To the Editor:
Re “The President and His Power to Pardon” (editorial, May 20):
Although President Trump seems to surprise us each day after we thought he had already reached the nadir of possible presidential behavior, his anticipated pardons of horrific war criminals may eclipse even his worst outrages to date.
However, the cherry on top of the pardon sundae that you did not mention would be a self-pardon, expunging his own criminality. While the Constitution prohibits pardoning “in cases of impeachment,” he certainly could blanket pardon himself before an impeachment proceeding. Or he could simply resign, after extracting a promise of a pardon from President Mike Pence.
Carl Mezoff
Stamford, Conn.
To the Editor:
Yes, President Trump’s heinous use of the pardon as a political and evasive tool is unpardonable. Until Watergate, the tool was rarely abused. In an increasing trend, however, we have had Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush’s notorious, and probably self-exculpatory, Iran-contra pardons (encouraged by his attorney general, William Barr), the sordid pardon by Bill Clinton of the fugitive financier Marc Rich that you cite, George W. Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence and now Mr. Trump.
Since the power is constitutional, legislative remedies are unlikely to be sufficient to counter the trend. Instead, we need a constitutional amendment that would require that all pardons be co-signed by the speaker of the House. Requiring two signatures would improve the odds of decency in the decision.
Budd N. Shenkin
David I. Levine
Berkeley, Calif.
To the Editor:
I was with you right up until the final sentence when you called for greater congressional oversight “to assure the public that he is pursuing his constitutional duties rather than his political interests.” Is there anyone of any political stripe who seriously believes that this president is pursuing constitutional duties rather than political interests?
Ted Tsomides
Raleigh, N.C.
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | Trump’s Plan to Pardon War Criminals: ‘Unpardonable’
Opinion | Trump’s Plan to Pardon War Criminals: ‘Unpardonable’
To the Editor:
Re “The President and His Power to Pardon” (editorial, May 20):
Although President Trump seems to surprise us each day after we thought he had already reached the nadir of possible presidential behavior, his anticipated pardons of horrific war criminals may eclipse even his worst outrages to date.
However, the cherry on top of the pardon sundae that you did not mention would be a self-pardon, expunging his own criminality. While the Constitution prohibits pardoning “in cases of impeachment,” he certainly could blanket pardon himself before an impeachment proceeding. Or he could simply resign, after extracting a promise of a pardon from President Mike Pence.
Carl Mezoff
Stamford, Conn.
To the Editor:
Yes, President Trump’s heinous use of the pardon as a political and evasive tool is unpardonable. Until Watergate, the tool was rarely abused. In an increasing trend, however, we have had Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush’s notorious, and probably self-exculpatory, Iran-contra pardons (encouraged by his attorney general, William Barr), the sordid pardon by Bill Clinton of the fugitive financier Marc Rich that you cite, George W. Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence and now Mr. Trump.
Since the power is constitutional, legislative remedies are unlikely to be sufficient to counter the trend. Instead, we need a constitutional amendment that would require that all pardons be co-signed by the speaker of the House. Requiring two signatures would improve the odds of decency in the decision.
Budd N. Shenkin
David I. Levine
Berkeley, Calif.
To the Editor:
I was with you right up until the final sentence when you called for greater congressional oversight “to assure the public that he is pursuing his constitutional duties rather than his political interests.” Is there anyone of any political stripe who seriously believes that this president is pursuing constitutional duties rather than political interests?
Ted Tsomides
Raleigh, N.C.
Source: Read Full Article