For each day these guys remain in office, the foundations of our democracy get eroded a bit more.\\\
This administration doesn’t give two hoots about democracy, unless it suits their own personal needs. Look at all the countries that we have/are forcing our democracy on. Great idea, until the people elect someone that we do not like, then it’s back to whoever, or whatever regime that suits us. And we are quickly finding out that a lot of elected governments hate us with a passion( Hamas, Chavez, Iran)… Bush and his cronies are about convient democracy, to suit their own agenda, not for real democracy’s sake, and now even our own…It’s just that now, a light is finally being shone on it for what it is…We as a nation, are becoming politically impotent in the world, hope are armed forces are as good as we brag about them to be. Looks like we will really need them soon, if we don’t start talking to people…
And our problems did not start with Bush either, I’m not going to lay all that on him. Take a look at who wants to hurt us the most right now, and you don’t have to go that far back to when they were our friends, and we armed and funded them. WHo are we funding and arming now, the very group that we were trying to kill just a year ago. But they say that they will kill our current enemy, so it’s ok… I see most of those weapons killing us very soon, what the hell are these guys thinking???
You know, shit like this is what is going to make January 19th, 2008 an interesting day. I want to see what Bush tries to pull off on his last day in office.
Yeah, we’ll probably see Bush pull a new one – he’ll issue a blanket pardon of himself Cheney, Condi and the other cronies for some date in the future. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when the Dems get the White House and Bush won’t be in a position to throw up roadblocks to inquiries into what sordid things happened during this administration.
You know, shit like this is what is going to make January 19th, 2008 an interesting day. I want to see what Bush tries to pull off on his last day in office.
“Article II of the Constitution gives the president broad and unreviewable power to grant “Reprieves and Pardons” for all offenses against the United States. The Supreme Court has ruled that the pardon power is granted “o the . . ., and it is granted without limit” (United States v. Klein). Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared that " pardon . . . is . . . the determination of the ultimate authority that the public welfare will be better served by . . .” (Biddle v. Perovich). A president may conclude a pardon or commutation is warranted for several reasons: the desire to restore full citizenship rights, including voting, to people who have served their sentences and lived within the law since; a belief that a sentence was excessive or unjust; personal circumstances that warrant compassion; or other unique circumstances.
The exercise of executive clemency is inherently controversial. The reason the framers of our Constitution vested this broad power in the Executive Branch was to assure that the president would have the freedom to do what he deemed to be the right thing, regardless of how unpopular a decision might be. Some of the uses of the power have been extremely controversial, such as President Washington’s pardons of leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, President Harding’s commutation of the sentence of Eugene Debs, President Nixon’s commutation of the sentence of James Hoffa, President Ford’s pardon of former President Nixon, President Carter’s pardon of Vietnam War draft resisters, and President Bush’s 1992 pardon of six Iran-contra defendants, including former Defense Secretary Weinberger, which assured the end of that investigation." - Bill Clinton February 8, 2001 “My Reasons for the Pardons”
I bet Paris Hilton is pissed tonight. She does hard time for driving on a suspended license, Scooter walks free after aiding and abetting the exposing of a covert CIA operative and then lying and obstructing justice to cover the tracks of his boss and his boss’ boss.
If the Democrats in congress have any gonads they will call a hearing and give Scooter immunity so he can’t plead the 5th and just perhaps the little sleazebag will have a crisis of conscience and spill his guts and we can finally impeach the criminals running this country.
Watching those pictures of him leaving the courthouse after his conviction with that shit eating smug grin on his face was hard to stomach. He knew he’d never see a minute in jail.
Those people that Clinton pardoned deserved to be pardoned.
I’m not defending Bush on this, but that’s just a stupid statement.
b…b…b…but Clinton.
There are no similarities whatsoever in the Marc Rich and the Scooter Libby pardons.
Marc Rich did not work for Clinton. He was not prosecuted for protecting Clinton in a criminal matter. Scooter Libby took the fall for Bush and Cheney’s criminal behavior; he was the good foot soldier and Bush took care of him. Its the most outrageous abuse of Presidential power in modern history and it will come back to haunt Bush at his impeachment trial.
