I would never vote for Huckabee, but I'm more concerned with which other campaign leaked this story. I'd like to know which other candidate is the type of man to stoop to character assassination this way.

Did Mr. Ross and Mr. Rhee investigate David Sanders? He is a columnist for Stevens Media, owned and operated by a long-time political rival of Governor Huckabee. The same can be said of Democrat Chastain. While in the perfect world of 20-20 hindsight, DuMont should have remained incarcerated, at the time there was no way to know of his future actions. Finally, even if Huckabee did attempt to influence the parole board, shouldn't the members bear the ultimate responsibility. It was their job to make this decision, not the governors. If they were too weak to stand up for what they thought was the right thing to do, then they should be the ones under intense scrutiny.

If this story is accurate, it doesn't sleak well for Mike Huckabee's decision-making process. We already have one president who isn't impressed with facts, we don't need another.

Is he going to free Osama Bin Laden after we catch him too? This Huckabee is a joke. He would make a fine preacher but a bleeding heart liberal President. We have enough of those candidates on the Democratic side. This story makes me sick. I feel so bad for the victims in this case.

it was his job to know more - if not he who - power = responsibility - it is axiomatic -

i despise liars more than anything

This doesn't make Huckabee a terrible person. Drummond was a rapist, not a killer at the time of his conviction. 25 years to life was pretty harsh considering murderers can get out in under 10 years. This was a hard decision to make and unfortunately this led to the deaths of 2 women. I'm sure Huckabee deeply regrets that he pardoned this monster, and has to live with that decision for the rest of his life. This is just a part of being a leader. Tough decisions need to be made, and sometimes they are not the right ones. Give the guy a break.

Lots of people criticize Hillary Clinton because she was naive and "forgiving", let's see if they feel the same about a "man" in the same position.

WOW... look-out.. DUCK HUCK. You just got sprayed by the drive-by media! Make a joke out of this one. Will the next GOP contender please approach the gallows!

While hindsight may indeed be 20/20, it wouldn't have taken much foresight to realize Dumond's potential for becoming a repeat offender was pretty high.

Willy Horton derailed Mike Dukakis' White House bid and he was released because of a program. Huckabee specifically pleaded for Dumond's release.

I don't see how he waffles his way out of this one.

It's too bad that Huckabee probably doesn't have enough money to recover from a cheap shot like this. Giuliani and his criminal friends in high places have far more skeletons in their closet and look how nobody says a word about that now. Again, it's too bad, because Huckabee is likely the only person who can truly reunite this country after the great rift that's emerged since the 2000 election. If this is the most that anyone can dig up on him, then he's still the best man for the job

The evangelicals and fundamentalist won't care, as long as Huckabee is against abortion, for school prayer, and claims Jesus as his personal hero .

Forget it, Huckabee. Mr. Huckabee is a criminal taking bribe from Wayne Dumond or his associate or it could be that Mr. Huckabee related to monster Wayne Dumond.

Hey, people. It's simple. Let Mr. Huckabee using his money to run his campaign, but we simple just DO NOT EVER VOTE FOR HIM ....

Mr. Huckabee, you should face the grand jury if you continue to lie about your advocate to release rapist monster Wayne Dumond.

This is not something Mike Huckabee can ignore. If the allegations presented are true, it will cost him the presidency. If the allegations are not true, Huckabee needs to address them and set the record straight. This story has legs.

So Mike Hukabee is a lier!! That's just what we need another dishonest person running for president. All the new's headline's prove how much corruption is going on in our government.

The abc create news and destroy the gop agenda is going strong. You are only alienating the public. If you checked the closets of dems and libs, you would find just as many skeletons. All our politicians are a waste of vote. So far, I am voting against someone or for none of the above.

Ooops, another Dukakis incident.

Sounds like Huckabee was asleep during his own watch. There appears to be no valid excuse and he should feel huge remorse for taking Dumond's side against his victims. Dumond should have been locked up for life and a day, if not executed. If what is being revealed is true beyond the shadow of a doubt, then Huckabee should do the honorable thing and withdraw his Presidential candidacy. If Huckabee has evidence that supports his position on Dumond, he should present it NOW.

Ummm... why credit Huff Post when reporter Murray Weiss wrote a prize winning article about in the Arkansas Times way back in 2002???

