> In the Founding Fathers view the States were to be more powerful than the Federal government. <
Right. And that’s why the president’s power to pardon was limited to federal crimes only. The Founders did not want to give the president the power to interfere in state matters.
I just suppose we’ll have to disagree on this one. But if you take a look at presidential pardons since Washington (I have), they have all been for federal offences (treason, piracy, post office robberies, etc.).
I would love to see anything in the writings of the Founders that supports that statement. Go ahead and read the Federalist papers and find something.