If Rove is pardoned after indictment, can he regain security clearance?

[The Night Owl]

[Allenberg]

1. You can pretty much

regain a security clearance from anything short of espionage.

[Toots]

15. How about pardoned for espionage?

They can pretty much do whatever they wish. They hold all the cards and the Democrats are playing dice

[Double T]

2. The neocons will probably reward Karl with the.......

republican nomination for president.

[SledDriver]

3. Medal of Freedom more likely n/t

[berni_mccoy]

4. Yes, a presidential pardon is basically a clean slate.

It's as if the charges never happened.

[napi21]

5. Legally, yes, but practically, no.

A pardon means there was a conviction to be pradoned for! The damage that would be done by such a conviction, not only to Rove, but to this WH and the Pub Party would realistically prohibit him from holding any position in Gov't or the security clearance that goest with it.

It wouldn't stop him from having his own talk show, or being a consultant behind the scenes though, and that is what I would expect!

[The Night Owl]

6. Wasn't Casper Weinberger pardoned before his case went to trial?

I'm wondering if an indicted Rove can keep his job if he is pardoned before his case goes to court.

[Larkspur]

7. An indictment is not a conviction. Bush can not pardon Rove unless Rove

is convicted of a crime.

An indictment is the first stage to a trial and that trial could last the rest of Bush's term or longer, especially if the CIA guys and gals supporting this investigation have their way. I can only imagine the embarrassing skullduggery being aired to the public. What a way to hamstring Bush's ambitions with Iran and Venezuela!

[The Night Owl]

8. I know what an indictment is...

I'm wondering if an indicted Rove can keep his job if he is pardoned before his case goes to court.

And yes, I believe that Bush, like his father, is shameless enough to pardon someone before that person's case goes to court.

[napi21]

10. Shrub COULD keep him on through the indictment, but

probably won't! No doubt Shrub is shameless enough to try to keep his good buddy, but the rest of the Party will force his hand.

[Larkspur]

12. Bush could pardon Rove prior to a trial, but then that would be Bush

publicly admitting that Rove is a crimminal. The next question is "would Bush keep Rove employed in the White House?" If so, he would be publicly breaking his word about firing anyone who broke the law. Yes, Bush could play semantics that Rove was not convicted, but Bush is already politically damaged by his lack of response to Katrina. Bush publicly breaking his word should send his poll numbers to at most his die-hard base, which is at 20%.

No matter what happens with the Plame case, this country is screwed for a long time. Our leadership crisis will handicap this nation's ability to respond to any crisis, domestic or foreign.

[mainegreen]

14. Actually, he can.

A pardon can be issued at any time. A pardon can be issued before an investigation is even under way!

[Toots]

16. Not true; Ford pardoned Nixon before any indictment or charges.

:shrug:

[jody]

9. Bush's pardon of Weinberger link below.

Proclamation 6518 Grant of Executive Clemency December 24, 1992

"Today I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and others for their conduct related to the Iran-Contra affair."

[The Night Owl]

11. I had almost forgotten how outrageous Poppy's pardons were...

That Poppy would describe the criminality of the Iran-Contra dealings as "political differences" says all that one needs to know about the Bush family.

Thanks for the link.

[leftofthedial]

13. not only that, he can be appointed to Cabinet positions

in a future bushturdgang "administration"