Posted on 07/19/2008 8:44:53 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Felons Seeking Bush Pardon Near a Record By CHARLIE SAVAGE
WASHINGTON — Felons are asking President Bush for pardons and commutations at historic levels as he nears his final months in office, a time when many other presidents have granted a flurry of clemency requests.
Among the petitioners is Michael Milken, the billionaire former junk bond king turned philanthropist, who is seeking a pardon for his 1990 conviction for securities fraud, the Justice Department said. Mr. Milken sought a pardon eight years ago from President Bill Clinton, and submitted a new petition in June.
In addition, prominent federal inmates are asking Mr. Bush to commute their sentences. Among them are Randy Cunningham, the former Republican congressman from California; Edwin W. Edwards, a former Democratic governor of Louisiana; John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban; and Marion Jones, the former Olympic sprinter.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Duke Cunningham is a war hero. He needs to stay in jail though.
Lindh should be released when he is in a wheel chair, connected to multiple colostomy bags, etc., requires a full time drool attendant, and barely knows who he is.
The fact that Clinton refused to pardon him is a good sign that he should be pardoned.
A study was done after the very public destruction of Drexel Burnham that concluded that Milken's offenses amounted to about a quarter million dollars -- the equivalent of a parking ticket in the securities industry.
In the process of pursuing "justice," Drexel was ruined (wealth destroyed, jobs lost); Milken, his brother, their families, employees, and anyone whose shadow had ever crossed theirs were dragged into legal hell. Michael Milken, the first Wall Streeter to earn $1 billion in a year -- back when it was a lot of money -- was forced to relinquish it all.
You can't give him back the hell he went through. The least you could do is pardon him.
And unpardon Mark Rich to do it, if you have to.
Milken is still stinking rich but has turned his life towards helping others afflicted with prostate cancer. Breast cancer gets all the PR but prostate cancer will be found in 180,000 plus men in the US alone this year. He has been a major force in medicine.
I think he has earned one with the lives he has saved.
The only 2 people that Bush should pardon are Ramos and Compean!
Why are there no “ordinary” people doing this? You know, some schumk that got squeezed by the IRS or played by a over zealous prosecutor?
Are their ordinary people doing this and the MSM is not reporting it?
Are these folks making “campaign” contributions? Is that how one gets a Presidential Pardon?
Amen to that!!!
I hope Milken gets a pardon... he didn’t do anything wrong. He was just the scapegoat.
No pardon for Edwin Edwards Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeez!!!!!!!
Edwin Edwards is a Democrat in Federal prison.
Johnny Lindh Lennon Doo Doo Walker is the American Taliban. A man who joined the enemy in a time of war and was captured by US troops in the field. Traitor. He is lucky to still be breathing.
Louisiana would probably elect him AGAIN. They re-elected him after he’d already been convicted on earlier offenses.
“John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban”
Editorializing by the NY Times. If he wasn’t a member of the Taliban, how did he visit Osama Bin Laden?
Here is an example of President Bush’s pardons...
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2006/August/06_opa_544.html
They are almost all “ordinary” people who have long since served their sentences.
The pardon of Ramos and Campeon is long overdue.
................The only 2 people that Bush should pardon are Ramos and Compean!.................
And give Scooter Libby his money back!
I think he’ll pardon Scooter on the way out the door.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.