Pardon watch on as transition nears But it's doubtful any Houstonians will make the cut

[douglas9]

It's the season to watch for pardons coming from the White House and it doesn't seem likely any famous Houstonians will be celebrating clemency along with the new year.

Two Houstonians — former Enron executive Jeff Skilling and former Astros pitcher Roger Clemens — are on a watch list kept by P.S. Ruckman Jr., a political science professor in Illinois who writes a blog on pardons and has written a book on the subject.

Skilling's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, said no request is being made on behalf of Skilling, who is in prison and appealing his conviction. No other Enron defendants were on Justice Department request lists as of Wednesday.

But Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin, notes that a clemency request would make no sense, since Clemens is not charged with any crime, although the FBI is investigating whether he lied to Congress about steroid use.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6190688.html

[PDittie]

1. And nothing but "Ramos and Compean" whining

from the conservatives in the comments. Sometimes I hate this town.

[Baby Snooks]

2. One of whom is a wife/girlfriend abuser....

One of them was arrested twice on charges of domestic violence although the charges were dropped. Twice? The media apparently tried to find out more about the matter but met with brick walls. I think it was Compean.

That little matter of course got Ted Poe in a little bit of trouble with many of the domestic abuse/violence advocates and organizations since he was at the forefront of the "Pardon Ramos and Compean" movement and raised some questions about the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus and its focus.

I have a problem with illegal immigration. But I also have a problem with the immigration reform movement. Most if not all of them are racist and of course never minded their own "cheap labor" until the bill arrived. The Republicans created the problem and their solution of course as always has been to blame the Democrats.

I doubt Bush will pardon Ramos and Compean because it might upset the Mexican government if he did and his "family business" is supposedly tied into contracts with Pemex but you never know what he's likely to do in the last days of his administration.

Most worry about him issuing a blanket pardon for his administration. Which apparently he can do. As for him personally I doubt the Justice Department will even investigate a former president and will take the position that it was a matter Congress should have addressed through impeachment.