Spikey writes Dem talking points on Libby pardon

By Clarice Feldman

MSNBC, home of the left loonies, is running a Newsweek article by Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball that sets out what the Dem talking points will be, should the President pardon Libby.

But there's one significant roadblock on the path to Libby's salvation: Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff does not qualify to even be considered for a presidential pardon under Justice Department guidelines.

They continue:

Those regulations, which are discussed on the Justice Department Web site at www.usdoj.gov/pardon, would seem to make a Libby pardon a nonstarter in George W. Bush's White House. They "require a petitioner to wait a period of at least five years after conviction or release from confinement (whichever is later) before filing a pardon application," according to the Justice Web site.

Of course, the power of the President to pardon is absolute under Article II of the Constitution. And the DoJ regulations acknowledge that:

The regulations contained in this part are advisory only and for the internal guidance of Department of Justice personnel. They create no enforceable rights in persons applying for executive clemency, nor do they restrict the authority granted to the President under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution.

Of course his predecessor in office felt hiw power to pardon was absolute and used it frequently regardless of the guidelines, including:

Clinton pardoned these persons on Dec 22, 2000

Philip Joseph Grandmaison D. New Hamp. Sentenced 1996
Mail fraud, 18 U.S.C. Â§Â§ 1341 and 1346

Joseph Riddick Hendrick, III W. D. No. Car.
Sentenced 1997
Mail fraud, 18 U.S.C. Â§ 1341

Daniel Rostenkowski D. Dist. Col.
Sentenced 1996
Mail fraud (two counts), 18 U.S.C. Â§Â§ 1341 and 1346

Archibald R. Schaffer, III D. Dist. Col.
Sentenced 2000
Violation of the Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. Â§ 622

And on Jan 20, 2001...

Henry G. Cisneros D. Dist. Col.
Sentenced 1999
False statement (misdemeanor), 18 U.S.C. Â§ 1018

John Deutch D. Dist. Col.
Sentenced 2001
Offenses charged in January 19, 2001