Are presidential pardons a good idea?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
More than 2,000 convicts are asking President George W. Bush for a pardon or a commutation of their prison sentences before he leaves office next month. Among them, junk bond king Michael Milken, media mogul Conrad Black and American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh. They've all applied to the Justice Department for this free pass of forgiveness.
Last week, the president issued 14 pardons and commuted two prison sentences, all for so-called "small time criminals." During his eight years in office, he's granted a total of 171 pardons and has commuted eight sentences. A president has complete freedom to pardon anyone he wishes, and he doesn't have to justify his decisions or explain himself to anyone.
For example, President Bush could also excuse people who have not been charged with any crimes in order to protect them in the future. People like former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and baseball pitcher Roger Clemens.
The White House has declined to comment about future pardons, but some people close to the president say they doubt he would take such action. He did, however, commute Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence. Libby was the only administration official convicted in connection with the Valerie Plame CIA leak scandal.
So far President Bush has granted fewer than half the pardons Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan did.
Here’s my question to you: Are presidential pardons a good idea?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What will you miss most about Bush?
Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
With the election of Barack Obama, President Bush is now a certified lame duck who will quickly disappear in the rear view mirror.
In 2000, we elected a guy we'd like to have a beer with. Huge mistake.
Bush soared when the Twin Towers came down. On September 14, 2001, he gave a rousing speech to rescue workers at Ground Zero. It was arguably his finest hour with 90 percent approval ratings and the entire world ready to step in and help the United States in any way they could.
But Bush blew it. The next seven years were pretty much a steady downward spiral. The invasion of Iraq, torture, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, domestic spying, secrecy, lost White House emails, zero accountability and the economy in ruins.
Watch: Cafferty: Miss most about Bush?
President Bush will leave office as arguably one of the worst presidents this country ever had. His approval ratings are at an all-time low. He is so unpopular he dared not show his face on the campaign trail.
The ultimate irony is without the utter disaster that was the Bush Presidency, an African-American would probably not have been elected president. Funny how things work out. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, did as much to get Barack Obama elected as the primary voters in Iowa did on a cold January night earlier this year.
Historians will render the final verdict, but you can have your say right now.
Here’s my question to you: What will you miss most about President Bush?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
McCain on MTP: Shares philosophy with President Bush
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/27/art.gwb.mccain.gi.jpg caption="On NBC's Meet the Press, McCain said, he and the President share the same philosophy of the GOP."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama says America is finally getting some straight talk from John McCain. Obama has long sought to tie Senator McCain to President Bush, and yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press, McCain made it easy for him when he said this about President Bush:
"Do we share a common philosophy of the Republican Party? Of course. But I've stood up against my party-not just President Bush, but others- and I've got the scars to prove it."
Admitting anything "in common" with our current Commander-in-Chief is probably not such a good thing for McCain. President Bush has just a 27 percent approval rating, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll out last week. Seventy-five percent of Americans say they feel bad about how things are going in the country. And over the past eight years, John McCain has supported President Bush 90 percent of the time.
Here’s my question to you: What does John McCain mean when he says he and George W. Bush share a common philosophy of the Republican Party?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What do you want to hear from Bush tonight about the economy?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/24/art.bush.un.gi.jpg caption="Bush will be addressing the Nation tonight about the $700 billion dollar bailout plan."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Tonight President Bush will address the nation about the financial crisis. He is expected to put pressure on Congress to pass the $700 billion financial bailout plan Treasury Secretary Paulson has put on the table.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized the president earlier in the day for not explaining the plan to the American people. Tonight he will.
Then comes the hard part for Congress. They are scheduled to adjourn on Friday for the rest of the year... Bailout package or not.
And some lawmakers are more eager to leave Washington than others...
Democratic congresswoman Jane Harman from California said yesterday congress should stay put until they "find the right answer to this problem."
According to Politico.com, Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan and Republican Senator George Voinovich have both expressed doubts that a consensus on the bailout can be reached by Friday. Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democrat from Ohio, said "if it takes two or three weeks, that's okay."
But we haven't heard much from other lawmakers about sticking around in order to solve this problem.
Of course the President could order them to stay.
Here’s my question to you: What do you want to hear from President Bush tonight about the financial crisis?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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