General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If trump were to resign today, would you be satisfied or would you want to see him [View all]gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Dead of night, Christmas Eve 1992, after Bush had lost re-election to Bill Clinton. Just a couple of weeks before Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh was going to try Reagan administration officials for selling arms to Iran and using the proceeds to fund terrorists in Central America.
In addition to Caspar Weinberger, Bush pardoned Robert C. McFarlane, Elliott Abrams, and three former CIA officials, Clair E. George, Alan D. Fiers Jr. and Duane R. "Dewey" Clarridge. McFarlane, Abrams and Fiers had all already pled guilty to various charges, and the trial of Weinberger and others was going to put the lie to Bush's claim that he was "out of the loop" on the Iran/contra crimes.
These pardons were also the time when the notion of criminalizing policy differences entered our political lexicon, thanks to Bush. That formulation has been used as a shield and a cudgel to defend Republican criminality ever since.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032800858.html