Who will Bush pardon?

[malatesta1137]

His entire cabinet has committed more crimes and atrocities than the Capone, Gambino and Gotti families combined, they all could use a pardon, but can a president pardon an individual in ADVANCE of a criminal prosecution?

Second question: can Bush pardon himself?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. I hope not... and I hope not. Will shrub's "father" pardon him? n/t

[No Mandate Here.]

2. He won't need to...

They'll all be in the Caymans or wherever it is that Helliburton has its offshore "headquarters" to avoid US taxes.

Or, perhaps the same place where Ira Einhorn- the last well known exile went. Oh, yeah, wasn't that France?

That would be poetic, wouldn't it?

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Ralph Reed and the other two delinquents in the Indian casino

scam. I can't believe it, but I think they finally caught Ralph Reed red handed. He assisted two others in lobbying to close an Indian casino and when he succeeded, there's a clear trail to his pals who went back to the Indians to offer their services to help OPEN the casino that they manuevered to close.

Ralph got something like 4 million dollars for his part. This is a story DUers should lock into. I read it in the Atlanta, Georgia paper. Hope the story gets legs. It may put an end to Ralph Reed's image of a pure-hearted, Christian Republican conservative. Well, come to think of it, he represents EXACTLY what I think a Christian Republican conservative is really like.

[poyke]

14. Ralph Reed Casino

Do a "Google" Ralph Reed Casino. A trove of stuff on the "boy" sleaze.

[newyawker99]

20. Hi poyke!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[geekgirl]

4. Ken Lay

[Dudley_DUright]

11. and Tom DeLay

[fishface]

5. Most of his administration..but like his Poppy, he'll pardon

them BEFORE the indictments are even filed.

[TexasProgresive]

7. Why doncha add Wrong and Widowmaker to that? n/t

[fishface]

12. Cause I didn't create it..

I just love it so I use it.

[charlie]

6. In advance?

Sure. It's what Gerald Ford did.

And no, Bush can't pardon himself. But he can do what he did when he had polyps removed from his pooter a few summers ago -- let Cheney be President for a few hours.

[unblock]

8. blanket amnesty for any registered republican

or maybe only for actual republican donors for $250 or more.

[0007]

9. "Can Bush pardon himself"?

Only if god sez so!

[kokomo]

10. Kenny Boy Lay of ENRON if Bush gets re-elected

Ken Lay was upset that he wasn't getting a speedy trial, so maybe old Kenny Boy fears also that George W. will not be re-elected, meaning the flim-flam man may go to prison. :nopity:

[jdonaldball]

13. Osama bin Laden

[napi21]

15. He cannot pardon in advance of a conviction.

And he cannot pardon himself!

I think one of the reasons Lay wanted a very quick trial is so he could take advantage of a shrub pardon.

I suppose he could pardon the boardroom criminals who have already been convicted and are serving time.

[malatesta1137]

16. thank you

but what about the post above:

"In advance?

Sure. It's what Gerald Ford did.

And no, Bush can't pardon himself. But he can do what he did when he had polyps removed from his pooter a few summers ago -- let Cheney be President for a few hours."

[Zero Gravitas]

18. Andvance pardon

George Herbert Walker Bush pardoned people in advance... was it Casper "Slimeball" Weinberger?

[Dookus]

19. Of course he can

He can pardon anybody, conviction or no. Ford pardoned Nixon, Bush I pardoned Weinberger, et. al., all in the absence of a conviction.

Though it has never been done, it is accepted that a President can pardon himself, too. Nothing in the constitution prevents it.

[leftofthedial]

17. everyone in his administration and every notable neocon

any neocon he doesn't pardon gets a one-way ticket to The Hague.