I guess what previous presidents do have to influnce or presidence, Bush has a long way to catch up to Bills 140 or so people he “saved”. Not a put down on Clinton either, I would do the same if I was president but everybody acts like Bush is the first president to ever do it
I guess what previous presidents do have to influnce or presidence, Bush has a long way to catch up to Bills 140 or so people he “saved”. Not a put down on Clinton either, I would do the same if I was president but everybody acts like Bush is the first president to ever do it
Jesus wept, you have no idea how ridiculous you sound do you? All Presidents commute sentences or pardon crimes, only one has commuted the sentence of a senior member of his own staff whose crime just happened to be lying to save the President’s hide.
If Bush wanted to do the right thing, perhaps he should have made the commuting of the sentence dependent upon Scooter cooperating with the Federal Prosecutor and telling the truth to the FBI? Huh? dontcha think? … Tell the truth Scooter and I’ll commute your sentence, c’mon there boy, do the right thing, we need to get to the bottom of this leak thing. I promised the people I’d find the perp.
That is an impressive list. In case you didn’t hit the link:
Commutations Benjamin Berger Ronald Henderson Blackley Bert Wayne Bolan Gloria Libia Camargo Charles F. Campbell David Ronald Chandler Lau Ching Chin Donald R. Clark Loreta De-Ann Coffman Derrick Curry Velinda Desalus Jacob Elbaum Linda Sue Evans Loretta Sharon Fish Antoinette M. Frink David Goldstein Gerard A. Greenfield Jodie E. Israel Kimberly Johnson Billy Thornton Langston Jr. Belinda Lynn Lumpkin Peter MacDonald - President of the Navajo Nation Kellie Ann Mann Peter Ninemire Hugh Ricardo Padmore Arnold Paul Prosperi Melvin J. Reynolds - Democratic Congressman from Illinois - bank fraud and obstruction of justice Pedro Miguel Riveiro Dorothy Rivers - lead official in Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, plead guilty to theft of 1.2 million dollars in federal grant money Susan Rosenberg Kalmen Stern Cory Stringfellow Carlos Anibal Vignali - convicted of cocaine trafficking Thomas Wilson Waddell III Harvey Weinig Kim Allen Willis Kimba Smith Antonio Camacho Negron - FALN militant
edit] Pardons Verla Jean Allen (1990 false statements to an agency of the United States) Nicholas M. Altiere (1983 importation of cocaine) Bernice Ruth Altschul (1992 money laundering conspiracy) Joe Anderson Jr. (1988 income tax evasion) William Sterling Anderson (1987 defraudment of a financial institution, false statements to a financial institution, wire fraud) Mansour Azizkhani (1984 false statements in bank loan applications) Cleveland Victor Babin Jr. (1987 using the U.S. mail service to defraud) Chris Harmon Bagley (1989 conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine) Scott Lynn Bane (Unlawful distribution of marijuana) Thomas Cleveland Barber (Issuing worthless checks) Peggy Ann Bargon (Violation of the Lacey Act, violation of the Bald Eagle Protection Act) David Roscoe Blampied (possess with intent to distribute cocaine) William Arthur Borders Jr. (Conspiracy to corruptly solicit and accept money in return for influencing the official acts of a federal district court judge (Alcee L. Hastings), and to defraud the United States in connection with the performance of lawful government functions; corruptly influencing, obstructing, impeding and endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice, and aiding and abetting therein; traveling interstate with intent to commit bribery) Arthur David Borel (Odometer Rollback) Douglas Chrles Borel (Odometer Rollback) George Thomas Brabham (Making a false statement or report to a federally insured bank) Almon Glenn Braswell (1983 mail fraud and perjury) Leonard Browder (Illegal dispensing of controlled substance and Medicaid fraud) David Steven Brown (Securities fraud and mail fraud) Delores Caroylene Burleson, aka Delores Cox Burleson (Possession of Marijuana) John H. Bustamante (wire fraud) Mary Louise Campbell Eloida Candelaria Dennis Sobrevinas Capili Donna Denise Chambers Douglas Eugene Chapman Ronald Keith Chapman Francisco Larois Chavez Henry Cisneros (former HUD Secretary) Roger Clinton, Jr. (half-brother of President Bill Clinton) Stuart Harris Cohn David Marc Cooper Ernest Harley Cox Jr. John F. Cross Jr. Reickey Lee Cunningham Richard Anthony De Labio John Deutch (former Director of Central Intelligence Agency) Richard Douglas Edward Reynolds Downe Marvin Dean Dudley Larry Lee Duncan Robert Clinton