Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Indictment - then Impeachment

It's the Moonbat Way.

If any sitting president was ever in danger of being indicted, it was Bill Clinton. Clinton had received a formal finding against him by a federal judge in the Paula Jones case. The finding was that he lied under oath in order to obstruct justice. The court wrote that the finding "demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the president responded … by giving false, misleading and evasive answers that were designed to obstruct the judicial process." Half the members of the 106th Congress of the United States found that President Bill Clinton not only committed perjury and obstruction of justice in a civil lawsuit, but also did the same before a federal grand jury and during impeachment proceedings. Yet he was never indicted by Independent Counsel Robert Ray who was heading the investigations of the Clintons. Ray said that he would make his decision about indicting Bill Clinton "very shortly after the president leaves office in the best interest of the country”, implying that Ray believed it to be doubtful that a sitting president could be indicted

Why? Well, how can a U.S. president be indicted when a president has the constitutional power to pardon without limitations anyone he wants to pardon? No U.S. president has ever pardoned himself, but no serious person doubts that Clinton would have done so if necessary, and he would have received accolades from his supporters. That was part of the Clinton mystique.

So why would anyone indict George W. Bush next Monday? All the president would need to do is take out a blank sheet of White House stationery, write out his own pardon and have a couple of White House aides witness its execution and delivery. It is just that simple. The courts have already ruled there is no required form or procedure, nor is there need to comply with Justice Department regulations.

This power is bestowed upon a sitting president by the U.S. Constitution Article II, section 2 "Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” There are no limits on this power, other than the exception that prevents the president from pardoning "impeachments." Until and unless there is an amendment to change the constitution, there is absolutely no way to stop any U.S. president from pardoning himself unless he is impeached.

Moonbats everywhere – hear ye, hear ye. Impeachment first. Indictment second. Read the Constitution!

Oh so many conspiracies, so little proof. Who did the dastardly deed? "Transparent Grid" has two stories trying to expain away the source for the wacko indictment story naming new culprits, Net Taken for a Ride and Is Stephanie Miller to Blame?

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