Speaking of political corruption in Illinois -- as everybody is right now -- does anybody remember the former Republican governor of the state?George Ryan is finally in prison, convicted in 2006 of racketeering, mail fraud, tax fraud, and lying to federal investigators. And that's not all he should be in for. Yet he remains as arrogant and unrepentant as ever.
Might George W. Bush pardon such a crook? Ryan is begging hard for one and Illinois' high-level Democrats have joined in to try and pressure Bush to do so.
Of course, one of those Democrats, current Governor Rod Blagojevich, himself indicted yesterday on the most severe corruption charges, has not only made his appeal a criminally ironic one but perhaps has drawn so much attention to how desperately wicked is Illinois government that Bush dare not sign a pardon for anybody there.
Let's hope so. Ryan is a despicable guy and should not even be considered for a presidential pardon, especially when pardons have yet to be given for Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, the two former border agents on the list who were convicted in 2006 of shooting and wounding a fleeing drug dealer at the Texas-Mexico border.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (California) has been leading a chorus of House Republicans urging a pardon for these officers. “President Bush still has time to do the right thing and commute wrongly imprisoned Border Agents Ramos and Compean. If he doesn’t, while at the same time pardoning blatant criminals, then he will be remembered for the personal persecution and values that decision reflects.
“The fact that the President has neglected to free these men from their imprisonment while freeing drug dealers, embezzlers and other criminals is insulting to the American people who have been begging and pleading for the President to release the agents whose prosecution was unjust from the beginning. For the sake of justice, let’s hope this is not the last round of pardons and commutations.”
And what about "Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney's former top aide, who was convicted in the case of the leaked identity of a CIA operative? Or Marion Jones, the Olympic sprinter who was convicted of lying about steroid use? Or perhaps a few blanket pardons for CIA officers and others who played a part in the use of "enhanced interrogation" techniques in the war on terror -- officers who just might become the targets of aggressive prosecutions by the incoming Democrat administration?
If Bush is considering other pardons (he's been very reluctant to hand them out so far), these would certainly be much more appropriate than the likes of George Ryan.