He's clearly a candidate who, at least at one point, didn't take rape seriously. Despite the victim's pleas and evidence that there were many more victims. What of the judge and jury of the case that sentenced him? I'm not familiar but a life sentence? Something seriously convinced his peers of his guilt. Yet, Huckabee knows better than them so advocated to throw out their decision??? I shutter to think what someone like this would do as president!

What a pathetic hit piece. Politicians make mistakes?

OMG! Huck is toast.

Combine this with the fact that he's the most liberal GOP candidate out there and it's reason enough for me to not vote for him.

I don't see how Huckabee survices this - I don't see how he deserves to. Feel sorry for the criminal, to hell with the victims. I would rather have someone who is in love with the death penalty, like George Bush, in the White House, than someone who uses his gubernatorial powers to gain early release for such a scumbag!

The GOP attracted some weird candidates to run for president. Suffering through seven years of a president with credibility issues, now they throw up a candidate who allegedly paroled a rapist, a candidate who sneaks around on his wife, another who's an evangelical religious believer...and then there's Ron Paul, a phone Republican. Hopefully American voters will see through all this crap and keep Republicans out in order to restore "us" with good values.

He who is without sin cast the first stone. Anyone on this perfect? No one at the Huffington Post (now that's an unbiased, non-partisan group) or ABC has ever made a mistake. Find all the dirt you can on the GOP candidates and turn your head when a Liberal Dem screws up. Typical double standards from the Liberal Media. Do me a favor? REPORT THE NEWS!!!! The Dumond Case is not NEW(S)!! Besides can you find a Governor in America that has the power to parole anyone in their state? I'll give you a few moments, take your time and get it right.

Huckabee also could care less about our immigration laws either. He is a illegal alien enabler just like Bush.

Hey investigative team, why don't you investigate the fact that this case is nearly a decade old?

I am still looking for clarification of what motivated Huckaby to advocate for parole of a convicted rapist serving time. Was there any sound reasoning for the decision, any reasoning at all?

Huckabee is not the only governor to release these kind of people (Bill Clinton is a perfect example). There are many Lobbists that push this kind of stuff on our Politicians because they have influence. Still this is another reminder to the public that long term Political figures are not good for the American People because of the influences others can have on them. Pragmatic common sense should prevail but it doesn't.

I have to believe that every gov. has made a mistake like this. Whether they advocated someone's release...didn't respond to a crisis on time...or whatever. Besides, it was the parol board that made the decision...they have responsibility too...maybe more. Huck still has my vote!

Do we really want a President with the name Huckabee???

I'm not a republican and so I have little interest in the outcome of the republican nomination. But I am still curious as to WHY is ABCNEWS jumping on the bandwagon and fanning the flames? Wake UP ABCNEWS: THIS IS NOT JOURNALISM? This is gossip mongering.

I'm campaigning for Mike Huckabee. This story is none other than another candidate attacking Mike. This is ridiculous! If everyone got all the negative facts from every one of the candidates nobody would vote for anyone! Nobody is perfect. If anything Mike Huckabee has learned severely from this mistake and he will NEVER make the same one again and will be even more strict on the acts of justice. This doesn't change my mind about him one bit. I will still pursue campaigning for him, and I hope he wins. I'm asking the public to think deeper than the surface of this situation and know for a fact if indeed this is true, it will NEVER happen again.

No politician, Democrat nor Republican, would or should survive this, no matter who "leaked" it or why. Gov. Huckabee showed very, very bad judgment, and will not last much longer as a candidate.

This is a story that is a decade old in Arkansas. The story does not mention that the parole board was composed of Clinton appointees who had the final say in his release. If anyone knew he would commit another crime, he would not have been paroled. Yes, this was a mistake. Yes, Huckabee is a human being. Yes, he cannot predict the future. But NO, he is NOT soft on crime.

Um...It's not character assassination if it's fact. Check out a dictionary. It's called the TRUTH.

I certainly don't feel as an Arkansan that he should have pardoned this man, but it is quite interesting that this comes to light only after polls show Huckabee leading in Iowa.

"Again, it's too bad, because Huckabee is likely the only person who can truly reunite this country after the great rift that's emerged since the 2000 election."

Huckabee is probably the most polarizing candidate on the Republican side of the fence. Anyone who wants to abolish national science standards so states can put creationism in science class (as opposed to social studies where it belongs) is not going to get the support of rational Americans. He'll probably have the heavily religious vote, but that's not a group known for uniting any country.

