Nov 24 2008
The New Gang of 14
“Pardon me, Mr. President.”
If you’re a criminal or on your way to being declared one (That’s right, I’m talking to you, Mr. Libby!), you’d better get your application for a presidential pardon to the White House, pronto. Mr. Bush will be leaving office in less than two months and unlike his predecessor, he doesn’t give these things out like candy. Call him the Mr. Scrooge of presidential pardons if you will.
According to Deb Reichmann of Yahoo! News, the president has just handed down pardons to 14 people. Two other individuals have had their jail sentences commuted.
“The new round of White House pardons are Bush’s first since March and come less than two months before he will end his presidency,” Reichmann writes. “The crimes committed by those on the list also include offenses involving hazardous waste, food stamps, and the theft of government property.”
The latest recipients of this old and quirky presidential perk are: Leslie Owen of Charleston, Mo., Milton Kirk Cords of Rapids City, S.D., Richard Michael Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill., Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas, Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va., Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., Carey C. Hice, Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C., Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla., William Hoyle McCright, Jr. of Midland, Texas, Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla., Robert Earl Mohon, Jr. of Grant, Ala., Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, Texas and Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark.
All told, President Bush has granted pardons and commutations to no more than 179 people. Both Presidents Reagan and Clinton handed down more than twice this number during their terms in office.
“Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich,” Reichmann continues. “Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.”
According to the U.S. Constitution, a presidential pardon is absolute and cannot be overruled in any way, shape or form. And this is one part of our founding document that are leaders are eager to uphold.
There is some discussion over whether Bush will grant pre-emptive pardons to federal employees who carried out potentially illegal interrogations of persons suspected of committing or planning terrorist acts. Several constitutional scholars and human rights groups are clamoring for incoming president Barack Obama to order investigations of these individuals to determine whether or not they are guilty of war crimes. However, close advisors to Obama say that the chances of that happening are slim to none.
Source: Yahoo! News
Instead of pardoning libby he should pardon the two border patrol officers that are in jail for protecting america. That’s who he should be pardoning in my opinion. Libby can rot in jail for all i care.
That’s a GREAT idea! But unfortunately, Bush doesn’t like the decent, patriotic, law-abiding Hispanics, just the ones that the ones that break our laws and enrich his corporate buddies with their willingness to work for low wages.
I hear you on that one my friend. What happened to justice and doing the right thing in this country?
It depends largely on who’s in power and what their idea of justice is at that time…
I would expect the pardon list to grow quite a bit by the time Jan. 2009 rolls around. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
“What happened to justice and doing the right thing in this country?”
Is your real name Mr. Smith? Whoever heard of justice in Washington? Didn’t anyone ever tell you that that city was built on a swamp (or so they say)?
Can he give himself a pre-emptive pardon? You know, before the war crimes trial?
“Can he give himself a pre-emptive pardon? You know, before the war crimes trial?”
Ha! Like that’ll ever happen! (war crimes trial, that is)
Ain’t gonna happen. No way, no how. Bush committed no crimes, as all of his actions were covered by the UN’s Charter allowing governments to defend themselves. No other government is willing to open that Pandora’s box, because most of the ones inclined to give the US problems by doing it are even more guilty than he may ever have been, and do not want that box opened to their own detriment.
“Gang” of 14??? Are we tarring Obama’s Administration with a brush of borderline illegality? Not good, even before the guy gets into office, now is it?
““Gang” of 14??? Are we tarring Obama’s Administration with a brush of borderline illegality?”
What are you talking about? The “Gang” I’m referring to here is the 14 people Bush just pardoned. Just meant to be a play on the Gang of 14 senators that stopped the Republicans from doing the nuclear option a few years back. Not a big deal.
Ah, missed that reference entirely!! Sorry ’bout that…
No problem, R. Everyone makes mistakes. Except me!
Now see, this is the stuff that makes my head explode… I marched in 73-74 for Nixon’s impeachment. I was really upset about Iran-Contra, I thought Clinton’s use of the Oval Office for sexual exploits with an idiot intern was horrendous… Little did I know what we would be facing with Bush-Cheney. I just have to remember Bill’s words a few months back: “Waiting for the War Crimes Trials”— and honestly, I believe these guys are going to walk. I have heard through the grapevine Alberto Gonzales can’t find a job, and Bush can’t give his memoirs away… That wasn’t exactly the justice I was waiting for. ~k
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about politics, it’s that the most serious crimes are the ones that go unpunished. IMO, the incidents you just mentioned are nothing compared to what Bush & Co. (”Co.” being short for “Congress”) have done.
Funny story, Libby was never actually a criminal, but the scapegoat/fall guy for everyone around him. The action taken against him was unjust and disgraceful, and getting a pardon was the least his “friends” could do for him. So it’s misleading to begin an article with the implicit assumption that he, is in fact, a true criminal in any logical sense. Happy Thanksgiving!
“So it’s misleading to begin an article with the implicit assumption that he, is in fact, a true criminal in any logical sense.”
That’s an interesting take on the facts. While i do think he may have been a scapegoat to some extent, he was convicted on four of the original five counts against him (ie obstruction of justice, making false statements, perjury) and given the evidence I’ve seen, the sentence was just.
I agree that Libby was a scapegoat, but scapegoats are not always innocent, just the only ones actually punished.
Of course, given that, I would expect Bush to pardon him, if it would do any good.
Yes, he was found guilty, and I doubt that he was really innocent - but a lot of Washington insiders have done what he did without being charged - that is the real injustice.
“but a lot of Washington insiders have done what he did without being charged - that is the real injustice.”
Isn’t that the way it always is? Nixon and Clinton were found guilty of doing the kinds of things many of their predecessors had engaged in or worse. Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Lyndon Johnson: “The press always accused me of things I didn’t do. They never found out about the things I did do.”
Damn good thing, too! Johnson was a real SOB, and his power is a true indication of that. He was one guy you didn’t want to cross, even before he got into the White House. I’d bet that if some of the stuff he did were to become public, even today, it would shake the foundations of power…
Hey R, do you know the story of how “Landslide Lyndon” got into the Senate, and that nickname? If not, here’s a great article from my former internship supervisor, Gleaves Whitney:
http://askgleaves.blogspot.com/2005/01/landslide-lyndon.html
Good Ole Alice, Texas! One of the worst speed traps ever devised. If you ever drive through the great State of Texas, and you find your path wending its way through that wee metropolis, FIND ANOTHER PATH!!!
That story does not surprise me, being from the great State myself. As I said, LBJ was not a man to cross.
“As I said, LBJ was not a man to cross.”
No, just ask Oliver Stone!
LOL!!