CliffyWorld

Pumpkin and Pecan were pardoned by President Bush for their crime of just being turkeys. There were neither legal forms submitted to the Pardon Attorney nor any discussions with the Attorney General. The two turkeys pardoned by Bush will be flown "first class" to Disneyland in California, where they will serve as grand marshals of "Disney's Thanksgiving Day Parade." After the parade, the turkeys will be in the Frontierland section where people can visit them. This National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation is a tradition that dates back to 1947, when Harry Truman pardoned the first White House turkey. Presidential turkey pardons have since been a form of "harmless" entertainment similarly to watching Punxsutawney Phil predict weather forecasts every Groundhog Day.

Traditionally, at the end of an administrations term, the outgoing president reviews a list of applicants for commutation or pardon given to him by the Attorney General. It is a spotlighted event the media gropes upon but actually pardons and commutations take place throughout the year without much hoopla.

First, let’s define Commutation vs. Pardon:

Commuting is the act of reducing a sentence. A president has the ability to commute a sentence before it's even begun. A full pardon can do the same thing; it can also reduce a sentence. But more commonly a pardon is granted after a person serves his prison sentence. And unlike a commutation, a pardon can absolve the person of his status as a convicted criminal and restore his civil abilities.

Presidents have always been criticized or denounced by their choices. Bill Clinton was hammered by both houses of Congress for his questionable pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich. In 1983, Rich was indicted in federal court of evading more than $48 million in taxes. He was also charged with 51 counts of tax fraud and with running illegal oil deals with Iran during the hostage crisis. Rich has been living in Switzerland for almost 20 years now happily running a commodities trading firm worth nearly $1 billion. Since he has never publicly renounced his U.S. citizenship he can return to the U.S A. without any penalty.

Marc Rich's socialite ex-wife has donated an estimated $1 million to Democratic causes, including $70,000 to Hillary Clinton's successful Senate campaign and $450,000 to the Clinton presidential library fund. She also lobbied heavily for Marc's pardon. On a side-note, President-Elect Obama's consideration of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State demonstrates a lack of good judgment.

George W Bush is not exempt from the scrutiny of presidential pardons. As governor, Bush favored tougher laws for drug offenders, including signing legislation that allows judicial discretion to sentence first-time offenders possessing less than one gram of cocaine to a maximum of 180 days in jail. As President, Bush pardoned a substantial number of drug dealers and traffickers. The most disturbing was the commuting of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich. Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.

Back on June 7, 2000, Bush stated "The federal government has a critical responsibility to enforce our nation’s drug laws and to stop international drug traffickers. In our battle against the international drug trade, the Southwest border is the front line. Much of the burden from this national battle falls on border counties, whose limited resources are already stretched thin. The federal government must step up and do its part." Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were given terms of 11 and 12 years respectively on their convictions for shooting an illegal alien drug smuggler. Bush should have honored those agents for their service to our country by granting them a full pardon but left them high and dry as the Federal Government treated them with contempt.

Our borders with Mexico are the primary corridors for drug trafficking into the U.S. From February 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007, there were 1,982 incidents where Border Patrol agents have been assaulted. These assaults include rock throwing, physical assaults, vehicular assaults as well as shootings. In response, Border Patrol agents have responded with the use of deadly force on 116 occasions, with 144 agents discharging their weapons during these 116 incidents.

While the Constitution places no significant limitations on presidents in granting pardons, we have certainly witnessed the grief that can come to presidents or former presidents who appear to grant them haphazardly, or show favoritism in the act.

Perhaps they should just stick to pardoning turkeys.

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