This changes nothing with me. He wasn't a murderer when he was released. He had been unjustly treated in prison, castrated and tortured. Huckabee is compassionate. If this is all they can find about him from 11 years of governing, that he recommended the parole of someone that was treated badly who went on to murder, he has my vote.

In my opinion, Huckabee is proving just how big a liar he can be by saying he was not involved in releasing Dumond and also trying to blame the governor before him for setting it up. This is a bunch of bull!

Sounds like the same excuses Clinton gave after his final roud of pardons, although in Clinton's case no one was killed.

GOOOOOOOOOOO get em'!

This article does not include all the facts. While awaiting trial, Dummond was attacked and CASTRATED by two masked me. A lot of people felt sorry for him. As a matter of fact, The democratic governor before Huckabee actually commuted the sentence so Dummond would be eligible for parole. Shame on the author for leaving important aspects out of this article.

Read the entire Huffpost article. The release of this rapist was driven by Clinton-hate and far right conservative moralists -- and directly resulted in the murder and rape of several women. The entire seedy affair is sickening.

This is a low blow. Now other candiates will be afraid of talking about leniency and second chances for people convicted of crimes.

I can't critize Huckablee because I dont know what he was thinking at the time, but I do know that he had no way of knowing what this guy would do.

This is not uncommon. Liberal government loves giving proven offenders second chances. Anyone who thinks pushing a parole for a rapist let alone a serial rapist is OK with me. This is not the kind of decision making that will make our US a better place to live. He is not even an option for me anymore and I do not even care who leaked it. I care that it is true and that families have to live with the loss left by his terrible decision making.

This story ignores why Dumond's case became a Republican issue in the late 1990's - the original rape victim was a distant cousin of Bill Clinton. In the Republican anti-Clinton fever of the 1990's, Dumond's defenders concocted a story about Bill Clinton railroading Wayne Dumond. Some Republicans made Wayne Dumond into a supposed innocent victim of a Clinton conspiracy. Of course it turns out Dumond was a murderer and rapist after all.

the part of the story not being reported...this guy was castrated by some good ol' boys here in Ark. His testicles were in a jar on the sheriff's desk for a while. Maybe that is why Huck thought he wouldn't reoffend. Most folks still think rape is a sexual thing. It is a violent thing having to do with power

skyz, I think it is apalling that you said Drummond was a rapist, not a murderer and saying 25 years to life was harsh. To downplay rape is heinous. Rape is murder of the soul. This was not a difficult to make. The guy obviously raped someone. He should not have been freed. Period.

Another one wacko bites the dust. Without good reporting we are sitting ducks to the regressive wingnut machine. We're sick of talking points, lets have the truth, we can handle it. Thank you, and lets have three cheers for Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee and their great journalism.

As an Arkansan I can tell you that the release of this rapist caused quite a stir and does to this day. The next item up for discussion will be the state owned computer hard drives he had destroyed using state emergency money when he left office. For a Southern Baptist minister and someone claiming some moral high ground, Mr. Huckabee has some very dark sides.

I am a hardcore conservative and for once the drive-by media has dug up dirt worth knowing. It is inexcusable and just flat out unacceptable for a politician to authorize and advocate the release a rapist from custody. Rapist should be executed, not released. Huckabee, don't make up any sick excuses about details...the fact was that he was a convicted rapist. You do not have my vote.

C-ya Huckleberry. They are all corrupt and in the pockets of big business. Except for one......

Ron Paul.

This story is common knowledge in Arkansas and was a campaign issue in '02. If you familiarize yourself with the FACTS of the case it gives you insight into Huckabee's character. The problem for him is he's never given a reasonable explanation for his actions. I believe he lacks the intelligence to see where listening to Jay Cole was going to lead.

Lets have three cheers for Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee and their great journalism and to ABC News for getting it out. Without good reporting we are sitting ducks to the regressive wingnut machine. We're sick of talking points, lets have the truth, we can handle it. Thank You

This is another case of the justice system going bad. Rapist and Murderers seem to get a better opportunity to be released from prison than individuals who steal cars, sell drugs, and commit robbery without murder. More importantly, what was Mike Huckabee's relation with Dumond? So many things left unsaid. I will conclude this by saying - - the violence that one inflicts on another person for their sexual pleasure, when found guilty, they should serve every day of that sentence. Obviously, Governor Huckabee does not believe in his own state's judical system in its verdict.

