Can Congress override a Presidential Veto? Curious, if we can

[BR_Parkway]

take back Congress in '06, there will be some massive investigations. And if KKKarl and various others are already pardoned by Shrub at that point, is there any remedy for Congress to over-ride it? Something like when they have enough votes to kill a veto?

[aquart]

1. Yes.

[evlbstrd]

2. A pardon requires a conviction.

Let's get that first.

[bowens43]

3. No it doesn't.

Nixon was pardoned by Ford without a conviction.

"Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from July (January) 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974."

Presidential pardons are absolute.

[acmejack]

6. The ever popular pre-emptive pardon

And * does believe in the stategy of preemptive prevention.

[evlbstrd]

8. I stand corrected.

In that case, a pardon implies guilt, whether convicted or not.

[bowens43]

9. scary, isn't it?

It's an awesome power given to the president by the Constitution. It can easily be misused and usually is.

[Bridget Burke]

5. No--a pardon can be given BEFORE a conviction!

Mr. Weinberger was scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 5 on charges that he lied to Congress about his knowledge of the arms sales to Iran and efforts by other countries to help underwrite the Nicaraguan rebels, a case that was expected to focus on Mr. Weinberger's private notes that contain references to Mr. Bush's endorsement of the secret shipments to Iran.

In one remaining facet of the inquiry, the independent prosecutor, Lawrence E. Walsh, plans to review a 1986 campaign diary kept by Mr. Bush. Mr. Walsh has characterized the President's failure to turn over the diary until now as misconduct.

But in a single stroke, Mr. Bush swept away one conviction, three guilty pleas and two pending cases, virtually decapitating what was left of Mr. Walsh's effort, which began in 1986. Mr. Bush's decision was announced by the White House in a printed statement after the President left for Camp David, where he will spend the Christmas holiday.

www.nytimes.com/learning/aol/onthisday/991224onthisday_big.html

And nobody can do a damn thing about a Presidential Pardon. Remember Clinton's "scandalous" pardons? Hardly on the level of Bush the Smarter's maneuver.

[bowens43]

4. No. The president has the power to grant a full pardon.

It can not be overturned.

[emcguffie]

7. there's a little problem with e-voting.

We can't win elections unless we clean them up. We're in a big hole we have to get out of first.

Of course, there are just many Republicans -- well, maybe that's an exaggeration -- who want fair elections, and maybe they are starting to see the light. Maybe.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Keep hammering

away at this topic: http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[Walt Starr]

10. Presidential Pardons are absolute and irreversible

If Bush pardoned a mass murderer, that mass murder walks with no repercussions whatsoever.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

12. Some repercussions

No legal repercussions, but evlbstrd is correct that a pre-conviction pardon carries with it the connotation of guilt, and of course a post-conviction pardon is given to a known criminal. So there are some repercussions in the court of public opinion.

Want proof? When's the last time you saw an O.J. movie? He was acquitted, but he paid the price in public opinion and is now radioactive, and double murder has a long half-life. I expect a pardon works the same way.

[sdfernando]

11. No, Congress cannot override a presidential pardon

No, Congress cannot override a presidential pardon. The only way would be to strip that power from the office of the president. That would take a constitutional amendment. The only way I think an amendment like that would pass is if a president grossly abused that power and pardoned some people guilty of such hideous crimes a public backlash demanded it. Not a likely scenario.

[theboss]

13. Um...no

You are confusing about four different concepts, I think.

But, no, a pardon is the final word.

[garybeck]

14. how do you plan on taking back congress in 06 when the

elections are rigged???

[Lannes]

16. .