Senators want Bush to pardon their convicted felon friend — Ted Stevens.
Senators want Bush to pardon their convicted felon friend — Ted Stevens.
Last month, soon-to-be retired Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) delivered his farewell speech on the floor of the Senate, many of colleagues from both sides of the aisle gave speech after speech lavishing praise on the recently convicted felon. Now, some of those same senators are saying that President Bush should pardon Stevens:
“He has served this country for over 50 years,” said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a widely respected member of the Judiciary Committee. “I think most anybody would probably say, ‘Yeah, he should be [pardoned].’ I think most anybody would say it’s fair to say that.” [...]
With the door for a pardon cracked back open, some of his Republican colleagues are hoping they can push one through.
For Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the case for a pardon for Stevens has already been laid out. It’s all right there in a letter that Stevens’ lawyers sent to Attorney General Michael Mukasey — one in which they laid out their allegations of prosecutorial misconduct before and during his trial.
Stevens’ longtime friend, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), noted to Politico that it would be contradictory for Stevens to be pardoned because “he maintains his innocence.” “If you pardon someone, you’re assuming he’s guilty,” said Inouye.
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In all likelihood he has stolen from this country and betrayed our trust for most of the fifty years he has been in service. I feel that justice will be served by no less than a term in prison. However, I can understand how his Senate colleagues, who are themselves awash in dirty money, might like to see him spared.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 amNo one, regardless of “service to the country,” is above the law. If someone steals $50 from a convenience store, they usually go to jail for 5 to 10 whether they served their country or not.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 amSenators want Bush to pardon their convicted felon friend — Ted Stevens.»
– - Isn’t this a foregone conclusion? This is a non-issue.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amNo pardon for Stevens!!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amStealing from the government is known as serving the country to Orin Hatch and the rest of the thugs of the GOP.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 amIf serving one’s country allows one to steal from one’s country (or state), then why does that merit a pardon?
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 am“If you pardon someone, you’re assuming he’s guilty,” said Inouye.
Yes, we do assume he’s guilty. He’s been convicted. He doesn’t need to be pardoned to understand that…
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 amWhen I worked for a pharmacy with a grocery chain, a very nice elderly couple who frequented the store weekly for years, were caught red handed shoplifting. And not just rinky dink inexpensive merchandise, but makeup, steaks, and a bottle of wine.
Who knows how long this had been going on.
My question to the Senators, should they have been pardoned because they were elderly, and nice?
And if so, does that not send the wrong message? In that, crime does pay?
What’s worse? Milking the country out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, or being young and naive with an ounce of marijuana?
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 amBecause they are certainly many prisoners serving hard time for the latter.
Sorry Stevens. You are not above the law. You are a convicted felon. DO YOUR TIME!!!
‘Yeah, he should be [pardoned].’ I think most anybody would say it’s fair to say that.”
No shithead, most people would say that if you broke the law willingly, then you are compelled to pay for your crime. If anything, being a public servant who has long abused his position for personal and political gain should justify an even stiffer penalty for breaking the public’s trust.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 amOrrin Hatch has accumulated at least as much dirty laundry over the course of his porcine career. He’s just hoping to set precedence in case his closet door should burst open.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 amSeveral years ago I was in a training course on Capitol Hill in which we had an instructor from the Library of Congress. She explained that it was her job to answer any question posed by a member of Congress. She told us that the two dumbest questions she’d ever head were printed out, framed, and haning on her office wall.
The first was a Congressman who called one day saying he needed information “on the pros and cons of child abuse.” The second was a Senator who called at 11:15 one morning saying that he needed to know by 11:30 “what Abraham Lincoln did after leaving office.” Dumbfounded, she told the Senator “he took a very slow train ride back to Illinois.” For this the Senator thanked her and hung up the phone.
The instructor then turned to our class and said “THESE are the people running our country!”
If she’s still alive our instructor is probably saying the same thing about Orrin Hatch today.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 amHopefully, every senator lavishing praise on convicted felon Stevens gets their words read back by their next primary and/or general election opponent as evidence of how that denator has been in Washington too long. Elected representatives (also known as our employees) who violate their ethical duties deserve harsh punishment, not praise and certainly not pardon.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 am“He has served this country for over 50 years…”
Heh. “Served his country”?
Well, sure — but only if making yourself really, really rich at the taxpayers’ expense can be termed “serving your country.”
