Mike Huckabee Grabs Spotlight As Kim Davis Released, ‘I’m Willing To Go To Jail In Her Place’

Mike Huckabee traveled to Kentucky to visit Kim Davis and attend a rally in support of the jailed county clerk. Instead, the Republican presidential candidate stood by the woman’s side as she was released from jail. Davis had been detained five days earlier and held at the Carter County Detention Center over her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, hundreds rallied in support of the jailed clerk over the weekend, and another rally was scheduled for Tuesday. Two Republican presidential hopefuls, Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, were among those scheduled to attend. Both Huckabee and Cruz had also expressed their intent to visit Davis in jail.

Huckabee ended up stealing the show, but not before U.S. District Judge David Bunning stole some of his thunder.

Before the scheduled rally could begin, Judge Bunning, the same man who sent Davis to jail in the first place, ordered her release. With Davis in custody, her deputies carried out the court orders in issuing same-sex marriage certificates. That apparently satisfied Judge Bunning enough to release Davis, although he did warn the clerk not to interfere with her deputies.

“If Defendant Davis should interfere in any way with their issuance, that will be considered a violation of this Order and appropriate sanctions will be considered.”

This may be the end of the issue, as Davis had earlier indicated that she would not interfere with the issuance of same-sex marriage certificates so long as they did not carry her name.

Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee grabbed the spotlight as Kim Davis was released from jail. The Republican presidential hopeful tweeted that he was honored to meet with Davis, calling her, “A woman of such strong faith and conviction.”

I was honored to meet w/ #KimDavis. A woman of such strong faith and conviction. #ImWithKim #ReligiousLiberty pic.twitter.com/RhcaENaA6i

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) September 8, 2015

This despite the fact that, according to the New York Times, Kim Davis is a registered Democrat, while Huckabee is a Republican presidential hopeful.

In fact, CNN reports that Davis appealed to Steve Beshear, Governor of Kentucky and fellow democrat, for help. The governor declined to render any assistance, stating that it was “a matter between her and the courts.”

Mike Huckabee was more than willing to interfere, but it turned out that he didn’t have to. Huckabee was ready to go to bat for the jailed county clerk, but instead found himself standing beside her at the rally that was originally intended to call for her release.

In a speech at the rally, Mike Huckabee suggested that if someone has to go to jail over the issue, he is willing to go in their place. He then reiterated the statement on Twitter.

“If somebody needs to go to jail, I’m willing to go in her place. And I mean that.” Watch ?? #ImWithKim #KimDavis https://t.co/3pDYeCCoIR — Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) September 8, 2015

Huckabee has failed to gain much traction as a presidential candidate this time around, but he definitely managed to grab the spotlight in this specific instance.

Fellow candidate Ted Cruz was also present at the rally, but he took a decidedly less active role in the event. While Mike Huckabee spoke enthusiastically to the gathered crowd, Cruz looked on from the wings.

A very sad Ted Cruz, not on stage. pic.twitter.com/MaAM6lvA4A

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) September 8, 2015

Whether you agree with Mike Huckabee or the Supreme Court on the issue of same-sex marriage, this particular debacle appears to be at a close. If Kim Davis allows her deputies to issue marriage certificates without her name on them, as Judge Bunning demanded, she will be out of jail, and the spotlight, for good.

Mike Huckabee appears less likely to let the issue drop, as he has framed it in terms of judicial overreach rather than same-sex marriage, and he may hope to prop up his slow-starting campaign with this tent pole.

“The founders never gave one branch of government the power to make the law,” Mike Huckabee said in regards to the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. “Every one of us will have to decide whether we want to keep this great country or whether we want to surrender and sacrifice it to tyranny.”

Do you believe Mike Huckabee is right and this is really about judicial tyranny?

[Photo by Ty Wright / Getty Images News]