Posted on 10/27/2005 1:35:47 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
J. James Estrada editorializes in The American Daily:"
"Working in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York, James Comey investigated and declined to indict Hillary Clinton in Pardongate, a case involving pardons for votes in the New York town of New Square. In his final days in office, President Clinton pardoned four rabbis from the town and Hillary went on to win the votes of the village: 1200 to just 14 for Rick Lazio, her New York Senate opponent."
"Comey went on to prosecute Martha Stewart and from there then went on to become Deputy Attorney General in the new Bush administration. I suppose Bush named Comey to show he would be tough on Wall Street corporate crime."
"When it came time for the Attorney General’s office to name a prosecutor in the celebrated Plamegate, John Ashcroft recused himself, leaving it to Comey to name the prosecutor. He named his long time friend and former associate, Patrick Fitzgerald."
"Fitzgerald is hot on the trail, apparently, of I. Scooter Libby. Libby is VP Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. Libby is also a former lawyer for Marc Rich. Yes, the same Marc Rich who also benefited from the last minute Clinton pardons of January 2001. His case was pursued and dropped by Mary Jo White, then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
"Will this circle of intrigue roll past the White House walls of secrecy of both the present and former administrations in the form of indictments, or, is Fitzgerald just spinning his wheels? If the pattern holds true to form, when it involves the Clintons (and Libby can spill the beans on the Rich pardon), all allegations of wrong doing will be dismissed."
"Stay tuned."
Now let's talk about pardons. Pardons have not been discussed, as far as I know, by the media as a "what if" to an end.
Bush could stop judicial proceedings by simply pardoning those close to him indicted of a crime, or even those not yet convicted or even formally charged with a crime. What the President does depends on the alternatives if he does not act. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. The President's pardoning power would be held off as long as possible, for obviously he must dodge as few tomatoes as possible for several more years. This of course would bring the expected political backlash from the Left where he is already whipped on a daily basis..so what else is new?
The fact is, the Framers created a power to pardon.
Worse case scenario only: If these high level indictments take place, could Bush be called as a witness and placed under oath? The best way, whether popular or not, is to make sure that no criminal trial ever occurs.
Clinton, when at a news conference in Little Rock, Ark., to announce his remaining Cabinet selections, said he wanted to learn more about the pardons, adding, "I am concerned by any action that sends a signal that if you work for the Government, you're beyond the law, or that not telling the truth to Congress under oath is somehow less serious than not telling the truth to some other body under oath."(always nice to add a little humor to a piece).
Then The Wheel Turned, and Clinton while in the last moments of his Presidency (had the clock struck Midnight yet?)pardoned several of his closest political supporters: Marc Rich, Pincus Green, Carlos Vignali Jr, Braswell.
Independent prosecutor, Lawrence E. Walsh stated: "Although it is the President's (Mr. Bush's pardon of Mr. Weinberger ) prerogative to grant pardons, it is every American's right that the criminal justice system be administered fairly, regardless of a person's rank and connections."
Thus,in a single stroke, Bush Sr. swept away one conviction, three guilty pleas and two pending cases, virtually decapitating what was left of Walsh's effort, which began in 1986. Mr. Bush's decision was announced by the White House in a printed statement after the President left for Camp David, where he will spend the Christmas holiday. Mr. Walsh bitterly condemned the President's action, charging that "the Iran-contra cover-up, which has continued for more than six years ($$$$$$), has now been completed."
Professor Brian Kalt [Michigan State]: says that "No president should have the power, immune from meaningful responsibility to the electorate, to impose his or her own version of the law without democratic accountability." But we let judges do that every day. The point of pardons is to allow exceptions to be made when the law is too rigid to do the right thing."
I don't know why we don't read scholarly quotes that include, ".. that it is, therefore, in the best interest of the country and her citizens..."
Sometimes, you just gotta bully up to the pulpit!
On January 19, 2009............
Get Klinton to issue the pardons. He is an expert at it.
Can the President use his pardon for anyone regardless of the charges? Does he have to wait until the jury verdict? This might be the only way to stop this criminalizing of political activities.
The same day if there are indictments.
Usually you have to be convicted before receiving a pardon but I think Clinton changed the rules with his pardon of Marc Rich. Why not use it then - If it's needed.
I can't see why he'd go out of his way to pardon anyone for this. They are likely to be acquitted, even if charged, and if not, I can't imagine that they'd receive any signficant sanction. This is a very weak case, from what we know.
...WAR WAS BEGINNING.
take a look at the demographics of the DC grand jury - then tell me that a trial jury in the same locale wouldn't convict Rove and Libby just for showing up at trial. they would.
Not how I read it.. source. I questioned that as well before I put fingers to keypad.
That pardon thing worked out well for Gerry Ford.
So, he could do it immediately upon issuance of any indictments against Rove or Libby or...
I'd like to see him pardon every one of the Abu Ghraib people and some others in the war...........
Casper Weinberger was pardoned before conviction.........wasn't he?.....
It would be a brilliant and breath-taking display of power. If he could speak well, he could rally public support and win it hands-down.
A presidential pardon can be granted at any time after commission of the offense: the pardoned person need not have been convicted or even formally charged with a crime.
What would be really crazy is if Joe Wilson gets indicted and W pardons him out of mercy!
President Bush today granted full pardons to six former officials in Ronald Reagan's Administration, including former Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger.
Mr. Weinberger was scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 5 on charges that he lied to Congress about his knowledge of the arms sales to Iran
http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/29/reviews/iran-pardon.html
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