislative battle but to disable or disfigure the opposition in a type of human demolition derby."
In the book, Huckabee says," The extremes of the left and the right need to give way to the mainstream of American goodness."
He offers 12 tips for people to do that. They include:
"Just for the fun of it, allow someone behind you in the checkout line to go first." "Purchase some inexpensive umbrellas and give them to total strangers on a rainy day. " "Always say'thank you. '" "Attend worship services every week. " "Compliment a co-worker." "Don't use profanity. " "Always pull over to the side of the road when a funeral procession approaches, and once a year, visit a cemetery and read the headstones."
Regarding DuMond, Huckabee blasts the weekly newspaper Arkansas Times of Little Rock, without using the newspaper's name. He said," to this day, that tabloid has failed to even attempt to be honest with the facts."
He criticizes a 2002 report in the Times that he had influenced the Parole Board to reverse itself and give DuMond parole. The article repeated statements by a former board member who told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2001 that Huckabee met in secret with the board about DuMond in 1997.
"Fueled by a tabloid story quoting very partisan political operatives - one of whom I had not re-appointed to the [Parole Board ] - allegations were made of a'secret deal' between the board and me,"Huckabee writes.
"The so-called expose in the tabloid did not question why the sources never made those allegations until weeks before a heated election or why those comments were made while openly campaigning for my opponent.
"The fact that I had failed to keep the source in a lucrative state job was also never mentioned. Nor was there any attempt to explain how a newly sworn-in Republican governor would have so much influence over board members appointed by two previous Democratic governors.
"That same tabloid would regularly speak of my 'pardon' of Wayne DuMond, despite the fact that the only action I had taken in regards to this case was actually to deny his clemency."
Max Brantley, editor of the Times, said Monday that he believes Huckabee is trying to "set up a defense"for the DuMond case while testing the waters for a presidential run in 2008.
"He's trying to wash his hands of Wayne DuMond,"Brantley said. "The better course for him is to admit what was the obvious truth which was he thought there was a miscarriage of justice and he took steps to help Wayne Du-Mond. He could at some point say, 'I was wrong.' But he's unable to do that. So, he's tried to turn attention by shooting the messenger."
Brantley said as far as he knows his newspaper has never said that Huckabee "pardoned"DuMond.
Brantley said Huckabee is wrong to disparage the former board member, Deborah Suttlar, as someone simply upset over losing a high-paying job. Brantley said if Huckabee is going to make those allegations, he should have acknowledged that the other board members may have switched their votes on DuMond because they feared Huckabee wouldn't reappoint them.
After being freed from Arkansas prisons, DuMond was convicted of murder in Missouri and sentenced to life in prison two years before his 2005 death.
The 196-page book goes on sale in stores next month. Advance copies were sold Saturday at a fundraiser in Little Rock for Huckabee's Virginiabased political action committee, Hope for America.
Huckabee leaves for New York to start a book tour on Jan. 9, the day his replacement, Attorney General Mike Beebe, is to be sworn in as governor.
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