Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay. Bush's Ace in the Hole-- The Pardon Power (link)

[Seansky]

no to bring anyone down, but this is still a posibility. Regardless, I'll enjoy the indictmenst and the pressure * will have to deal with.

Bush's Ace in the Hole-- The Pardon Power
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2005/10/bushs-ace-in-hole-pardon-power.html

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. At least it's restricted to federal crimes, right?

He can't do a thing to save Delay. And even if he pardons anyone that doesn't make the crime go away. In fact, it could make the situation far worse as far as the American public is concerned.

Just sayin'

[Toots]

16. I think he can pardon anyone for anything except for himself

It doesn't have to be a federal crime or even a proved crime. Remember Nixon was Pardoned before ever an indictment was issued.

[henslee]

2. If * pardons, he will never be able to throw out a ceremonial first pitch

at a MLB game without getting booed. That will kill him.

[Birthmark]

3. Hey, I'm all for Bush pardoning them.

The sooner the better, too. Then we can look forward to Bush working with a Democratic Congress for the last two years of his misadministration. :)

[savemefromdumbya]

4. yes this pardon thing is the buzz

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5126916&mesg_id=5126916

[rocktivity]

5. If he pardons, we impeach.

We tell all the Congresspeople up for election "VOTE FOR IMPEACHMENT, OR WE DON'T VOTE FOR YOU."

:headbang:
rocknation

[walldude]

7. Agreed, there's alot of Repukes who would like

to keep their seats, Pardons or not indictments mean the end, as long as we keep the pressure on...

[rocktivity]

9. Absolutely--it would be totally grass roots and totally non-partisan

And I'm sure there's a crop of Repubs out there who would gladly market themselves as moderates untainted by the Bush Empire and Christian Taliban.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[longship]

12. Sheesh... Can you say, "Abuse of Power"?

Sure you can.

Now can you say, "Impeachment"? There ya go.

Now try, "Convicted in Senate"? Good man.

That's what happens if Chimp pardons.

[MGKrebs]

17. Wouldn't it be weird if some of those guys get pardoned AGAIN?

I mean, who all in the present admin has already been pardoned? Abrams? Poindexter? Who else? Are they involved in this mess too?

[berni_mccoy]

8. I've been looking at this in detail since the DSM

On impeachability: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1849420&mesg_id=1849420

And the pardon aspect:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5038972

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5002151

But now there is ONE PROBLEM with all that:

TREASON. It's the one thing Bush really can not pardon. Technically he could, but if he did, I'm pretty sure Congress would impeach. There are WAY TOO MANY administration officials who LIED to CONGRESS to take us to WAR and then ABUSED their POWERS to SILENCE CRITICS, EVEN BY GIVING AID AND COMFORT TO THE ENEMIES. See here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5115592

Plus, if Bush is labeled as an unidicted co-conspirator, it would cause, as others have pointed out here, a "Constitutional Crisis." That is Bush would be pardoning those he conspired with, going around the constitution.

Even with the republicans in power of Congress and Supreme Court, I don't think they will let him get away with this.

[deadparrot]

10. Let him pardon them.

That would do just as much harm, IMHO.

[Peachhead22]

11. Technically speaking...

...sure he has the authority. Politically speaking: it's hard to believe he would ever be that dumb. I mean, he's stupid, but that's a whole 'nother order of magnitude of stupidity.

Assuming he pardoned people:

#1-He might be impeached before 2006 by a Republican congress, some of who would be genuinely outraged, and some of who want to save their own asses.

#2-If he isn't impeached by 2006, Dems would take over Congress in a big way. Republican's would have a hard time being elected dog catcher. Then a Democratic congress would impeach him in by February '07.

#3-Bush and the current congress would look back at the current approval ratings as "the good old days". Sure, they'd have the hardest of the hard-core supporters, but absolutely no-one else. He'd never get another bill passed or any appointments whatsoever. He might have a hard time getting his approval ratings back into double digits. He'd go down in history as the most reviled politician in U.S. history, with Republicans as well as Democrats and everyone in between.

edited for spelling

[AX10]

13. Democrats would pick up 50-60 House seats...

and up to 10 in the Senate along with 30+ Governorships and the State Legislatures.

[StefanX]

14. Go ahead, Bush. Pardon Rove and/or Libby and/or Cheney

One of them committed treason. They OUTED a CIA agent during wartime. The Rosenbergs got EXECUTED for doing this in the 50s (and we weren't even at war then).

Go down in history as the PRO-TREASON President. Maybe Ann Coulter can write a book about you.

[KittyWampus]

15. hahaha... nicely put.