Won't Bush simply pardon them all?

[Bloodblister Bob]

Does anyone in the Bush administration really have anything to fear if they are indicted, besides perhaps losing their jobs?

Won't Bush just pardon them so they can cash in on book deals, made-for-TV movies, and hit the talk show circuit?

I think this is all just an inconvenince for Libby, Rove, et al.

[valerief]

1. If the law prevents him from pardoning them, then

the Repub Congress will create a law allowing it. We'll be too busy with "natural" disasters and terrrrrrr attacks.

[jasop]

2. Just Like Daddy Bush pardoned all he and Reagan's Crime buddies - n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Unlikely. * could easily be impeached for it & his presidency => mega-lame

[tatertop]

5. We will never get the votes needed to impeach

Besides, Lieberman would never allow it.

[jobycom]

11. Lieberman would love to impeach Bush.

It's all about his ego, and payback for Florida. Revenge is best served cold, and all that.

If Bush pardons them at the wrong time, the pressure on the House (who does the impeaching) to impeach will be intense. They will not risk defeat to support a lame duck president who's dead in the water. The Senate might even get the votes to remove him.

But Bush will likely play it smarter. He'll let the courts tie up the indictments and trials for years, then pardon them when the political climate has changed, or after the 2006 elections when Congress won't have to care, or if possible after the 2008 elections, when it just won't matter.

Bottom line is, he has to pardon, so they can't be forced to testify against him.

[Loge23]

14. Oh please, Lieberman?

If Bush does pardon them, it won;t matter. The repugs will be finished for our lifetime. But don't seriously suggest that Lieberman has the balls to do anything worthwhile about it.

[jobycom]

18. Oh, yes, Lieberman.

Lieberman is like Senator Palpatine (even looks like him). He's a backrooms guy. He supports Bush on the invasion only because it gives him what he wants. He supports the Dems when it helps him.

He'd gut Bush in a heartbeat for stealing the election from him. He's one of the shrewdest politicians in DC, and more ruthless than people see.

That's not meant to be a compliment.

[tatertop]

16. It is good to quote Oscar Wilde!

The republicans control the vote.
While the republicans continue to control the vote
they shall do as they please.

[liberalnurse]

15. Oh, I bet he would. His bread is no longer being buttered

by *bush and company. They have been seriously stained too. DINO Joe will try and get back in the good graces of the DLC.

[jobycom]

4. Yes he will, just like Daddy did.

Bush will pardon them all, not to keep them out of jail, but so they can't be forced to testify against him. The only question is when. He will wait as long as he can, because a poorly timed pardon could lead to a massive backlash against him, and maybe even an investigation by Congress into impeachment. Libby and anyone else indicted will just continue to lie and obstruct, and hope to push their trials back by several years, so that Bush can pardon them after it's too late to impeach him.

That's why his Daddy and half of his own administration didn't go to jail over Iran-Contra.

[stepnw1f]

6. The Law is the Law

and those guily must be brought to justice regardless.

[tatertop]

7. True, but he will pardon him as soon as he can

One way or the other.

[jobycom]

12. Weren't you supposed to use this?

:sarcasm:

[unrepuke]

8. "Simply" --- key word

[thereismore]

9. so what. the damage is done nt

[BlueWolf]

10. As far as I know, he could

I heard on Air America that he could simply pardon them all. It's quite common for presidents to do that. Somebody else can take the fall for the prez or the vice prez, knowing that they will just be pardoned. Bush senior did that with many of his cronies indicted in the Iran-Contra affair. It really places the president above the law. Whatever comes of it, I just hope more voters turn Democratic after all this.

[liberalnurse]

13. I seriously doubt it....

If he does, Libby and the rest of the outlaws will have be rendered useless by then anyways.

See this thread from this morning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5216306

[Joe Chi Minh]

17. Also, it will mean they will be pardoned by a

President as a result of at least one fraudulent election, i.e. the last one and only de facto. If the ubiquitous fraud is proved, then it will mean they will be double beneficiaries of the proceeds of a crime. They will have enjoyed the proceeds and then been pardoned. Does his sound like the rule of law to you?

[liberalnurse]

19. It will never go down like you describe.

This is deep and will change the nation before it is over.

[Joe Chi Minh]

20. I believe you are right, but was hypothesising as to the

implications of the alternative.