When it comes to pardons and impeachment, this one's a turkey

Rochelle Riley writing for Free Press:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s ineffectiveness became clear the day she became Speaker of the House and immediately announced that there would be no impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney.

Guided by politics, she said leading investigations into just how much the Bush administration did – and did wrong – would be divisive. What she didn’t express was her worry that too many Democrats faced elimination from the House if they took on the difficult task of proving who knew what, when.

But Congress is running out of time to finally make the Bush administration own up to its actions for eight years. If Congress isn’t careful, the president who already has issued 171 pardons could also pardon every appointee and employee he has ever had – and their dogs.

President Bush has issued half the number of pardons that Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did in their two terms.


I know the two individuals who many of us conservatives want to see pardoned: Border Patrol Agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos.

Didn't they recently get resentenced? If a president interferes during a judicial process, I believe that would be grounds for impeachment. He could still issue a commutation of sentence or pardon within the next two months. I think where the two agents were wrong, was in covering up the shooting. If others can get pardoned for crimes outside the interest of the U.S., I don't see why these two shouldn't get pardoned as well for committing "crimes" in the interest of the U.S.

From what I hear, the case for commutation is being considered by the DOJ's Pardon Attorney.

Recently:

Q I just want to ask regarding the two border agents -- that was in the news again last week. Now that the President is ending his term -- calls are renewed for a pardon or a commutation. Is there anything on that you --

MS. PERINO: We never comment on pardons. People who are eligible to apply for a pardon can do so through the pardon attorney at the Department of Justice. And we don't comment on the deliberations that are underway.

The most outrageous Bush pardon of all:

President George W. Bush gathers with children and National Turkey Federation officials as he pardons "Pumpkin", the 2008 Thanksgiving turkey, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington November 26, 2008.
REUTERS/Jason Reed

AP writer, Deb Riechmann:

One hot topic of discussion related to pardons is whether Bush might decide to issue pre-emptive pardons before he leaves office to government employees who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Some constitutional scholars and human rights groups want the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama to investigate possible war crimes.

If Bush were to pardon anyone involved, it would provide protection against criminal charges, particularly for people who were following orders or trying to protect the nation with their actions. But it would also be highly controversial.

At the same time, Obama advisers say there is little — if any — chance that his administration would bring criminal charges.

This blogger says Bush can simply pardon Cheney (and everyone else) and immediately resign. Cheney becomes president and pardons him, perfectly legal!:

Just as important is making sure he is held accountable for his destruction and can not pardon himself and his cronies! From Democrats.com: As we celebrate our new President-elect and all the changes he will bring to our nation, we must not turn a blind eye to the final actions of George Bush. Incredibly, Washington is already buzzing with Bush's plans to block all investigations of his crimes and even to pardon everyone involved - including Cheney and himself. Chris Matthews is even counting down the days .

Does Bush have the power to pardon everyone in his administration? Yes. Will he abuse that power to stay out of jail? Only if we let him. "you bet he will if he can find a way" We must create a groundswell of opposition to any pardons by George Bush, so he understands that he will be impeached and prosecuted for issuing corrupt pardons.
~~~
it is my guess that Obama and virtually every Democrat in Congress is secretly praying for Bush to "self-pardon" himself. Not because they wish him to escape justice, but because they don't want the politically dangerous, nationally divisive, and ultimately thankless task of having to administer it. If Bush pardons himself, or gets Cheney to pardon him, he will let the Democrats off the hook, freeing them from the growing importuning of millions of Americans whose rage at Bush and Cheney will only grow greater as more and more insiders come forward to reveal the truth. My only question is -- why is no one even discussing this? Bush can Pardon Cheney then Cheney can pardon Bush

One of the more outrageous nutters is Vincent Bugliosi, author of The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder. Here's how he perceives his own self-worth on objectivity and credibility:

With respect to the position I take about the crimes of George Bush, I want to state at the outset that my motivation is not political. Although I've been a longtime Democrat (primarily because, unless there is some very compelling reason to be otherwise, I am always for "the little guy"), my political orientation is not rigid. For instance, I supported John McCain's run for the presidency in 2000. More to the point, whether I'm giving a final summation to the jury or writing one of my true crime books, credibility has always meant everything to me. Therefore, my only master and my only mistress are the facts and objectivity. I have no others. This is why I can give you, the reader, a 100 percent guarantee that if a Democratic president had done what Bush did, I would be writing the same, identical piece you are about to read.

Read the whole thing for a peek into the afflicted mind of a BDS sufferer.

The real reason why there won't be any impeachment, is because there isn't a leg for the movement to stand on.

The big lie is that Bush lied.

Cross-posted at Flopping Aces