This year’s batch of Bush holiday pardons

Just in time for Festivus, President Bush issued a batch of pardons and one commutation yesterday.  This AP story provides all the details, and here are the highlights:

President Bush issued 16 pardons Thursday and commuted the sentence of an Iowa man convicted of drug charges.  Six of the federal offenses were drug crimes, while others included bank fraud, mail fraud, the acceptance of a kickback, a false statement on a loan application and conspiracy to defraud the government over taxes.

Seven of the 16 received no prison or jail time, instead getting probation or a reduction in their military pensions. The longest sentence was nine years, for aiding cocaine distribution, followed by a six-year term for conspiracy to possess marijuana.

With this batch, Bush has issued 113 pardons and commuted three sentences in his nearly six years in the White House, according to spokesman Tony Fratto….

Bush remains among the stingiest of postwar presidents on pardons.  President Clinton issued 457 in eight years in office. Bush’s father, George H. W. Bush, issued 77 in four years.  President Reagan issued 406 in eight years, and President Carter issued 563 in four years.