Congress Opposes Bush Pardons: Bush Pardons of His Own Subordinates for Crimes He Authorized , page 1
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Topic started on 22-11-2008 @ 04:17 PM by Keyhole

Congress Opposes Bush Pardons: Bush Pardons of His Own Subordinates for Crimes He Authorized


www.globalresearch.ca
Here's a resolution, hot off the presses from Jerrold Nadler, Chair of the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee: H.RES.1531,

"Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should not issue pardons to senior members of his administration during the final 90 days of his term of office," Sponsor: Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] (introduced 11/20/2008). There will be a petition promoting this resolution, through which you can write to your representative and senators
(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.salon.com


reply posted on 22-11-2008 @ 04:22 PM by Keyhole
Here's a little more from the article!

Congress Opposes Bush Pardons: Bush Pardons of His Own Subordinates for Crimes He Authorized

Never before has a president pardoned himself or his subordinates for crimes he authorized. The idea that the pardon power constitutionally includes such pardons ignores a thousand year tradition in which no man can sit in judgment of himself, and the fact that James Madison and George Mason argued that the reason we needed the impeachment power was that a president might some day try to pardon someone for a crime that he himself was involved in.
******SKIP******
The problem is the complete elimination of any semblance of the rule of law by pardoning one's own subordinates for crimes you instructed them to commit.



[edit on 11/22/2008 by Keyhole]


reply posted on 23-11-2008 @ 11:15 AM by Keyhole
reply to post by Lanimilbus



Good video!

Let's just hope that Biden, as VP now, has the opportunity to make sure they go forward with the investigation!

It's like he said in the video, if they do nothing, congress would be setting a precedent that nothing should be done in the future if a president and his administration (in the future) ever pull the same kind of crap that Bush and his cronies have!


reply posted on 28-11-2008 @ 10:32 AM by Keyhole
Another article against the possibility of Bush pardoning himself his administration.

You Cannot Pardon a Crime You Authorized

Never before has a president pardoned himself or his subordinates for crimes he authorized. The closest thing to this in U.S. history thus far has been Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence. Bush is widely expected to follow that commutation with a pardon. Not only did Libby work for the White House, but he was convicted of obstruction of justice in an investigation that was headed to the president. Evidence introduced in the trial, including a hand-written note by the vice president, implicated Bush, and former press secretary Scott McClellan has since testified that Bush authorized the exposure of an undercover agent, that being the crime that was under investigation.

There are widespread concerns that Bush might pardon other subordinates for various other crimes that he authorized, potentially including torture, warrantless spying, a variety of war crimes, taking the nation to war on fraudulent evidence, and the abuses of the politicized Justice Department.



They also go on to mention what options congress might use if Bush tries to pardon himself and others he directed to break the law.


If Bush attempts this, here are possible responses:

1. Immediate impeachment of Bush and Cheney and various pardonees, even if they are out of office. (Here are arguments for the permissibility of such impeachments: afterdowningstreet.org... )

2. Overturning of the pardons by the new president or by Congress, as Bush's lawyers told him he could do to Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich, which was a far more minor abuse of the pardon power.

3. Legislation banning self-pardons and pardons of crimes authorized by the president.

4. A Constitutional Amendment banning self-pardons and pardons of crimes authorized by the president.

5. Refusal by the courts to honor the supposed pardons.

6. Prosecution of Bush, Cheney, and their subordinates for their crimes.




[edit on 11/28/2008 by Keyhole]

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