If Bush loses, should the incoming President pardon ...

[patriotvoice]

... Bush and Bush's officials for any charges brought against them?

Traditionally incoming President's have, but with Bush and company, we've seen systematic scandals come one after another, and quite frankly, are of such magnitude as to defy any reasonable justification for clemency.

Would you support a Democratic President's decision to pardon Bush and company, should charges be brought?

[grasswire]

1. NO

Since the 1930s, the same crowd has been attacking the Constitution to seize power. From the coup attempt against FDR to the impeachment of Clinton and election 2000, with a lot of assaults in between.

No more going along to get along. NO MORE.

They will not stop until they feel some pain.

[rainy]

2. for war crimes? no way!

nt

[holeinboatoutatsea]

3. Pardon me? Did I read this right?

NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pardons. zippo. zero. nada. none.

[AZCat]

4. I think this is a moot point

Bush* will pardon anyone who needs it before he leaves office.
But MAN! Do I want to see those bastards in orange!

[stopbush]

17. Can bush pardon his cronies from international law?

Like it or not, we as Americans are bound to our international treaties via the Constitution. Bush and his band of brigands started an illegal war - as in, illegal by any and all international standards. Tens of thousands are dead due to imperialism (the lies are simply an enabling tool of the imperialistic gambit).

Unless I'm wrong, bush could pardon his cronies for crimes committed against the USA but not those committed against the world. But jurisdiction would be held by an international tribunal, and no American president will ever set the precedent of turning over a former American prez to an international court.

[rhino91063]

5. Pardon a mass murderer?????

Why?????

[DemoTex]

6. If he loses, Bu$h will issue blanket pardons to include Cheney.

Then Bu$h will resign, making Cheney the president. Cheney will pardon both George W. and Poppy Bu$h (and maybe the other Bu$h boys). It is that bad, folks.

On edit: Nothing left for the Democratic president to do. If my scenario doesn't hold? Hell no! No pardon. And don't let me hear that national unity crap! :puke:

[library_max]

7. No.

I don't think you'll be seeing many "yes" messages on this thread. One of the cherished hopes of DUers, me included, is to see some justice done on the Bush administration. The sad truth is that there probably won't be any charges brought, unless both houses of Congress go Democratic with significant majorities. But we'd all love to see it happen.

[patriotvoice]

11. Hope

One of my hopes is to see just done across the board, and few, in my opinion, need more of a dose of "justice" than Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld.

I think we should be asking our candidates to spell out their positions on this point, just so we know going in what we're getting ourselves into.

[library_max]

22. No, that'd be dumb politics.

The "they don't have any ideas, they just hate Bush" meme is getting enough traction as it is. Much as it would delight DU for the frontrunning candidates to spell out plans for disembowelling Bush and his cronies immediately after the inauguration, it would be political suicide. And we don't want that, now do we? No, we want to win this one.

[patriotvoice]

25. Two simple questions for the chosen candidate...

... "Will you hold officials accountable for their actions, regardless of their position in government, if you are elected President? If so, would you support full punishment as prescribed under law?"

[DenverDem]

8. Guillotines

live on network TV.

[holeinboatoutatsea]

10. 17 blinks in 10 seconds

before he couldn't blink anymore. Where did I read that earlier today? Someone told his buddies he would blink as long as he could afterwards.

A scientist from way back when.

[JailForBush]

45. This is Why George W. Bush Deserves the Death Penalty

On my website, Jail4Bush, I argued that Bush merits the death penalty but ought to be sentenced to life in prison, because it would make him suffer more. He should served his time under the same conditions the prisoners at Gitmo endure.

But I've had a change of heart. If Bush was sentenced to life in prison, he would become a martyr for millions. What if another Republican was elected President, and he pardoned Bush, who then stole the White House again?

No, if I could be dictator for a day, I'd have George W. Bush summarily executed. If due legal process is too big an inconvenience for him, then he doesn't deserve due legal process.

[MuseRider]

9. Good Lord NO!

For most of these guys it will be their second time around. Prosecute each and every one of them.

[arcane1]

12. Hell Goddamn NO!!!!!

might as well pardon Bin Laden too :grr:

[lostnfound]

13. NO. And we ought to demand promises NOW from Kerry etc. n/t

[patriotvoice]

14. 100% concur

We need to know our candidates position on this matter before going into more primaries and definitely before the general election.

We absolutely must let it be known that we are the employers of the government, and if they run afoul of us, they will be punished.

[ComerPerro]

15. uh

no

[Vickers]

16. Yes

but only if they all promise to get full-color "Keep On Trucking!" tattoos on their foreheads.

I think that would be awesome.

[spanone]

18. Surely, you jest?

We should show them the same compassion that they've shown. NONE.

[cally]

19. NO

We wouldn't be in this fix we are in right now if Clinton had pursued many of the crimes committed by Bush 1. It is time to expose these criminals and diminish their power.

[Art_from_Ark]

35. Clinton couldn't have pursued them

because of Bu$h Sr.'s pardons of Weinberger, Poindexter, et at.

