Reply #26: Apart from some of the obvious issues concerning pardons... [View All]

[punpirate]

... there's the issue of timing. Some people think that because indictments are issued, it will be wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, and the offenders will be in jail.

These cases, if there are indictments, will likely take years to resolve, finally, especially if convictions and appeals are involved.

It's very likely that Bush will know who has won the 2008 election before any of these people wind up in jail. If another Republican like Bush wins, Bush can safely predict that they will all be pardoned in due time. He doesn't have to deal with the problem.

If a Democrat wins, Bush still has the option of pardoning them in his last days of office. People might scream and complain, but the 2006 and 2008 elections will be over, and Bush won't give a fuck about anything after that.

What this will do is present Bush with a problem: does he get rid of them because they're under indictment, or does he keep them on because he's a helpless, hopeless idiot without them and live with the shit he gets from the press and Congress?