Anyone want to place bets if Kerry wins Shrub will simply pardon himself?

[JoePizz]

I figure since Bush the First pardoned everyone in the Iran/Contra stuff, I wonder if Bush the Lesser would do the same?

Of course, that in itself brings up an interesting point- can you pardon someone who has not been convicted of anything (yet)? If not, does that mean Shrub would be doomed? Or would her pardon himself and/or his entire administration anyway to hedge off such a bet? Sort of like Ford pardoning Nixon for anything he might have done wrong?

I am also forced to wonder if democratically controlled Congress could simply rule such a pardon invalid because no one was convicted of anything at the time it was made, and thereby allow a congressional investigation into Shrub & Co's dirty deeds?

Just curious.

[grytpype]

1. It's a sure thing.

[bryant69]

2. Kerry might not want to go after President Bush

I know that will drive a lot of you nuts, but it might be the right call. Is it more important that President Bush be held responsible for screwing things up so royally or that President Kerry spend his political capital fixing things (particularly our relationships with the rest of the world, and the more unbalanced parts of the Bush Tax cuts)?

Of course if hard evidence comes out that President Bush knew about September 11th and did nothing about it or encouraged it, then the situation changes. But the key phrase there is hard evidence, as distinct from vague speculation or inonclusive circumstantial evidence.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[JoePizz]

3. I would have thought that would be up to Congress

Kerry probably should not sully himself by getting involved in an investigation, but if we can take control of congress back, why couldn't we then launch said investigation?

[bryant69]

4. Well that's a good point

We might get the Senate back. But the impetus for such an investigation probably doesn't exist currently; you'd need more of a smoking gun before you could start such investigations.

The one area where there might be enough impetus is an overall investigation into Iraq (the deceptions getting us in there, the poor planning that left our troops hobbled, the failure to really create a secure Iraq, so on and so forth); which is entirely possible, although not definate.

[catmandu57]

5. I'm not sure that he can

I asked the same thing a while back and nobody knew if he had the power to issue himself a pardon. The scenario with Ford/Nixon comes to mind, that would be the way he would have to do it.