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 amThe motto of the Republican Party.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 amIf Bush pardon’s Stevens, then he won’t be able to appeal his conviction and will go down in history as a convicted felon. It’s going to be interesting to see which Stevens picks, a “get out of jail free card” or the chance to clear his name on appeal.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 amSuch a ridiculous situation. You get into that position, commit a serious crime and then can get out of it because of that position. I don’t even understand how it’s allowed.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 amHe will. Big deal. That dumb old shit is gone. He is the face of the dying Republican Party.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 amOrrin Hatch is the Belial of the Senate. He wasn’t quite as forgiving when Bubba was in hot water.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 amHow long someone has been in a position of trust which they have abused is not a reason to allow them to avoid the penalities associated with their violation of the law and trashing of public trust. Stevens is a crook and liar. Because he fooled the voters of Alaska (which appears easier than in most states) doesn’t mean he’s has served the interests of this country and should be tossed in jail as an example to everyone else in office. Remember, this guy continues to deny that he’s done anything wrong. So much for honesty.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 amSo… does Orrin Hatch support pardoning every military veteran who has ever come back home and committed a crime? After all, they served their country too. Shouldn’t they get a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, the same as Stevens?
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am“He has served this country for over 50 years,”
No, he has served Alaska for 50 years. He has done nothing to serve his country. And I agree with everyone else here, what a bad precedent to set. If I had been a good productive citizen for 50 years and then I stole a TV from Walmart, do you think that anyone would say that because I was a productive citizen for 50 years I should be allowed to get away with stealing? I DON’T THINK SO!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 am“…said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a widely respected member of the Judiciary Committee…”
Widely respected by who?????????????????
Not me.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 am“the recently convicted felon.”
“Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), noted to Politico that it would be contradictory for Stevens to be pardoned because “he maintains his innocence.” “If you pardon someone, you’re assuming he’s guilty,” said Inouye.”
I’m not assuming this guy is a dumbass, I know he is.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 amI suspect our jails are full of people who have served this country and have spent at least a fair part of their lives being upstanding model citizens. This doesn’t excuse whatever offense landed them where they are.
We cannot have one set of standards for hoi polloi and one for people like Stevens. Orrin Hatch is way off-base on this one.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 amPardon me, but their is no pardon justified for old Ted. None.
Breaching the public trust should include losing your congressional pension, jail time, fines and being put on a ‘loser list’ that should be posted in public squares.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 amPlus, how can you pardon someone who claims he’s innocent?
I can’t believe there had to be a vote for him to be fired from his job, but there was, and he was.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 amHe’s so old he’s going to die before he sees the inside of the jail anyway.
Orrin Hatch is a scumbag.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:51 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
“He has served this country for over 50 years,”
No, he has served Alaska for 50 years. He has done nothing to serve his country.
You beat me to it. Stevens has been in office for 50 years because he’s been the king of pork for Alaskans and only Alaskans.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 pmThe good ole boy club, thumbing their noses at the people they are supposed to work for and the law.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 pmInteresting how the Mormon Senator advocates pardoning the liar and cheat. How utterly Mormon.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 pmOrrin Hatch has NEVER been anything more than one of the most unconscionable, hypocritical, low-life, pathologically, lying sociopathic,misanthropic to ever pollute the halls of Congress. the very sight of him or sound of his voiceis enough to cause any decent person’s “skin to crawl” as if infested with scabies.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:46 pmFor more revelations about one the Senate’s major slim depositing slugs go to http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_orrinhatch.html.
Bush will have to change the pardon rules to give Uncle Ted. Now yes the Bushman can do the same thing he did for Libby but to pardon Uncle Ted would present a problem. With all the talk about former Deputy AG Holder giving Mark Rich ( Scooter Libby’s client ) a pardon when it was only President Clinton who had the authority to pardon Mr. Rich. This will be interesting to see how Bush brakes the law once again on his way out.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:52 pmi’m curious to see if durbin’s request to have george ryan, former illinois governor, pardonned… at least HE is spending some time in prison…
holy cow… i wanted to check the spelling of his name…
there have been THREE illinois governors sent to prison…
well, from what i read on the google page without scrolling…
yeeow!
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 pmSo they’re advocating going from conviction to pardon in just a couple of months ??? And they don’t see how that is inappropriate ?
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pmWith all the talk about former Deputy AG Holder giving Mark Rich ( Scooter Libby’s client ) a pardon when it was only President Clinton who had the authority to pardon Mr. Rich.
Jackie, what are you talking about? Holder didn’t pardon Rich, he sent a recommendation over for Clinton stating “neutral, but leaning favorable.”
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:27 pmSen. Hatch added that if he pardoned Se. Stevens’ criminal acts, it would be more likely that Sen. Stevens would pardon Se. Hatches’ criminal acts.
“Club members take care of each other,” Orrin wept.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 amIn otherwords, mainly Republcans, guilty until proven rich or a politician.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:43 amEven though Blogo is a whack job let’s hear some Repo comments how Obama might pardon him after four years- if he is found guilty.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:45 am