Michael Collins: Mike Huckabee - Minister of Death

Tuesday, 4 December 2007, 10:47 am
Opinion: Michael Collins

Minister of Death

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Mike Huckabee – "Surging" Republican

By Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, D.C.

Mike Huckabee is the "surging" candidate to watch in the Republican presidential primaries, at least for the moment. The former Arkansas governor is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and a believer in the "inerrancy" doctrine of Biblical scripture. Inerrancy means, quite simply, that the believer accepts every bit of the Bible as literal truth (Adam & Eve, an earth just 6,000 years old, etc.)

As governor, Huckabee was an enthusiastic death penalty supporter. He now supports World War III against Muslim "fascists" and he's taking his message of death on the road.

A panel of talking heads on Chris Matthews' "Hard Ball" conferred legitimacy on the Huckabee candidacy last week. A more professional group of journalists at the Pew Forum treated Huckabee with deference by avoiding any hard hitting questions. There was nothing about Huckabee's February declaration of World War III or his beliefs in a final judgment in our times and no mention of his tainted past in Arkansas. Only Kathy Kay of the BBC raised questions about the specter of the candidate's extreme views.

Let's see what the former Arkansas governor and minister has in store for the United States if he's selected to win the Presidency.

After becoming governor in 1997, Huckabee signed death warrants for 16 executions by lethal injection. This violates the clearly worded, but frequently forgotten commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." He must know that World War III means even more killing and death. But neither position seems to bother him. In fact, he recently used death imagery in estimating the reaction of fellow Republicans to his fund raising gains: "If I were some of these guys, I'd have to be sitting in a warm tub of water with razor blades,"

Selective Forgiveness as Governor

Charles Singleton was convicted of murder in Arkansas and executed by lethal injection during Huckabee's term as governor. Singleton was a diagnosed schizophrenic. Huckabee was unimpressed and issued the required death warrant.

Supreme Court decisions mandate prisoner mental competence prior to execution. Singleton was given (his lawyer says forced) antipsychotic medication to relieve his schizophrenia. As a result, the prisoner regained a grasp on reality. Singleton's successful treatment for a serious mental illness then became the vehicle that allowed the state to kill him.

Of the 16 Huckabee era executions, there is a pattern of dismissing or refusing to examine legitimate questions or claims concerning mental illness.

Huckabee did find forgiveness in his heart for at least one Arkansas criminal. Wayne Dumond was convicted for raping a 17 year old girl in 1985. This fourth sexual assault conviction earned Dumond a sentence of life plus 20 years.

At the start of his first term, Huckabee took a special interest in the Dumond case and had plans to commute his sentence. When an irate public stopped that, the new governor effectively lobbied the pardon's board. Just four months after they'd denied a Dumond parole request, the board ruled favorably. These events and a broader narrative of the case were well documented by investigative journalist Murray Waas.

Dumond was released on parole in 1999. Just months after the parole, he bound, gagged, and suffocated a Missouri woman. He was convicted of that murder and a suspect in another by the time he was confined to a Missouri state prison where he died in his cell.

Huckabee continues to deny his role in the pardon despite the evidence amassed by Waas and others. On Aug. 31, 2007, Associated Press (AP) reported that the Wikipedia entry on Huckabee was edited to delete critical references to the Dumond pardon. AP traced the source of the edits to Arkansas state government computers.

First Arkansas, then the World – Better World War III than "Lose" in Iraq

Huckabee "shocked and awed" voters in his first campaign visit to New Hampshire. He announced that we're already in the midst of World War III with "Islamic fascism."

"We need to understand that this is, in fact, World War III. Unlike any other world war we've ever fought, this one is one we cannot afford to lose. Because losing it does not mean we lose some land or some geopolitical influence. It means we give up our own lives, because no less than that is the goal of the jihadists." AP, Feb. 10, 2007 Video

Just a few weeks ago he argued that his version of World War III is even more ominous than World War II: "I don't think we've ever faced a threat like we are facing now. I don't even think Germany is the threat that we're facing right now. We're facing, I believe, our possible annihilation as a country..." CNN Oct. 19, 2007

What is Huckabee talking about? Have we missed something?

