WaPo Editor Loses In Comparison of Values and Usefulness

In its new unwelcome tradition of ignoring atrocities, this a.m. WaPo's editorial critiqued the latest round of pardons committed by the occupied White House while ignoring such events as making a policy of torture, violating the Constitution, politicizing the Justice Department. Rising to the trivial, Hiatt's chosen (or written, it was offered without admitted an author) editorial actually found something the board objected to in this worst president ever.

.....This is only the fifth commutation Mr. Bush has issued since taking office in 2001. There are thousands of prisoners rotting behind bars for nonviolent drug offenses. Surely some of them deserve at least as much mercy as Mr. Short.

Mr. Bush followed a more familiar pattern in his pardons of 29 other federal convicts. These required no political courage. They were, as has been Mr. Bush's habit, safe and predictable. Many of those pardoned were convicted on minor drug charges -- before the draconian federal laws kicked in -- and served either brief sentences or none at all. Several of the crimes occurred decades ago, one as far back as 1959. Pardons were doled out for such things as producing moonshine, running an illegal gambling house or stealing U.S. mail.

Mr. Bush continues his run as one of the stingiest presidents in American history when it comes to pardons.

As usual, commenters had better judgment and sensibilities, and more respect for the truth.

ifthethunderdontgetya wrote:
Fred Hiatt is shocked, shocked I say!, to find that the first psychopath only cares about his own behind (hence keeping the scooter out of the big house).

Molly Ivins told us all about this before the Supremes appointed him preznit in 2000.

vigor wrote:
Mr. Bush is a mindless puppet of the Republican Party.

He has no thoughts, compassion, soul, or ideas of his own.

Brentmack wrote:
Of all of my seven years worth of grievances against King George, being too tough on convicted crack dealers never made my list.

The priorities of this conservative-biased newspaper are just pathetic.

This opinion piece should have been saved for April Fool's Day.

wryly wrote:
The WashPost home page titled this editorial "unpardonable offense", which is totally misleading when one considers all the illegal acts and ethical lapses by Bush.

and there's mine:

jocabel wrote:
WaPo has granted the occupied White House so many pardons for its war crimes, I suppose that makes up for the lack of compassion there. The Dallas Morning News has ended its 100 years of support for the death penalty, and it would be nice if WaPo would follow that noble example.

The use of its editorial influence in yesterday's Dallas Morning News was followed up today by yet another reminder of misfeasance by the war criminals in high office.

The short-term expediency of calming Turkey after a series of cross-border guerrilla raids instead puts a longer-term priority – Iraqi Kurdish cooperation – at risk. Iraqi Kurds unquestionably are America's most dependable allies in Iraq and have been models of security and prosperity for the rest of the country.
(snip)
As retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey noted in a newly released study, only gentle persuasion and careful application of U.S. influence can keep the Kurds in line. "The war-after-next will be the war of the Iraqi Arabs against the Kurds – when Mosul as well as Kirkuk and its giant oil basin" are absorbed "by the nascent Kurdish state," he warned.

Instead of heeding such warnings, Washington shared intelligence with Ankara and opened Iraq's air space for Turkish warplanes. Kurds protested loudly, and Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish regional president, pointedly snubbed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her Dec. 18 visit to Iraq.

It's a shame that the reputation WaPo earned during the criminal reign of Richard Nixon has been thrown away by its present editorial board. The rising standard of excellence has been picked up by the rather unlikely Dallas Morning News, and my hopes are that a humbled press will follow that standard to new respect for facts and demands for public service on the part of our leaders.