It would have been so easy for the most failed president in history to issue pardons

[Stinky The Clown]

Why didn't he?

My theory. Lord Pissypants is angry that they all turned away from him halfway through his second term. And then uninvited him to their convention.

In Bushville, "Loyalty" is the name of a one way street.

[LakeSamish706]

1. I bet ya Abramoff is extremely disappointed as well that he didn't get one. n/t

[Avalux]

2. Not so fast. KO said something about "secret pardons" being issued.

I have no further information but it sounds about right for Bush. Remember the secret appointments during recesses and weekends? Evil little man.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. What "secret" pardons?!

Why would they be "secret"? Executive order? Classified? Involving named folks involved in torture? Well let's publish that order pronto! (With the names redacted, I'm ok with that.) Why am I ok with that? because I believe that the CIA pressed Bush and Cheney as hard as it was possible for them to press for written legal decisions from Justice assuring them that what was being requested from them was "legal". I think they really tried to establish a written chain of command for the torture orders.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I'm betting he didn't

I'm betting Cheney wanted him to.

I'm betting that Cheney's whine today was sincere.

I'm betting they never imagined prosecution.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Plus, he personally does not really understand "the quality of mercy". Literally. nt

[Stevenmarc]

4. Unfortunatly for his cronies he broke his crayon.

[hay rick]

10. the only possible explanation

[whistle]

5. If this is Shrub's attitude then he is a "dead man walking", I think he issued secret pardons

...and is now heading for cover

[dysfunctional press]

18. what exactly are "secret pardons" ?

iirc- they didn't work out too well for alias smith & jones.

[panader0]

6. A guy who has been pardoned cannot claim the fifth and must testify.

[blaze]

9. Exactly! n/t

[hunter]

11. They are gangsters.

They are more afraid of their associates than they are of the law.

The expectation is that their fellow gangsters won't talk.

A pardon in hand doesn't increase a gang member's security, it decreases it.

[housewolf]

12. My theory - he's basically merciless

Mercy is not a trait of his character. I think he proved that over and over again with his record of Texas executions. He's a hardliner who believes that people should suffer to the maximum for what they do (except for him, of course, because he doesn't believe he did anything wrong).

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Yup. Carla Faye Tucker

'niff said.

[MajorChode]

15. I'm definitely no fan of the death penalty, but.....

Carla Faye Tucker no more deserved commutation than many other death row inmates that happened to be born without a vagina.

I don't fault Bush's failure to take action on her any more than most of the others he sent to the gallows.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. It isn't the decision nearly so much as the mocking attitude he famously took

mocking her as she died.

[MajorChode]

17. It's just a reflection of his constituency

It's no small wonder the far left side of the bell curve loves him.

[MajorChode]

14. The GOP shit in their own bed

The dipshit Repugs made such a big deal about Clinton's last minute pardons they had no choice but to leave their cronies swinging in the wind.

The truly funny part was none of Clinton's pardons were particularly egregious, especially when you consider Poppy pardoned an unrepentant terrorist who bombed an airliner full of women and children out of the sky, all for the sake of his son's political career.

[Marr]

19. I couldn't believe it when I read no pardons were announced.

I suppose it could make a *kind* of sense, in that Bush doesn't think he's done anything wrong. By not issuing pardons, if Congress fails to act, he'll establish a kind of precedent. But that doesn't sound very Bushy to me.

I'm still keep expecting to hear about secret pardons or something.