Fain Marcos Arcenio Fernandez Alvarez Ferrouillet William Dennis Fugazy Lloyd Reid George Louis Goldstein Rubye Lee Gordon Pincus Green Robert Ivey Hamner Samuel Price Handley Woodie Randolph Handley Jay Houston Harmon Rick Hendrick John Hummingson David S. Herdlinger Debi Rae Huckleberry Warren C. Hultgren Jr. Donald Ray James Stanley Pruet Jobe Ruben H. Johnson Linda Jones James Howard Lake June Louise Lewis Salim Bonnor Lewis John Leighton Lodwick Hildebrando Lopez Jose Julio Luaces James Timothy Maness James Lowell Manning, (1982, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false corporate income tax return) John Robert Martin Frank Ayala Martinez Silvia Leticia Beltran Martinez John Francis McCormick Susan H. McDougal Howard Mechanic Brook K. Mitchell Sr. Samuel Loring Morison Charles Wilfred Morgan III Richard Anthony Nazzaro Charlene Ann Nosenko Vernon Raymond Obermeier Miguelina Ogalde David C. Owen Robert W. Palmer Kelli Anne Perhosky Richard H. Pezzopane Orville Rex Phillips Vinson Stewart Poling Jr. Norman Lyle Prouse Willie H.H. Pruitt Jr. Danny Martin Pursley Sr. Charles D. Ravenel William Clyde Ray Alfredo Luna Regalado Ildefonso Reynes Ricafort Marc Rich - tax evasion fugitive Howard Winfield Riddle Richard Wilson Riley Jr. Samuel Lee Robbins Joel Gonzales Rodriguez Michael James Rogers Anna Louise Ross Dan Rostenkowski - Former Democratic Congressman convicted in the Congressional Post Office Scandal Gerald Glen Rust Jerri Ann Rust Bettye June Rutherford Gregory Lee Sands Adolph Schwimmer Albert A. Seretti Jr. Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw Dennis Joseph Smith Gerald Owen Smith Stephen A. Smith Jimmie Lee Speake Charles Bernard Stewart Marlena Francisca Stewart-Rollins Fife Symington III - former Arizona governor Richard Lee Tannehill Nicholas C. Tenaglia Gary Allen Thomas Larry Weldon Todd Olga C. Trevino Ignatious Vamvouklis Patricia A. Van De Weerd Christopher V. Wade Bill Wayne Warmath Jack Kenneth Watson Donna Lynn Webb Donald William Wells Robert H. Wendt Jack L. Williams Kavin Arthur Williams Robert Michael Williams Jimmie Lee Wilson Thelma Louise Wingate Mitchell Couey Wood Warren Stannard Wood Dewey Worthey Rick Allen Yale Joseph A. Yasak William Stanley Yingling Phillip David Young Keith Sanders Darren Muci John Scott (not a full pardon) Anthony M Pilla
Actually, the person that came to my mind was Martha Stewart. She spent five months in prison and five months on house arrest for lying to investigators. I’m glad we’re keeping the right people behind bars… I feel much safer now.
LMFAO at those who said they would resign if they were the federal judge who handed down the sentence. Those people are appointed for life; with full pension after serving 5 years. The vast majority of laws don’t apply to them, they set their own schedules, and don’t answer to anyone. The quite possibly have the best job in the world.
Would you guys resign if one of your decisions was overturned in a higher court or does it just piss you off that GW commuted the sentence?
However, in his statement, Bush says that he thought the sentence was harsh. The problem is that the sentence fit squarely into federal sentencing guidelines for obstruction of justice.
Bush isn’t the only one who thought it was a harsh sentence.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1628373,00.html
“When I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sentenced Tuesday to a surprisingly long term of 30 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice, he became a victim of one of the most troubling aspects of federal sentencing laws — allowing harsher sentences for a crime that was never actually proven.”
What’s puzzling is why Bush didn’t just straight up pardon him. The commutation means that Scooter is still a convicted felon and that the court’s decision stands, as opposed to a pardon which wipes the slate completely clean
Why is that puzzling? Maybe Bush thinks that what Libby did was wrong and he deserves some punishment, but not over 2 years in jail. With a commutation Libby is still punished by the fine and probation and having to live as a convicted felon. Seems logical to me.
And before the typical idiots rail on me about being a Bush backer, I pretty much disagree with everything that he has ever done and think he sucks as a president. I’m just not getting bent out of shape about this particular issue.
If Bush agreed with the jury’s findings why didn’t he make the commuting of the sentence dependent upon his cooperation with Bush 's appointed prosecutor and the investigation?