Bush pardons moonshining 'Deliverance' actor

[obnoxiousdrunk]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- By granting absolution to a convicted moonshiner, George W. Bush also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first president to pardon a cast member of the 1972 Academy Award-nominated movie "Deliverance."

Randall Leece Deal of Clayton, Georgia, had a small role in the film about four Atlanta businessmen who have unpleasant encounters with locals during a North Georgia canoe trip.

For the last 16 years, Deal, 66, has worked at the Rabun County Sheriff's Department, a far cry from his life in the early 1960s when he was convicted on two counts of violating liquor laws and one count of conspiring to violate liquor laws.

The crimes are commonly known as moonshining and Deal still disputes the conspiracy charge.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/18/bush.pardon/index.html

[Oreo]

1. Here are the other pardons he handed out

More drug dealers and gun runners

_James Leon Adams, Simpsonville, S.C., selling firearms to out-of-state residents and falsifying firearms records. Sentenced Jan. 27, 1976, to two years probation and a $1,000 fine.

_Tony Dale Ashworth, Winnsboro, S.C., unlawful transfer of a firearm. Sentenced July 19, 1989, to three years probation conditioned on the performance of 300 hours community service.

_Randall Leece Deal, Clayton, Ga., liquor law violations and conspiracy to violate the liquor laws. Sentenced June 23, 1960, to two years probation and April 29, 1964, and May 8, 1964, to 18 months imprisonment, suspended, and two years probation.

_William Henry Eagle, Wenatchee, Wash., possessing an unregistered still, carrying on the business of a distiller without the required bond, and manufacturing mash on other than lawfully qualified premises. Sentenced March 23, 1972, to two years probation.

_Robert Carter Eversole, Summerville, Ga., conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment. Sentenced June 18, 1984, to five years probation, with the special conditions that he pay $4,038 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service.

_Kenneth Clifford Foner, Niobrara, Neb., conspiracy to impede the functions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., commit embezzlement as a bank officer, make false entries in the records of an FDIC-insured bank, and commit bank fraud. Sentenced July 19, 1991, to five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours of community service and payment of $17,750 in restitution.

_Victoria Diane Frost, Medina, Ohio, conspiracy to possess and distribute L-Ephedrine Hydrochloride. Sentenced April 25, 1994, to three years probation, including six months' home confinement, and fined $3,000.

_William Grover Frye, Indianapolis, Ind., absence without leave (two specifications), escape from lawful confinement, sale of a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Sentenced Oct. 3, 1968, by U.S. Army general court-martial to confinement at hard labor for one year, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a bad conduct discharge. Sentenced Oct. 15, 1973, in U.S. District Court to two years probation.

_Stanley Bernard Hamilton, Richton Park, Ill., altering U.S. postal money orders. Sentenced Sept. 13, 1990, to three years probation, conditioned upon confinement for 30 days in a community treatment center and payment of a $1,000 fine.

_Melodie Jean Hebert, Scituate, R.I., conspiracy to defraud the United States by making false claims. Sentenced Feb. 23, 1984, to two years probation, conditioned upon payment of $1,250 in restitution.

_James Ernest Kinard, Jr., Stuart, Fla., failure by a licensed firearms dealer to make appropriate entries in firearms records required to be kept by law (four counts); making false entries by a licensed firearms dealer in firearms records required to be kept by law. Sentenced March 26, 1984, to five years' probation conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours community service and payment of restitution in an amount to be determined by the U.S. Probation Officer and a $12,000 fine.

_Devin Timothy Kruse, San Clemente, Calif., unauthorized absence. Sentenced Nov. 28, 1978, by U.S. Coast Guard special court-martial to reduction to pay grade E-2 and a $450 fine.

_Gerard Murphy, Rayne, La., theft of a motor vehicle from a U.S. Air Force base. Sentenced March 14, 1972, to one year probation.

_Joseph Mathew Novak, Kent, Ohio, possession and transfer of an illegal weapon. Sentenced Dec. 2, 1994, to two years probation, with the special condition that he serve six months home confinement, and a $2,000 fine.

