"This is Bush's "forgiving" character,"
It doesn't seem to be doing anything to help the republican party or President Bush.
I disagree. We've won five straight house elections; three straight senate elections; two straight presidential elections and the House and Senate majorities have increased. So it appears to be helping a great deal where it counts, in elections.
IMHO, a president has the power to pardon a person after he/she has been convicted. I don't believe that a president has the power to obstruct justice in a criminal investigation or forgive someone of a crime prior to a trial? Nixon thought that he had that power and look what happened to him!