Huckabee book deal after school tragedy still rankles

Huckabee's campaign did not respond to requests for an interview. But Huckabee has publicly defended his book deal, saying the $11.99, 180-page paperback had been planned before two boys opened fire at Westside, and that the tragedy simply would give him the springboard to air his broader views that youth culture was destroying families. "The book is not about Jonesboro," he insisted.

But when the book was rushed to print a month after the shootings, it was titled "Kids Who Kill." The cover is a photo of a boy about the age of the Jonesboro killers pointing a gun at the reader. The back cover promo states: "The quest for quick answers has robbed us of the truth" about Jonesboro. "Until now."

The opening pages begin: "Just after lunch on March 24, 1998, a sudden burst of gunfire cut through the crowded schoolyard of Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. . . . "

Much of the rest of the book is a compilation of quotes from theologians and historical figures, and includes transcripts of two radio addresses Huckabee gave after the shooting. Huckabee has written or co-written several books, all dealing with motivational subjects such as character and dieting, but none has been as controversial as "Kids Who Kill."

Dennis Milligan, the current chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, who has endorsed Huckabee for the presidency, defended the governor's book deal: "He's entitled to whatever the specific profits were from that book. And as to why he didn't donate the proceeds, obviously it was something he wasn't moved to do and didn't feel like he had any obligation to contribute, with respect to his personal funds."

Milligan also defended Huckabee's receiving gifts as governor, saying many were just tokens of appreciation and that none of them helped buy any special influence. Milligan mentioned, for instance, a pair of cowboy boots and a canoe, and said Huckabee always was careful to return expensive gifts that exceeded the allowable limits. "He is an honorable guy," Milligan said.

On the afternoon of the shootings, Huckabee was flying home to Little Rock after making a speech in Washington. An air traffic controller radioed the pilot, who told the governor. Two boys, Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, dressed in Army-style camouflage and armed with guns, pulled the school fire alarm after the lunch hour and fired at classmates and teachers as they filed outside.