Newsweek's Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball recently noted how "stingy" Bush has been on pardons, and highlighted how "tricky" it will be for the president...

That assumes Bush cares what anyone else thinks. He's spent 8 years demonstrating he doesn't. Nothing tricky about it.

I'm thinking yes to Cunningham, no to Edwards without a lot of cash, and Milken hired the wrong fixer -- it should have been Eric Holder, who arranged the pardon for Marc Rich; I know he's busy now, but he has the experience. And, of course, a blanket pardon-in-advance for any and every Bushie the Obama adminstration cares to indict, up to and including the Pardoner-in-Chief. What matter that pardons aren't actually supposed to be issued until after conviction? Rich bugged out for Switzerland before he was tried, let alone convicted.

Anyone who could even remotely present Bush with a potential legal problem will be pardoned. As you point out, his lame-ass, guilty-as-hell father did the same thing. These people have no scruples, no self-respect, no decency, no guts, and no belief in personal accountability or justice.

I would support repealing any President's right to grant pardons. It's extraneous to the office, and clearly -- as we've seen with Ford, Bush Sr. and will see again with Bush Jr. -- it's simply another way to evade the checks and balances of our system of government.

A pardon negates the judicial branch.

If we're ever going to regain faith in our politcs then we have to believe that people who do wrong will be held accountable. The Republican party has been adamant, since Nixon, that we can't afford such emotional shocks, but I think the Republican party is full of pussies.

For the sake of America, Presidential pardons have got to go.

As I recall, Bush's first AG, Ashcroft wanted only judges who issued maximum sentences. Issuing pardons to people who approved of or engaged in torture would suggest that he isn't all that comfortable with the advice he hired John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales and Jay Bybee to give him.

Linzer omitted Mark Foley and Larry Craig, both of whom have tried hard to put it all behind them. If you can't stand by good Republicans, what's a pardon for?

And what's the relationship between Daphna Linzer and Dahlia Lithwick? Pseudonym? Separated at birth? This is just too strange for coincidence.

Isn't Martha Stewart an active Democrat? Seems unlikely Bush will be doing her any favors.

"Linzer omitted Mark Foley and Larry Craig, both of whom have tried hard to put it all behind them. If you can't stand by good Republicans, what's a pardon for?"

"Put it all behind them"?

Didn't think you'd catch us so early in the week, did you, ericfree?

I predict two almost certain proactive pardons that GWB will issue: of Darth Cheney and of himself.

-Z

I had to work hard to keep from saying "stand behind."

Actually, this was what Mark Foley said in an interview a few weeks ago, so I took him at his word. And if I had said "stand behind" it would have made two "behinds" in one post.

And if I had said "stand behind" it would have made two "behinds" in one post. -- ericfree, @13:20

But you put two (horse's) behinds in your post anyway; you mentioned both Foley and Craig...

He'll sign whatever pardons Cheney wants signed. No more, no less, damn the torpedoes.

That's like Tony Soprano pardoning Paulie Walnuts.

"and Justice for All" ( of those people connected via the greenback umbilical)