But, I've heard this all before, especially the objections/criticisms about Presidential pardons.
Thanks to Gov. Bevin, we now have some of the same concerns at our state capital.
Both presidents and governors have come in for their
share of criticisms over how this executive power was handled; and it's
their own fault, but (wait a moment.) In my time the worst presidential pardon was the one that
Pres. Ford gave newly resigned Richard Nixon. Ford had a good goal: "to
heal the nation," but it wasn't received that way. Many of us thought
Nixon WAS a crook and we wanted a trial in order to find
out. Ford ended that, and his pardon ended Ford. He always claimed it
cost him re-election, and he was right, it should have.
Clinton had a few pardons that didn't pass the smell
test; so did Obama. (I'd be surprised if other presidents didn't also,
but I can't be sure..memory is getting old.) Now Bevin has really stirred up the pot..including
among members of his own party (pardons shouldn't be a partisan thing,
but they often are.) He did so many, so last minute, so suspect in many
cases, that our legislature is looking into
changes. Good. Meanwhile Pres. Trump keeps reminding us that he IS
above the law. When, as Ford did, he can pardon someone BEFORE he is
tried, the President is not only above the law, he IS the law.
What causes me to want to heave every time I hear
legislative objections to chief executives behaving this way is this:
Congress and our General Assembly are composed mainly of lawyers. It's
the #1 occupation there. Many have been prosecutors
or judges as well. They know these pardons are bad, undemocratic,
immoral and fattening. But they do NOTHING about it. Not since Ford; and
Bevin wasn't the only governor criticized here, he just made the
situation worse by his extraordinary list.
Maybe now, in Frankfort, we will get some changes. I
have my doubts about Washington, where Mitch has his own views of the
Constitution and Trump's behavior. Nevertheless, I offer this fundamental
suggestion to Washington, and to Frankfort: NO pardons until AFTER the
judicial system has run its course - trial, conviction, appeals
exhausted. Let's start with that. I'm sure there are other good
restrictions that need to be enacted, but let's start there.
If we don't then the "rule of law" becomes "what the chief executive says it is," not what the Founding Fathers had in mind.
I'm just sayin'...
