Turkey Spared -- But Obama's Compassion For Humans Comes Up Short

[onehandle]

In one of the White House's sillier annual rituals, Barack Obama on Wednesday pardoned the second Thanksgiving turkey of his presidency. He has, however, yet to pardon a single human.

A president's power to grant clemency is broad, unilateral and absolute. Obama, a constitutional lawyer by training, and the first African-American president, could issue pardons and commutations that make a powerful statement about the justice system past and present.

Indeed, presidents have a responsibility to use their pardon power to correct the excesses and errors of a system that is inevitably imperfect, often overloaded, and especially in this era of mandatory sentences, overly rigid.

Obama's grants could speak volumes about fairness, forgiveness, rehabilitation and renewal. He could restore rights, right wrongs, and bring freedom to the unduly oppressed. But he chooses not to. And it's not just that he hasn't gotten around to it, either. In October, he formally denied 71 pardon requests and 605 commutation requests sent over by the Justice Department for his consideration.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/24/turkey-spared-but-obamas-_n_788073.html

[Yeahyeah]

1. He's an authoritarian.

Not an authoritarian dictator,though,more like an authoritarian flunky.

[Phx_Dem]

2. Lame, and typical of Huffington Post. Now they're bitching because he

hasn't pardoned anyone?

Because that's what really important right now.

:puke:

[onenote]

3. a little perspective

Bush and Clinton, the last two presidents, didn't pardon anyone until late in their second year in office: bush in December, clinton in November. Obama still has several hundred pardon/commutation requests pending. Before jumping to conclusions, wouldn't it make sense to wait and see whether Obama issues any pardons/commutations between now and the end of the year?

[BlueIris]

8. Good post.

The pardon is a powerful tool that should not be used flippantly.

[NoPasaran]

4. Don't blame me, I voted for Hitler

[CreekDog]

5. yeah but Joe Miller said your handwriting was too messy and had your vote expunged

or it was too neat. i forget which one... :rofl:

[impik]

6. Wow. Wow.

Another piece of shit from shiton post.

[BlueIris]

7. Just the other day, I was wondering how many people he'd pardoned.

Curious answer. I confess, I'm kind of surprised. Kind of.

[flamingdem]

9. Who wrote this - a turkey like John Kyl or similar?