From The Washington Times: Libby pardon seen as risk for political grief.
Richard M. Nixon. Caspar Weinberger. Marc Rich.Is President Bush willing to risk -- on behalf of ex-White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. -- the kind of political grief that pardons for those three men brought the presidents who granted them?
Mr. Nixon resigned the presidency over the Watergate scandal. Mr. Weinberger was the defense secretary charged in the Iran-Contra scandal. Mr. Rich was a fugitive financier and his ex-wife a major contributor to President Clinton.
All received presidential pardons processed outside normal channels. As in those cases, Mr. Bush would have to bypass the regular clemency process to pardon Libby for his four convictions last week for lying to investigators in the Valerie Plame CIA-leak case.
Such pardons historically have gotten presidents into political trouble.
A number of conservative politicians, bloggers and commentators, including National Review and Wall Street Journal editorial writers, want Libby pardoned -- preferably now. Top Democrats have demanded that Mr. Bush pledge not to pardon Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.
From IBD Editorials: The Waxman Cometh.
Posted by Forkum at March 12, 2007 07:33 PM
|