Several media outlets have connected Mike Huckabee's commutation of Maurice Clemmons, who fatally shot four police officers earlier this week, to the former governor of Arkansas's background as a Southern Baptist pastor. Huckabee defended himself in a column for Human Events.

Religion had nothing to do with the commutation. It’s been erroneously expressed that my own personal faith or the claims of faith of the inmate factored into my decision. That is simply not true and nothing in the record even suggests it. The reasons were straightforward -- a unanimous recommendation from the board, support from a trial judge and no objections from officials in a case that involved a 16 year old sentenced to a term that was exponentially longer than similar cases and certainly longer than had he been white, upper middle class, and represented by effective counsel who would have clearly objected to the sentencing.

Christianity Today recently posted a November interview with Huckabee.

Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey on December 4, 2009 10:58AM