In a December 12 weblog post, nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz predicted that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) would commute the sentence of convicted murderer Stanley “Tookie” Williams to life imprisonment because “Schwarzenegger knows full well that as soon as Tookie's death is announced there will be riots in South Central Los Angeles and elsewhere.” Boortz wrote that "[t]here are thugs just waiting for an excuse ... not a reason, an excuse" and explained that "[t]he rioting, of course, will lead to wide scale looting." Boortz added: “There are a lot of aspiring rappers and NBA superstars who could really use a nice flat-screen television right now.” The weblog entry, titled, “They're just looking for an excuse, not a reason,” also contained a poll asking readers: “Is it worth it to commute Tookie's sentence to life in prison if it saves Los Angeles from rioting?”

After Williams's execution, Boortz posted a December 13 weblog entry titled, "When I'm wrong, I'm wrong." Boortz informed readers that Williams “was put to a much-deserved death last night” and that “there was no rioting in Los Angeles.” Boortz acknowledged that "[e]veryone's flat-screen TV and Ibox [sic] seems to be safe, for now." He added: “Someone correctly opined yesterday that it was too cold in Los Angeles for riots right now.” Boortz also posted a new poll, this time asking, “Why do you think there were no riots in LA after Tookie Williams was executed?” Readers could choose between two answers: “it's too cold in LA right now”; or, “there was no perceived injustice in the execution of Williams.”

Boortz recently coauthored The Fair Tax Book (ReganBooks, August 2005) with Rep. John Linder (R-GA).

From Boortz's December 12 weblog entry, "They're just looking for an excuse, not a reason":

Tookie's Termination is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. It won't happen. First, the federal courts are likely to grant a stay or two. After all, he was only sentenced about 24 years ago. What's the rush? Secondly, I believe that the main reason the execution of Tookie Williams won't be executed is because Schwarzenegger knows full well that as soon as Tookie's death is announced there will be riots in South Central Los Angeles and elsewhere. The huge media exploitation of this story has made drop-dead sure of that. There are thugs just waiting for an excuse ... not a reason, an excuse. The rioting, of course, will lead to wide scale looting. There are a lot of aspiring rappers and NBA superstars who could really use a nice flat-screen television right now.

Look for Arnold to give Tookie a pass.

From Boortz's December 13 weblog entry, "When I'm wrong, I'm wrong":

It looks like I missed on two predictions yesterday. First, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't grant clemency to the murderous Tookie Williams. He was put to a much-deserved death last night. It only took the State of California 24 years to carry out a sentence entered in 1981. Williams should have been shot-gunned to death, the same way his victims did. Second, there was no rioting in Los Angeles. Everyone's flat-screen TV and Ibox [sic] seems to be safe, for now. Someone correctly opined yesterday that it was too cold in Los Angeles for riots right now. The Rodney King Riots were in late April of 1992, when things were a lot warmer in Southern California. The infamous Watts riots were in August of 1965. Thirty-four people died in those riots, and the temperatures were high. Whatever the excuse, I got both predictions wrong. We'll add these errors to my prediction that The Poodle was going to win the presidential election last year. I'm standing by my victory for Hillary prediction ... for now.

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