The Occasional Observer

In the days of the DrudgeReport and news cycles measured in minutes rather than days, one needs to be very careful of the conclusions they draw based on individual articles.

To wit, I pointed out yesterday that:

"If this case is representative of the pardons Huck was making, and the facts have not been twisted in this account, it will be a bridge too far for me."

I did so b/c it's hard to take years-old stories at face value without further vetting and confirmation. Remember, the story stated that Huckabee had "granted clemency" to a "crazed killer."

The Huckabee campaign website offers up the following rebuttal today:

On December 10, the Drudge Report linked to an article in The Arkansas Leader titled, "Why parole a monster like Green." Drudge links to the article as if it were a new story rather than an editorial 2004.

The editorial by Gary Feldman fails to mention:

--The Governor does not have the power to parole any prisoner. That responsibility lies with the parole board.

--The only action that Governor Huckabee took was to file a notice of intent to commute Glen Green's sentence.

--The commutation would have reduced Green's sentence to 181 years, 10 months, and 19 days.

--After the 30-day public hearing period ended, Governor Huckabee decided against commuting Green's sentence.

"Granted clemency" to a "crazed killer", and yet "Gov. Huckabee decided against communting Green's sentence." This is why I hedge my bets when trusting Drudge.

And more on this soon to come...