Not good, but for the record, he was NOT serving a life sentence. His sentence was reduced by Gov. Jim Tucker because he felt he got the shaft because the victim was a relative of Clinton, and her parents big donors to his campian.

Its not who Has cast the first stone, but who should be responsible for releasing a rapist and responsible for two other murders?

HUCKABEE FOR PRESIDENT

Huckabee advocated for Dumond because he believed that Dumond was being unfairly incarcerated for raping Clinton's distant cousin. Huckabee released a rapist and murderer on society because he wanted to make Clinton look bad. I think Huckabee at the least, should give up his Presidential aspirations and I'd also have him make a significant contribution to a charity that helps victims of rape.

ekay - I suppose you know that some doctors told the parole board that Wayne Dumond mutilated himself, and that such self-mutilation is not uncommon among sex offenders? And besides, it apparently did not render Dumond incapable of raping again. When Huckabee first came into office in 1996, he wanted to commute Dumond's sentence to "time served", but the prosecutors and others raised such a public outcry Huckabee had to back down.

I am disgusted by some of the comments above. It should not matter that everyone has skeletons in there closets. Let everyones come out. What matters is that Huskabee did play a role, however big or small, in Dumonds' release. He was an obvious repeat offender and could not control himself. Not one should feel sorry for this man. I know the case and the story and what he did was horrible.

it's funny how fast this story got put on the back burner. i looked at this web sight this morning and it was under HEADLINES, now you have to search for it.
just one more sneak attack by the dems.

It's not character assassination if the story is true. No excuses for Mr. Huckabee, please.

I think rape SHOULD bring life, however the average time served is 4.5 years, and this slimeball did 14 years, and again his sentence was commuted by TUCKER-DEMOCRAT, who had strong ties to Bill making him eligible for parole in '92, which put him serving already 3 years longer than average Dont start the Clinton Hate led to this crap. And dont forget, it was also seven Democratic appointees who paroled the scumbag.

Clinton had much more to do with this than Huckabee.

Huckabee firmly believes in Creationism over evolution. This is wrong. This is not just wrong where one miscalculates the value of pi or whether dinosaurs had feathers or scales. This is wrong on a collosal scientific scale. Believe in all the bible stories you want, but don't let a man with a fundamental flaw in the grasp of science ever rule a nation.

Everything is a joke or funny punchline to Huckabee. He has not said one straightforward meaningful thing yet. In all his debates, he has not answered a single question seriously. While I appreciate a sense of humor, I want a straight, serious answer out of Huckabee concerning what he will do about terrorism, foreign policy, healthcare, crime or gas prices. America has real issues and we need real solutions, not just jokes. I don't think the victims family thinks he's so cute and amusing. This funny guy act is wearing thin.

Mike Huckabee is a good man. This is a terrible slime campaign, and those involved should be ashamed. It is the responsibility of the parole board, not the governor, to decide parole. The board members who have accused Mike Huckabee of pressuring them to release Dumond are liberal operatives who are cynically attempting to shift responsibility. The only possible result of this sort of character assassination is that no one who has any history or any record will be able to run for office. To hold a governor of 11 years responsible for the crimes of everyone paroled under his tenure is an impossible standard. Whether you like his politics or not, you should be disgusted at how he is being treated.

Mike Huckabee will win the nomination in spite of this disgusting smear effort, because he is the only candidate who has an optimistic and forward-looking message. This slime campaign is old news; it was used against him during his reelection campaign for governor, and he won anyway. Obviously, the voters decided to ignore the character assassination and look at his record. I hope voters across the country will do the same.

Being from AR I am thankful this story has come out.
Now folks are going to have to look at what his family values truly are!

In 1990, the Parole Board recommended that then-Gov. Bill Clinton commute Dumond's sentence to time served -- a recommendation that Clinton, a distant cousin of Dumond's alleged victim, rejected.

According to Byron York's National Review article, the Parole Board in Arkansas later voted TWICE to parole Wayne Dumond (in 1996 and 1999).

At the worst, Huckabee could be accused of lending his personal support the Parole Board's actions. Dumond had served nearly 14 years for his rape conviction.

amen amen johnf49-51. Jesus was too smart to run for public office, very clever, ha ha. But what the %$#@ are we going to do about global warming, the war, crime, the economy, etc., etc.?

