Record Numbers Seeking Bush Pardons

[babylonsister]

Record Numbers Seeking Bush Pardons

by Scott Michels

A record number of felons are seeking presidential pardons or commutations as President George W. Bush enters the final months of his term, creating one of the largest backlogs in clemency applications in recent history.


Possible investigations into the Bush administration's interrogation and domestic surveillance policies have raised the theoretical question of whether Bush will attempt to grant a blanket, preemptive pardon to members of his administration. (File)

More than 2,300 people applied for a pardon or commutation in fiscal 2008, which ended Sept. 30, the largest number for any single year since at least 1900, according to Justice Department Statistics. The unprecedented number of applications and the lengthy time needed to make final decisions have led to a backlog of more than 2,000 pending clemency applications.

Who will, and will not, get clemency in the waning days of the Bush presidency -- a time when many presidents have granted sometimes controversial pardons -- remains the subject of speculation and controversy.

A number of high-profile felons have already sought clemency, among them Michael Milken, the junk-bond king and financier convicted of securities fraud in 1990; John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban; Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the former California congressman who was convicted of tax evasion; and Edwin Edwards, the former governor of Louisiana convicted in 2000 of racketeering, according to the Justice Department.

And possible investigations into the Bush administration's interrogation and domestic surveillance policies has also raised the theoretical question of whether Bush will attempt to grant a blanket, preemptive pardon to members of his administration.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/11/17-1

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Mea maxima culpa - we are soo guilty - pardon us" - Vast Republicon Conspiracy

"We have pissed all over America with our lies, corruption, incompetence, greed, hypocrisy, arrogance, and our Wide Stance, diaper-clad family values deviancy, But of course, as usual, we want no blame or responsibility for our Pharisitic Ways

"Please screw America again, beloved Commander AWOL Bush, and give us a free pass, and a mega-billion dollar Golden Parachute - Smirk"

- Vast Republicon Conspiracy of Corruption, Lies, and Failure

[New Mexico]

8. New Mexico

Good post :0

[SpiralHawk]

9. Green Chile Uber Alles

Lone Butte

[IN-dem]

2. hahahahahaha..poor fella...NOT...eom

[LiberalinNC]

3. #1 Felon asking for a pardon is Bush himself!!!

[MichiganVote]

4. Let me guess. If you're a Republican you're in. If not, you're stuck.

[louis-t]

5. I have a feeling he will say no to most.

Bet old Duke the C gets one, though. Sad, Cunningham was a hell of a good pilot. I still love the documentary about his days in Vietnam.

[devilgrrl]

6. Let us not forget how the MSM reacted to Bill Clinton's pardons...

Bush is going to let people that belong in a SuperMax prison get away.

[madokie]

7. I about ____ all over myself when I first read the thread title

I read is a many want bushie to be pardoned. My heart about stopped there for a minute until I realized what you were saying. :rofl: