Bush has been stingy during his time in office about handing out such reprieves.
Including these actions, he has granted a total of 171 and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their time in office. Both were two-term presidents.
On the latest pardon list were:
_Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo. She was convicted for unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
_Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D. Cordes was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.
_Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill., who was convicted of making false statements to the federal government.
_Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas, for reporting or helping cover up a crime.
_Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va. Harley was convicted of wrongful use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine.
_Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., whose offense was unauthorized acquisition of food stamps.
_Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C., who was convicted of income tax evasion.
_Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla., convicted of bank embezzlement.
_William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, Texas, who was sentenced for making false entries, books, reports or statements to a bank.
_Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla., who was sentenced for misapplication of bank funds.
_Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, Ala., who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
_Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, who was convicted for unlawful use of a telephone in a narcotics felony.
_Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, Texas, convicted of illegal treatment, storage and disposal of a hazardous waste without a permit.
_Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark., who was convicted of aiding and abetting the theft of government property.
Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich. Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.
Under the Constitution, the president's power to issue pardons is absolute and cannot be overruled.
^^ Have to disagree in one case: Ford's pardoning of Nixon was something that needed to be done in order for the country to heal and move on. Besides, Nixon's resignation and leaving the White House in shame was punishment enough, Ford's pardon was based on presumption of guilt, and Nixon's acceptance of the pardon was looked upon as an admission of his guilt.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll just drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
The country couldn't have healed without Nixon receiving a pardon? I am a youngin' and I am not well versed on the pulse of the country during that time period. I can't imagine that him not being pardoned for his crimes would have torn the country apart.
Eric, we were a more innocent country back then. The thought that the President of the United States could have been involved in criminal activites and a criminal cover up were unthinkable to the vast majority of US citizens.
The country couldn't have healed without Nixon receiving a pardon? I am a youngin' and I am not well versed on the pulse of the country during that time period. I can't imagine that him not being pardoned for his crimes would have torn the country apart.
Yeah, I think that's BS too. What the pardon did was to terminate further investigation. I think the resignation of the office of president was punishment enough. But I do think that further hearings and investigation were both meaningful and necessary. There was full-on obstruction of justice coming out of the office of the President, including the firings of numerous good men.
Even if Nixon had received no punishment for it, that shouldn't have been allowed to float down the river. It established a lousy precedent.