Bush men practice pardon deflation

All you had to do was see then-Gov. George Bush talk about the death penalty in the 2000 debates to realize his compassion had its limits. His record on granting presidential pardons is instructive, too. The 14 pardons he signed Wednesday brought his total to 58. CBS News notes that his father granted 74 pardons in his four years in office — more than his son but far fewer than Bill Clinton’s 396 in eight years, Ronald Reagan’s 393 in eight years and Jimmy Carter’s 534 in four years. And it turns out that Richard Nixon (the recipient of one of Gerald Ford’s 382 pardons) was the grantor of 863 himself. Hard to know whether this says more about the Bushes or the other guys.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

11 Comments

  1. JUSTA GUY
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    Don’t count him out yet. He may have to pardon several in his own administration.

  2. J M Walker
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 1:30 pm | Permalink

    Hmmm…kinda like Clinton?

  3. Jed
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    I bet the big question on Bush’s mind is if he can pardon himself! By the time he needs it, he may not have a supporter left to do it for him.

  4. ray thomas
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 7:34 pm | Permalink

    Now the Bush Bashing is going on future things that haven’t even happened. Run out of things to blame/bash today?

    Well, it WAS windy today, I am sure that is Bush’s fault. The fires in LA are polluting the LA Basin, even more than normal, so I am sure that is Bush’s fault as well.

    C’mon, people….don’t you have anything better to do that dream up future things to bash Bush about?

  5. Ed Friedemann
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 7:38 pm | Permalink

    Bush bashing would stop if he’d stand-up to Ariel Sharon and put the trouble-making Israelis back into their wooden-box.

  6. Ed Friedemann
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 10:36 pm | Permalink

    Bush will need to pardon himself for Treason.

  7. Andy
    Posted October 3, 2005 at 1:05 am | Permalink

    Ed is a wolf in wolf’s clothing. Lousy camouflage, Ed.

  8. Galahad
    Posted October 3, 2005 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    Google Orlando Bosche . . . see what you find.

    A Cuban who helped plant a bomb in an airliner killing everyone on board, an international terrorist, PARDONED by George H. W. Bush.

  9. TRACY
    Posted October 4, 2005 at 11:30 am | Permalink

    THE TURKEY SHOULD DIE THIS THANKSGIVING.NO PARDONS FOR TURKEYS!

  10. Oh OH !
    Posted October 5, 2005 at 3:29 am | Permalink

    TRACY is a trangendered turkey who is always avilable for Galahad’s pleasure.

  11. Galahad
    Posted October 6, 2005 at 4:27 pm | Permalink

    Puny Augustus posted that at 3:29 in the morning.

    I guess that what you do when you’re not getting laid . . .