So after digging into Bush's ribs about "Spying on Americans" (Something Clinton did regularly), they just have to throw in this little tidbit about some Presidential Pardon's Bush has issued recently.
Bush pardons moonshiners, bank robber
"WASHINGTON - President Bush has granted 11 pardons, bringing to 69 the number of clemency orders he has issued since taking office five years ago, the Justice Department said.
Three moonshiners and a bank robber are among those pardoned, as is a Denver attorney with Republican political ties. The pardons were issued Tuesday, in keeping with a tradition of granting clemency during the holiday season.
One of those pardoned, Wendy St. Charles, is a lawyer for a Denver homebuilder, MDC Holdings, parent of Richmond American Homes, The Denver Post reported. St. Charles was convicted on drug charges in 1984 and sentenced to four years in prison.
MDC’s chairman, Larry Mizel, has contributed more than half a million dollars to Republican campaigns along with his wife, Carol, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A company spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press.
One of the moonshiners, Carl E. Cantrell of Monteagle, Tenn., said he was arrested at his still without ever selling a drop. He was convicted of federal liquor law violations in 1967 and sentenced to three years’ probation.
“I wasn’t trying to cause nobody no harm,” he told The Knoxville News Sentinel. “I was just trying to make a living.”
Also pardoned was Donald Lee Pendergrass of Ramona, Calif., who was convicted of bank robbery with a dangerous weapon in 1964.
The other pardons were for offenses such as drug possession or making false statements on loan applications.
“These are individuals who all applied for clemency, and their applications were reviewed by the Office of the Pardon Attorney and forwarded to the president, who makes the final decision on whether to grant clemency,” said Justice Department spokesman John Nowacki.
The Constitution provides the president with the power to grant clemency. A presidential pardon can’t expunge a conviction, but it can help regain rights such as voting and owning guns."
Notice the subttle inference that possibly Wendy St. Charles was pardon because her former boss - of 20 years ago - gave the big bad Republican Party some dough.
Of course President Bush's 69 pardons pales in comparison to the "master pardoner" - Mr. Benevolence - El Savior - Bill Clinton, who issued 456 executive clemency orders - 395 pardons and 61 commutations - between 1993 and January 20, 2001. Just to compare here are Clinton's pardons just from his finals days in office in 2001.
This includes the infamous pardon for old friend Marc Rich who was at the time of his pardon a fugitive from justice. Of course Marc was a good friend of the Clintons who raised and donated more than $1 million to the Democratic Party in recent in the years prior to his pardon. In fact, just to 'seal the favor' Mr. Rich had also provided the Clintons directly with a $10,000 contribution to their legal defense fund and $7,300 worth of furniture.
Looks like when you compare Mr. Bush has a long way to go before he can reach the stature of El-Savior!
bush Politics pardon
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments