Oh Bush, you silly boy.

[Kiro]

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush has granted pardons to 14 individuals and commuted the prison sentences of two others convicted of misdeeds ranging from drug offenses to tax evasion, from wildlife violations to bank embezzlement, The Associated Press learned Monday.

Bush has been stingy during his time in office about handing out such reprieves.

Including these actions, he has granted a total of 171 and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their time in office. Both were two-term presidents.

BITCHIN'!

Sorry if this has been posted already. Not really though.

[Correction]

link? CNN doesn't seem to have it yet.

Edit: nvm they updated their ticker: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...of-two-others/

[Kiro]

I'M FASTER THAN CNN!

[SephYuyX]

Big deal, every president has done it.

[Correction]

The news is that Bush is handing out what appear to be very, very few pardons/commutations, which have the tendency to frustrate the American Public. Marc Rich, anybody?

Is Bush being stingy because he's got a bit o' Texas still left in him? Or is he terrified of rattling more cages as he tried to close out his presidency with a glimmer of a good legacy?

[Kiro]

A glimmer of a good legacy? HAHA. He'd have to do something amazing for that to happen.

[Correction]

He could make things worse for himself by making big waves in the final month of his presidency.

[SephYuyX]

He pardoned turkeys, it's ok.

[Deftscythe]

Most of Clinton's pardons came on the day he left office. Bush still has plenty of time.

[Eliseos]

24 should teach us that pardons are for the bad people, and Jack should shoot them anyway.

[Kuya]

24 should teach us that pardons are for the bad people, and Jack should shoot them anyway.

DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY

[Joran]

The news is that Bush is handing out what appear to be very, very few pardons/commutations, which have the tendency to frustrate the American Public. Marc Rich, anybody?

Is Bush being stingy because he's got a bit o' Texas still left in him? Or is he terrified of rattling more cages as he tried to close out his presidency with a glimmer of a good legacy?

He's saving the big ones for when he pardons himself and his staff, just before he leaves office.

But then again, you'd first have to get him to admit that he did anything wrong to begin with, so who knows.

[Olo401]

The list:

Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, MO

Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, SD

Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, IL

Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, TX

Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, VA

Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, GA

Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, SC

Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, FL

William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, TX

Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, OK

Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, AL

Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, CA

Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, TX

Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, AR

Research GO!

[Eliseos]

Leslie Owen Collier is one of fourteen who was pardoned by President George W. Bush on November 24, 2008. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to charges of using pesticide to poison bald eagles and was sentenced February 2, 1996.1
Collier crushed pesticides into hamburger meat to kill coyotes but killed a red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl, an opossum, a raccoon and three bald eagles. He also killed seven coyotes. He was charged with unlawful use of pesticides and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Leslie Owen Collier - Mahalo

[Titanss]

DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY

.. just been revoked

[Atlasion]

So he's pardoning people who are guilty of committing crimes? And people are annoyed because he's not pardoning enough criminals?

Theres no pleasing some people..

[Olo401]

So he's pardoning people who are guilty of committing crimes? And people are annoyed because he's not pardoning enough criminals?

Theres no pleasing some people..

I think with Bush it's more the fact that he's pardoning people who are guilty because the pardon fits into his ideological perspectives. Take Mr. Collier for example - the man used pesticide to kill wild animals, and in the process unintentionally killed five birds on the endangered species list. Bush sees nothing wrong with this, because his ideological stance on the environment is "who gives a shit let's make money". That's the reason for the pardon.

On the other hand you have someone like former AL governor Don Siegelman, who was sent to prison on fradulent corruption charges and was just released pending a hearing on new evidence that could clear him. He still has to fight for his freedom in court, and Bush will not pardon him or commute his sentence, because the person behind the bullshit that got him sent to prison is long-time Bush aide and neoconservative brainchild Karl Rove.

[Dimmauk]

.. just been revoked

LOL @ Danny Glover and Peter Griffin.

[EagleCeres]

DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY

President Obama @ Jan 21, 2008> just been revoked

Fixed

[Olo401]

John Edward Forte, a Grammy Award-winning rapper, is arguably the best known of those pardoned. He was arrested at Newark International Airport in 2000 after being found with a briefcase containing $1.4m of cocaine and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Forte, who has always protested his innocence, co-wrote and produced two songs on The Score, the Fugees' Grammy-winning 1996 album and several singers, including Carly Simon, had joined a campaign for his pardon, claiming he was not given a fair-trial.

The singer, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, will be released after serving half of a 14 year sentence.

Welp.. there goes my theory. Only possible connection between this guy and Bush is the blow.