Posted on 03/19/2015 10:26:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Clinton camp is probably feeling like they need to do something to turn the corner on all of the bad press they’ve been getting. Sure, the fallout hasn’t been too bad yet. Even when pollsters say that her support is “softening” this month, that still translates into a fifty point lead over Biden. But the real race is going to be kicking into gear eventually and she doesn’t need to be spending her days testifying before some House committee when she could be out on the trail giving $200K speeches. So what to do?
Seth Lipsky at the New York Post has a suggestion, though I suspect it’s of the tongue in cheek variety. Her old boss, Barack Obama, could make all of this unpleasantness go away in a heartbeat. He could just issue her a pardon.
President Obama doesnt need his phone for this job just the pen. With but a stroke of it, he could pardon Hillary Clinton for any crimes she may have committed in E-mailgate and spare the rest of us the long drama.
At first blush that might seem ridiculous. Though the press is rattling on about how the former secretary of state has broken all sorts of federal laws in connection with her e-mail, Clinton hasnt been formally accused of anything.
That doesnt mean that she couldnt get a presidential pardon. Richard Nixon hadnt been indicted of any crime when President Gerald Ford gave him a pardon.
Nor had most of the Vietnam-era draft dodgers that President Jimmy Carter pardoned (on his first day in office).
Fact is that the pardon is the least-fettered presidential power. The president can pardon anyone for any offense against the United States, save for treason.
He doesnt have to get the consent of the Senate. He doesnt have to get it cleared by a federal judge.
Say… Lipsky may be on to something here. Sure, I know what you’re thinking… a pardon would look terrible and just make voters think that Hillary had done something illegal. But let’s face it, about half of the people already think that anyway. And the other half apparently either won’t believe it or won’t care no matter what turns up in her private server. (Assuming we ever see it, that is.) With a full and complete pardon, there is no point in asking her any more questions. She’s absolved of everything! Whitewater, TravelGate, Benghazi, the emails… it’s all gone. She’s untouchable.
Another argument against this might be that Obama wouldn’t want to do it. But why not? Do you think he’d worry about it staining his legacy? Hillary’s husband pardoned Marc Rich over screams of protest from both sides of the aisle and the guy has something like a 187% approval rating today. Besides, Obama doesn’t ever need to win another election so he has tons of flexibility, as he explained to the Russians. In fact, the only reason I can think of that the President might not do it is because I suspect that he still really doesn’t like her.
So maybe Hillary should just ask him. You might be thinking that somebody who just asked for a pardon wouldn’t have the nerve to still run for President, but remember… this is Hillary. When asked where the emails were, she calmly said she deleted them. When asked if we could have a look at the server she smiled and said, “No.” And with that she went along on her merry way. Why on Earth would a little thing like wanting a pardon stop her from running?
Go for it, Madam Secretary. You really have nothing to lose at this point.
If she wins in 2016 she wont need a pardon, she will be giving them.
Pardon from what? She has to be charged first,hopefully with a felony which would disqualify her from running for political office
Hitlary has a pardon from the court of the NYC Media.
Who didn’t see this coming?.....................
I think we will be beyond shocked at who and what Obama pardons (and does) to America on his way out the WH door...
On his last day in office there will be pardons. Oh yes, there will be pardons.
I have long suspected Obama might pardon a whole boat load of people, before he leaves, Bergdahl included.
Where did you get that rule? Did you just make it up? What does the Constitution say?
/johnny
I don’t think she has to be formally charged to get a pardon. As the article stated Nixon has not been formally charged either.
Is there any truth to the rumor that obama will be starring in a Film called “The Great Dictator” when he playfully kicks a ballon around his office...
...or was that film from the White House security camera?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJOuoyoMhj8
” If she wins in 2016 she wont need a pardon, she will be giving them.”
If that happens, I will be 7600 miles away within a week.
He will have an army to pardon, all promised well in advance I’m sure. I just hope it’s not people like the Ft. Hood shooter. Although realistically the muslim brotherhood is probably making their own list.
what’s in it for him ?
I guess Obama will give a pardon to all 12,000,000 illegal aliens when he leaves office. Will that make them citizens?
My take is that if Obama wants to derail her campaign for the White House, the best way to do so would be to issue a pardon.
I hope he realizes that he won’t be able to pardon himself.
Where did that rule come from? What does the Constitution say?
/johnny
I mentioned this several weeks ago.
The $300 million in the Clinton Global Initiative would make a nice donation to the Baraq Obama Foundation.
The issuance of and the acceptance of a pardon is a tacit admission of guilt.
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