_John Louis Ribando, Le Mars, Ia., possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; importing marijuana. Sentenced Nov. 15, 1976, to five years imprisonment followed by five years special parole. Sentenced July 11, 1978, to six months confinement in a jail-type institution, 10 years special parole, and five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,200 hours of charitable work and payment of a $1,000 fine (to run consecutive to the first sentence).

_Edward Rodriguez Trevino, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii, larceny. Sentenced Sept. 19, 1997 by U.S. Navy special court-martial to three months confinement, forfeiture of pay and allowance for three months, and reduction in pay grade.

_Jerry Dean Walker, Newark, Del., possession with intent to distribute cocaine Sentenced April 10, 1989, to three years imprisonment, as amended Oct. 19, 1989.

[Shadder]

2. Devin Timothy Kruse, San Clemente, Calif., unauthorized absence.

Well damn, he finally went and found something that most people would agree he's an expert in.

Way to go, asshole. Pardon someone for the exact same crime you should have been conviceted of.

[daleo]

7. Even better

_William Grover Frye, Indianapolis, Ind., absence without leave (two specifications), escape from lawful confinement, sale of a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Sentenced Oct. 3, 1968, by U.S. Army general court-martial to confinement at hard labor for one year, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a bad conduct discharge. Sentenced Oct. 15, 1973, in U.S. District Court to two years probation.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Can't help but comment on the absence of any inmate convicted

on the nefarious Rockefeller drug laws in New York State.

[ovidsen]

5. Can Shrub pardon them?

You're right, the Rockefeller drug laws are a horror.

But those are state laws. I don't think Bush can pardon anyone unless they've been convicted of/pled guilty to a federal offense.

Calling George Pataki.....

[RufusEarl]

10. Does this answer you question?

"The President ... shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."

No standards, and only one limitation -- no pardons for the impeached.

[ovidsen]

12. Not really...

From what I can find, "offenses against the United States" are defined as federal crimes, not state crimes as the NY Rockefeller drug laws are.

And in the list of pardons posted above, all seem to be for federal crimes.

So it isn't that Bush won't pardon Rockefeller drug law victims.. it's that he can't??

:shrug:

[MUSTANG_2004]

14. You are correct. USDOJ link:

http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/
"Under the Constitution, the President's clemency power extends only to federal criminal offenses."

[havocmom]

6. LOL Pandering to his base?

Looks like it :rofl:

[tocqueville]

4. Bush has always been into moonshining

[Judi Lynn]

18. Gee, I hope that shovel has been sterilized! Can't be too careful. n/t

[skip fox]

22. "Now squeal like a human!"

:)

[Lisa]

8. this week's "discreetly understated movie synopsis" award goes to CNN

Deliverance -- "the film about four Atlanta businessmen who have unpleasant encounters with locals during a North Georgia canoe trip".

[Kolesar]

11. "unpleasant encounters" ... indeed ... eom

[AnneD]

9. I can't wait...

for the total blanket pardon he is going to give his administration, and you know it is being written up as we speak.

[Jimbo S]

13. How ironic: Bush..."Deliverance"

Americans have been taking it up the you-know-what the last six years.

[Megahurtz]

15. Hilarious. n/t

[Cell Whitman]

16. Wasn't Bush in Deliverance?

I know McCain was in it.

[MadMaddie]

17. Okay...I hate to bring it in the conversation but what is the

racial breakdown of all of these pardon's?

Also, are they all Republicans?

Cause mmmmmm just thinking that there are negative minorities in those pardons.

[depakid]

19. "first president to pardon a cast member..."

CNN takes whoring to a new low.

Do yourself and your family a favor.

Program that channel off your TV.

[lpbk2713]

20. Boosh had one requirement before granting the pardon.

Deal had to "squeal like a peeyig".

[outofbounds]

21. Finlay we can get some good shine down here.

This white zifidale is too watered down and don't have the kick of good ol' shine!