Is this Mike Huckabee's Willie Horton moment?

You may remember Willie Horton, a convicted murderer who, having been furloughed from prison in Massachusetts, then raped somebody while out. Mass. governor Mike Dukakis was contending for President until Bush '41 ran an ad pointing out Dukakis's support of the furlough program, essentially blaming him for the rape and armed robbery. That turned out to have been the end of Dukakis' campaign. Well, could this be Mike Huckabee's "Willie Horton" moment when he runs in 2012?



By Seattle Times staff

Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.

Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors.

"This is the day I've been dreading for a long time," Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski County said tonight when informed that Clemmons was being sought for questioning in connection with the killings.

Clemmons' criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.

Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, issued a statement tonight calling the slaying of the police officers "a horrible and tragic event."

If Clemmons is found responsible, "it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State," Huckabee said.

You know Obama will choose just the right moment in the campaign to link these police murders with Huck's granting Maurice Clemmons clemency years before.

Huck's career baloon is in flames right about now while, Romney's, Pawlenty's, and Palin's are rising.