Just yet another example of horrible decision-making by Mike Huckabee. My family will never support a candidate who consistently makes such poor decisions and then cannot honestly and honorably acknoledge the result.

Just check out Huckabee's record on immigration and taxes -- they are also horrible.

Governors cannot pardon criminals in Arkansas. The parole, consisting of members appointed by past Democrat Governors, granted parole.

Brian Ross and ABC news again show their contempt towards a Rebublican candiate. Here's what Huckabee's team responded to these allegations from 10 years ago....
Governor Huckabee did not pardon Dumond. He never took action in the DuMond case that made him parole eligible. He either denied the clemency request, or took no action (which is the same as a denial) on four separate occasions.

He also did not parole Wayne Dumond for he had no authority to do that. Governors in Arkansas don't grant parole-the parole board does. The fact remains that Governor Huckabee didn't commutate, pardon, parole or grant any form of clemency to Wayne DuMond.

HUCKABEE DIDN"T PARDON OR PAROLE THIS GUY!!! ABC, at least get the facts straight. It makes me sick to see this kind of hit job by a main stream media outlet. The whole time this piece ran it said Huckabee's pardon or something to that effect accross the bottom of the screen. HUCKABEE DIDN"T PARDON or Parole or commute his sentence. He simply made it known that he thought Wayne got a bad deal. He has also said in Hind sight he as well as everyone elso involved was wrong about the guy!

Jim Guy Tucker commuted his sentence and the PAROLE BOARD paroled him. FACTS PLEASE

Before Monica, Rush Limbaugh vehemently defending Dumond, making him the poster-boy for why Bill Clinton was bad.

This story would have come out regardless. Its just too sleasy to ignore.

Isn't interesting that they fail to mention that BILL CLINTON was the one who first initiated the parole of Dumond? Isn't it interesting that a parole board made up of Democrats let this guy free? Talk about coloring the kettle black. I am so amazed how you people will believe everything that the news tells you without researching the facts of the case.

You should check your FACTS before you run a story. Governors in Arkansas do NOT parole anyone. It should have also been told that Wayne Dumond was castrated before his conviction by parties unknown (who were never found) and that his testicles set on the desk of the St. Francis County Sheriff until the FBI got involved.

WHAT A SMEAR JOB. How about you provide a counter-balance so this isn't so one sided.

Huckabee is a man of integrity and the fact that people are saying he's ok with Rape shows the idiocy of the piece and it's readers. Shame on ABC for being so slanted, shame on the other campaign that gave ABC this rediculous story, and shame on ABC for using the HUFFINGTON POST as being a reputable news source.

Rediculous!

johnf49-51
Your silly belief system requires faith as well, however your faith is placed in the worst of all possible places,in man. Man who pretends all he must do to know something is name it, even though the contrary is proven contiually. All we have named............ Lable it science if you want, changes nothing.
'Science' has repeatedly and consistantly been completely contrary to truth.

The story doesn't mention how the victim, Ashley Stevens, whose rape had put Dumond behind bars in 1985 was Bill Clinton's cousin.
I really don't want to believe that this was a way to get back at Bill Clinton but I'll be damned if I can find another logical reason. Minister or not, when it comes to politics there can be some real hate.

Try actually investigation next time. Huckabee actually DID nothing to further his Dumunds release. It was clearly the parole board who took the action and not the governors office. When you look at the specifics of the horrific crimes commited against Dumond while in custody by the law, you can see why a reasonable person would have some sympathy and want to review the situation. Despite some initial sympathy for Dumond due to his mistreatment, Huckabee NEVER acted in any way to parole him. It is not in the governers powers to parole a prisoner. This is nothing more than a hit job. Try presenting both sides next time.

Huckabee is screwed, this is SO many times worse than Willie Horton. I feel bad for him, he made a big mistake, and then didn't own up to it. This story is ALL over the wire.

Huckabee has signed for numerous individuals to get the death penalty (even if mentally ill), but looks like he actively supported releasing a rapist.

And for the blogger who said Huckabee has a positive message?!? sounds like a typical politician. tell the people what they want to hear, not truth or reality.

Hey Huck, his tendency was to rape innocent woman. What else did you need to know?