A Legacy Worth Leaving

8 Random Items for 12/3/2008 #3

It is obviously too late for George W. Bush to save his legacy. He's run it into the ground. There is, however, a precedent he could set upon leaving office that could change the course of history for the better. He could choose to not pardon anyone politically connected to his administration.

The wave of pardons that come in the lame duck period for a sitting President has always been an issue for me. I don't oppose them all on substance. I just think if a pardon is worth granting, it was worth granting at any point during the four or eight year period that the President was in office. Saving these pardons for the lame duck period is little more than a cheap political stunt to prevent a backlash.

So far, Bush has only pardoned or commuted the sentences of 16 people in his lame duck period. If he were to remain this stingy, and avoid the pardons of anyone connected to his administration, he could set at least one precedent worth having.