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For Bush, "proper" pardons only.
On Tuesday, George Bush pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie, a felon who pled guilty and was convicted of making false statements to the Housing and Urban Development Department and of mail fraud. On Wednesday, that pardon was revoked because the White House (a metanym for "Bush") wanted to avoid creating "an appearance of impropriety," after it was discovered that Toussie's father was a major RNC contributor.
Let's put this in perspective. Pardon's are a special privilege that empowers presidents to basically say, "fu*k the law and courts, I've decided to let the guy off scot free!" There can be almost no pretext about the use of this privilege to set things right or "do the right thing," even thought I'm aware that it has, in fact, been used in such a way in the past (draft dodgers, Confederate vets, etc.) Usually, it's a way of helping out friends, allies, or colleagues.
So why is it all of a sudden not okay to pardon Toussie because his dad was an RNC contributor or that he might have been a bit more unsavory then expected? He's a criminal and Bush sought to get him off the hook. So he's a bribing criminal and that's over the line?
My question is this: Bush is trying to avoid impropriety but are any pardons of convicted criminals really "proper."
Thanks for commenting and recommending.
Let's put this in perspective. Pardon's are a special privilege that empowers presidents to basically say, "fu*k the law and courts, I've decided to let the guy off scot free!" There can be almost no pretext about the use of this privilege to set things right or "do the right thing," even thought I'm aware that it has, in fact, been used in such a way in the past (draft dodgers, Confederate vets, etc.) Usually, it's a way of helping out friends, allies, or colleagues.
So why is it all of a sudden not okay to pardon Toussie because his dad was an RNC contributor or that he might have been a bit more unsavory then expected? He's a criminal and Bush sought to get him off the hook. So he's a bribing criminal and that's over the line?
My question is this: Bush is trying to avoid impropriety but are any pardons of convicted criminals really "proper."
Thanks for commenting and recommending.
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This administration has acted in such a strange manner for eight years, nothing surprises me about the way these pardons are being handed out.
I mean, did the other pardons just represent pieces of paper in a hat?
I still think I will be proven correct on this, however. I do not think there will be blanket pardons. w would think he was admitting to something.
December 25, 2008 8:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would note Harry Truman's commutation of Oscar Callazo's death penalty, (for attempting to assassinate Truman), to a life sentence as being an example of a 'proper' utilization of the presidential pardon. When the vehicle of a presidential pardon is used to commute sentences or full pardon of political cronies, or to pre-absolve those not yet convicted of a crime, as Gerald Ford did in the case of Richard Nixon, I consider it improper, though completely legal. The word 'proper' implies a set of moral imperatives that are not delineated by the law in this instance, but instead rely on cultural bias/public opinion, a public whose attention span is notoriously short. We'll see if the economic travails of our country and the world will help maintain our public's attention on the Bush administration's death throes and its final actions.
December 26, 2008 1:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
The law needs to be re-written. It would not be so bad if the President was prohibited from pardoning anyone for any crime the President my be connected to (so POTUS could not pardon his/her own political appointees, relatives, contributors, etc.), prohibited from pardoning any publicly elected official (corrupt congressman need not apply, nor should former Presidents), and prohibited from pardoning a public servant who violates the public trust (e.g. crooked cops). Certain things should be beyond redemption; I consider the above three examples borderline treason.
December 26, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink