can bush pardon abramoff & delay & others?

[mopaul]

i figure he can, since he can do any damn thing.

[Walt Starr]

1. Yep, these are federal charges, so Bush can pardon

Bush's pardon powers extend only to federal charges. Any charges at the state level are out of Bush's jurisdiction to pardon.

[BOHICA06]

2. Sure he can ....

except for the two state charges ... if I read that correctly that they are state charges.

[txaslftist]

3. He can. And there's precedent.

His father pardoned a bunch of Iran-Contra guys when they started to implicate him, and accordingly stopped the investigation and covered his ass at the same time.

[napi21]

4. Yes he can, but I doubt he will, at least not now.

Maybe later. If he pardoned them all NOW, it would reflect bad upon him...excusing crime and all.

[Bridget Burke]

5. He'll probably wait until the end of his term.

Or after the 2006 elections, at least.

[IChing]

6. Yes, but the political capital he would use to do that

would almost break his political capital bank if he did it now.
He could await until the end of his term
but he might find it impossible to do for
I await the 2006 election

[Pithy Cherub]

7. Yes, but he would be stupid to do it before 2006 elections.

We have to wait & see what happens during Christmas 2006.

[Auntie Bush]

8. Then we MUST IMPEACH him before the trial ends.

But I know that is wishful thinking since Cheney would pardon him too.