One of his strongest supporters, millionaire TV preacher Rev. John Hagee, agrees with Huckabee on the urgency of fighting Islam. Hagee also offers a version of the "End Times" from the Book of Revelations, one shared by other Huckabee supporters on the religious right. These include the influential publisher of apocalyptic prophesy Strang Communications. The Strang newsletter, New Man, endorsed Huckabee saying, "When it comes to faith, he is truly one of our own."

The key action starts when Russia invades Israel. The United States fails to defend Israel and is punished by seeing both coasts nuked. A European anti-Christ emerges and does battle with the second coming of Jesus. There's death and destruction on a global scale. All but a very few are cast into Hell. Hagee's Jesus then rules a world of true believers in an earthly paradise despite the bi-coastal U.S. nuclear holocaust.

When asked about the "End Times" scenario, Huckabee indicated that "every generation" prepares for the End Times, which "could be" occurring right now.

The son of the late Jerry Falwell, Jerry Falwell Jr., Chancellor, Liberty University, offered the candidate his endorsement just days ago. Huckabee told Liberty's ultra right wing student body that divine intervention is behind his presidential campaign.

A student asked Huckabee to explain his recent "surge" in the race. His response indicated that he'd experienced nothing less than an apotheosis: “There’s only one explanation for it and it’s not a human one. It’s the same power that felt that … two fish and five loaves could feed a crowd of 5,000 people. … There literally are thousands of people across this country who are praying that little would become much and it has.” Liberty Journal Oct/Nov 2007 Matthew: 18: 17-19 ("two fish and five loaves")

The New Dark Ages

Does Huckabee really believe this nonsense? Probably. But he also has a record of killing mentally ill people by lethal injection, working diligently to free a rapist who murdered once freed then denying involvement, and a Giuliani-like record of taking liberties with government funds.

Perhaps he's ripe for an "all this can be yours" deal from the same donors that propelled Bush in the 2000 primaries. He campaigns as "the values guy" who is concerned about the workingman; a "just plain Huck" trying to help.

There's some reason to believe this deal may have been struck already with the corporate media's portrayal of him as a "Bush with brains" – a sincere and capable guy; religious but practical; a "humble" guy in touch with the people. Sound familiar? Corporate media may have tipped its hand with the focus on Giuliani's financial problems while ignoring Huckabee's even though they were both published in "Politico," Nov. 28 and 23 respectively.

With the talk of Huckabee the "humble", the reanimation of the weakly documented "values voters" from 2000 and 2004, and enough cash; we may get a replay of the phony red versus blue rationale which diverted attention from the unbelievable results of election 2004. We'll know if this is the plan if and when corporate contributions materialize in a big way.

A Huckabee led World War III against Islam would be a boon to the tentative financial state of some in corporate America. He'd enthusiastically continue the war in Iraq, that vital Washington subsidy for the post-2003 corporate welfare system. The widely expected "hard landing" for the economy could be avoided a bit longer. The stealth bailout could proceed for CitiCorp and other large financial instructions. They would have a "soft landing" instead of facing the real world consequences of poor business decisions. Record rake offs from no-bid Iraq war contracts would survive as well.

The tools for this political "perfect storm" are in place: deep pocket corporate donors; a compliant corporate media; plus computerized voting equipment produced and controlled by the same Republican leaning corporations in charge since 2000. The media will continue to talk of a divided nation by continuing to ignore the 65% of the nation that disproves of the war. Some will live happily for a few years until we begin our sharp descent ending up as the world's best armed debtor nation.

Should he be "chosen," we'll be lead to this promised land by President Huckabee who thinks that the world was created 6,000 years ago; that Adam & Eve were the first humans on earth; that evolution is a myth; and that we're all just biding time until our world is devastated and replaced by a paradise from which most of us will be excluded. What more could we expect from a corporate America that gave us Bush – Cheney and then did nothing about it.

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