[countmyvote4real]

20. No F'ing Way. n/t

[kalian]

21. IF shrub loses...

should he be pardoned? No.
Will he be pardoned...you can bet on it. Its just the way politics
is played out. Enjoy it...

[Nite Owl]

23. No

the country needs to see the trials or whatever to make it REALLY sink in what slime this group. No nice retirement for this crew, no well paid talks, no reorganizing for another day.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

24. The Democratic president will pardon Bush

if he's even charged, which I doubt. If there is ONE thing you can count on - the rich powerful aristocratic politicians will always scratch each others' back, regardless of party.

Now if Dennis wins, I wouldn't be so sure!

[kalian]

26. Bingo!

:toast:

[HawkerHurricane]

27. Conditional Pardon

Only to those who agree to testify against Bush/Cheney.

Bush/Cheney get no pardon.

[Mel]

28. NO

I'm sick of these people this is a second time around for some of them and it's time to teach them a lesson! The scales of justice applies to ALL Americans and that includes them! I say we hang em' especially the one or ones that outed, Plame.

[indie_voter]

29. No

The whole sorry lot should be thrown in jail.

[Cascadian]

30. I wished he could be arrested and sent to The Hague

On war crimes. Let him sit there with Milosevic. Maybe they will compare notes. I know it won't happen but I can dream.


John

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[loftycity]

32. Never Ever Pardon these evil ruthless creeps

[Ilsa]

33. I'm hoping the incoming President will have to save him from

a public lynching (of the people, by the people, and for the people) and hold him for trial, war crimes, fraud, etc.

[BillZBubb]

34. No pardons!

In fact, if the Democrats get control of one branch of the Congress, they need to use that to investigate all the criminal activity of the Shrub gang.

I would actively campaign against pardons of any sort for those bums.

[mouse7]

36. *SMACK*

It's the incoming GOP Presidents that pardon people.

I say the second a DEM is sworn in, we put them on a non-stop flight for The Hague.

[patriotvoice]

37. President Clinton's pardon list

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pardonchartlst.htm

Incoming President's pardon, regardless of their party.
It's the nature of politics to date.

I say We the People, the employers of the government, demand the President hold officials of all ranks accountable.

[formactv]

38. Only a public hanging will do

I am good with knots.

[ComerPerro]

39. On the contrary

I think the incoming president should investigate the shit out of 9/11.

[Serenity-NOW]

40. Tarred, feathered run out of town on a rail to Texas

So he can live out his days breathing the toxic air he created there. Death penalty is the easy way out. Let him live in infamy among the people he hurt the most.

[Phil_Jayhan]

41. You still haven't seen the 'smoking gun...?'

This thread shows why bush should not be pardoned, and will be lucky with a Utah firing squad;

Breaking News Everyone.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1105963&mesg_id=1105963

Click here to find your rope to nag King George with. And all that that implies.

Cheers~
pj :P

original link here;

http://www.kirupaforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33834

[justsam]

42. if he pardons anyone

he would be voted out just as Ford was for giving Nixon a pardon

if Kerry is in, maybe Skull and Bones would come into play also

[dmr]

43. Absolutely not

sweeping criminals under the rug is not good for this country. To expose them, is to (hopefully) expose the shadow workings and people beneath these men.

Using cliches like it's 'for the good of the country', or 'helping our country heal', are just that. Our country is in such a mess because we have buried too much throughout the years as it is.

[patriotvoice]

47. I agree, but who will vote for the candidate with the backbone to standup?

In this thread,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=307704

everyone categorically argues that any candidate who stands on a platform of holding responsibility will be committing "political suicide."

I would be strongly supportive of any candidate who makes it clear that the "status quo" is unacceptible. Would you?

[Mairead]

44. not only No, but HELL No.

und damit basta!

[Jose Diablo]

46. No, I want the dark side of America

expunged from the body politic. They have caused violence and death for the last 3 centuries and I want them banished from positions of influence. The memes they possess are too destructive to our future civilization.

They belong to our past.

As any individual though, there should be no death imposed. There is/has been enough killing.

[Ganja Ninja]

48. Pardon me....

but isn't it the outgoing president that usually hands out the pardons? Unless of course it's republicans pardoning republicans like Ford did for Nixon

Anyway presidential pardons only cover charges brought by American courts. I say we drop Bush and crew by parachute somewhere over the Sunni triangle and let nature take it's course.

[dusty64]

49. This junta

needs to be taken down once and for all so that they can't harm anyone again. The answer is NO NO NO NO NO!

[laruemtt]

50. Noooooooooooo!

hang him by his codpiece.................

[noonwitch]

51. It depends on how much evidence against him is gathered

If some type of 911 MIHOP or LIHOP is proven, never. If MIHOP is proved, give him the mercy he gave Karla Faye Tucker. LIHOP should mean life in prison.

If the evidence is not definitive against him, but is against members of his administration, than prosecute them and pardon him. If he is prosecuted without an airtight case, then it just feeds the GOP revenge cycle.