U.S.-born Taliban foot soldier John Walker Lindh seeks Bush pardon

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Junk-bond king, American Taliban among those seeking Bush pardon
November 29, 2008 05:19 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 2,000 people are asking President George W. Bush to pardon them or commute their prison terms before he leaves office.

Junk-bond king Michael Milken, media mogul Conrad Black and U.S.-born Taliban foot soldier John Walker Lindh have all applied for official forgiveness from the Justice Department.

The list could also include people not yet charged like former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or baseball's Roger Clemens.

The Justice Department is also considering applications for shorter prison terms from former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., and four-term Democratic Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards.

So far, Bush has issued 171 pardons and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as President Bill Clinton or President Ronald Reagan issued.

A Washington lawyer says Bush will likely issue two more rounds of pardons: right before Christmas, as is customary, and just before he leaves office. The White House has declined to comment.

http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/21180112-www.wlos.com.shtml

[hlthe2b]

1. Bush* would never pardon him; that doesn't mean he shouldn't

[lisa58]

2. other - he might...just might pardon him because he said at the time...

...the kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time and seemed to have some sympathy for him.

I hope he does.

[closeupready]

3. I think he probably will.

Personally, I think he should. I just think Lindh got caught up in something different than what he had embarked upon (which basically was a kind of journey of self-discovery that most all young men go through, though each in his own way), and though he did do some wrong things, I think the example has been set, he's paid a stiff penalty and it's hard to see that Lindh can ever again be a threat in the same way.

[Alcibiades]

4. Is Lindh a Republican crony?

Was he all along? If Bush pardons him, we'll find out.