Nadler Needs to Read the Constitution

Rep. Jerrold “Whiff of Fascism” Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, is demanding that President George W. Bush not issue “pre-emptive pardons of senior officials in his administration during the final 90 days of office.”

Nadler said his resolution is in response to Bush’s “widespread abuses of power and potentially criminal transgressions against our Constitution.” He said he wants to prevent “undeserved pardons of officials who may have been co-conspirators in the president’s unconstitutional policies, such as torture, illegal surveillance and curtailing of due process for defendants.”

“This resolution declares that we will not tolerate a last minute attempt by President Bush to shelter his cronies – cronies who may well be guilty of serious criminal offenses – from the full force of the law,” said Nadler.

Perhaps Congressman Nadler needs to actually read the Constitution he is supposed to be protecting. As interpreted by the courts, it states that the executive pardon power is absolutely unreviewable in any court in the land and cannot be modified by Congress.

When it comes to federal offenses, the president is free to pardon anybody for anything anywhere in America.

Period.

Republicans didn’t like some of President Clinton’s pardons. Tough cookies for them. Now, tough cookies for Democrats too.