Pardon the Interruption
If and when Patrick Fitzgerald issues his indictments against high level members of the White House staff, the first and foremost quetsion uttered by every single White House reporter until it is answered must be:
“Will the President pardon any of the indicted members of his administraioon?”
They should hammer Scott McLellan with that question, and every single Bush official who goes on Sunday talk shows, and even Bush himself when they get their precious few opportunities.
They should never let up until they get a straight “Yes,” or “No” answer. It has to be definitive. No caveats, or escape hatches.
And, every single member of the Democratic party, and we bloggers, must ask this question every single day OF the news media. Force them to ask the question.
The Democrats must demand that Bush say whether he will pardon anyone every time they go on a talk show, or are interviewed. Period.
The Democratic party should run TV ads in key congressional districts and states demanding that Bush answer the question.
The fact is, it doesn’t really matter how he answers the question. Whether it be yes or no….it’s bad either way.
If he says “No. I will not pardon anybody,” he basically enourages them to turn states evidence against HIM. He also puts himself and the GOP in a bind if he ever renegs on his promise.
If he says “Yes,” then he’s interfereing with a federal grand jury and a legitimare criminal investigation and trial. He’s also covering up a scandal.
And, if he refuses to answer, the drumbeat will jsut get louder and louder and the public will wonder what he’s trying to hide.
It’s lose/lose/lose for him.
So, that’s why we have to ask this question over and over and over and over and over again.
Ask it until he breaks.
October 19th, 2005 at 12:54 pm
cool site, i’ll add it to my fav’s!!! get the net for the hammer! he is sooooo toast! yippeeeee!!!
October 19th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
That sounds like a good plan. After all, his daddy pardoned a couple of cronys, and, to this day, we haven’t learned the details of the crimes they commited.
October 19th, 2005 at 3:36 pm
I don’t think it’s a question of if they will be pardoned. I think it is a question of when Bush pardons the traitors (Libby, Cheney & Rove), will they continue to work in the White House?
This is not as outlandish of a question as you may think. The Rethug propaganda machine and the NeoCon controlled MSM are already demonizing Fitzgerald and claiming a Liberal conspiracy for “criminalization of politics”. This is the set up for continuing the Rethugs’ business as usual no matter who is guilty of treason in the White House.
Better get the pitchforks and torches ready. They will not go willingly.
October 19th, 2005 at 4:46 pm
We should probably ask the president if he will fire anyone who… oh hang on.
October 19th, 2005 at 8:05 pm
Gotta ask Ms Miers the recusal question as well. Will she recuse herself from any cases that come to the Supreme Court which concern Bush during the time she worked for him?
October 19th, 2005 at 8:51 pm
Their will be no pardens, as their will be no indictments. I doubt we will even see a white washed report. Judit Miller has provided a nice smoke rin by this whoke thing will blow away. Move along folk, theirs nothing to dee here. Just dirt under the rug.
October 19th, 2005 at 9:44 pm
I think that the suggestion that democrats keep asking Bush if he plans to pardon any of the indicted conspirators is too mild. My suggestion would be that moderate Democrats should be pushed to do as you say, while the more progressive Democrats should directly accuse Bush of having promised in advance to pardon those subordinates who carried out criminal activites in the course of the administrations efforts to trash Joe and Valerie Wilson. Then meke the point that the execution of such pardons would prove that Bush and his minions were together engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. This sort of two-prongued strategy would serve to simultaneously win over moderates and energize our base. Succeeding at both tasks is the winning combination.
October 20th, 2005 at 6:34 am
Mr. Rove can’t remember but he fingers Libbey
October 20th, 2005 at 3:21 pm
Jeferson said Presidential pardons are for anything but TREASON.
October 20th, 2005 at 6:38 pm
http://forums.newslookup.com/viewtopic.php?t=1011
The power to Impeach granted to Congress is essential to our Republican
system of checks and balances. For what good are checks and balances if
they are not employed to maintain the laws of the nation? If
Fitzgerald’s investigation properly alleges criminal activity by
Government Officers involved with Treasongate offenses, Congress must
begin Impeachment proceedings to remove those Officers.
The coming Supreme Court battle has never, in the history of American
jurisprudence, been tested before. The question presented:
Whether “civil Officers of the United States”, including the President
and Vice President, can be pardoned for criminal convictions (or
indictments prior to conviction) which flow from “Cases of Impeachment”
where the Senate has voted to convict?
This issue has never been tested in our entire national history.
Actually, I couldn’t find a single legal discussion directly on point.
No civil Officer of the United States has ever been Impeached in the
House of Representatives, convicted in the Senate, then removed from
office and successfully prosecuted in a criminal court only to be
granted a presidential pardon.
etc..