I think Mike Huckabee has made another misjudgment. He’s personally criticized the mother of the woman slain by Wayne Dumond — set free from prison with the help of Mike Huckabee — by saying she was being “exploited” for political purposes. That suggests Lois Davidson has been duped. Rather, she merely decided to go public with her reasonable belief that Huckabee’s lack of judgment in the Dumond case (not to mention his unwillingness to admit error) is worth considering when people select a president. It’s both patronizing and stupid. Davidson responds in a statement issued by the independent group, Victims Voice, formed to air commercials about Huckabee’s role in the Dumond case.

Lois Davidson, whose daughter Carole Sue Shields was raped and killed in 2000 by a criminal whose release from prison was championed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, issued the following statement today in response to Huckabee’s contention in a television interview that her story was being “exploited” for political purposes: 

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“Last night, Mike Huckabee accused me of being exploited and used for political purposes. I assure you, Mr. Huckabee, I am not being exploited. I am fully aware of the actions I have taken in attempting to inform the public of your role in my daughter’s rape and murder. I have spent over 7 years thinking about this.  

“I am not a dupe. But you, Governor Huckabee, were duped time and again by convicted felons who once released from prison by you began hurting people again. 

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“Mr. Huckabee, I am not a victim. However, my daughter was a victim. She was raped and murdered by a serial rapist that you wanted freed from prison. Please be honest about the role you played in releasing my daughter’s killer.” 

Huckabee’s dismissal of Davidson came during an interview on the Hannity and Colmes television program following a Republican debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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Davidson’s story is the subject of an ad aired in South Carolina this week focusing on Huckabee’s dismal record on the rights of crime victims. The ad was developed and paid for by Victims Voice, an Arkansas-based victims advocacy group and can be viewed on the Victims Voice Web site at www.victimsvoice527.com.

… “Gov. Huckabee’s suggestion that Lois Davidson is being ‘exploited’ is deplorable, and his callous dismissal of Ms. Davidson as a political pawn is shameful,” said Keith Emis, director of Victims Voice. “According to all published reports, Huckabee played a key role in supporting Dumond’s release, but now he’s trying to run from his record. How many more women must die or live in fear before Mike Huckabee is held accountable for his actions?” 

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