To Err Is Human, To Forgive a Divine Right

One of the absolute coolest things about being President is that you can pardon anybody you want to for any reason whatsoever. President Bush has been one of the stingiest with this power. With the 17 pardons he issued last week, his total is still just shy of 100 in over 5 years in office.

Of course, there is nothing that says pardoning more people is better. As long as Bush is using his God-given power for good, not evil...

Looking over the most recent list of lucky pardonees, one thing strikes me -- they are all safe. All were convicted long ago and none will be released from prison with the possibility of going on a rampage. In fact, almost all of them never did a day in prison.

So, who were the lucky winners this time? Well, there were four with firearms convictions, three with drug convictions, three theft/larceny cases, a couple of AWOL cases, a couple of liquor law violations, an embezzlement charge, someone who counterfeited postal orders, and a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Make of this what you will, but these old ex-criminals are just the types that can get sympathy from President Bush.

And get this. One of the moonshiners pardoned by W was Randall Deal, an actor who played a minor character in the movie "Deliverance". No, he didn't play that character. He played one of the brothers that guide the misguided group, and his one line was, "It ain't nothin' but the biggest fuckin' river in the state." Perhaps, given his success in navigating the path to his pardon, he would say the same thing about our President.